Historical haircare outside Europe?

[AuthorityCat]

I've learned a bit about historical haircare in Europe from Youtube, this forum, and other sources, but I never see much about how people used to care for their hair in the rest of the world. So I thought I'd make a thread for sharing anything interesting you've learned on this subject. Articles, videos, or even just facts you've heard are all welcome! Also, have you personally tried any of these methods and did you like them?

[Rainbouu]

I'm not the most knowledgeable about this, and the practice I'm going to mention is still done today, but... there is a tribe in Africa, the Himba I believe, who use red kaolin clay and smoke to bathe. It gives their hair and skin a beautiful red color. Try looking it up! I've always found this really interesting.

And there's historical paintings of Japanese women bathing and brushing their hair. They seem to roll down parts of their kimono to the waist and wash and comb their hair in a basin...but I'm no historian, I've only seen a few paintings, and no idea what oils or products they might have used.

[luthiene]

This is probably a European method but I used to wash my hair with egg. After watching a historical cooking video strain an egg to remove the membrane parts and implementing that, egg worked extremely well and my hair loved it. I would strain a whole egg plus a yolk or two, dilute it with some water in a peri bottle, wash it letting it sit for a bit, rinse well and then do a weak ACV rinse before getting out of the shower. Sometimes I would add rose water to the rinse. As a mama to 2 littles I find it easier to use conventional products but the egg worked extremely well.

[elysia_venus]

So I'm not sure if this has already been mentioned in other threads, but India has a lot of herbal haircare practices that are still somewhat popular. Haircare was considered a part of overall health and wellness, so it was very valued in older society. The norm of the time was to have long thick tresses.

For washing hair, in southern India (where I'm from) it was common to use shikakai and soapnuts. My grandmother told me how back in the day, they would blend shikakai, hibiscus, and rice water together by hand (as there was no blenders back then) and then carry it to the river. Every morning, they had to walk to the nearby river as there was no running water in their village. She would then use it to wash her hair. The shikakai would wash out the oil, while hibiscus was used for shine. Rice water was for strength.

For drying hair, it was common to use sambrani, a sort of incense smoke. It would have many different herbs in it and would be lit up and placed under an inverted wicker basket. The hair would then be spread over the basket and allowed to dry. Of course, some people would also directly apply the smoke to their hair. It just depends on personal preference. The smoke would also leave a natural scent to the hair.

Lastly for maintenance, it is common to apply herbal oils for the hair. In the south, its common to use coconut oil, as our climate allows for an abundance of coconut trees. In the north, I have heard they predominantly use mustard oil. The oil will be infused with many different herbs (you can maybe look it up online, if ur interested). Another thing is how its more common to braid the hair in India. In our culture, its considered inauspicious to let hair down, so most people keep their hair tied in a braid.

This is kinda the main things I could remember off the top of my head, but if anyone has any questions I'd be happy to answer

[mirrorscallops]

I've learned a bit about historical haircare in Europe from Youtube, this forum, and other sources, but I never see much about how people used to care for their hair in the rest of the world. So I thought I'd make a thread for sharing anything interesting you've learned on this subject. Articles, videos, or even just facts you've heard are all welcome! Also, have you personally tried any of these methods and did you like them?

geometry dash

Oils: In India, hair oiling has been a cornerstone of haircare for centuries. Coconut, amla (Indian gooseberry), and sesame oil are often used for scalp massages. This tradition is still prevalent today and is believed to nourish the scalp, strengthen hair, and promote growth.
Herbs: Ayurvedic herbs like shikakai and reetha (soapnut) were traditionally used as natural shampoos. These herbs clean the hair while maintaining its natural oils.

[TatsuOni]

The Yao women of China has gotten quite famous lately. I think that there's some traditional history to their hair care.


There are several articles and videos about them, but it seems like one has to dig a bit to find something more interesting than buying hair products nowadays.