You may have put enough harmful chemicals in your hair to find hair growth, luster and noticeable volume and may have ended up causing more damage to your hair. We asked our Ayurveda experts about the top 5 medicinal herbs that must be part of your hair oiling routine to undo the damage and give your hair the luster, strength and volume you so richly deserve. We also tell you the most authentic source of where you can find them!
1. Gotu kola or Brahmi
Not just a super herb to improve brain functions, Gotu Kola or Indian pennywort is a popular Asian medicinal variety used in hair care. Studies have shown that use of gotu kola significantly helps resolve hair loss, increases length and volume of your hair. Hair oil infused with its extract nourishes the hair follicles and improves blood circulation.
2. Bhringraj or false daisies
This is yet another power medicine used most widely in Ayurveda for addressing hair problems. Bhringraj is rejuvenating for the hair and pitta calming. You can feel the calmness dawn in you as the oil trickles into your scalp. The herb also improves blood circulation there by supporting hair growth and preventing premature greying. Indirectly, it is also good for your liver and kidneys, which have a say in the health of your hair, their color, texture and overall strength.
3. Clary sage
is one of the more recently popularized exotic herb with its Egyptian roots in terms of usage. The leaves and flowers of the plant are steam distilled and diluted for use, given their high potency. Clary sage promotes the health of your scalp which is the first base for stronger hair that break less frequently. The oil stimulates hair follicles and ensures more effective blood circulation through the skin cells in the scalp. It adds a clear luminosity to the hair, strengthens the strands, at the same time balancing hormones that cause hair loss. It has anti-fungal properties and a pleasant fragrance that you don’t mind staying in your hair after a wash.
Used by the Egyptians in their medical formulations, for hormone regulating properties, ability to treat vision disorder and as a flavor of wine, clary sage has come to become an exotic herbal essence used in various premium herbal personal care products today for its aroma, flavor and therapeutic values. Studies on women undergoing postmenopausal syndrome showed, inhalation of the diluted clary sage oil produced calming and anti-stress effect (reduction in stress hormones like cortisol) and mood alleviation. Known for its excellent analgesic properties, it is known to help women manage menstrual pain, when combined with essences of marjoram and juniperberries. It has linalyl acetate which is anti-inflammatory.
4. Rosemary oil
Are you obsessed with finding ways to promote hair growth? Look no further. Rosemary oil is a go to when it comes to natural medicine for ingredients that promote hair growth, stimulate blood circulation in the scalp and reduce your hair loss woes. It is analgesic and anti-inflammatory, which makes it a strong herb to fend off scalp infections and inflammations. For its olfactory richness, it is widely used in aromatherapy.
5. Avocado oil
When the avocado oil is cold-pressed (like all the herbal oils that go into making Shankara products), avocado oil can be a rich source of Vitamin A, D and E. It is one of the lighter oils that can sit in your scalp without making them feel heavier or clogging the pores of the scalp skin. It also makes for a great moisturizing agent because of the presence of oleic acid that allows it to penetrate the hair shaft. For the same quality, it is recommended for people whose skin or scalp is affected by Psoriasis, an autoimmune skin condition where the skin cells regrow faster than they should which leads to flaky and itchy skin. Avocado oil is also rich in monounsaturated fats, that make it ideal for people with dry or sensitive scalp.
So where can you find the goodness of all these exotic herbal powerhouses in a perfect blend curated to compound the individual benefits to make what we call ‘magic potion’ for your hair, using the knowledge of Ayurveda, one of the world’s most ancient healing systems, and understanding of antioxidants and actives in the west?
Deep oil massage twice to thrice a week with Shankara’s Hair and Scalp Oil made from the richness of sesame oil, avocado oil, Jojoba oil, Vitamin E Tocopherol, gooseberries extract, sandalwood essential oil, bringraj extract, lavender essence, clary sage and rosemary, is specifically designed to moisturize dry and damaged hair for more luminous, healthier, and voluminous locks. The oil is safe to use on colored hair. It deeply penetrates the hair shaft and conditions hair from the roots. It can be used for colored hair too!
Why are we doing this?
When you massage the scalp and hair, the oil nourishes the cells in the scalp, stimulates blood circulation in the head region, detoxifies the scalp and additionally causes the secretion of happy hormones like serotonin in the body giving you a relaxing and calming sensation. Oiling is a great way to have the rich nutrients and antioxidants present in the oil seep into the tissues for complete nourishment. But you must know your hair oil well and if it is suited for your hair and scalp type which could be weighing on the drier side or it could be sticky.
Scalp and deep tissues
What you need to do?
Take Ayurvedic Deep Tissue massages like Shankara’s Shiro Abhyanga Warm Oil Scalp Massageto make sure they are sufficiently oleated and nurtured.
Why are we doing this?
The health of your scalp is directly linked to the health of your tissue systems. So if these deep tissues remain undernourished, it is likely to reflect in the quality of your hair and scalp. Abhyanga is one of the most popular and recommended therapies in Ayurveda that incorporates warm, aromatic oils, rhythmically massaged into your body, which loosen toxins, relax the nervous system, and provide rest, nourishment, and rejuvenation.
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