Been dreaming of shiny, healthy hair? With the advent of cosmetic procedures and technology, achieving the type of hair that you’ve always wanted is possible. However, hair treatments only provide a temporary fix and constantly using hair care procedures eventually reduces the natural beauty of your hair.
Healthy Diet = Beautiful Hair
Depending on your diet, it is possible to achieve the quality of hair you always dreamed of. Hair is just like any part of your body. Its health also depends on food and nutrients. Couple your healthy diet with lots of water and rest to contribute to beautiful shiny hair.
Taking care of your health is the first step. Then, you can implement damage limitation procedures. The following are common elements that can contribute to damaged hair:
a. Overexposure to sun
b. Wind
c. Pollution
d. Excessive brushing
e. Too much coloring or treatment, among others
Precautionary Steps
You need to take precautionary measures to preserve the natural beauty of your hair and limit damage. Improving the quality of your diet is an efficient but inexpensive first step. Some of the most dreaded hair conditions include: lifeless, frizzy, dry, stressed hair and split ends.
Here are helpful tips to get you started towards naturally beautiful hair:
1. Reduce environmental stress by protecting your hair from wind and sun. Wear a cap and bring an umbrella whenever you go out.
2. Reduce, if not totally eliminate, hair care procedures such as curling, straightening, or blow-drying.
3. Allow your hair to naturally dry after washing.
Natural Hair Care Treatment
- Nettles are an effective tonic and detox treatment to relieve damaged hair. Make a tea out of dried nettle leaves, or you can purchase those readily available nettle tea bags from health food stores. Aside from drinking the tea, you can also use it as a hair rinse.
- Chamomile tea is an effective hair conditioner. If you want to achieve extra shine, simply add a teaspoon of lemon juice to a liter of tea.
- To restore moisture to dry hair, you can use infusions from common spices such as parsley or sage.
- If you have greasy or oily hair, you can make a rinse out of either lemon balm, lavender, rosemary, or mint. These herbs will help reduce the production of sebum and calm your scalp.
Herbal Hair Shampoo vs Commercial Hair Products
Proponents of natural hair care products emphasize not only its efficacy in addressing hair problems but also its lack of toxic effects on your body. Commercial shampoos utilize toxic chemicals that can be hazardous to your health, especially when used in excessive amounts. If you take the time to examine the labels of most shampoos available on the market, you might find these chemicals listed among its ingredients:
- propylene glycol
- cetearyl alcohol
- distearate
- isopropyl alcohol
- methylparaben or propylparaben
The main difference between commercially produced hair care products over organic ones is that the former utilize harmful ingredients in an effort to produce quick results. Today people always aim for quick, visible results. Therefore, chemicals are used in large amounts to produce the desired result. Unfortunately, this “quick fix” is detrimental to your overall health in the long term.
Benefits of Herbal Hair Products
Herbal hair products use natural herbal components to promote growth and health of hair. More than just reparation for damaged hair, these natural products aim to promote natural growth and development in a gradual, long term perspective.
Aloe vera is an example of a plant that contains properties that help promote the hair’s natural growth. Meanwhile, castor or coconut oils maintain the natural glow of your hair. In comparison, hair applied with coconut oil appeared to have a more natural but healthier glow compared to hair applied with shampoo.
Aside from fewer risks to your health, the promise of healthier and more beautiful hair is reason enough to switch to natural hair products.
