For a few years now, I have taken to oiling my hair regularly before showering - a ritual that I used to detest as a child, but that I quite enjoy these days.
I have no western medical explanation for this, but oiling the scalp regularly is considered "cooling" for the body. I do find that regular oil baths calm the nerves, prevent headaches and in general help me handle the heat much better.
Given my frequent use, I've found it advantageous (and fun) to make my own herbal hair oil.
Ingredients:
Oil (sesame / coconut)
Karisilankanni leaves (Bhringaraja, Eclipta alba / Eclipta prostata, False daisy)
1 clean old cotton towel (the thin "thorthu" ones, or an old square of Veshti)
water
a wok (kadai)
stove
Total time: 60 - 90 minutes
Eclipta Alba:
Bhringaraj or karisilankanni in Tamil is a robust ornamental shrub that is also known as false daisy. While two unrelated species of herbs are both known as Karisilankanni, the Manjal Karisilankanni (Wedelia chinensis / Wedelia calendulacea, yellow flowers) is unrelated to Eclipta, which has smaller but similar leaves and small white flowers.
Eclipta is commonly found in south India, and you should be able to get it fresh in a good produce market. We get it in Madras at the Koyambedu market, in the greens section. A fairly thick bunch retails for Rs. 10.
Oil:
My preference is for sesame (gingelly/til) oil. If you retain the practice of setting your hair with oil, you ought to go with the milder scented and less greasy coconut oil
Like most people, my oil-set hair days are behind me. Since I only use the stuff for soaking before a wash, I prefer the better recommended sesame oil that I find fragrant and calming. Also, sesame oil has a higher smoke point and will not burn easily, and it has a very long shelf life. Coconut oil on the other hand will turn rancid soon if you boil it, so make smaller batches if you choose this oil.
Whatever the oil, try to get fresh-pressed stuff from an oil merchant, and not the expensive, double-refined nonsense that sells in supermarkets.
So, here's the recipe.
Wash the Eclipta leaves for residual soil, and separate the leaves and the green stems from the thicker, darker stalk leading to the root. Place the leaves and stems with just enough water in a processor to grind into a thick batter. Notice that the batter is bluish black.
Place the batter in the towel / cloth square, and wring out all the juice. measure the juice into the wok, and add equal quantity of oil.
Place the wok on the stove, let simmer while stirring occasionally. The water will loudly splutter and eventually boil away completely. You will know this when there mixture quietens down, there is no more water vapour emerging from the wok, and the oil boils up in fine, transparent, foamy bubbles. After this point, don't let the oil boil for any longer, or the sediments will char.
The oil should be a lovely blackish green. Remove from fire and allow to cool, and then store in a glass jar. You don't have to filter out the fine, powdery sediment, it has a nice scrubbing effect on the scalp.
Use liberally on scalp and hair, soak for at least 30 minutes, and wash away with sheekha or shampoo.
I've been using this for over a month, and my hair fall has stopped almost completely. I also don't have flaking and other dry scalp issues, and I notice that my hair is growing faster.
You can use the same technique to prepare Henna (Marudhani, Lawsonia Inermis) oil too. The oil comes out a beautiful saffron orange, and is nice for henna dyed hair.
Note: if you strongly prefer coconut oil, you can try an alternative method. Grind the leaves into a thicker paste with very little water and pat into small flat cakes, leave in the sun till dry and hard. Then, drop the cakes into a glass jar filled with coconut oil, close and leave in the sun for a couple of weeks, several hours each day. The oil will change colour and extract the effective ingredients from the cakes, but wont turn rancid as quickly as when boiled.
These oils are fun to make, extremely good value for money, and are nice way to incorporate natural products into your body maintenance regimen.
I have no western medical explanation for this, but oiling the scalp regularly is considered "cooling" for the body. I do find that regular oil baths calm the nerves, prevent headaches and in general help me handle the heat much better.
Given my frequent use, I've found it advantageous (and fun) to make my own herbal hair oil.
Ingredients:
Oil (sesame / coconut)
Karisilankanni leaves (Bhringaraja, Eclipta alba / Eclipta prostata, False daisy)
1 clean old cotton towel (the thin "thorthu" ones, or an old square of Veshti)
water
a wok (kadai)
stove
Total time: 60 - 90 minutes
Eclipta Alba:
Bhringaraj or karisilankanni in Tamil is a robust ornamental shrub that is also known as false daisy. While two unrelated species of herbs are both known as Karisilankanni, the Manjal Karisilankanni (Wedelia chinensis / Wedelia calendulacea, yellow flowers) is unrelated to Eclipta, which has smaller but similar leaves and small white flowers.
Eclipta is commonly found in south India, and you should be able to get it fresh in a good produce market. We get it in Madras at the Koyambedu market, in the greens section. A fairly thick bunch retails for Rs. 10.
Oil:
My preference is for sesame (gingelly/til) oil. If you retain the practice of setting your hair with oil, you ought to go with the milder scented and less greasy coconut oil
Like most people, my oil-set hair days are behind me. Since I only use the stuff for soaking before a wash, I prefer the better recommended sesame oil that I find fragrant and calming. Also, sesame oil has a higher smoke point and will not burn easily, and it has a very long shelf life. Coconut oil on the other hand will turn rancid soon if you boil it, so make smaller batches if you choose this oil.
Whatever the oil, try to get fresh-pressed stuff from an oil merchant, and not the expensive, double-refined nonsense that sells in supermarkets.
So, here's the recipe.
Wash the Eclipta leaves for residual soil, and separate the leaves and the green stems from the thicker, darker stalk leading to the root. Place the leaves and stems with just enough water in a processor to grind into a thick batter. Notice that the batter is bluish black.
Place the batter in the towel / cloth square, and wring out all the juice. measure the juice into the wok, and add equal quantity of oil.
Place the wok on the stove, let simmer while stirring occasionally. The water will loudly splutter and eventually boil away completely. You will know this when there mixture quietens down, there is no more water vapour emerging from the wok, and the oil boils up in fine, transparent, foamy bubbles. After this point, don't let the oil boil for any longer, or the sediments will char.
The oil should be a lovely blackish green. Remove from fire and allow to cool, and then store in a glass jar. You don't have to filter out the fine, powdery sediment, it has a nice scrubbing effect on the scalp.
Use liberally on scalp and hair, soak for at least 30 minutes, and wash away with sheekha or shampoo.
I've been using this for over a month, and my hair fall has stopped almost completely. I also don't have flaking and other dry scalp issues, and I notice that my hair is growing faster.
You can use the same technique to prepare Henna (Marudhani, Lawsonia Inermis) oil too. The oil comes out a beautiful saffron orange, and is nice for henna dyed hair.
Note: if you strongly prefer coconut oil, you can try an alternative method. Grind the leaves into a thicker paste with very little water and pat into small flat cakes, leave in the sun till dry and hard. Then, drop the cakes into a glass jar filled with coconut oil, close and leave in the sun for a couple of weeks, several hours each day. The oil will change colour and extract the effective ingredients from the cakes, but wont turn rancid as quickly as when boiled.
These oils are fun to make, extremely good value for money, and are nice way to incorporate natural products into your body maintenance regimen.
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