Hair Tips for Monsoon {Hair Care}

I am loving, adoring and blissfully bathing in Hyderabad weather after the sultry Delhi :) Ok, yes, its humid and that does increase the suffocation at times but the cool breeze in the evenings and the lovely rains are just too romantic too ignore!!! But, then, monsoons always bring a spate of hair problems with them. 

Humid Hair

The scalp gets all dirty very soon even though the pollution is in control. The reason for this is because of the amount of humidity which accumulates the dust and sweat in the hair and makes the scalp dirty very quickly. So, hair wash should be frequent, preferably on alternate days and you should always make sure to leave your hair open for at least an hour everyday to let the roots and the scalp get some air through them and get dry.

If you get wet in the rain, let your hair air dry and then go for a hair wash. Immediate washing is generally not preferable as it may lead to diseases and illness.

• Hair Fall: This is the most common problem of hair in monsoons and even I can see those effects. One way to control it is to keep the hair and scalp always clean as mentioned above and to keep the hair always dry as even a little wet hair is also prone to a lot breakage. Do not comb your hair immediately on returning home after a long day. Leave your hair untied for a good half hour to an hour and let it dry thoroughly before running a comb. 

• Dandruff: Even though the weather is humid, the scalp can dry out easily because of the climate changes and weather fluctuations. And, that can lead to a lot of dead skin being accumulated on the scalp and leading to dandruff issues. This also contributes to hair fall in the monsoons. Ultimately, this issue can also be resolved by keeping the scalp and hair clean and dry at all times.

Hair Accessories

Avoid using scarfs and stoles to keep your hair protected from rain or even pollution. Because, lack of air circulation causes the sweat to get entrapped and accumulated on the scalp. Instead, carry an umbrella to protect you in sudden rains. And, pollution is anyway in control in monsoons so don't worry about that. Btw it may be necessary for you to wash your hair everyday at times. Go ahead and do it. Only make sure that you use a good quality shampoo, preferably a high-end brand or an SLS-free shampoo.

Keep your hair tools clean and dry

Clean your comb, hair brush and even the scrunchies and hair clips you use as they gather the sweat when you use them on dirty hair!!!

Image Courtesy:idiva.com

Aloevera Scalp Gel for Hair Growth {DIY}

This is my first DIY which includes essential oils and are the heart and soul of this DIY after the perfume oil DIY.

Ingredients

• Aloevera Gel
• Rosemary EO
• Lavender EO
• Cinnamon Bark EO
• Ginger EO

Method

I used the Rustic Art aloevera gel for this recipe. I would not recommend fresh aloevera gel because of two reasons - first, preservation issues and second, you are not sure of how much quantity you have and how many drops of EO should be added. Thus, its better to use the commercially available aloevera gel. Take 100gms of the product and remember my guidelines to using EO's. 

In skin or hair care, you should use only 1-2% concentration of EO's and do not exceed as it can actually be allergic and harmful. So, for 100gms of aloevera gel, we can add 2 gms of EO and we use the equivalence of 1ml = 1gm though that's strictly not true. So, according to the 2% concentration, we can add 2ml of EO's. 1ml has 20 drops so 40 drops of EO per 100ml/gm of any product.

Add 10 drops of each essential oil to the aloevera gel. Mix it and leave in a dark place for 24 hours. Rosemary takes care of dandruff, Cinnamon and Ginger stimulate hair follicles and increase blood circulation and Lavender is conditioning for the hair besides helping in hair growth. Do not use more than 3-4 EO's per DIY as too many EO's might interact negatively with each other and can make the product extremely potent as well.

Results

Apply this gel on your scalp right after you finish with your entire hair wash and shower. Do not apply it when you hair is dripping. Wait the hair to get dry a bit and then apply to the scalp so that it doesn't cause breakage. There are two advantages - your scalp is clean so the product gets absorbed quickly and without any fear of trapping dust and since the base of the product is aloevera, it moisturizes the scalp nicely and prevents itching, flaky scalp and other scalp problems.

I made this DIY before I left for Delhi and have used it just once. Now that I am on a hair treatment, I am not using anything except the products prescribed. That's mainly to test the efficacy and worth of those products. But, I can vouch for one thing that this scalp gel does help in hair growth. Why? Remember the ginger tonic I mentioned? 

We are using ginger essential oil in this recipe and when I had applied this gel, it had tingled my scalp and gave me the feeling of warmth more than that ginger tonic does. Don't worry regarding the tingling. Its just coz of ginger. Even if you apply ginger juice or onion juice, the scalp tingles a bit and also makes the scalp warm meaning the blood circulation has increased. And, the gel doesn't make the hair heavy or greasy or anything. In fact, it keeps the scalp moisturised and the hair around the roots soft. It can be applied daily as well.

And, I am really hoping that you will give it a try :)

How to get rid of Dandruff? {Hair Care}

This has been a continuous requests on my blog but I couldn't really post on it because I have personally never suffered from this problem so I have no idea how to deal with it. But, again this week I got a request on this topic so I thought its a high time to do a post on it. But, think of this as a disclaimer, none of the remedies have been personally tried by me and may or may not work. I definitely shall try my level best to write only about the things which will not have negative effects in the short or long term.

[Source:hair-loss-alopecia.com]

What is Dandruff?

Dandruff is the flaky skin which is the result of shedding of the skin cells ont he scalp. Even the skin on the scalp gets replaced. Consequently, if the skin cells get replaced too frequently or quickly, the dead skin cells tend to accumulate on the scalp and create a flaky scalp. This leads to the condition of dandruff and the most common symptom is itchy scalp. [That reminds me that I had been having a really annoying time with my scalp lately!! It used to itch badly.]

How to treat Dandruff?

Dandruff, most commonly, occurs in people with oily skin and oily hair as opposed to the popular belief that dandruff is a symptom of dry scalp. Dryness is definitely a condition which encourages dandruff but it is an acquired dryness, not the naturally dry scalp, in general. So, instead of treating dryness, it is better to clean the scalp more frequently to remove the dead skin cells from the scalp which keep on accumulating on the scalp. 

• Wash hair Frequently. This might not sound as a remedy but instead look as a tool to worsening the condition but it is actually true. Washing hair more frequently ensures cleaner scalp and the removal of the older dead skin cells.Alternate days or once in three days should be sufficient if the problem is not severe. 

• Use mild products. This is extremely important since you would be washing your scalp more frequently. Milder products which do not dry out the scalp and hair altogether should be preferred.

• Hair Oils. Oils, if used in excess, can cause dry hair in the long run. And, oil is also known to have aggravated the problem of dandruff. So, either keep away from oils or use the oils which you know have been working for you since quite long.  

• Hot Water. Stay away from hot water as it can increase the dryness of the scalp and also induces itching.Try to wash your hair in colder water or water at room temperature, whichever is preferable and comfortable for you. 

• Nizoral. This is one medicated shampoo which I have heard works really well for every kind of scalp problem so one can definitely give this a try. Weekly usage of the product should be enough. I have personally used the product and I do like it except for its price. 

• Underlying Skin Conditions. Psoriasis, Eczema and other skin disorders or infections can also cause dandruff so it is best to take a dermatologists advise in such cases.  

And, when it comes to hair, everything takes time and diet is very essential so eat healthily and live happily and all would be well. Pin It

Does your scalp get itchy? {Hair Care}

[Source: Google Images]

Well, itching is thought to be related to uncleanliness only. But, there are many other reasons for itching to occur. And, winters and especially, nights are worst times when itching gets full-blown. So, lets see what can make a scalp itch.

• Dandruff: Winter dandruff is pretty much common.
• Dry Scalp, Flaky Scalp, etc.: Winters makes the hair extremely dry and absorbs moisture form the scalp too because of which scalp can get irritated and dry and start to itch. 
• Hair Fall: If your hair is nearing a time of hair fall, scalp does start to itch. This is something my mom faces. So, you might as well beware. 
• Harsh Products: Sulfate based shampoos are particular great at drying the scalp. In fact, yesterday I washed my hair and my scalp felt so stretched and dry. I was literally itching to use oil!!! So, choose your products wisely.

Use moisturizing serums for the hair. Oil hair regularly before washing it off. Use good products as harsh chemicals literally dry out the scalp. And, never apply conditioners on your scalp. 

Biotique Mountain Ebony Fresh Growth Stimuating Serum {Product Review}

This is one of the few hair range products from Biotique which I absolutely would recommend to anyone especially if they have sensitive scalp or suffer with scalp issues.

Price: 159 INR for 120 ml (little pricy, I guess!!!)

Ingredients

Ingredients - Neem, Licorice Root powder, Long pepper, Safflower, Pudina, Mountain Ebony (in order of listing)

Read here about Mountain Ebony.

My Experience

Ok, so let me start with its smell. Really weird and very herbal but not very offensive so nothing to worry about. Now, the look and feel. If you read the ingredient list, you can find that the main ingredient of the product is water so yup, it is watery. Entirely watery and not a gel or a fluid or even a slight bit viscous. When you pour the product on to your hand, it runs and escapes almost like water. So, that becomes a problem with the product. Since its so watery, the application is a little difficult so you have to figure out the exact method on how to apply. My favorite way is to use the Wella hair developer which I use to apply hair oil too. That way, you can be sure you have covered every area on your scalp and the product doesn't go waste coz it gets applied on the scalp. And, while applying, you would automatically need to massage the product in otherwise it will run off the scalp. Now, let me talk a little about the product now. 

Biotique says "This intensive serum helps stimulate new and healthy hair growth. Leaves scalp feeling exhilarated, free from dryness and irritation". When you apply it to the scalp, it feels very cool and soothing to the scalp. It is very good for the scalp which is pretty sensitive and itchy. It calms the scalp on the days when your hair is paining or scalp is aching. Well, regarding the hair growth claims, I am not completely sure but I am not even ruling it out coz I have definitely seen some changes but since I am not entirely sure, I will talk about this claim if I see any positive proof of this claim. One more thing which I would add to the positives of this product is that it relives the dryness and oiliness of the scalp. Yes, it can do both. I don't know how it is possible but I think it balances out the oil production. The proof for this is that I have dry scalp sometimes which is easily cured when I apply this. And, once I had applied this after oiling my hair since I didn't wash it that day, my scalp looked almost oil free after a while. 

A word of caution is that this product is only for the scalp and not the hair so it shouldn't be applied on the hair. And, massaging the product in improves blood circulation too. And, after applying this product, do not comb your hair because the scalp is little wet with the product and hairs may break if you try to comb. I always apply this product at night and this can be applied everyday without fail. It doesn't make the scalp greasy or anything so one need not worry about that. This product is suitable for every kind of hair type and scalp type.

My Recommendation

Yes, absolutely coz it is very effective and not that expensive.

Scalp Problems: Home Remedies to get rid of them

Today, I would be discussing with you one more benefits of making Neem a part of your daily lives. Scalp problems are one of the main causes of hair fall, dry and dull hair or thin hair prone to lots of breakage. Dandruff, itchy scalp, redness in the scalp, dry scalp, acne on the scalp; these are some of the problems related to scalp which can be easily cured using neem leaves or neem water or even oil. 

• Use neem water as a rinse after every shampoo. Let your hair air dry. 
• Mix neem water and lemon juice and massage into scalp. Let stay for 30 minutes. Wash off. You need not follow it with a shampoo. A simple rinse would be fine. This is a cure for dandruff.
• As we all know that neem leaves are extremely good for acne on skin. So, make a paste of neem leaves and apply on the skin. Let it stay for 30 minutes or till it dries off. Wash off. Regular application (two times a week) should show results in a month. It would also cure itchiness and irritation in the scalp. 
• You do not have to go and take high frequency treatments to kill bacteria in the scalp. Mix neem and olive oil and massage into your scalp a night before you will shampoo your hair. This would kill all bacteria on the scalp. 
• If you do not get neem oil, you can put lot of neem leaves in olive oil and leave under direct sunlight for a week or two. Shake the bottle everyday. This would infuse the essence of neem leaves in the oil. And, this would be equally effective. Always remember to buy a Cold Processed Extra Virgin Olive Oil (the purest form of olive oil). This is one of the healthiest ways to grow more hair on your head. You can use little warmed oil for massaging into your scalp.
• You can mix neem water or neem leaves in various hair masks you make.
• You can also use neem leaves while making the herbal shampoo.