Do you know where the word ‘cosmetics’ comes from?
Well, its origin is in the Greek word ‘cosmos’ which means to adorn or decorate. We use cosmetics to beautify our face, skin, hair or nails.
Since the last few decades, cosmetics are sold in jar or bottles. But in olden times they were made at home. Herbs and clays pounded on mortar and pestle. Or oils and infusions cooked in a pot. Like always, in this article too, we are going to keep the theme of ancient cosmetic making and cook some conditioners.
Before we see how to make our own conditioners, let’s see why make it at home….
To adorn and beautify our hair, we take help of conditioners. They make hair shiny, smooth, frizz-free and manageable. Yes, you can pick up a bottle of conditioner and use it on hair. But just make sure it doesn’t have silicone in it. Silicone provides a coating on hair and gives it a shiny and smooth appearance. But the gloss doesn’t last long. Silicone tends to build-up on hair and can cause it to become dry and brittle in the long run. It can also clog hair follicles and slow hair growth.
Even if you choose silicone free conditioner, there’s still going to be preservatives, detergents and fragrance that your hair and scalp may detest.
So why not make your own conditioners using herbs.
And that we call herbal hair rinses. They are packed with antioxidants, vitamins and other botanicals. All this plant goodness can soften hair, increase manageability and restore shine and bounce. And if you were to compare, herbal hair rinses are like herbal teas, so pure that you can practically drink it.
Making a hair rinse requires some cooking, but not like 10 hours of cooking, but more like making a cup of tea. Yup. So if you can manage to make tea, making your own conditioning rinse is no big deal.
Here’s what herbal hair rinse can do for your hair:
- Add tons of moisture into the hair strands
- Bring back shine, softness and elasticity
- Help detangle hair, so that it’s easier to comb.
- Restore body and bounce
- Tame frizz and flyways
- Reduce hair fall and stimulate growth
- Soothe scalp irritation
- Do yoga for you, just kidding 🙂
Okay, so now you know how amazing herbal hair rinses are to condition and beautify your hair, let’s see how to make them. I have for you 4 Herbal Hair Rinses to choose from. The good thing is that there’s one for every hair: whether it’s dry or oily, frizzy or damaged, or troubled by hard water. And these rinses won’t alter your hair colour only enhance your hair.
- Chamomile flower rinse
- Apple cider vinegar rinse
- Marshmallow root rinse
- Hibiscus flower rinse
1. Chamomile Hair Rinse to Create Bright, Beautiful Hair
The pretty white flowers of chamomile make a fantastic hair rinse. It has a great effect on blonde hair, keeping it light and bright. But you don’t have to be blonde to take benefit of chamomile. If you got dark hair, chamomile will boost shine and hydration and leave hair superbly soft.
Chamomile also has a reputation to soothe scalp and promote healthy hair growth.
What you will need:
- 2 tablespoons dried Chamomile flowers
- 1 tablespoon dried Rose petals (optional, use for fragrance and stimulating effects)
- 2 cups of Water
How to make:
- Place the herbs and water in a pot.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the flame, cover and let it simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and let it cool down, then strain. Your herbal conditioning rinse is ready to use.
How to use:
Pour the rinse slowly on your hair, because if you just empty it, most of it will go down the drain. Massage into your scalp and hair and leave it on for 5 minutes or so to do its work of nourishing and conditioning. Next, rinse with water. Done!
How often to use: you can use after every shampoo
2. Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse for Dazzling Shine
When you leave apple juice to ferment for a few days, it turns into apple cider vinegar. It’s a sour liquid with acidic or low pH. And that’s an excellent thing for our hair because our hair too has a slightly acidic pH. Apple cider vinegar works to balance the pH of our hair. This encourages the hair cuticles to lie flat and reflect more light, thus creating dazzling shine.
The acidity of vinegar also helps to remove hard water or product build-up as well as excess oils from hair. With the gunk gone, your hair will be smooth and defined and not look dull and weighed down.
What you will need
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (raw, unfiltered)
- 2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon coconut water (optional, conditions and revitalises hair)
- 1 tablespoon rosewater (optional, adds fragrance and luxurious touch)
- 2 drops lavender essential oil (optional, soothes scalp)
How to make
- Pour the apple cider vinegar and water into a mug/squeeze bottle. Mix well and your rinse is ready.
- If you desire, you can add the optional ingredients to enhance the rinse.
- You can also swap plain water with chamomile rinse and that will really take it a few notches up.
- Shake well before use.
How to use the rinse
Wash your hair. Then slowly pour the apple cider vinegar rinse onto your hair and scalp. Let it sit for 1-2 minutes to soak in, then rinse away for healthy shine and smoothness
How often to use: once a week, as more often can be drying for hair.
3. Marshmallow Root Rinse to Detangle and Revive Dry Hair
My favourite conditioning herb, marshmallow root can beat any top end conditioner. It’s a great treat for your dry, thirsty locks. As the name suggest, the root comes from marshmallow plant. It belongs to the well-known hibiscus family. Although both – hibiscus and marshmallow – plants have little similarity, their flower are quite similar looking.
So what can marshmallow root do for our hair? Many things. When it’s cooked with water, it releases slimy, gooey substance called mucilage which is awesome for hair. Mucilage coats each hair strand and intensely moisturises and softens hair. It also makes detangling a breeze so you are no more fighting the knots and tangles. Just showing off your sleek, stunning hair.
What you will need:
- 2 tablespoons marshmallow root
- 2 cups water
How to Make and Use: Follow the instructions given in chamomile hair rinse
4. Hibiscus Hair Rinse to Enhance Gloss and Softness
Hibiscus is a sort of an all-rounder. By that I mean, it does a little bit of what chamomile, apple cider vinegar and marshmallow root can do for hair.
Hibiscus can create stunning highlight and shine, it can get rid of product build up and residues from our hair as well as help to detangle hair and improve manageability. It’s pretty awesome.
What you will need
- 2 tablespoon dried Hibiscus flowers
- 2 cups Water
How to Make and Use: Follow the instructions given in chamomile hair rinse
Extra Tips:
- Feel free to add other herbs in making the hair rinse. Some examples are: lavender flowers, sage, rosemary, flax seeds, fenugreek seeds, shikakai, amla etc.
- Since the hair rinses are preservative free, they will keep in the fridge for a week.
- If you think making it every week is a pain, then make a big batch and freeze it in ice cube trays and it will last for 2-3 months.
- If you are using fresh herbs, then double the quantity.
Happy creating! I would love to know which herbs you use and like in the comment box below.
