One question asked when refering to herbal beauty tips is, how exactly does the thing work. People seem to want to know what is the particular magic that makes it possible that a plant, taken from a field or from the garden, can be as effective, and sometimes more effective, than a product packaged in a fancy bottle.
The simple answer I gave, at the risk of sounding glib, is why shouldn’t it work? After all, humans for centuries had no access to Johnson & Johnson Company, or any other mega-conglomerate purveyor of beauty as chemistry. The thing is when we were more in tune with our Earth, and knew better all of the plants that grew on it, humans got along just fine. In many instances, we were much better off. Not only are herbal beauty treatments cheaper than the fancy packaged one, they are magical.
Indeed, plant-based beauty is more in tune with the beautiful power of life itself. Everything in the universe can be found encompassed in the herbal beauty treatments of our forebears. I am amazed that more poeople do not perceive this connnection. So what do I mean to say exactly? just, in other, more mystical words. The power of herbs is much more attuned to the power of the life force, the stuff of creation. And as we can generally see that life itself is a remarkably beautiful thing , it makes sense that such plant remedies will tap into the beauty of life itself. Below are several simple remedies to get you started thinking about how you can beautify yourself with this herbal life-force. You will find these remedies refreshing and simply beautifying.
Shampoo for Oily Hair: To start with, go to a drug store or deep discount store and find an off-brand shampoo base that is unscented. Make sure it does not contain the detergent borax, as this is too harsh to use on your hair. You will need eight ounces of shampoo base to make this recipe. If your hair is not seriously oily, you can use pure liquid Castile soap. This is made in Spain from olive oil, and is a wonderful cleanser and softener. If you have a tendency toward greasiness however, soap may be too greasy for your hair. You will also need a ten to twelve ounce container to mix shampoo in, and you will want it to have a snug lid. Into your simple base shampoo, ad the following: 1/2 tsp. tea tree oil; 1/2 tsp. baking soda; 1/2 cup rosemary tea; 3 drops witch hazel. Mix the ingredients well, and refrigerate your shampoo between uses unless you used the Castile soap, which does not need refrigerating. Castile-based products keep best in the warm dampness of your bathroom, as the refrigerator will harden this soap, and you’ll have to melt your shampoo each time you want to use it. Use your herbal soap for oily hair as you would any other shampoo. Take note of how quickly your hair responds to the magical and refreshing herbal ingredients.
Shampoo for Dry Hair: If you have dry hair, you can use luxurious liquid Castile soap. If you can not find the soap in liquid form, it can be found in bars. You can grate the bar into flakes and melt them over a double-boiler to make an oil. Just make sure your using a pan and wooden spoon that you don’t mind throwing away. The soap will be almost impossible to remove once it dries. Into the liquid castile base place: 2 tsps. apple cider vinegar; 2tsps. banana flakes (look in the babyfood section of your grocery store for this); 6 drops almond oil. Mix the ingredients well, and keep the shampoo in the bathroom between uses (as described above).
Moisturizing Hair Mask: To smooth, soften, and moisturize your hair, mix the following ingrdients together in a medium-sized bowl: 1/4 cup banana flakes (or 1/4 cup pureed bananas); 1/4 cup oat meal; 2 tsps. dried hyssop; 1/4 tsp. vitamin E oil; 3 Tbls. apple cider vinegar; 1 well-beaten egg. Mix the ingredients well, and work the mixture into your hair. Cover your hair with a plastic shower cap or towel, and leave on the (mask), for at least thirty minutes. You may want to use a blow dryer for a few minutes to help work the ingredients fully into your hair. Wash out the mixture from your hair with cool water, and style as usual.
