Indian Hair Please!

[Annalouise]

I'm not Indian but I'm doing an Indian hair care regime. Why? Because I am sensitive to soaps and chemicals but also because my hair is thinning and I am trying to grow it thicker.

I use reetha/aritha to wash. I usually make a gravy or tea by adding a tea made from hibiscus, rosemary, basil, sage, nettles, horsetail (any of above herbs). Then I do a rinse with acv infused with the above herbs and a tea rinse sometimes with darkening herbs like sage.

I do a heavy oiling once or twice a week. Sometimes I'll do a mask with fullers earth and henna or cassia, and this helps remove a heavy oiling.
The oils I use for oiling are coconut, olive oil or peanut oil.
I do have some problems removing a heavy oil. I usually have to use about 4 tbsp of reetha and make a thick gravy and leave it on my hair for 15 minutes. The tricky part is making sure the herbs get on all the hair strands.

I also use rosemary and lavender essential oils in my hair oil to rub on my scalp at night.

I've also used neem in my washes and like it too. And I brush my hair with a BBB.

I'm experimenting with washing my hair upsidedown because it helps take the pressure off the top of my head where over-washing occurs.

And, I wash my hair daily. I would wash it less often but I like to oil my hair a lot. Maybe too much. Naa, you can't oil your hair too much.

[Aveyronnaise]

I am wondering if there is an article or thread breaking down the different Indian techniques and herbs. Perhaps this one will be it?

[ratgirldjh]

I'm not from India - but I have used indian herbs too. For some reason shikakai made my hair much straighter than aritha - so now if I use herb washing I use aritha. I am going to try doing a heavy oiling and using the paste to wash off the oil... with shikakai I could never really get all the oil out and even if I did all my waves disappeared! It actually seemed like my hair texture changed. With aritha I don't lose my waves - but I definitely need more oil... hmmm any ideas? I have hibiscus too...

djh

[HintOfMint]

Indian gal from New York checking in!

I suppose the most "indian" part of my hair care routine is using coconut oil, and yes, my Indian friends tease me a bit for being so "traditional." Funny enough, I never used coconut oil as a leave in until I came to LHC. Whenever I used coconut oil before, it was a pre-wash soak mandated by my mother. She would massage it into my scalp though, which felt AMAZING.

[Kaya]

I am wondering if there is an article or thread breaking down the different Indian techniques and herbs. Perhaps this one will be it?

I agree. I would really like to learn how to use Indian hair powders. I have some Meera hair powder. I used it once and I ended up with a gritty, tangled mass of hair on my head. Not much fun, and hence, I haven't used it again. It did smell pretty darn good. Sweet and herb-y!
But I would like to try out that shikakai powder that everyone talks about. I just need some how-to-use instructions!

[mira-chan]

I am wondering if there is an article or thread breaking down the different Indian techniques and herbs. Perhaps this one will be it?

Check my signature for the Indian herb hair care article. There are a couple of threads on this topic in the Recipe forum.

I'm not Indian, but my brother in law's family is. I have a very similar hair type that responds well to traditional Indian hair care. I was using herbs and oils exclusively for over a year until I got busy and lazy. Now back to sulfate free shampoo (oil shampoo mix) but still use coconut oil regularly as both pre-wash and leave-in.

I find that when using herbal power for wash in mud form, it helps to use a basin to rinse out instead of the shower. The grittiness just flows out then when hair is in free float.

[starlights]

I oil alot too, my hair seems to love vatika and parachute coconut oil, i swear those two make my hair grow!! i bun my hair alot too... i've never tried the herbs thing, when i went back to india the women seriously had long hair everywhere, i thought i was in hair heaven lol i never saw them doing the herbal thing, i must ask my aunt about that... then i will come back & post techniques, ha!

[Diamondbell]

This is my contribution on Indian herbs
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...ighlight=Herbs

I haven't used all found in this thread but curry leaves, feungreek seeds and herbs like aritha, shikakai are really good!

[McFearless]

Indian hair is just so beautiful.

[christine1989]

Indian hair is just so beautiful.

Agreed! I am in long hair heaven on my morning commute to school. The bus I take is full of Indian women with long, shiny hair to admire during the 45 min bus ride.