Natural Home Remedies for Dry Hair
Understanding Your Hair
Dry, thinning, brittle hair may be a sign that your body isn’t getting enough nourishment and/or your hair is exposed to too many damaging chemicals and pollutants from the environment, styling products and hair dyes. Treating dry hair naturally with a nutrient-rich diet as well as homemade hair treatments is a way to not only improve the look and feel of your hair but also to address your own well-being. Healthy, shiny,
quickly growing hair is a sign of inner health and balance. Learn how to nourish your hair inside and out with these home remedies for dry hair.
A Healthy Diet for Dry Hair
A well-balanced diet is the foundation for beautiful hair. Dry hair may be a sign of a lack of essential fatty acids, amino acids, or important vitamins and minerals such as silica, magnesium and biotin. What should you eat to nourish your hair and make sure you are getting all the nutrients that your hair needs to grow and thrive? Eat a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, whole grains and seafood. Consider adding a source of omega oils to your diet, such as black currant seed, evening primrose or flax seed oil.
Herbal Hair Rinses
A simple home remedy that you can use for dry hair is to rinse hair with an herbal infusion. Rinsing with herbs is a way to provide beneficial properties directly to the hair and scalp. It is easy enough to prepare, and can be used each day to enhance hair, or a couple times a week.
To make a rinse for dry hair simply make a cup of herbal tea. Infuse 2 teaspoons of dried herbs in 1 cup of boiling water. Steep for about 10 minutes and then remove the herbs. Add 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. Use as a hair rinse after shampooing, and then rinse
with cool water.
The following herbs are all very useful for enriching dry, brittle hair:
- Nettles
- Burdock root
- Rosemary
- Calendula
- Chamomile
Hot Oil Treatment for Dry Hair
Another effective natural remedy for dry hair is to use a weekly hot oil treatment. These are also easy to do and leave hair feeling richer and incredibly silky. Jojoba oil is ideal for moisturizing and balancing the hair and scalp, but olive oil, sweet almond oil, wheat germ oil and avocado oil work very well also.
Use essential oils for their beneficial properties for the hair and scalp. The following essential oils are all useful for dry hair:
- Lavender
- Clary sage
- Chamomile
- Rosemary
- Linden
- Sandalwood
To make this homemade treatment use 2 to 3 tablespoons of jojoba oil. Place in a small glass jar or plastic bag. Add 4r to 5 drops of your choice of essential oils. Excellent blends include linden blossom with chamomile and lavender with sandalwood. Heat 1 to 2 cups of water in a saucepan. Remove from heat and set the glass jar or plastic bag in the water for about 10 minutes. Using your fingers comb the warm oil through your hair until all strands are ‘oiled’. Wrap a towel over your head, sit back and relax for about 20 minutes. This is a great time to use a nourishing face mask as well to treat both your hair and skin. Rinse well.
Natural Hair Care for Dry Hair
Try making these natural home remedies for dry hair a part of your hair care habits. Make a healthy diet the foundation for your hair and skin health as often dry, unbalanced and thin hair is a sign of nutritional deficiencies. Try using an herbal hair rinse twice a week, and spend one evening a week giving your hair a hot oil treatment using beneficial essential oils.
References
Balch, Phyllis A. “Prescription for Nutritional Healing.” Fourth Edition (Penguin Books, 2006).
Page, Linda. “Healthy Healing: A Guide to Self-Healing for Everyone.” Eleventh Edition (Traditional Wisdom, 2003).
photo by Ally Aubry
photo by Maja Dumat
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