Not having washed my hair with shop bought Shampoo or Conditioner for over a year now, avoiding chemicals and plastics, I wanted to dive deeper into the world of natural hair care this year.
My washes happen with bentonite clay, chicken eggs and baking soda in a weekly cycle. It is incredible what cleaning agents are out there, that are in our pantries anyway.
The benefits of washing with the above-mentioned are the following –
Clay
Bentonite Clay in particular is a cleanser as well as conditioner at the same time. It will leave your hair soft, defined and moisturized.
How to use clay as a hair wash: mix a spoonful of clay with water, and let it sit for a few hours before applying it to your dry hair. Let it dry out a little, for about 5minutes, then wash it out, giving it a good scrub.
Chicken Egg
Thanks to the lecithin contained in the egg, it cleans the dirt and greasiness from your hair and scalp, and the proteins are welcome strenghteners for hair, too.
How to use egg as a hair wash: crack an egg into a bowl, scramble it, and apply to your wet hair (use cold water to wash your hair, so you don’t end up with scrambled cooked egg on your head!)
Baking Soda
Removes any build up of grease beautifully.
How to use Baking Soda as a hair wash: mix a teaspoon with a cup of water, and apply to the wet hair and scrub well, leaving it for 2 minutes, then rinsing it out.
As a conditioner I use apple cider vinegar, or my home-made apple vinegar.
The benefits here are many – it’s a naturally detangles hair, it creates shine, its antibacterial properties work against dandruff and itching, ACV reduces hair loss and gives the hair more body.
How to use Apple Cider Vinegar as a Hair Conditioning Rinse: Mix 1 spoonful of the vinegar in a cup of water, rinse through your washed hair and leave for 3 minutes before rinsing it out.
On top of that I always look for new ways of grounding myself in the immediate surrounds, to what earth is giving us on our doorstep. This summer I made it my mission to find out about plants, herbs and weeds that support healthy hair.
From a young age I was aware of my mum using nettle water as a tonic for her thin and brittle hair. So I knew there was something there worth exploring, and I had made my own nettle water in recent years, but foraging nettle for tea, or soup, combining it with boiling water, and drinking/eating nettle.
However, the cold tea is also a perfect rinse for my hair after a wash.
Some benefits of rinsing your hair with Nettle Water are that it works against the grease, too, but also stimulates new hair growth and works against hair loss and fragility of hair. It also removes Dandruff and itching.
Every season I seek out connection with a particular plant near me. With the mission of this summer to find more plants that can support my hair health, I found Horsetail plant and sage, the latter of which I enjoy using in my kitchen a lot anyway, and which I have growing in my garden. I was looking for support in hair care while growing out my hair.
Benefits of Sage
Sage has been used since ancient time to make hair strong and prevent hair loss. Sage restores shine. It stimulates hair growth in rejuvenating and strengthening the hair follicles. Sage also acts as a lotion. The use of sage can help improve hair texture, making it soft and manageable.
Benefits of Horsetail
Thanks to its silicon and antioxidant contents, the benefits of horsetail are many when it comes to hair care. The silicone helps with hair loss, increased elasticity and increased brightness, whereas the antioxidants help with the reduction of inflammation. It strengthens the hair, and stimulates hair follicles, by reducing shedding and breakage. Horsetail is apparently THE plant for thinning hair!
So knowing all the benefits, go make yourself some nettle or sage tea to use at your next hair cleansing session! Remember the tea doesn’t keep long, so don’t make more than you need at the time.
The horsetail I use by adding it to the Apple Vinegar and let it sit for a few weeks before using it. I use it the same way as I use the ACV for conditioning rinses with the added benefits of the Horsetail properties!
Happy Hair.
Chemical free. Plastic Free.
Give it a go.
Thank you, nature, thank you, plants, right by my feet. Thanks to my drive to explore and connect with various plants around me in different ways. Nature is right here to support us in so many ways!
Come and join a WanderWomen experience soon, and I will share my plant knowledge with you!
