Aloevera for Skin and Banana Hair Pack {Reader's Tips}

"If you have drink aloevera juice everyday in the morning, your skin really glows."

"Banana Hair pack really does wonders to your hair. You can add coconut milk and honey along with banana and mix it in a blender. Keep the pack for about an hour and just wash with warm water without applying shampoo. Your hair will really shine."

Read more of your favourite reader's tips here and you can submit one too (here).

Image Courtesy:alibaba.com,thechalkboardmag.com

My Experience with Kamini Aunty

Well, you would all be wondering who the hell is "Kamini aunty"??? I came to know about her from Mehak's blog and on my recent trip to Delhi, I went to this lady who is supposed to be a miracle for hair. She can cure any hair problem apparently. She runs her hair clinic from her house in Safdarjung enclave. And, the clinic is just like a home parlour.

Oil and Ginger Tonic

I went to her with my mommy. "Kamini aunty" looked at my hair and declared that its thin and she didn't really say much about my hair. I got her to check my mom's hair too and she declared that my mom has very dry scalp. And, she instructed the girl on what to use for our hairs and off we went in for the treatment. It consists of 3 things basically:

• Oiling - She has variety of oils of probably different grades. The girl attending me gave me instructions about how to go about my routine. And, she applied really a LOTTT of oil to my hair (around half a cup). It is supposed to have lots of herbs.

• Ginger Tonic - After the oiling was done, this was applied to my scalp only. Its basically ginger powder infused in vinegar. This is for aiding the hair growth since ginger stimulates hair follicles.Well, I do think other herbs might also have been there. It has to be left on for 30 minutes.  

• Hair Pack - After the ginger tonic, a hair pack is applied on the scalp and the ends of the hair and then, the hair is covered with a shower cap. This is made from many pulses and other ingredients and it smells strongly of dhania and it smells really warm. It also has to be left on for 30 minutes.

And, then, I am left for 30 minutes for the treatment to soak into the scalp. Meanwhile, I watch the whole procedure being followed on my mom and this is the first time she is getting any kind of a hair treatment so I was obviously enjoying it a lot :D And, then, I was taken for a hair wash which includes a shampoo and conditioner free of chemicals. Finally, my hair is blow-dried and my hair really felt so soft.

Shampoo and Conditioner

So, what's the treatment?
We are prescribed a shampoo, conditioner, hair oil and the ginger tonic. The treatment has to be done everyday for the first week in the same order as I have described above. And, after the first week, it has to be done on alternate days till you see the desired results. The hair pack has to be applied weekly once. I was told that I would see the new growth in two months.

How much does it cost?
Yes, it is expensive. Not overtly but still it is. Frankly, I wasn't prepared for the bill presented to me but my mom had already anticipated it. The shampoo and conditioner cost about 400, the tonic is around 800, hair pack is 600 and the hair oil is around 2500. To be just, even my dad said that the quantity given was good enough.

How am I liking it?
I went to her on 18th April. I have used the products around 5 times till now. Yes, I wasn't regular as I should have been in the first week and neither was I in the second but I hope I shall be from now on. But, strictly speaking, I would say that the treatment has brought out shine in my hair. And, it has definitely become more manageable with less flyaways.

Also, I love the shampoo a lot. Its free of chemicals and it smells nice and it seems to be a concoction of reetha and shikakai with orange fragrance. Its watery enough but not entirely watery and lathers well enough but not exactly generously but cleanses my hair nicely. And, I like the conditioner too. It lathers a lot and doesn't weigh down my hair.

Of course, none of the products ingredients are written as they are supposed to be a secret. And, whether I'll have a head full of hair, only time will tell. But, being a cynic, I do have a small doubt. If I follow the very same routine with regular products in the same time frame, will it yield results??? Of course, taking into consideration that I choose a SLS free shampoo and silicone free conditioner. What do you say??

Aloe vera Hibiscus Hair Pack {DIY}

This is a simple DIY hair pack which is extremely awesome. In many of my previous posts, I have repeatedly talked about aloe vera being so good for hair and also about hibiscus leaves and flowers. So, this hair pack has only these two ingredients.

Ingredients (enough for shoulder length hair):

• 1 whole aloe vera leaf (preferably thick and fresh)
• a handful of hibiscus leaves 
• 5-10 hibiscus flowers (optional)

Method: Extract the aloe pulp from the leaf and grind all the ingredients together. It will form a green gooey paste of a thick consistency. Do not dilute it. Partition hair into sections and apply the paste properly to the scalp first and then the body of your hair. Leave the pack on your hair for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Cover with a shower cap for better results. Wash off with water. It is good to follow with reetha-shikakai instead of using a shampoo, if possible.   

Big disadvantage with the pack is that it is really sticky and difficult to wash off so it needs patience with that. Otherwise, you will find green bits in your hair afterward while combing. They do come out then but it is better to wash them off properly. 

Results: I kept the paste on my hair for an hour or so and washed my hair with reetha. My hair was really soft. In fact it is soft even after two washes after applying the pack and the hair was noticeably shiny. 

The pack is also supposed to help with hair loss and promotes hair growth but I can't vouch for it coz I have used it only once. But, the ingredients are good for all the claims. But, the immediate results are amazing so give this one a try. A great break from the regular smelly hair packs having egg or curd. 

Egg Hair Pack for extremely silky and shiny hair {DIY}

Eggs are really great for hair as we are all aware of. Now, when I used this hair pack on my hair, I kept it for around 3-4 hours, though not intentionally. So, I believe that the results of this hair pack are more due to the time it stayed on my hair rather than the ingredients. But, the ingredients are also fabulous and just two in number!!!

Ingredients: 

• 3 eggs
• amla powder

Method 

Break the eggs into a bowl and whisk them into a smooth consistency. Add amla powder so that it becomes a smooth paste. Make sure it is not clumpy at all otherwise the whole thing tends to clump on the hair. Never make your hair packs clumpy. They do not deliver results properly as hair is not able to absorb it as well as it absorbs a smooth paste applied on it. So, after you make this paste, apply it on the scalp and along the whole length of the hair concentrating on the roots and the ends. I kept it on 3-4 hours but you can also make do with one or try to keep it for longer periods on weekends or at nights. Eggs make hair amazingly silky if left on for longer period of time, as my experience goes, though, I know it is difficult with the smell :(

Results

Extremely silky, soft and shiny hair which lasts for weeks together. I did this routine before April 10th and my hair is just the same even now and I have not applied anything extra to my hair in the meantime. And, the shine is unimaginable. It makes your hair more shinier than any leave-in or any hair product. Of course, using amla made my hair look darker too so the shine reflected better. And, I have wavy to curly hair. So, straight-haired gals, your hair is literally gonna shine like a lantern!!! Ok, bad joke :D but the results are just amazing and a lot can be attributed to the fact that we are using 3 eggs instead of just one which we customarily use. More the eggs, better coverage and better results. So, guys, try it and share your feedback!!! Don't forget to cover with a shower cap. And, for even better results, steam your hair before applying the pack to open the cuticles for better absorption.

When to remove Face Masks and Hair Packs?

Hey guys!! I am really sorry for not being at all particular with the posts. Kinda really busy these days so I'll probably even miss the first birthday of my blog which is on December 14. I can not believe a whole year has passed. I definitely have been very lazy in writing my posts many a days but I have tried to be as regular as possible. In case, I do miss the birthday of my blog, I shall do the festivities along with the Christmas and New Year or may be Pongal even. Gosh!! That will be really late but I am sure you will all forgive me. So, for today, I have a very simple tip to share with you all regarding the face packs and the hair packs. Now, I had shared the correct procedure for applying face masks. So, this is one additional procedure which should be followed stringently. 

Always remove the face masks and hair packs as soon as they are close to drying. When the face masks and hair packs dry completely, they start absorbing water from your skin or hair to compensate the loss of moisture in them due to the reverse osmosis process. And, this becomes very drying for your skin and hair in the long run. So, always remember to wash off as soon as the mask is close to drying. For hair, I have a tip that wash off your mask after an hour. One hour is enough to let your hair get the nutrients from your mask. If you are applying henna, always remove when the mask has dried otherwise you will find that your hair has become dry in nature. This is especially true for dry hair. Whenever you apply a hair mask, always put a shower cap on. This helps to hold the moisture inside. When you keep the hair packs and face masks beyond stipulated period, they can causing aging of your skin and drying of your hair. This holds true with the home remedies too. So, follow this tip and reap the benefits.