Herbs and Their Uses

[Catladyintown]

Me three I can't wait until Diamondbell ads to the list. Thank you Diamondbell

[epiphanee]

These are great - excellent work Diamondbell!

[Diamondbell]

Hi all - thanks everyone! I was just overwhelmed by your nice comments! I am collecting information for the next one :suspense:....

[Diamondbell]

Bhringraj/Botanical name: Eclipta alba or Eclipta prostrata /Tamil: Karisalanganni/ English: eclipta/Hindi: bharangraj/ Malayalam: Kayyoni/ Sanskrit:Bhringraj
This plant has white flowers.

There is also another variety of Bringhraj with yellow flowers.
The Bhringraj plant with yellow flowers is the Wedelia calendulaceae. The two varieties of karisalankanni (Bhringhraj) belong to the same family - Asteraceae.






Bringhraj grows in India, China, Brazil and Thailand. The medicated oils of bhringaraj are widely used as hair tonic and to prevent hair shedding and premature graying of the hair. Bhrngaraj is the most common ingredient incorporated in numerous market preparations of various hair oils.

An oil prepared with amla, bhringraj and sometimes with brahmi is well known in India as Amla Bhringraj oil, which is said to blacken the hair.

Some Recipes:
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(1) A herbal hair oil preparation: The ingredients — `karisalankanni'(Bringraj), curry leaves, awuri, poduthalai, karunchembai, black jeera, vettiver, vilamichaiver, cardamom, athar and coconut oil — help keep dandruff at bay, reduce hair fall and delay graying.

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(2) For some, Karisalai or Karisalankanni (Bringraj) hair-ointment will promote hair growth gradually. You may also prepare the oil as follows: Dried Karisalankanni AKA Bhringraj (the one with white flowers) powder - 25 gm, Vettiver (cut into pieces) - 10 gms, Sandal pieces or powder - 10 gms make in to pieces all and mix with 250 ml gingelly (sesame) oil or coconut oil and put it in the open sunlight in a enamal plate around 45 days and filter the oil and then use. You will get good hair growth. If there is not much sunlight, try heating on low flame.
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(3) The bhringraj leaf powder can also be mixed with coconut oil, and heated, cooled and bottled for use –and applied on scalp, for healthy hair.
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(4) One formula for hair growth used from time immemorial is given here below.

The four main ingredients needed to prepare this concoction are

1. Juice of henna leaves 200 ml
2. Juice of bringraj leaves (white false daisy or swamp daisy) 200 ml
3. Juice of hibiscus flower and buds 200 ml
4. Juice of curry leaves 200 ml.
Add all the juices to 800 ml of coconut oil and heat the combination.
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(5) Another Homemade Hair oil:

Take a bunch of trailing eclipta (bringhraj). Wash and clean the plant thoroughly. Grind it to extract the juice. Grinding should be repeated a few times to take out as much juice as possible. A little water can be used towards the end of grinding.

For six cups of the about juice, take an equal quantity of coconut oil and mix together. Similarly extract juice from green amla berries. Two cups of this juice can be added to the oil. Heat the mixture and bring it to boil. The boiling should go on for half an hour. Take out and allow to cool. Repeat this for three successive days till all the moisture is removed. On the fourth day, while boiling, stir it all the time so that it does not stick to the pan. Remove from fire after 30 minutes, cover with a thin cloth and cool the oil thoroughly. Store in a bottle and use daily.

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Note: If there is more information on Bhringraj, we can add them here.

[ChloeDharma]

Another fabulous post with great recipes

[Diamondbell]

Soapnut (English)/Aritha/Reetha (Hindi)/ Boonthi vidhai (Tamil)/ Botanical name: Sapindus Trifoliatus or Sapindus mukorossi

The nuts:


In powdered form:


Reetha powder is prepared from dried fruit of Reetha. It can be used as a face pack to improve facial complexion. It is used as a hair application to make hair shiny. It also removes dandruff and lice in hair. It can also be used to clean jewellery and for washing woolen clothes. It is used in Ayurvedic preparations and Herbal Shampoos. Soapnuts are known as excellent hair tonic
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How to use:
MIXING YOUR PASTE

1: Place required amount of powder in a bowl then add water and mix well to create a thick paste.

2: Gently massage the paste into the hair and scalp rotating with your finger tips.

3: Wait for 2 to 5 minutes.

4: Wash thoroughly with water

With the aritha powder, shikakai powder and amala powder can also be mixed. Equal portions of each can be used.
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Another method (with the nuts):
Soak reetha nuts overnight and then make a paste from the soaked nuts. Apply this paste on the hair and leave for an hour. Wash off with plain water. It improves blood circulation in the scalp and treats dandruff.

[happymommy]

Adhimathuram (Tamil)/liquorice root (English)/ Mulethi (Hindi)/ Madhuka (Sanskrit)/atimadura (kannada)/ bikhe-mahak (Persian)/ Botanical name: Glycyrrhiza glabra L.

This is the herb used in my anti-rosacea products. It has been the best thing to ever happen to my skin.

[Aisha25]

Haritaki looks very much like reetha. Good thing you are doing this or somoene could be confused by the 2

[Diamondbell]

This is the herb used in my anti-rosacea products. It has been the best thing to ever happen to my skin.

That's good to know!

Haritaki looks very much like reetha. Good thing you are doing this or somoene could be confused by the 2

Yes, even I got confused by these two nuts - that's one of the reasons for this thread

[Diamondbell]

Shikakai (Hindi) / Cikaikaai (Tamil) / Soap-nut acacia (English) / Botanical name:Acacia Concinna /

The Shikakai nut


The Shikakai Powder

Acacia Concinna (Shikakai) is a small shrub-like tree, which grows in the warm, dry plains of central India. For centuries the people who have had access to this tree have used its pod-like fruit to clean their hair. They collect, dry and grind this pod into a powder, which is considered a superior cleanser for "lustrous long hair" and has been reported as "promoting hair growth and preventing dandruff". Because of these benefits, this powder was named "shikakai" which literally translates as "fruit for the hair" .

The Shikakai Fruit is famous as the best herbal shampoo to treat dandruff & hair loss. It is used as a hair cleanser, which promotes hair growth and makes hair more healthy and shiny. Typically, shikakai is mixed with water to make a paste, which is worked through the hair. It lathers moderately and cleans hair beautifully. It has a natural low pH, is extremely mild, and doesn't strip hair of natural oils. Usually no rinse or conditioner is used since shikakai also acts as a detangler. This ancient product is probably the world's original pH balanced shampoo. It is very effective in removing oil and dirt from hair.
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Recipes:
1)Method of use: The normal practice is to apply oil to hair and scalp and allow it soak for sometime. This will keep the body cool, reducing body heat & also prevent the scalp from getting dry. The powdered shikakai is then used as a shampoo (the powder is mixed with water) to wash off the oil.
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2)Shikakai can be mixed with powders like Aritha or Amla. Shikakai can also be mixed with fenugreek powder, powdered rose petals and powdered mung beans
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3) For clean and shiny hair, make this shampoo at home. Soak shikakai nuts whole), soapnuts (ritha) (whole) and dried amla (whole dried fruit) overnight. in the proportion of 2:2:1. Next morning, boil them in water for 15 minutes. REmove the seeds and blend the pulp in a mixer. Store this mixture in the refrigerator and use once a week.