Herbal Cosmetics: Hair care for Men and Women

As the world is going green to save the earth from extinction, it is also important for man to use green practices for his appearance and personality. To accomplish this, Man has to revisit the traditional practices of his ancestors to give a boost to his external appearance and internal health. For internal health there are a number of herbal food sources and special methods of cultivating and preparing them for consumption in the classical methods. When we say external appearance it means our hair, face, hands and skin that have to be maintained in excellent condition and for this we have green practices which we have inherited from our ancestors and t.hese are purely herbal and have lasting effect.  We  can use these green Practices to have a sustainable, healthy and eco-friendly appearance that is attractive, trim, slim and indigenous without much effort and expense.  Use of herbal food s and herbal cosmetics is the secret behind attaining that goal.

Hair care

Hair is the crown of this beautiful body be it a man or a woman. Since it is the top most part of the body it remains highly exposed and hence the most affected by heat, dust, wind, light and other physical injuries. This Crown for Men has to be thick, shiny, black and non-balding. Of these balding is hereditary most of the time and cannot be avoided but the progress can be slowed if detected early and proper intervention is given in the form of oil application  and good head massage to rejuvenate the hair follicles. For Women hair has to be black, thick, long and shiny as it gives a delicate appearance to a woman. Long hair is advantageous for making different styling options and to give a facelift to our personality. The special oil formulation and preparation si the same for both men and women but the method of application and grooming is different.

Hair grooming for Men

Apply oil to the scalp by taking 5 drops in the palm, rub both palms to gehter an the temporal d rub them on to the scalp. Apply oil smeared palms (add two or three more drops if needed) to the hair above the temporal and above the forehead to prevent hairline recession and balding.

Hair grooming for Women

Take 10 drops of oil in the palm and rub both palms together and apply on the scalp and massage. Apply above the temporal and above forehead and massage. Then comb and palit or roll into a bun and keep it tight for about 2 to 3 hours and then wash the hair and dry it thoroughly.

Never apply oil or a comb to the hair when it is wet. If the frizzle is to be removed use your fingers

Using a comb in wet hair uproots the hair from the base and the wetness of the scalp delays rejuvenation which causes thinning of the hair

Hair has to be washed atleast once a week to keep it clean and free from parasites like lice.

Checking for parasites is important as uncontrolled lice infestation leads to anemia –which is one of the major causes of hair loss

When you experience sudden and excessive hair loss, check for hemoglobin levels in blood. If below normal take some tonic to speed up the cure of anemia and maintain it  by regular intake of green vegetables –lettuce, spinach, Moringa leaves, beetroot, egg plant (Aubergine) with your regular diet

Another cause for hair loss is dandruff which is a fungal infection that can be easily controlled by  the use of medicated oils containing herbs like Lippia nodiflora or home remedies  like using green gram powder mixed with fenugreek powder and neem leaf paste for washing the hair.

Hair loss is sudden and unprecedented when we are undergoing stress, hormonal changes, during pregnancy, lactation or during special treatment procedures like chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

Whatever might be the cause, the problem has to be identified early to provide the proper solution.  Once the hair line recedes it takes a long time to recover.

For the recovery of receded hairline, apply the special oil (method of preparation given) at the hair line and backwards and massage gently every day until the oil is absorbed into the scalp. Each time 5 drops of oil will be sufficient

Special Hair Oil

• Ingredients
• Curry leaves (Murraya koenigiii)                     -100 g
• Shoe flower leaves (Hibiscus rosasinensis)    -100 g
• Mehendi leaves (Lawsonia inermis)               -25 g
• Bhringaraj (Karisalankanni) –

 (Eclipta prostrata)                                          -100 g

• Alternanthera sessilis (Ponnanganni)              – 25 g
• Base oil (coconut or Gingelly oil                     -100 mL

Method of preparation

Grind the leaves adding minimum amount of water to get a thick dough like paste. Make 1 cm diameter balls and flatten them to look like coins. Put all the coins on a cotton cloth and shade dry them for 3-4 days until they harden up. When completely dry store the dried coins a jar and keep it covered and moisture free. 20 to 30  of dried coins can be used for 100 mL of oil. First add the coins to the oil and heat the oil in a pan and when it comes to boil remove from flame and allow to cool. Now pour the oil along with the coins in a wide mouthed bottle and the oil is ready to use.

When the oil is used up another 100 mL of heated oil may be added and upto three times  this can be done and then the coins may be discarded and new coins may be used. Each time 100 mL is recommended because over a long period of time the oil may become rancid  and develop undesirable odour. The formulation of the oil and the usage are the same for both men and women