How our lifestyle can affect the health of our hair
Looking after our hair can be a pleasurable and rewarding experience since our hair says a lot about how we feel about ourselves. The condition of our hair is also a good indicator of our overall state of health and well-being. Our hair and nails are always the last in line to receive nutrients, so we need to eat a well-balanced diet and have a healthy lifestyle if we want to have luscious, shiny hair. Lack of sleep, stress, smoking and too much alcohol will also result in dull, lifeless hair and sometimes even in hair loss. The first step towards healthy hair is to improve our overall lifestyle and to banish harsh shampoos and chemical treatments.
Make a natural shampoo suited to your hair type
Many commercial shampoos contain sodium laurel sulphate, a scalp irritant, so it is important to ensure that we use a shampoo that is sulphate free. Like the skin, our hair is naturally acidic so frequent washing with an alkaline shampoo will upset the PH acid balance and strip the hair of its natural oils. Only shampoo your hair when it really needs it and use lukewarm water for washing it and cold water for the final rinse. It is also important to rinse the hair well after using any shampoo to avoid a build-up of residue on the scalp. By simply ceasing to use harsh shampoos, many conditions such as dandruff and even hair loss, will start to improve. To make a shampoo suited to your hair type, buy a mild sulphate-free base, then add 20 drops of an essential oil suited to your hair type for every 50 ml of shampoo. It is also beneficial to keep the use of a hairdryer to a minimum to avoid hair damage and scalp problems: instead towel dry hair until it’s 80% dry, then use a low heat to blow dry it as required.
All types of hair benefit from some TLC whether it is dry, oily or sparse and all can be treated with an appropriate essential oils, alongside health-enhancing conditioning oils.
Natural haircare tips for different hair types
For hair loss / dandruff: avoid all kinds of intense heat or chemical treatments and wear a hat if it’s sunny, as most hair loss problems start with damage to the scalp and roots of the hair. The scalp is made of cells which continually work their way to the surface and the dead cells need to be removed for the scalp to be heathy. If the follicles become blocked by sebum or by dead skin, for example, it can lead to problems such as dandruff or it may even result in the hair not growing at all! Massaging the head and scalp with natural oils promotes the circulation and encourages hair growth and reduces dry skin and dandruff. The best essential oil for hair loss and dandruff is rosemary essential oil: this can be added to a shampoo or a few drops applied in the final rinse water. Rosemary floral water can be applied as a final conditioning agent leaving the hair smelling delicious.
For dry hair: add lavender essential oil to your home-made shampoo. The best remedy for treating a dry scalp is an oil treatment massage. Using your fingertips, rub about a tablespoon of warm jojoba oil (or argan oil) into your hair with 3-4 drops of lavender oil, and massage well into the scalp working into the roots to soften and loosen dry skin. Lavender oil is also very healing and can help to soothe itching skin or other types of scalp irritation. Leave it on for 10 to 15 minutes, wrapped in foil or cling film, before shampooing and conditioning as normal. If your scalp is very dry it is best to do this before each wash.
For greasy hair: make sure you do not use very hot water while washing as this further stimulates the sebaceous glands. Mud is great for oily scalps, as are any kind of clay or kaolin powder. These help to tackle excess oil and grease and remove toxins. Massage a mud-based mask into the scalp once a week will help to eliminate grease, which makes the hair look lifeless and flat, and so helps to give the hair body and shine. A useful dry shampoo to get rid of any greasy build up between washes, is to use white clay or orris root powder. This also works very well combined with the essential oil of your choice: add 10 drops of essential oil to 36g of clay or orris root to remove any residue.
Once a week it is a good idea to condition your hair whatever your hair type: jojoba oil is one of the best hair conditioning treatments as it lubricates, improves shine, restores damaged hair shafts and also treats scalp and PH imbalances. Other vegetable oils such as argan, apricot kernel, coconut and sweet almond oil are also very beneficial for the hair. Essential oils such as West Indian bay, clary sage, cedarwood, peppermint, sweet basil, chamomile roman and cedarwood oil can also be added to conditioning treatments depending on your hair type.
Natural hair conditioning blend for all hair types:
Try this conditioning blend once a week, which will leave your hair lustrous and shiny:
- 25 ml of jojoba oil, 8 drops of rosemary oil, 7 drops lavender oil, 5 drops of tea tree essential oil.
- Combine all ingredients in a clean bottle & shake thoroughly.
- Give yourself a scalp massage by placing your fingertips on your scalp and gently rubbing the oil into your head in small circles for about 5 to 10 minutes.
- Cover with a shower cap or foil, followed by a warm damp towel, and leave for 1 to 2 hours before washing out.