Naturally healthy, thick and shiny hair are rarely seen these days. But it is possible to get such hair with some simple tips I have discussed in this article. These are the things that have worked for me and are 100% natural hair care tips and treatments.
Hair damage may be self-imposed or may be caused by other factors like poor diet, stress, improper hair care etc.
Self imposed hair damage means damaging your hair knowingly with
Self imposed hair damage means damaging your hair knowingly with
1. Heat styling tools: Blow dryers, hair straighteners, hot curlers, hair iron and curling rods etc.
2. Chemical hair treatments: Rebonding, permanent straightening, straight therapy, bleaching, perming, curling, coloring hair for fashion, Frequent hair coloring to cover grays, shampooing and conditioning too frequently etc.
3. Chemical styling products: Holding and styling gels, mousse, harsh shampoos etc.
Then poor diet and sleep patterns also affect the skin and the hair. Stress plays an important role in increasing hair fall, while some medical conditions and medicines may also lead to poor hair and hair fall temporarily. Many people write to me about severe hair fall, damaged, dry and brittle hair and bald patches after having used chemical hair colors for a long duration. Then many people also complain of frizzy, coarse and unmanageable hair that have gone even worse after they tried to tame them with hair irons.
HOW TO TAKE CARE OF BRITTLE, DAMAGED, WEAK AND LIFELESS HAIR?
A year ago when I did THIS post on ammonia-free hair colors, I also had very dry hair, with even drier hair ends. Not only could I see multiple (4-6) split ends to each hair strand, many hair strands used to be split and damaged even somewhere down the middle of the length. Every time I shampooed my hair, the ends used to get tied into such knots which could only be removed by chopping them off. But as I don't cut my hair, I had to patiently spend sometimes around 2 hours to untangle them :(
I used to massage coconut oil and keep it for a day hoping to get softer hair but my hair would drink up a whole small bowl of oil and still be dry and damaged. So today I will be sharing some easy tips that helped me regain my natural hair and repaired the hair damage.
1. Henna (Lawsonia Inermis):
I had chemically damaged and brittle hair till last year. In May 2013, I made the decision of shifting from chemical hair colors to Henna. Henna along with Indigo not only gave me 100% gray coverage but also repaired my dry hair ends and added gloss and volume to my hair. So if you have badly damaged hair and scalp from chemical hair colors, try shifting to Henna and Indigo at least for some time, in order to give time for the damage to repair.
Read THIS article if you wish to switch.
UPDATE: You can purchase pure, rich, premium quality Henna and Indigo from us. For details and to see pictures of my naturally colored hair, click HERE.
I had chemically damaged and brittle hair till last year. In May 2013, I made the decision of shifting from chemical hair colors to Henna. Henna along with Indigo not only gave me 100% gray coverage but also repaired my dry hair ends and added gloss and volume to my hair. So if you have badly damaged hair and scalp from chemical hair colors, try shifting to Henna and Indigo at least for some time, in order to give time for the damage to repair.
Read THIS article if you wish to switch.
UPDATE: You can purchase pure, rich, premium quality Henna and Indigo from us. For details and to see pictures of my naturally colored hair, click HERE.
2. Cassia Obovata:
This is also commonly referred to and sold as 'Neutral Henna' or Colorless Henna, though it is not actually Henna. I will do a separate post on Cassia. It is one of the best natural conditioners that gives you the same benefits as Henna minus the orange color. You don't need to pre-soak it like Henna. You can use it instantly. Just one treatment every 3 weeks is enough to give you extremely strong, shiny and naturally conditioner hair. Once you try this out, you will never ever look back at chemical hair spas. This is extremely cheaper too.
This is also commonly referred to and sold as 'Neutral Henna' or Colorless Henna, though it is not actually Henna. I will do a separate post on Cassia. It is one of the best natural conditioners that gives you the same benefits as Henna minus the orange color. You don't need to pre-soak it like Henna. You can use it instantly. Just one treatment every 3 weeks is enough to give you extremely strong, shiny and naturally conditioner hair. Once you try this out, you will never ever look back at chemical hair spas. This is extremely cheaper too.
Cassia treats fungal, bacterial or other microbial skin/scalp infections, helps in treating bald patches caused by chemically damaged hair, helps heal burnt and damaged scalp, gives volume and shine to your hair and conditions hair in a 100% natural way, helping restore the health of damaged, dry and brittle hair. Regular use helps promote hair growth, increases hair volume, makes hair strands strong and thicker, and prevents hair fall. May also help against dandruff.
UPDATE: Now you can buy pure and premium quality Cassia / Neutral Henna from us at a much less price as compared to other sellers. Plus we will give you free usage instructions guide and an exotic recipe for using Cassia/Neutral henna, which will not only make your scalp super healthy but also your hair, super strong, shiny and voluminous. To buy, email us at onlygraymattermatters@gmail.com or lifesutrabygagan@gmail.com.
3. Sulphates free shampoo:
UPDATE: Unfortunately all the good sulphates free shampoo brands I have tried in the last few years, are no longer available in the Indian market. People who do not need color protection for their hair can try out Sebamed baby shampoo. For colored hair, only a couple brands are left. We hope to launch our own brand of sulphates free shampoo soon, so people don't have to struggle any longer to find the right brand.
UPDATE: Unfortunately all the good sulphates free shampoo brands I have tried in the last few years, are no longer available in the Indian market. People who do not need color protection for their hair can try out Sebamed baby shampoo. For colored hair, only a couple brands are left. We hope to launch our own brand of sulphates free shampoo soon, so people don't have to struggle any longer to find the right brand.
4. Jojoba Oil:
This is like a MAGIC POTION for damaged, dry, coarse, thick, unruly, unmanageable, weak, thin, brittle hair. It is rich in Vitamin E and has anti-oxidant properties. It seals the cuticles and reduces split ends. Provides nourishment to your scalp promoting hair growth and a healthy scalp. Can be used by people with virgin as well as chemically treated hair. Use on the scalp and as serum on the hair length, a day before shampooing and then a few drops as hair serum on damp shampooed hair. This is your way to discover heavenly hair that you may have never experienced before.
Guys can use this instead of their styling gel. Just put a few drops on your palms, rub the palms and fingers together and spread through your wet hair after your daily shower. This or the Argan and Avocado oils mentioned below can also help soften harsh beard and moustache hair.
Guys can use this instead of their styling gel. Just put a few drops on your palms, rub the palms and fingers together and spread through your wet hair after your daily shower. This or the Argan and Avocado oils mentioned below can also help soften harsh beard and moustache hair.
Jojoba oil is suitable for people with dry and normal scalp and may cause pimples in oily skinned people. People with normal or oily scalp can go for Argan or Avocado Carrier Oil.
5. Argan Oil:
Argan oil is rich in antioxidants and other properties are similar to Jojoba oil. Suitable for both natural and chemically treated or colored hair. You can even use a blend of Argan and Jojoba oils.
For a chance to win a Soulflower Argan Oil bottle worth Rs 800, participate in my Blog Giveaway HERE.
For a chance to win a Soulflower Argan Oil bottle worth Rs 800, participate in my Blog Giveaway HERE.
6. Avocado Oil:
This oil again gives shine and texture to brittle, unruly, damaged and unmanageable hair. It can be used the same way as Jojoba or Argan oil and is suitable for all scalp types. It is my current favorite and I like it more than Argan and Jojoba. I used to blend Jojoba and Argan oils but now I use Avocado for both myself and my son.
Avocado oil can penetrate inside the hair shaft and it repairs hair from deep within. It gives immense shine to the hair. Just mix 3-4 drops of avocado oil to a little aloe vera gel and use as a hair serum. Mix these on the palm, dip an end of your comb or hair brush in it and comb through the hair length.
If you have oily scalp or oily hair, you can also use Hazelnut or Grapeseed carrier oils as they are extremely lightweight and absorb quickly. Hazelnut oil is great for color treated hair too.
This oil again gives shine and texture to brittle, unruly, damaged and unmanageable hair. It can be used the same way as Jojoba or Argan oil and is suitable for all scalp types. It is my current favorite and I like it more than Argan and Jojoba. I used to blend Jojoba and Argan oils but now I use Avocado for both myself and my son.
Avocado oil can penetrate inside the hair shaft and it repairs hair from deep within. It gives immense shine to the hair. Just mix 3-4 drops of avocado oil to a little aloe vera gel and use as a hair serum. Mix these on the palm, dip an end of your comb or hair brush in it and comb through the hair length.
If you have oily scalp or oily hair, you can also use Hazelnut or Grapeseed carrier oils as they are extremely lightweight and absorb quickly. Hazelnut oil is great for color treated hair too.
7. Essential Oils:
The Jojoba, Argan and Avocado oil discussed above are carrier oils. For treating more specific hair and scalp problems, essential oils can be used. Essential oils are too strong to be used directly on the skin so we dilute them first in a carrier oil like Jojoba, argan, avocado, castor, coconut or sweet almond etc.
All of these oils are great at treating itchy and damaged scalp, treating scalp infections, improving blood circulation to the hair roots and relaxing the mind to reduce stress, thereby promoting healthy hair growth right from the foundation. Rosemary oil also helps in achieving long hair and promotes hair growth. So it is helpful in treating bald patches.
I am currently using Rosemary oil diluted in Argan and Jojoba oil. I recently noticed an increase in my hair length, even though I was facing severe hair fall during the humid rainy season past two months.
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| DIY Hair Serum for the Long Hair you have always dreamt of Also works to control hair loss and promote new hair growth |
You can mix 2 drops of ylang ylang essential oil in any carrier oil of your choice, dip an end of the comb or the bristles of your hair brush in it and comb through, to use as a hair serum.
SOME GENERAL TIPS TO PREVENT HAIR DAMAGE AND SCALP INFECTIONS:
Poor handling is a common cause whereby people abuse their already damaged hair. A little care and some common sense = Lots of love to your hair.
1. Don't use very sharp combs. For long hair, use wooden combs. You can get them from a woodcrafts market. Vega and Roots brands make wooden combs, but those are not as good as the real carved ones. I had bought two from Janpath in Delhi many years ago. There are also neem combs available at lasscosmetics.com.
2. A lot of damage is caused to the hair by simple friction. Don't use thick woolen ruffles/ bands on your hair. When you pull them off your pony tail, you actually cause friction in the entire hair length and end up damaging your hair.
3. If you have a piece of silk or a silk scarf, take strands of hair and rub the silk down your hair length and repeat. It helps soften rough hair.
4. Don't sleep at night with your hair tied very tight. Always loosen your hair into a loose braid before retiring to bed. Place your hair high above your head/pillow so they don't crush under your body while sleeping. This also helps air to run past your scalp and keep it fresh, preventing bacterial infections.
5. How often do you change your pillow? Yes, I am talking about changing your pillow! When you keep using the same pillow for years, a whole ecosystem of micro-organisms develops in your pillow and is a major reason for scalp and skin infections on the face. Also, change your pillow at least every year, wash it once in two months and change pillow cover at least every 2 days if not daily.
6. Do not expose your hair to direct sunlight. It damages your hair and turns already damaged hair completely lifeless. Always wear a bandana, scarf or cotton dupatta on your head to prevent your hair from direct sunlight.
6. Do not expose your hair to direct sunlight. It damages your hair and turns already damaged hair completely lifeless. Always wear a bandana, scarf or cotton dupatta on your head to prevent your hair from direct sunlight.
7. If you feel pain in your hair roots, you have weak scalp. Massaging Rosemary essential oil diluted in a carrier oil will help fix that. For hair that break easily from the roots, try washing them hanging down in their natural position rather than hanging them to the front of your face. It needs a little practice to wash your hair hanging down towards your back, but it actually helps keep your hair straight and more aligned and helps avoid extra pressure on the roots. Avoid very tight ponies, braids/hair styles.
8. After shampooing, don't wring and twist your hair hard to drain out water. Gently squeeze the water and wrap a towel to soak the remaining water. Keep the towel also in the same position hanging down towards your back rather than making a twist or bun on top of your head putting pressure on the roots.
9. Do NOT thrash your hair with towel to remove water dripping from the hair. I have seen a lot of people doing this commonly. By thrashing, you are simply damaging your hair ends. Just towel dry for 10 minutes or so. Leaving a lot of water in the hair and roaming around with water dripping from your hair causes your hair to break in the middle. Meaning it causes hair damage.
10. Do not comb wet hair as wet hair are the easiest to uproot. After the excess water is soaked up by the towel, use your fingers to comb through the hair gently. Else try Tangle Teezer. It's an amazing hair brush to own and not only detangles hair painlessly, but also removes dirt and lint stuck in your hair.
11. Do not shampoo your hair for more than 1-2 times a week. Condition once in 3 weeks and don't apply the conditioner on the roots. Use a mild conditioner like Organic Surge Color protect conditioner or For guys and women with very short hair, apply the conditioner by spreading it in your palms and running the fingers and hands through your hair like you do when styling hair with gel. This way you can prevent the conditioner from reaching down to the roots. While rinsing, it will surely touch your scalp so make sure to rinse it out completely and thoroughly.
10. And finally a myth buster, trimming does NOT take care of split ends nor do shampoos like the Dove shampoo ad befools you when Katrina says "I feel like it is sticking my split ends together". No shampoo can do that. But yes, Jojoba oil does help reduce split ends by nourishing the hair from within.
Image 1 Source, Image 2 Source
Such a detailed and lovely post very useful Gagan dear :)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Radha :) Glad you found it useful. Thanks for reading.
DeleteLovely post! I am placing my orderfor jojoba oil NOW! :)
ReplyDelete:) Thanks Avina. I am happy the post was useful to you.
DeleteHello Gagan,
ReplyDeleteVery informative and neatly explained. Good way to go...
Thanks for reading Dhanu. I am glad you liked it so much :)
DeleteI have Jojoba oil and really like it. It's really important not to be rough with our hair when they are wet. using a wide tooth com to detangle can help hairfall too.
ReplyDeleteLovely post! :)
Thanks for mentioning about wide toothed combs. I missed that point :) And yes, since you also use Henna for conditioning, I am sure Jojoba oil along with Henna would have added more oomph to your already heavy locks.
DeleteMa'am
ReplyDeleteYou are a panacea.
Such a useful information.
Neeti you gave such a HUGE compliment, I am truly touched! So glad found this article useful. I will email you on your queries after Sept 1st week or may be before that. Thanks for reading :)
DeleteI really want to try jojoba n argan oil..will get it soon..
ReplyDeleteI loved this post vvv much...great job gagan
Such a detailed post I m bookmarking ...keep doin great work...love ya :).
Thanks Tej. I am glad you loved it. Argan and/or Jojoba will do wonders for your color-treated hair. Be ready for compliments :)
Deletethank u so much for this post gagan...almost all my hair related queries is over..but i am vary of henna,applying it on my hair is an ardous task and how much ever i try ,iget orange marks on my face...which takes almost ages to vanish...
ReplyDeleteHa ha, so happy to see your comment Ruku, thanks for reading :)
DeleteDon't use Henna then. Get Cassia. It won't stain your skin at all and keep the paste thick. You can also make the paste in coconut milk for an ultra nourishing hair mask. In the South, people commonly make coconut milk at home. Let me know if you need more info on this.
hey.. recently i bought lots of carrier and essential oils from Soulflower.. i have used the oils on my hair as of now.
ReplyDeleteand i am already getting compliments form my friends,...
thanks a lot for sharing this.. i wanted to buy Argan too but it was expensive so skipped it.. plus i have 8 carrier oils(avocado,jojoba,wheatgerm,hazelnut,prime rose ,pomegranate,
grape seed,apricot) n 3-4 essential oils..(rosemary,lavender,tea tree, orange)
please do a separate post on essential and carrier oils for skin and hair if u can.
also in the pic.. u have jojoba oil. even i have it. but have u replace the lid with some other pump?? please do tell. as right now some of the carrier oils do not come out so smoothly from that hole.. please HELP.
Wow Reshma, you have quite a collection. I have Rosemary, lavender, cinnamon, argan and jojoba so far. Currently many products are on discount and I had used a coupon to get additional discount on the argan oil. So got a good deal.
DeleteThanks a lot for suggesting this post idea. I will surely write a post on the usage of these oils.
The pump that you see in the pics comes with all the carrier oils. I got it for each carrier oil I ordered. There was no pump for essential oils as the bottles are smaller and the pump wouldn't fit properly, may also let the essential oil evaporate.
I agree that there is a flaw in the packing. For me, the dart used to come out whenever I would unscrew the lid and a few times I poured out a good quantity, unaware that the dart was missing. So I tried procuring additional pumps from Soulflower, which they didn't give. They said pumps are given only with carrier oils. If you bought pretty recently and didn't get any pump, do write to them and they should send. Actually they are facing challenges due to heavy rain and I was told the warehouse staff sometimes gets late. So when other people fill in and do the packing, sometimes they miss out on things. I am sure yours would have been mistakenly left out.
I recently bought another Jojoba bottle for my bhabhi and there was a pump with that too. For my jojoba bottle, the pump doesn't work smooth, on the Argan one, it works perfectly. But definitely the pump helps in dispensing the oil much easily.
great post :)
ReplyDeleteyes, I would like to know more about carrier & EOs too.
and do Soulflower give the pumps seperately or attached? I bought from them, but the pump didn't come in the package.
there is a brand named Azafran too. check them out.
oh, and you could try ordering from mokshalifestyle.com too, just that they don't provide COD options.
for shampoos & conditioners check out Rustic Art and Soultree. or Giovanni and Organix too!
oh, and which one is more oily between Avocado and Argan carrier oils?
Dear Ray, I will surely elaborate on the essential and carrier oils. There is also a post on Lavender oil under 'Lifestyle Tips' where I have lightly discussed these.
DeleteThanks a lot for sharing this useful info and telling me about these other brands. Will check out mokshalife.com too, I didn't know about this site.
The pump comes with carrier oils only. Also, I ordered the carrier oils one at a time, so I am not sure if there are 2 bottes, they send one or two pumps. It comes with a long pipe and you can cut the pipe as per the bottle length and then replace the cap with the pump. Do check with them if you did not get it. They don't send pumps with essential oils.
Both Avocado and Argan oils are suitable for normal and oily skins. But Avocado oil is more apt for someone who has pimple-prone sensitive skin. Avocado is also richer in terms of nutrients and again, also has high antioxidant property. I am not sure why is Argan then costlier than avocado oil :) My understanding is Argan should be more suitable to normal and Avocado to oilier skin.
Ray your comment was very helpful as I got to know about these two new brands. Thank you. I just thoroughly checked mokshalifestyle.com and added items to the cart. I discovered that it is suitable only for manufacturers who would place large orders. For orders below $50, they add a $30 administrative charge. So I couldn't buy from them. I was actually surprised that the rates were dirt cheap otherwise.
DeleteChecked Azafran too and liked it. They have free shipping over Rs 3000 or Rs 100 shipping charge otherwise. Have you ever shopped with them?
hey Gagan ,thanks a lot.. actually i bought carrier oils from other website and they did provide me pumps.. it just didn't click me.. because their pipes were to long so i thought they might have given me to make some facial or hair mist out of all those oils..he he silly me. and i ordered one carrier oil from soulflower and they didn't send me the pump. so may be i will let them know that.
Deleteand yes i wanted to tell about mokshalifestyle too.. i have contacted them. send them inquiry asking about their products.. their response was good and as they sell their products wholesale. we get it a lot cheaper like 120rs for 15ml eo's.. i was planing on buying from them. but since one has to talk through email not like other website add to shopping bag . and also there are so many variety of products that i got confused. but then as now it is raining i thought my order will take longer to reach so i thought i will order from them during winters..
and then i saw soulflower running quite amazing discount like most of the oils i got for flat 50% off.. so i thought i will use soulflower and as moksha's oils are very cheap i thought wen i will buy from them i will compare the two and decide whether quality is good or not. :)
do email them on their customer care.
and also they have shea butter and all that things which are not easily available in india..
hope this helps.. :)
Hi Reshma, I have not been ordering from some other site just because I wasn't sure if I will get a pump along or not. Where did you buy from? Actually I had checked mokshalifestyle and loved the products and the rates. Even added items to my cart. But at checkout I discovered that they have a minimum shipping threshold of $50 else if the order is less than $50, they add $30 processing fee to your order :( I never saw a 50% discount on SOulflower too. The max I have had is just 20%.
DeleteThanks Reshma for guiding me to email them. I revisited their site and got to know Indian customers cannot order online. I emailed them. I hope they don't put the $50 limit for indian customers.
Deletehey,Gagan..
Delete.. as far as soulflower products goes.. i bought it from lime road and shoppers stop.. fresh stock july 2013,
from both of them at flat 50. i was browsing from limeroad i found about this deal.. i even msgd them to conform about the expiry of the products..and then ordered from them. (pumps were included)and just two days later i went to shoppers stop and just by luck i noticed the soulflower products being sold at flat 50.. i mean everything was on sale.. the potporri perfume aroma oils.. i was amazed .. most of them were last year stock.. i guess oct 2012 . so i only bought the products from fresh stock.
and regarding moksha.. i don't knw abt this 30$ shipping and all. i just mailed them the products i want to buy and my pin-code. and they send me all the details.. like they are based in delhi and shipping was 100 rs.(my total amout was 870rs excluding tax and courier charges). they told me to drop cash by cheque or online transfer.. (sales@mokshalifestyle.com)
MOKSHA LIFESTYLE PRODUCTS
24/157 Shakti Nagar, G.T. Karnal Road
Delhi - 110007
India
TELEFAX : +91-11-4235-1256
MOBILE : +91-98103-22390
Thanks dear Reshma for sharing all these details. Soulflower had once updated its coverphoto with the Shopper Stop Sale details but at that time it wasn't 50% and the nearest shoppers stop is like 2 cities away for me. I guess they can't afford to give such deals online because they bear courier charges. But do let me know whenever there is an online sale like you got on limeroad :)
DeleteI got an email reply from Mokshalife. Need to send them the list of products and then they will quote a price. I saw that some of their oils are not coldpressed but distilled, which could be another reason they are cheaper. Still I loved the extracts and other stuff they have. By the way, how did you find the quality of Mokshalife oils as compared to Soulflower? I am holding my soulflower order jst because I am making up my mind to try our mokshalife this time.
hey Gagan.. i have not shopped with moksha .. i was about to shop but due to rain i thought the order would get delay.. and as i have to pay online i would have been worried about it.(i am a college student so was worried using cards online) but i had plan that i would shop from them in winters. in in the mean time as i have shopped from soulflower .. i thought i would compare them when i would buy moksha products..and then on continue with whomsoever has the better quality.. but i searched on Google regarding moksh.. and had found just two three blogs who had bought from them.
Deletei asked one blogger and she said the quality was okay. but then she has not tried any othr brands incluing soulflower.. so i did not take her words.. i will be surely buying from them. also do let us know your experience too..(of course u will :) )
and i will surely tell u about the sale.. in fact i thought i should tell u.. but then i thought how would i contact and what would u think. i mean literally i thought of telling u.!! and regarding limeroad ,it was my first time shopping from them.. it was good.. i mean it could have been great but my total amount had some error ..i have to pay 2rs extra .. even though it was a tiny amount but when i informed them.. their response was quick but they just told me that there is some error regarding the coupon u applied .. and asked me should we cancel ur order in case the "2rs"' (she emphasize on this) error is not sorted so.. i said no its okay i would like to order(as it was huge sale and last day) but now on i will be extra careful regarding the total amount.
neways.. i would let u know about sales n you also do the same..hehe!!
regarding making up ur mind.. i think you should try moksha and compare and then decide(thats my plan). but i liked soulflower products among the rest (aroma magic n all)
Hey c'mon dear. Feel free to email me anytime, be it sale or be it any questions or may be to share something new that I may not know about. I will be happy to hear from you. And I understand it is not always so easy to spend on so many products during student life. When I was in college, we didn't even use to have ATM cards :) And that Rs 2 thing, well I am alsio very particular about that. I don't like paying even a single extra buck. See this is why dollar is valued as people value even cents there and here in our own country, we don't respect our own currency. Good you told me about this incident. And yes, I surely share all sales or coupons I come across on my Facebook page.
DeleteI find Soulflower's packing better than Aroma Magic. The smaller quantities are okay but for some items, say like Jojoba oil, I find it pretty expensive as I need more of it on a daily basis and wanted to have a bigger economical packing. What Moksha is selling is a different quality of Jojoba oil and even Aloe Veda's is distilled and thin quality, not cold pressed.
Moksha is selling some oils as a minimum 1 litre packing with a shelf life of only 1 year. So I am thinking one day I will spend some time reading about each item properly and then deciding. Even I have to balance my monthly expenditures. I added avocado and ylang ylang to my soulflower cart but then changed my mind at the last moment. May be they can wait. I have something else on my mind. Planning to make my own range of hair serum and hair gel in the near future :) What say?
oh that's great.. !!! and i have avocado..seems to be working fine for me(just used it 3-4 times).. i am really trying to take care of my skin.. i want a clear skin.. instead of using makeup and all to cover it most of the time.. and ylang ylang is something which is on my wishlist.. hope to grab it during the next sale..:)
Deleteand please share some more info about essential oils and its uses..!!
also there is this site called naturalmantra.com . they have a wide range of organic products.. but only thing is they don't have sales at all.. i found many brands .. do check.
Okay great. I will surely check this site. Thanks for telling me about it :)
DeleteDo email me with your skin type and any skin problems you are facing. I will send a detailed reply customized for your skin care. Can find my email ID under Blog Policy page. DO you want one single post on skin care or are you looking for detailed info on the usage of individual oils?
Hey Gagan:)
ReplyDeleteThis is THE POST that I had been waiting for:) Your jojoba oil tip has been a boon for my hair.. This post was what I needed next:) And so many soulflower oils' pics has got me thinking of placing an order with them again:D I'm in loooove with their products:) Anyways, thank you for this compilation dear:)))
Ohh so nice to see your comment Carolina. It actually shows you liked this post :) I am happy you put faith in my tips and gave some rest to your styling tools.
DeleteIf you want to buy oils, then go for Rosemary ( for longer hair) or ylang ylang (for stronger and thicker hair. Ylang ylang smells heavenly too.
Hi,
ReplyDeleteVery informative bunch of articles! Could you tell me where I can buy henna with indigo? Any particular brand, website etc.
Thanks so much
Manju
Hi Manju, thanks for reading. You can try Patanjali Henna, it's awesome. Or any normal henna with no chemicals added also works. Indigo works only on Hennaed hair. For Indigo details, please read the blog policy and email me after becoming a member. I will reply by Sept 2nd week.
DeleteI have read this post on my mob and i couldnt comment..
ReplyDeletebut here i am,
You have the best and reliable content on net!
you write your real time experiences and tips that worked for you with all the exact details.!!!
i am going to try this asp and make my almost damaged hair look good.
Dear Apoorva, thanks a lot for the appreciation and for trusting my content :) I couldn't believe you have damaged hair because they look very shiny and healthy in the pics. But yes, these tips do help. I have tried for months before sharing.
Deleteyou have been doing pretty commendable job here, i have been following your blog since a month now and find it super useful. I need your expert advice on coloring my hair and then maintaining it good. off late i have been loosing a lot of hair due to some disease and sudden grey hair as well. could you please help me?
ReplyDeleteJo
Sure Jo. Please email me your specific questions along with your membership details and I will reply in a week. If you are following the blog manually and have not joined as a member yet, please read the Blog Policy first. My son's exams just got finished so I will start replying to the previous emails now.
DeleteA well expansive and well written article! Bookmarked it!
ReplyDeleteThanks dear :)
DeleteHey Gagan, thats great to kno that ur son's exams got over n now u can share the procedure to make henna indigo paste n from where to procure it.... :) i have read this whole page along with d comments.....these r useful as ppl hv common problems n questions......i m deciding to use rosemary oil + ylang ylang oil mixed in avocado oil as i have oily scalp in summers n dry in winters....in ratio of 1 drop of rosemary, 1 drop of ylang ylang oil n 6 drops of avocado oil....is that proportion right ??? ...n by the time u share the procedure of using henna indigo mixture i m thinking to go n buy patanjali henna.. :)
ReplyDeleteNity
Dear Nity, I am impressed. You actually took time to read through and have genuine interest. You know you just nailed it and I am happy :) Yes, ylang ylang with thicken and strengthen hair strands, rosemary will promote hair growth and darken hair as we as soften and add shine and a base of avocado or argan oil would work great for oily scalp. argan is the lightest but avocado is also rich in nutrients.
DeleteCurrent coupon code on Soulflower.biz is happy1000 for Rs 225 off on Rs 1000 or above cart value. I have already shared the details on Henna Indigo on email.
Amazing post......very helpful
ReplyDeleteThanks Garima :)
DeleteI have been following your blogs,its superb.I have very dry hair,which oil mixture among u mentioned should I use?
ReplyDeleteThanks for letting me know you find my blog interesting and useful. If your scalp is also dry along with the dry hair, please try Jojoba oil. You can massage into the scalp a day before shampooing and then take some on your hand and dip your comb's teeth in that and comb through the length. After shampoo, on towel-dried damp hair, again take some oil on the palms, rub the palms and spread the oil through your hair length like a serum.
DeleteIf you want to increase length too and stop hairfall, you can add a few drops of Rosemary essential oil when you massage it a day before shampoo. This oil smells really strong and herbal.
For strengthening the hair strands, add yang ylang essential oil.
Both ylang ylang and rosemary can also be used together in Jojoba oil base but the fragrance may not be that great.
Hey Gagan,
DeleteWonderful blog.. its a boon. I have very rough, extremely brittle, dry hair and recently facing dandruff issues. So after going through all of your page I thought of getting rosemary + ylang ylang eo with jojoba +argan oil. Please suggest if this combo will be good or should i opt Avocado over argan+jojoba.
Also, suggest the brand and online link where i can order ylang ylang EO.
I really look forward to hear from you because I want to get the hair regime soon. And last, please suggest if all carrier oils are good to be used as a leave in conditioner after shampoo.
thanks a lot !!! u just doing a great job !!! kuddos
Dear Sreekala, thanks for the appreciation. I had typed a reply to this comment 3 days ago and as happens with me most times, I found from your other comment that I didn't publish the one I typed. Work simultaneously in 7-8 tabs and sometimes I leave a thing in the middle for some reason and later forget and close the browser directly. So sorry for the wait.
DeleteIf the hair are that dry, then go for Jojoba + Rosemary+ ylang ylang. Argan is good, lightweight and costly plus winters are approaching and Argan becomes so thick in the winter, it is quite a task to make it come out of the bottle. I remember last winters I couldn't use it beyond 1-2 times just because of this. So for the time being, instead of Argan, go for Avocado carrier oil to use as a leave in serum cum conditioner.
I would suggest using Jojoba carrier oil (if you like to do warm oiling, you can heat it on lowest flame for a few seconds holding the utensil a little higher on the flame). The EOs are to be used post warming in case you prefer to warm your oil. Add 3-4 drops of Rosemary essential oil and initially 1 drop of ylang ylang. Ylang ylang is very heady and it may give you headache if you start with a higher amount from the beginning. Rosemary is runny and flows out VERY fast so be careful when dropping it out. Stir with finger and massage this in your scalp once a week, 24 hrs before shampooing.
After shampoo, let the hair towel dry for some time and then air dry. When they are about to dry and are just slightly moist, use 3-4 drops of Avocado + 2 drops of jojoba + 1 drop of ylang ylang. Mix on plam with finger and rub both palms together gently. Now spread fingers like claws and do finger combing to deposit this oil lightly on your hair strands. It may feel like oil is gone and hair are still dry. But when you comb, the oil will spread.
If it still feels way too dry, take a few more drops of Avocado on your palm and dip/rub an edge of your comb in it. Now when you will comb, it will run easily and hair will be coated very lightly with the oil like a serum. No need to use a conditioner. In fact, conditioners dry up hair and cause hair fall.
Now that you are a member of the blog, please email me at onlygraymattermatters@gmail.com and I will share the details on where to buy and which brand to go for.
thanks dear... i was not in town so saw ur reply today..
DeleteSad to tell that my impatience costed me and I already bought Soulflower - Argan oil ( via. Healthkart) and honestly it did not help my hair at all :( .. Plus soulflower argan oil have no smell at all, I have read that argan oil smells lightly nutty .. but the one i got is completely null.. no smell at all !!!
I will anyways try other oils as was waiting to hear from u before investing any more.
I have mailed u today.. please do let reply as soon as convenient .. Thanks a ton dear for the detailed explanation !!!
Dear Sreekala, I too use Soulflower's Argan Oil and mine does have a very faint nutty fragrance and it does work fine. Though I used to use it alone as a serum only till last year. Now I use a mix that I had made and trying to finish it.
DeletePlus Soulflower guys had told me that the color and fragrance vary with the season in which it is extracted. You can email them if you have doubts about the quuality, they will get back to you for sure. I always do that whenever I have feedback to share and they do provide a solution always.
I am yet to try Argan from Moksha but Moksha's Jojoba was as good as Soulflower's. I have used that and can vouch for that.
Just try it again without any pre-thoughts, don't go by what people say. If you go and check Flipkart, it is full of stupid point of views from people who know nothing about these oils. So go by your own experience. I will let you know once I try Argan from another brand.
I will reply your email too. Currently down with backpain and sitting on computer almost after a week today.
very informative post,gaganpreet.my mail to you abt henna and indigo has bounced back twice, i'm wondering why?And sorry for getting your name wrong earlier-----------alka
ReplyDeleteDear Mam, I have received your email today and will send you all the details shortly. I am no sure why the earlier emails may have bounced. Could be a technical issue in the email server if not typo. But I did get one email today early morning.
DeleteHey Gagan, great article on oils..... after getting inspired I ordered Rosemary, Jojoba and Ylang ylang from soulflower. i have bad hair after colouring for years and very dry and falls too much.hope I made the right choice and still if u think I need to change the combination, please let me know. And Gagan m still waiting for your reply on Mehndi and Indigo.
ReplyDeleteTake Care
Dear Sharvini, you chose the perfect combo. If you have dry scalp and dry brittle hair locks, Jojoba will nourish them and bring them back to life in a few uses. Also, cut down on the usage of your conditioner. It may be difficult to fight the temptation of using the conditioner every time you shampoo, but trust me it helps. My hair ends go dry only when I use conditioner frequently.
DeleteI will be sending out an email on Henna Indigo either today or by tomorrow. Need to reply the previous emails first.
Hey Gagan, I understand your commitment but waiting eagerly for your email.shampooing hair without conditioner feels tough as this has been done since so many years but still will try and let you know the result.
DeleteTake Care,
Sharvini
Hey, I have one more prob, I play tennis 6 days a week every morning.u say not to shampoo frequently but I sweat a lot. I shampoo every alternate days so now what u will u suggest and how abt using egg on hair? Does it condition hair?
DeleteTake care
I have sent you the details today over email. Which shampoo have you been using Sharvini? I had tried egg only during my school days and it used to smell eew and made my hair hard. Yes it does condition the hair and you can add it to neutral henna or plain henna and apply. There are numerous masks you can find online. Only people who have curly or very coarse hair should not use egg or aloe vera gel as their hair already have a lot of protein and these things will harden their hair further. I personally don't use it on hair because of the smell it leaves.
DeleteShampooing that frequently would fail all your Henna Indigo efforts. Take a mug of plain tepid/luke warm water with 3-4 drops of rosemary oil added and stirred into it. Dip your fingers in that and massage gently into the entire scalp, kind of like you shampoo in the hair roots. It will clean up and refresh the scalp without having to shampoo. Or you can also spread this water by dipping your comb in it and combing through. Do these at night so the herbal smell of rosemary is gone by morning. Try and let me know.
Hey Gagan, surely ill try, and after using rosemarry oil in water do I need to rinse with water or just leave that solution? I am planning to use daily after tennis coz right now m serious about my hair fall and don't care about smell.
DeleteI am using keratinology bu sunsilk colour therapy shampoo and conditioner but desperately want to switch to herbal ones.yester I saw Khadi shampoos,read ingredients there was no sighn of chemical but do u think I should go for it? Or u suggest any.and if I m using Rosemary solution,how many times in week should I shampoo? And u say no to conditioner,if I don't use,my hair feel like broom :( please help Gagan :(
Take Care
Hey Gagan, can v use baby shampoos?? My daughter using Chicco shampoos and on it its written sls and soap free. Check it out, it will b costly but good for my hair atleast
DeleteSharvini, you can leave it in or just drain the left over solution over your head followed by another mug only when required. Water is one of the enemies of hair color.
DeleteI used to suggest Organic Surge shampoo to everyone as it was really good and I had been using that too, Unfortunately they have changed the formulation and it now has irritant chemicals which may not suit all. Can use as many times as you want, no harm. Shampoo 1-2 times a week. Once you start using the Jojoba oil, you will not complain of broom like hair anymore :) Just follow the details in this article. You will love your hair.
Khaadi is not a trustworthy brand and all herbal brands mention only the key ingredients not the full list. ALL shampoos are sulphates based. I had used Chicco for my son a few years ago and it make his hair like straw but as you already have it at home, you can give it a try. Just to clarify SLS free does not mean it is free of harmful chemicals. There are other alternative chemicals which people don't know about and pass for safe. You can also check out the pigeon baby shampoo, it is mild but SLS based.
I am waiting for details on a herbal powdered shampoo I had seen online but haven't received a reply to my email yet. If I happen to get it and use it, I will surely share. But please don't use sunsilk keratinology or fancy l'oreal shampoos in the market, they are all crap.
DearGagan Can the essential oils n carrier oils b mixed n stored in a bottle or it shud b tkn out frm these original bottles for use every time. ....hv alrdy got my essential n carrier oils frm soulflower :)
ReplyDeleteDear Nity, you can mix them and keep in one bottle. But it should be a dark brown bottle with proper cap and be stored away from direct sunlight in a cool dark place. If you intend to use your entire Jojoba oil like that, just take out a small quantity of you jojoba oil to bring down the level a little (and transfer to another bottle). Then add the essential oils in the main bottle itself. Alternatively mix all in a separate bottle. Do remember to shake the mix every time before using.
DeleteGagan if v can't use baby shampoo coz it makes hair dry and u said big No to the one I am using, and organic surge has change the formula,now what to do???? Which one u r using currently? Please help
ReplyDeleteTake care
Sharvini I said you CAN try baby shampoos. Please re-read above. You can also try the Patanjali Reetha Shampoo )sachets available for trial), have good feedback for it from users. Also there are some more shampoos in the market that you can try but they are in the Rs 600 - Rs 1000 range, for example: The Nature's Co and Alba Botanica etc. I am using my old Organic Surge which I had bought in the last stock. The newer organic surge stock may be available around Nov but till then the company is selling the one with higher chemicals. If I come to know of any other good shampoo, I will surely share. You can finish your Sunsilk bottle and see how well it goes with Henna Indigo. You will mostly require a good conditioner after the Henna session.
DeleteLike I had mentioned earlier, older stock of Volume and Shine boost range from Organic surge is still available as you saw on Jabong. Volume boost is for oily scalp and Shine boost for normal scalp. The only drawback is there are no sachets and only costly bigger bottles.
Gagan iwant to say a big thank you !! I tried the oil combination v discussed, and guess what in just 1 usage I can c the difference.earlier when I used to shampoo, my bathroom was full of my hair but shampooing after the oil application I can count my hairfall,it must not b more than 40.I could not believe my eyes and I could c shine in my hair as well. All this changes in one application(I know I m over excited now but m sure this will improve more and more after using more and more) now I am just waiting that henna + indigo also works and improve my hair more and more.
DeleteTHANKS again Gagan !!!!
Sharvini Maurya
That's awesome dear and I am truly happy to read your feedback. You know I had started using these oils around June when we had rains and excessive natural hair fall like it happens every year. So even though my hair had turned soft and shiny, the hair fall wasn't checking and I had to be patient till the weather changed and when I finally saw the results.
DeleteYou started at the perfect time and now it will just improve. You are right, Henna will nourish your scalp and prevent further chemical damage. Then in a few months, the scalp and hair recover and hair look as natural as ifyou never colored them. Plus these oils should also help a lot. So by the time your little one grows up, she will have a very wise mommy to take care of her hair :)
Yeah I was thinking that I should start taking care of my Girl's Hair (6 and 2)I guess can share oil with them atleast.what u say?
ReplyDeleteYes dear, of course you can, but just the carrier oils like Jojoba or Argan or Olive. Essential oils are strong for kids's skin. Up to 6 years of age, kids' skin is several times thinner than ours. I share my Jojoba oil with my son (4+ yrs) and the quantity is so less. I am awaiting a quote from mokshalifestyle.com on a bigger Jojoba oil packing. I didn't know you have two lovely kids. Do check out my kids blog kidsproductreviews.blogspot.in whenever you can. It doesn't have many posts as of now but I try to post at least once a month there :)
DeleteHello Gaganpreet,
ReplyDeleteFirst of all,THANK YOU,for sharing your insights.
I have an oily scalp and hair that's become dry broom like at the ends. After having my 4 month old, I am experiencing every hair problem imaginable. Dandruff, hairfall, oily scalp but dry rough hair,hair thinning and patches etc etc
I put a mixture of methi seeds(powdered, soaked overnight) and curd on my hair for dandruff and conditioning. It seems to help.Also lemon juice in coconut oil before head bath.
After having read your post, I am now also using aloe vera juice on the scalp.
Also I have bought argan oil, jojoba oil, rosemerry oil, ylang ylang oil
here is what I plan to do -
Before every head wash -
apply ylang ylang with argan oil on the scalp night before head bath.
apply aloe vera on scalp next morning.
then once a week -
apply curd with methi and cassia alternatingly.
after every wash apply serum made with jojoba with rosemary.
My questions -
1.can more than one EO be mixed in the carrier oil?
2.you wrote, jojoba not recommended for oily scalp, can it be used as serum on the dry ends?
3.I still don't have an answer to a good shampoo and conditioner.
4.should I stop using conditioners?
5.From where to buy Cassia, as every site that I visited shows the price in dollars or sells very large quantities.
6. does my plan sound okay?
Thanks once again for taking the time to answer each query and sharing your valuable inputs. God bless!
Neha
Dear Neha, Congratulations on this new phase of your life and soon your 4 month old will soon be able to sit and move around. So as a new mommy, you need to be happy and less stressed to be able to make your baby happy. So let me simplify this for you :)
DeleteFirst, 4 months ago was June when we all were having unnatural hair fall due to humid weather and it happens every year in the rainy season. Just that this year rains came early. In fact, till now I have some hair fall. Second, by the time the baby gets 4-5 months old, your hormone levels start returning to normal and there will be changes in your body till 1 year at least. That's how Nature works. So as of now, we cannot call your hair fall and hair problems unnatural. They are expected and I have been through this stage too. I also used to shed hair like that and it used to make me sad except there was no one to guide me at that time :)
Applying such precious oils right before hair wash and then shampooing will not help at all. You need to give it time to soak in and work on your scalp, I mean the essential oils. So as of now, simply make a serum of Jojoba, Argan, Ylang Ylang and Rosemary and apply it a day before shampooing. Keep it overnight. Using plain Jojoba on oily scalp can sometimes give pimples but not for every person. You can still try it as the weather is comparatively cooler now. Also, when you mix it with Argan and essential oils, it will be lighter. On other weekdays, simply massage some into the scalp and it is absorbed by next morning so no need to shampoo. Yes, you can use jojoba as a serum too, on the lengths.
You can skip everything else. I won't recommend Cassia as of now as it cools the scalp and you may end up catching cold in the present weather change and it may affect your little one too. So as of now no other treatment is required. Just use the oils and let your body come back to normal. Hair fall will naturally go down once harmone levels go normal.
Hi angel,very informative post n had helped me lot.dear I hve got jojoba, argan, rosemary n yang ylang oil can I mix dem ol n keep it in one bottle n use when needed or I hve to mix everytym before applying.plz suggest.Tc
DeleteDear Preity, you can mix them and keep in one bottle. But it should be a dark brown bottle with proper cap and be stored away from direct sunlight in a cool dark place. Also, don't use that soulflower pump on it. I noticed it wastes a lot of product as it leaks from the side. Just widen the hole in the dart itself. Shake it every time. You can take jojoba and argan 50:50 or if you have dry hair then comparatively more or jojoba and slightly less argan. Then by approximation add rosemary oil and use ylang ylang a little less than rosemary. Too much of ylang ylang can make your head spin with it's perfume. Rest I had already shared in email not to use rosemary on the length as it may be drying but ylang ylang can be used on the length (mixed with a carrier oil).
DeleteWOW!!! This is what I was looking for my extremely thin and scanty hair.. I am going to follow almost everything written in this post and now I know why my hair is so damaged. I don't oil them regularly and shampoo 3 to 4 times a week, use those woollen rubber bands.. RESULT: Real bad hair..thank you so much for this lovely post... From now on I am going to take extra care of my hair. thank you so much..
ReplyDeletePS what kind of hair accessories should I use to tie up my hair in a ponytail if not rubberbands.. my hair is scanty so almost everything slips off my hair
Great that you found this article so useful. These are the tips I personally follow and which helped recover my hair's health. I hope it helps more readers like you Farida.
DeleteJust don't tie a high pony tail as that puts pressure on the roots. Once in a while is okay. As for the rubber bands, there are thin elastic bands available, you can use them. While untying your hair, never pull off the rubberband like they show in shampoo ads. Rather pull up a part of the band and gently unwind each twist of the rubberband, carefully taking out your strands through its folds. And for damaged hair, please shift to an organic shampoo and make use of essential oils. You can use Cassia for strenghtening and also ylang ylang essential oil + rosemary/lavander essential oil in a carrier oil. That's more than enough to get back lovely hair in a couple of months.
super like this post.. and owsome one... :)(Y)
ReplyDeleteThanks dear. Glad you liked it :)
Deletenice info. keep up the good work !!!
ReplyDeleteNamaste Gagandeep,
ReplyDeleteI am fan of your blog. Very helpful article. Thanks for sharing. :)
Namaste Mohini and thanks for visiting. Hope the tips shared here hep you. And I am Gagan'preet' :)
DeleteHey Gangan,
ReplyDeleteI have a real bad hair fall, it looks like hair thinning, and not in specific part of the head but spread across. I have this extremely heat generating feel outta my head...
I have till date not taken any precautions for this hair fall, can you please help me suggest few remedies that increases the hiar volume and reduces the excess hair fall :( :(
Hi, I would appreciate if you don't leave anonymous comments and mention your name while commenting in the future.
DeleteIf you are using any hair color, you may be allergic to some ingredient which could be causing the heat sensation, which is very common with hair colors. Are you using any special hair oil or have you recently changed your shampoo? Do you have any medical condition like blood pressure? I am not sure which product or condition could be causing this. If the details shared in this article did not help you, then you need proper consultation. Please refer to the email consultation section under Blog Policy and become a member. Then email me for a paid consultation as this requires time to discuss and narrow down and treat accordingly.
Hi gagan ..today is mi frst day tht I checkd your site ...bychance I was searching aloe hair mask nd I got urs...nd it almost more than 1 hr im just checkin md checkin your articles..nd its really wow... mi issue that im using aryuvedic shampoo condiner nd oil...but still im facin continuous hair fall nd lil hair growth...iam 29 yrs old,I hav normal to dry thin mid back long dark brown hair...sometim I got scalp pain in some area befor or aftr hair oil massage...i wanted to replace mi hair oil wid some effective one...plz suggest me some essential oil wid carrir oil which I can use one or two before shampoo nd hair serum ...please guide me with online link also from where I can order ...im from delhi so here summer is just started plz give some tips for hair care nd also can I use aloe mask natural one..nd wht will b d max time I can keep it...nd anytime I can use it nd how frequently...I m sorry I have asked so many things in one msg....hoping to get your valuable reply soon...thanks...pooja
ReplyDeleteDear Pooja, most products that claim to be ayurvedic or herbal or organic do have some or other harmful chemicals which they do not disclose in the ingredient list. Please let me know the exact name of the shampoo conditioner you are using. Also, conditioner should not be applied after every hair wash as that causes hair fall. I personally apply conditioner only once a month when I do Henna Indigo on my hair. I have tried a new Aloe hair mask today and wearing it right now. Let me wash out and see how it has worked and I will do an article on it. While applying, I felt it is the softest most gooey amazing hair mask and I hope it works good too.
DeleteI see you have mentioned your hair are normal to dry and thin. But how is your scalp? Is it oily, normal or dry? Let me know and I will tell you the exact oils you need to get and from where. Please become a member of the blog as mentioned in the Blog Policy and email me with the answers to these questions and I will send you a detailed reply. Pain in the hair roots is simply a sign of weakness and will go away with the treatments I will suggest. I used to have that too some 3-4 years ago.
Hi Gagan di,
ReplyDeleteThank you for such awesome post! For someone like me, who is experiencing slight hair fall, thinning and has normal hair, which carrier and essential oil combination would be be best? And how often should I put it in my hair and the quantity too?
Ylang Ylang and Rosemary essential oils are the best bet for anyone who wants thicker healthier hair. Rosemary darkens hair, increases hair length, nourishes the hair roots by improving blood circulation to the roots and ylang ylang thickens the hair strands, protects from environmental damage and regulates sebum production, meaning makes dry scalp normal and also makes oily scalp normal.
DeleteNow choose a carrier oil based on your scalp type. Can you please share your scalp type and hair length so I can share how much quantity would be sufficient to buy and which carrier oil to go for? Anyways humid weather is just round the corner and almost everybody will face hair fall, so use less oil during the coming rainy/humid weather and also keep it on for just a few hours.
Rest of the year, you can leave it overnight to let the essential oils work on your scalp and shampoo the next day. 1-2 times a week is more than enough (except in summers). I used to oil every week but now oil only once in 2-3 weeks in summers.
And you are welcome :) I am glad you liked this post. Anyone who doesn't color their hair can oil 1-2 times a week.
DeleteThank you so much for responding. I have normal scalp but since it's getting very hot and also I go out for cycling every morning my scalp gets sweaty as a result it gets oily. My hair is about 4 inches beyond shoulder length.
DeleteI was reading about the benefits of Cedarwood Oil the other night, was wondering if that can be used too along with carrier oils ?
DeleteHi Gagan di,
ReplyDeleteAs I mentioned, I love love love hhow detailed and honest your views are. :) I have a few questions (just like everyone has asked you fouts on this post, mine are waiting to come out too :D ).
First of all, you mentioned in one of your posts that oil your hair a little less during humid season, why is that so?
Secondly, I read in your reply to one of the comments that we can mix and keep our concoction of carrier and essential oil in a dark bottle but I have also read that these shouldn't be mixed and stored. Can you explain a bit on it, it'll be very helpful :)
Thirdly, I have normal hair, slightly dry ends and slightly oily scalp, but overall I'll call them as normal, nothing is extreme. I don't face huge hairfall but overall I am noticing since a long time that the hair on my head are decreasing/thinning and I am left with very few. Do you think coconut +oilive+rosemary will be a good option to turn to? or should I necessarily add jojoba oil too to this? Also, would this same thing work for someone with oily hair and slighly dry scalp? (Since most of the stuff used is pretty neutral, except jojoba oil which is for dry scalp)
Pheww! that is a long list of doubts I believe, but I know that you will definitely have something great to share regarding this. :) Thank you Di :)
Dear Srishty, I sat down to answer your comment twice before and each time the window was closed by my son with my half typed reply gone. You are welcome to ask any questions you may have :)
Delete1. In humid season, there is a lot of sweating and the sebum production in the scalp increases. Dirt mingled with this sebum, sweat and toxins get trapped in the hair roots and cause hair fall. If we shampoo too much, then there is frizz because there is too much humidity around. All anti-frizz shampoos contain mineral oil/silicones that coat the hair strands and prevent hair from absorbing any moisture from the air, this is how they control frizz. You can use VERY SMALL quantity of jojoba or hazelnut or avocado carrier oil as a serum (on the lengths only) to control that frizz in a natural way.
2. I had mixed and made a bottle of blended carrier and essential oils, but to be honest I don't enjoy using it. Fresh blend feels much nourishing and refreshing than ready made. Different oils go rancid at different temp and when making a blend, if one of the oil goes rancid, it will spoil the mix. Then some don't even mix properly with each other so you have to shake the bottle vigorously before each use, as I can otherwise see big bubbles of some oils which have not merged. A third difficulty I found was that the proportion goes haywire. You may end up putting more or less essential oils and the blend may not be perfect. When I take a small quantity for single use, I am more sure as to how many drops of essential oil I need to put. Lastly, you cannot warm up the blends (i mean you can use a double boiler kind of arrangement) but then essential oils will evaporate on heating. On making a fresh blend, you can blend the carrier oils first, warm them slightly if you want and can then add the essential oils and have a nice warm oil massage.
3. You can safely use avocado carrier oil instead of Jojoba, Avocado can enter inside the hair shaft and repair the hair from inside out and also suits all scalp types. Jojoba is not a must, it's just that it is very rich and helps soften dry untamable hair and nourishes the scalp. I somehow avoid plain coconut oil, it used to make my hair very bad. Once I had poured hot coconut oil over some washed and cleansed flower petals (rose, marigold and another) and let it steep for half an hour. Then sieved it and that floral infused coconut oil was something that actually gave me very good results. Rosemary is a must for thinning hair and if someone has very dry or very oily scalp, then ylang ylang essential oil helps balance that and helps make the sebum production normal. For dry scalp it will boost sebum production and for oily scalp it brings it down. So if you can afford it, get a 15ml bottle of that too as it is a great oil to own. Go with avocado+olive+the essential oil(s). Avocado also adds shine and Olive helps fight bacteria. You just need to buy once and these last very long. I had bought 100 ml avocado from Moksha a year ago and still finished only 60% of it.
Hope this helps!
Thank you so much for taking time out to reply in such a detailed manner :) One doesn't really see this happening a lot. Thank you so much :). Also, although I might not be buying the oils immediately, still wanted to know if Avocado+olive+rosemary will work for slightly dry scalp +oily hair?
ReplyDeletePS: Thanks for visiting my blog :)
You are welcome and your blog was a chance discovery when I clicked on your name :)
DeleteYes dear, Avocado+olive+rosemary will work for slightly dry scalp and oily hair. In fact you can also go for only Avocado carrier oil and it makes hair super shiny but for thinning hair, it is recommended to add Rosemary essential oil (in ANY carrier oil) and massage in the hair roots. I had seen a very affordable Avocado oil bottle on joybynature.com too. You can check it out. It was 100 ml for some Rs 170 or less and in case you want to place an for Rs 499 or above then there is currently a coupon code for 15% off which is valid till June 15. It's given on my Facebook page.
Thank you so much for letting me know all of this. It was extremely helpful, Gagan di :) your blog is super informative!
DeleteHi Gagan,
ReplyDeleteYou are really doing great job Please keep up the good work.
I have brittle, damaged, weak hair with splitends.After haircut within one or two weeks split ends are back.
Please suggest me oil ratio and tips that controls splitends ,dry&damaged hair.After reading your blogs i am using jojoba+avacado+rosemery (applied twice for now).i never coloured my hair,my hair color is exactly like the pic you posted under brittle hair section.
Dear Veda, if that's your hair color and your hair ends are badly damaged and lighter in color than the rest of your hair, it's your high lathering shampoo that's causing it. Which shampoo are you using?
DeleteApply Jojoba to damaged hair ends in the night and leave it in. I used to do that and it minimized split ends. But till the time you are using a harsh drying shampoo, this would be a temporary solution only.
For ratio and usage, please do ctrl+F on this page and check my reply to Sreekala's comment above. If you still have questions after reading that reply, feel free to ask :)
Hi Gagan,
DeleteSorry for the late reply as i was in remote area.
I use to use biotech shampoo as i like organic products,then my hairstylist told me to change to professional shampoo (due to splitends,frizz and less volume) changed to tressmee.I tried khadi also but it made my hair too dry so i switched to tressme again. plsss suggest me good shampoo and pack for my hair.
I applied jojoba +avacado+rosemary and i feel bit hairfall ,sclap itchy sometimes.
Thank you
Hi Gagan,
DeleteI am eagerly waiting for your reply.
Veda
Dear Veda, I could not find Biotech shampoo. Do you by any chance mean Biotique? If every shampoo is making your hair that dry, it means your hair have really gone very dry over the years with usage of harsh shampoos and in such a condition, even herbal shampoos will make your hair further dry. Otherwise some of Biotique shampoos are comparatively milder than the chemical based ones.
DeleteI don't trust Khadi products so have never tried them but still I have good feedback on them from some people. Tresemme is completely chemicals based and is bound to further damage such dry hair.
So the problem is not with oiling, but with the lots of shampooing you do to remove that oil. How much Jojoba and Avocado oil are you mixing and what is your method of applying the oils?
You don't need any hair packs as long as you use a good shampoo. Bubchen baby shampoo is good and you can read the review under the 'Hair Care' section. But the new stock of Bubchen is going high in Price by Rs 50. If you can still find the one at Rs 325, go for it. Else wait a few weeks as I am trying a new shampoo and will be reviewing it in the near future.
Hi Gagan,
DeleteSorry yes its biotique only.currently i stopped using Rosemary as i felt itchy and hairfall.
Oil proportion Avocado 40%jojoba30%oliveoil 30% (lukewarm) applying with cotton @ nite times.
My volume is very less and hair is not black in colour as i mentioned earlier,now i noticed bit grey colour hair strand (only 2 strands for now) never coloured my hair, used to apply henna once in two months but stopped after my hair stylist adviced not to.
I will change the shampoo and wait for your review for other shampoo too. Meanwhile can i use soultree triphala shampoo.
Can i also use cassia for my damaged ,dull hair. Please giude me how to take care of my damaged hair.
Thank youuu soooo much Gagan.
Hi Gagan ji,
DeleteWaiting for your reply.Let me know if i have to mail you for your guidance.
Veda
Dear Veda, Rosemary oil is supposed to turn hair darker and make them longer. If you felt itching, you might have used too much of it. How many drops did you add ? There is slight burning feeling for the first time if you have never used essential oils before and I had also experienced that the first time but it is because of the sudden increase in blood flow to the scalp/hair roots. Apart from that, essential oils are very strong so for use on the scalp only 3-4 drops of rosemary oil are enough to be added to carrier oil mixture.
DeletePlease leave out olive oil for the time being as it is heavy and difficult to remove. Just use jojoba and avocado and do oiling only once in 15 days / every 2 weeks. These oils spread very well so you literally need to use these in drops. For example 10-12 or 10-15 drops of avocado and 10 drops of Jojoba should be more than enough to cover the entire scalp. And then just add 2-3 drops of rosemary oil. If rosemary oil feels too strong on your skin, it means we need to start with a very small quantity. If you oil way too much, you will get hairfall for sure. Some hair do come out every time we apply oil but those are mostly weak ones or the already broken ones stuck in our strands.
You can email me for the new shampoo details but no questions over email. There is one ingredient that will be available with me post Diwali, which you can buy and add to henna and apply as hair mask. It will strengthen your hair and increase volume too. Just check with me again by october end and I will be happy to let you know. Till then, you can buy the new shampoo and it should help you. I still have 2 packets of cassia lying with me but I find that Henna's effect is longer lasting than cassia.
Hi Gagan,
ReplyDeleteI would like to buy soulflower castor oil,jojoba and pomegranate oils. Are soulflower products completely organic and of good quality? I have never tried their products therefore I do not have any idea. Would appreciate your reply.
Hi, if you want to buy Castor oil for hair, then don't buy. It's damn thick and you won't be able to take it off your hair without rigorous shampooing and then you will end up damaging your hair even more. SOulflower does not have organic certification but their products are good. They use cold pressing method for oil extraction and their oils are hexane free. If you want higher quantities, you can go for Moksha's oils.
DeleteVery useful post.Thank you so much for such elaborate and useful information.
ReplyDeleteAnd sorry I mistakenly posted as anonymous. I understand you dont appreciate it.
ReplyDeleteHi Gagan
ReplyDeleteI Messaged you as anonymous( by mistake and mentioned the same in the next post) regarding my hair problems but i dont see the message here. Anyway i l just state my problem again. The thing is I have been having a bad hairfall for a long time and also grey hair. I have started using Argan oil + Rosemary + lavender+ thyme+ clary sage combination for over a month now but i dnt see any improvement.. Could you please guide me if am going wrong with the combination. Also please suggest a good shampoo too. I read your review about soultree licorice repair shampoo. I have dry and curly hair. you think it would suit me? Need help. Thank you in advance :)
Dear Neha, seems your first comment did not get submitted or you tried posting the second comment immediately before the first submission could be completed and confirmed. Even I was surprised which one you were referring to :) as I didn't receive any comment from you prior to it.
DeleteLong term hair fall could also be due to internal deficiency or hormonal problems, in which case, external treatment with oils and herbs may help a little but not much. The root cause could be something else. Any reason why you are using so many essential oils? You actually don't need those many.
Even long term use of harsh shampoos can cause graying. I would like to know which shampoo and conditioner you use, how often? Are you taking proper food and sleep? I mean not too many cold drinks, chocolates or junk food. Any medicines you are taking etc.?
Thank you for replying. Sorry for replying late I was busy :(
DeleteI used to take medicines for hairfall till 4 months back for about 3-4 months mainly multi vitamins, iron supplements and applying minoxidil solution on scalp, though the results were positive I could see a little bit hair growth but for some reason mainly time contraints I stopped using the solution and the hairfall started again. So i wanted a permanent solution for my problem so switched to essential oils. Though the hairfall is not that much but it seems there is no growth as such and hair have become dry. When I started with the medication the doctor got all the tests done but all my tests were fine except iron deficiency, for which he gave me iron supplements, rest was all fine so no hormonal problems as such.
I stopped using harsh shampoos long time back. Was using medicated shampoo as prescribed by the doctor and later once i stopped medications I switched to herbal shampoos. Since then I was using Biotique protein shampoo which was good but obviously the hairfall was a constant. Actually the hairfall is not an issue because some hairfall would happen anyway but the real problem is no hair growth. Right now I am using soultree licorice shampoo the one you reviewed and soultree shikakai hibiscus conditioner. Used it 3 times but I am not really impressed with the results may be it takes time to show any result. I apply essential oils every alternate day or after 2 days and shampoo the next morning, so thrice or twice a week i shampoo and apply oil. And regarding why i use so many essential oils its just that I am trying to figure out what would suit me. A friend suggested Lavender and rosemary in argan oil it suited her, so i bought the two of them, thyme and clarysage i use because i read somewhere that it promotes hair growth.
I eat proper food almost 90% of times, i eat apple almost daily and dryfruits(benefits of not being married mom takes care of the food part) and i sleep well too though I sleep late but i take good 7-8 hours sleep. Not much junk food as such only when i go out once in a while, nothing in excess as far as i think :P Last year (till say july this year) was stressful because of some personal reasons so I assumed the hairfall is because of that but right now I am doing just fine lil bit stress here and there but nothing really serious to cause hairfall. And I dont apply any sort of chemicals to my hair no colouring not even serums nothing. Phew. So I hope you are understanding what my problem is. Anything you could suggest to promote hair growth would be amazing. BTW i tried onion juice too on scalp but gave up on it too soon to see any results. Its winters now so may be will try that again in summers. And I have been planning to get up early and go for a walk and do a lil bit of exercise but just too lazy :| waiting for your reply :)
Hi Neha, thanks for the detailed reply. Minoxidil works only till the time you apply it. The moment you stop using it, hair fall starts again and if you continue using it for a prolonged time period, there are serious side effects. There is also a similar spray by the name of Renocia which is prescribed by doctors to be sprayed on the targeted areas where hair loss is max but when the other healthy hair around that area get in contact with Renocia, it weakens the roots of those healthy hair causing further hair fall. So I am glad you did not waste your money and health your risk further with it.
DeleteIf you have iron deficiency or other internal factors affecting your hair, no amount of essential oils will help beyond a certain amount of results. The oils you are using are definitely very good, even just lavender or rosemary would have been more than enough, but as you have both graying and hair fall, you need more than these. As described above, your lifestyle is pretty good and we all have some amount of stress. You can go for a proper paid consultation and get customized solution as it cannot be covered here in just comments. Henna treatment will help with graying, hair fall check and new hair growth. In your case, I will prescribe a special ingredient to be both consumed as well as added to the henna paste, which will take care of the deficiency.
Consultations are currently closed and will reopen after Dec 11 but I have many lined up already. To proceed, email me around mid december.
Will email you in a weeks time. Hope you ll be free by then.
DeleteAlso I want to appreciate the effort that you have been putting for the past couple of years to help people with their problems. Thats a very noble thing that you are doing. May god give you the strength to carry forward with your good work for years and years. Tk care :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for the heart warming wishes Neha :) I too want to keep learning more and sharing that knowledge for my entire life. So you wishes mean a lot.
DeleteYou are welcome :) God bless you always :)
DeleteHello madam,I want to buy basic trial pack, please reply me.
ReplyDelete