EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT AYURVEDA & YOUR HAIR

Hi guys!!

How are you doing?? I hope everyone is doing well! I know it has been a WHILE. Life got a littleeee crazy but I’m back with lots of new blog post ideas.

So Ayurveda! What is it? According to WebMD, “Ayurvedic medicine (Ayurveda for short) is one of the oldest holistic (‘whole body’) healing systems. It was developed more than 3000 years ago in India. It’s based on the belief that health and wellness depend on a delicate balance between the mind, body and spirit. Its main goal is to promote good health, not fight disease.”

So how does this come into play when it comes to hair? There are several Ayurvedic herbs and powders, typically originating from India, South Asia and North Africa. I have found that when I’m consistently and actively using my Ayurvedic herbs, my hair is strong, defined, shiny and soft. One of my favourite herbs is henna and I did a whole post on it about 2 years ago so definitely read that to get allll the tea on henna (click here). Henna gives my hair so much strength and can really revive my hair when my hair is looking a little off or is breaking often!

Here are a few Ayurvedic herbs that have great benefits and I highly recommend you incorporate in one way or another:

Henna – like I mentioned in the post above, henna is amazing for strengthening the strands. It acts kind of like a protein treatment! In my experience, henna is king when it comes to Ayurvedic herbs. Its effects can last for up to 4-6 weeks. Be cautious though! Henna can be so strengthening that, if not used correctly, you can experience setbacks. Henna also colours the hair (dark hair gets a reddish tint and light hair can go reddish brown) and can be very time consuming and messy to use. Some people also experience loosening of the curl pattern. With henna especially, I strongly urge you to read the henna post I linked earlier. There are specific rules attached to henna that you don’t want to miss!

Cassia – this is one I’ve incorporated recently and I’m loving it! It is more or less baby henna but it is much easier to use. It doesn’t stain or dye the hair but still adds strength, shine and definition to the strands and it is nowhere near as time consuming as henna. The effects are definitely not as long-lasting as henna – the effects last about 1-2 weeks.

Amla – I love amla! Amla is really rich in vitamin C and iron, two essential nutrients for healthy hair. It can help to prevent hair loss and dandruff. It can also darken the hair a little bit. Every time I use a product with amla or I add amla to my hair mixes, my hair looks glossy and defined!

Brahmi – brahmi can promote hair growth, eliminates dandruff and can strengthen the strands to prevent breakage. Just like the other herbs, it also promotes shine.

Hibiscus – hibiscus is that bright reddish pink plant that so many of us have seen before! When ground into a powder, it retains its colour. This herb is known to condition and rejuvenate the hair so it’s great when combined with strengthening herbs like cassia and henna. It is rich in vitamin C that boosts collagen production, essential for healthy hair. Many women use it to stimulate growth in areas of thinning.

Shikakai – shikakai was one of the first Ayurvedic herbs I used, along with henna and amla. Shikakai is often used as a natural shampoo due to the fact that it can get foamy when mixed with water. I used to use it in a paste with henna and amla. Like the other powders, it is loaded with nutrients and is great for increasing shine. One great thing about it is that it soothes and cools the scalp, so if your scalp gets dry or inflamed, it is perfect for that.

There we go guys! Those are just a few Ayurvedic herbs I’ve used but there are so many more with so many wonderful benefits. I’ll continue to update you guys as I try out more herbs. And PLEASE remember that just because something is natural, it doesn’t mean you can’t be allergic. So be sure to do a patch test before applying it to your whole head.

Love,

Tara xXx