Herbs and Their Uses

[Diamondbell]

Vites negundo (botanical name); Nochi or Vellanochhi ( Tamil); Chinese Chaste tree (English); Nirgandi (Hindi); Nagoda (Gujarati)



It is a large aromatic shrub, with small bluish pruple flowers, found throughout India. There are three types - Venn Nochi, Karu Nochi and Nir Nochi. Venn Nochi is the more commonly seen tree. Nir Nochi is found on the banks of the Thamiraparani river in Tamil Nadu. The Nochi tree is a nice tree to have in the garden. It is easy to propagate from cuttings about two cm thick. It grows wild in rural Tamil Nadu, India.

A decoction of Nochi leaves is useful in treating disorders of the neuro-skeletal and muscular systems. If you have general body pain due to vata disorders, boil the leaves and have a bath. It relieves body pain with continuous use. A decoction of Nochi leaves and jaggery taken internally relieves vata disorders.

A paste made of Nochi leaves and an inch of dried ginger when applied on the forehead relieves headaches. Oil made from Nochi juice relieves chronic headaches associated with sinusitis. The oil can be applied on the head and a bath taken an hour or so later. The leaves can be heated in a kadai and used in fomentation to relieve muscular pain.

It (Nagoda) is used in swelling of the joints from acute rheumatism over sprained limbs. Oil may be used as bathing oil, for rubbing on the heads in glandular swellings of the neck, and for wounds and ulcers.

This is an ingredient of the Ramtirth Hair Oil.

[chotee]

I will try getting the cutting for my garden. The flowers look beautiful and who knows one day i might start using in my herbal preparations since i get sinus headaches sometimes. I already have henna, hibiscus, curry plants for my hair
thanks so much

[Diamondbell]

You are welcome chotee

[Diamondbell]

Henna (Arabic); Lawsonia inermis/Lawsonia alba(botanical name):
Mehendi (Hindi); Marudhaani (Tamil); Gorianta (Telugu)

The properties of Henna are well known: Scientific studies prove that henna is a better hair conditioner than other commercial conditioners. It is important not only for hair-coloring but also as a hair conditioner, hair growth promoter, and for hair brightening.Mehndi dye is not only used for color, for coolness in summer.
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Recipes:
Against Dandruff:
Henna leaves are mixed with sesame oil and is kept under direct sunrays for 7 days. Then this mixture is sieved and should be applied to the scalp for 2 hours before bath and washed with the hair washing powder described below:

Take
(1)'Haritaki' or Black Myrobalan (Terminalia Chebula),
(2)'Vibhitaki' or Belearic Myrobalan (Terminalia Belerica/Tamil:Taanni, Taanrikkaay, Thandri, Thaanri, Thani.)
(3) 'Amla' or Goose Berry (Embelica officinalis) powder
together called as 'Triphala' – powder (In Ayurveda, meaning “three fruits”) of these in equal quantity is mixed with water and applied to the scalp for 1 hour and washed with Luke warm water.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Simple Henna Hair-Pack:
Henna powder (lowsonia inermis), tea decoction, lemon juice, leaves of white hibiscus and flower of red hibiscus are all made into paste and kept overnight in an iron vessel next day morning, to this mixture egg white is added and applied to the hair. It should be left for 3 to 4 hours and washed with cold water. It gives black color/dark color to your hair.

============================================
Henna and Beetroot pack:

1) Boil 25 gm tea leaves in water
2) With that add 50 gm Henna powder, 5gm Tulsi powder, 5 gm Aritha powder and keep in a vessel
3) After half-an-hour, boil water in another broad vessel.
4) Keep the first vessel into the boiling water till it gets heated up.
5) When cooled, add half a cup of beet-root juice, one lemon’s juice.
6) Next day in the same way as done earlier, boil the mixture in a vessel, kept in a broad vessel with water. Now add hibiscus powder after removing from fire.
7) Add this paste to hair for a maximum of 3 hours and minimum half an hour. Rinse hair.
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Hair Conditioner and Natural Dye (External Application)

Ingredients used

Henna: 1 teacup
Cumin seeds- 1 teaspoon
Methi seeds- 1 teaspoon
Water- as per need


Method of preparation
Cumin and methi seeds are fried till golden brown on a pan and soaked in water overnight. Next morning a fine paste of it is made and mixed with henna and applied to the scalp for 2 hours.

Here, the henna acts as a dye and a conditioner that helps in building the melanin (Sauda) and retention of hair colour from the root base. Cumin seeds are responsible for improving the blood circulation and hence promote hair growth. The methi seeds help in cleaning the scalp from the dirt accumulated on the scalp.

[Aisha25]

Henna (Arabic); Lawsonia inermis/Lawsonia alba(botanical name):
Mehendi (Hindi); Marudhaani (Tamil); Gorianta (Telugu)

The properties of Henna are well known: Scientific studies prove that henna is a better hair conditioner than other commercial conditioners. It is important not only for hair-coloring but also as a hair conditioner, hair growth promoter, and for hair brightening.Mehndi dye is not only used for color, for coolness in summer.
=============
Recipes:
Against Dandruff:
Henna leaves are mixed with sesame oil and is kept under direct sunrays for 7 days. Then this mixture is sieved and should be applied to the scalp for 2 hours before bath and washed with the hair washing powder described below:

Take
(1)'Haritaki' or Black Myrobalan (Terminalia Chebula),
(2)'Vibhitaki' or Belearic Myrobalan (Terminalia Belerica/Tamil:Taanni, Taanrikkaay, Thandri, Thaanri, Thani.)
(3) 'Amla' or Goose Berry (Embelica officinalis) powder
together called as 'Triphala' – powder (In Ayurveda, meaning “three fruits”) of these in equal quantity is mixed with water and applied to the scalp for 1 hour and washed with Luke warm water.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Simple Henna Hair-Pack:
Henna powder (lowsonia inermis), tea decoction, lemon juice, leaves of white hibiscus and flower of red hibiscus are all made into paste and kept overnight in an iron vessel next day morning, to this mixture egg white is added and applied to the hair. It should be left for 3 to 4 hours and washed with cold water. It gives black color/dark color to your hair.

============================================
Henna and Beetroot pack:

1) Boil 25 gm tea leaves in water
2) With that add 50 gm Henna powder, 5gm Tulsi powder, 5 gm Aritha powder and keep in a vessel
3) After half-an-hour, boil water in another broad vessel.
4) Keep the first vessel into the boiling water till it gets heated up.
5) When cooled, add half a cup of beet-root juice, one lemon’s juice.
6) Next day in the same way as done earlier, boil the mixture in a vessel, kept in a broad vessel with water. Now add hibiscus powder after removing from fire.
7) Add this paste to hair for a maximum of 3 hours and minimum half an hour. Rinse hair.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Hair Conditioner and Natural Dye (External Application)

Ingredients used

Henna: 1 teacup
Cumin seeds- 1 teaspoon
Methi seeds- 1 teaspoon
Water- as per need


Method of preparation
Cumin and methi seeds are fried till golden brown on a pan and soaked in water overnight. Next morning a fine paste of it is made and mixed with henna and applied to the scalp for 2 hours.

Here, the henna acts as a dye and a conditioner that helps in building the melanin (Sauda) and retention of hair colour from the root base. Cumin seeds are responsible for improving the blood circulation and hence promote hair growth. The methi seeds help in cleaning the scalp from the dirt accumulated on the scalp.

Very nice im going to use this last recipe and see how it works

[Diamondbell]

Nagarmoth (Marati) /Mutha (Hindi)/Mustako (Sanskrit) Cyperus rotundus (bot. Name)/Nut Grass (English)/ Korai (Tamil)


- Cures chronic skin diseases. It is generally used in combination with other medicines.

This is used as an ingredient in the Ramtirth Brahmi Hair Oil.

[khyricat]

It looks like regular grass I wonder how you would know if it is the right one when you use it?

Aisha- bermuda is NOT regular grass.. it grows in opposing conditions to regular grass- extreme HEAT... mom uses it.. her lawn looks dead in part of the time her neighbors have grass but looks great when theirs is brown in the heat of summer.. I think it was there when they bought the house, but knowing mom adn that she thinks grass should be green in SUMMER not winter, she may have planted it on purpose (in Atlanta)

[Diamondbell]

CAUTION: THIS IS A VERY POWERFUL TOXIC/POISINOUS PLANT AND HAS ALL POTENTIAL TO CAUSE MISCARRIAGES IF USED DURING PREGNANCY.


Jequerity / Chanothi (Krishnala)/Abrus precatorius (Botanical name)/ Indian liquorice, Wild liquorice, Rosary Pea, Blackeyed Susan, Crab's eye, Pois rouge, Precatory bean(English)/ kuntumani (tamil)/ guñcī, ratti (Hindi)




The seeds are highly toxic due to presence of Abrin, a protein. It may be fatal if eaten.

Paste of roots is administered to cure abdominal pains and tumors. The paste with fresh rhizome of ‘Haldi’ (Curcuma longa) is applied on wounds. The plant is used in some traditional medicine to treat scratches and sores and wounds caused by dogs, cats and mice, and is also used with other ingredients to treat leucoderma. The leaves are used for their anti-suppurative properties. They are ground with lime and applied on acne sores, boils and abscesses. The plant is also traditionally used to treat tetanus, and to prevent rabies.

The seeds are considered abortifacient (Nath & Sethi, 1992), anodyne, aphrodisiac, antimicrobial, diuretic, emetic, expectorant, emollient, febrifuge, hemostat, laxative, purgative, refrigerant, sedative, vermifuge, antidote and used in various ailments to cure headache, snakebite, blennorrhagia, boil, cancer, cold, colic, conjunctivitis, convulsion, cough, diarrhea, fever, gastritis, gonorrhea, jaundice, malaria, night-blindness, ophthalmia and rheumatism. The seeds are also used to treat diabetes and chronic nephritis.


Recipe:
=====

Against Greying of hair: Grind the leaves and seeds of Abrus precatorius. Extract juice from the paste. Apply the juice on hair as oil once a day one hour before taking bath. Apply for 3-4 days.


The oil extracted from seeds is said to promote the growth of human hair.


Jequerity is found in Sesa Hair Oil and also in Neelibringhadi Coconut Hair Oil
http://mall.coimbatore.com/bnh/misc/neelibringadi.html
.

[Diamondbell]

Berberis aristata (botanical name) /Indian Barberry or Nepal Barberry (English) /Indian names: darhaldi (Bengal), kashmoi (Garhwal), rasont, kashmal (Himachal Pradesh), chitra, dar-hald, rasaut, kashmal (Hindi), maradarisina, maramanjal, (Kerala), daruhald (Maharashtra), chitra, chutro (Nepal), chitra, kasmal. simlu, sumlu (Punjab) mullukala, usikkala (Tamil Nadu), daruharidra, darvi, kata, pitadaru, suvarnavarna (Sanskrit).



Dastur (1962) has reported that the chief constituent of Berberis aristata DC. is barberine, which is a bitter alkaloid. According to him, rasaut is used as a purgative for children and as a blood-purifier, a tonic and a febrifuge. It is also given in diarrhoea, jaundice and skin diseases. A watery solution of this preparation is also used for washing piles, Oriental sores and glandular swellings.

This plant is also an important source of dye and tannin and is used for dyeing clothes and for tanning leather. According to Watt (1889), it is perhaps one of the best tanning dyes available in India.

It is mainly used in eye diseases, haemorrhoids, amenorrhoea, leucorrhoea, piles, sores, peptic ulcers, dysentery, heartburn, indigestion, hepatitis, intermittent fever, and chronic ophthalmia. An infusion of root is useful in treatment of malaria, skin diseases, diarrhea and jaundice. A decoction is used as mouthwash for treating swollen gums and toothache. It is also used to treat infections, eczema, parasites, psoriasis, and vaginitis. Roots are hypoglycemic, antiinflammatory and stimulate the cardiovascular system. Root bark is anticoagulant and hypotensive in nature.


Rasvanti (berberis aristata) is an ingredient found in the Sesa Hair Oil and many other hair oils

[RetroKitten]

Fenugreek Seeds



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(9) Fenugreek-Sesame Oil

Take a bunch of methi (fenugreek) leaves and grind smoothly. Make them into small balls and keep in the sun for two days or more (till the moisture evaporates). Heat Sesame oil (gentle heat) and put in the dried fenugreek-leaves balls. Keep on slow fire. Cool the oil. Keep aside. After ten days, strain out the fenugreek-balls and use the oil. This is good for luxuriant hair growth [*I have made this oil myself and think it is really good!]

How do you make them into small balls (won't they fall apart) and what does "keep in the sun" mean?
It's snowy winter here, no sun and cold wind outside..... so, do I have to wait until summer to put them outside? Any other methods to bring the moisture out... and how do I know if it evaporates???