Cold Water for Shiny Hair?

Are you aware of the theory that cold water can bring shine to your hair. Yes, I have read countless of the places that cold water is good for sealing the cuticles after washing and conditioning of the hair and thus, helps in bringing shine. I tried it and as usual with every new product you try, the results were fabulous up to a certain time. But, later on, it too became monotonous and not so amazing. That made me think what is the truth behind such a myth. And, recently, I read somewhere that this theory is actually a myth. Cold water does not help in sealing the cuticle or for that matter, even bringing shine to the hair or preventing frizzes. Cold water helps our hair temporarily until the hair dries be it air-dried or blow-dry. So, in case you are a fan of final cold water rinse, try replacing that with room-temperature hair rinses which will do a whole lot of good for your hair.And, if you are one who can not tolerate cold water on head, do not torture yourself just for the sake of beautiful hair as it would be of no use.

Now, let me make you aware of the reason why the starting results of using cold water rinse were fabulous for me. I was used to using medium to hot water on my hair to wash it and changing that to cold, obviously, gave my hair a boost. But, then, I got used to reduced water temperatures and started using almost lukewarm water and the results stopped showing. The motive in telling you this all was that do not burn your hair using really hot water to wash hair. Use lukewarm water or water at room temperature to wash your hair. Bot excess hot and excess cold are bad for your hair and cause dryness so instead of preventing frizzes, that practice would increase them.

A note to my readers: Due to other commitments, I am unable to post regularly and you must have noticed the irregularity in my posts. Thus, I have decided to write posts once a week instead of everyday. Hope you all will keep with me and enjoy reading my posts. Thanks a lot to you all.

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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.

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Co-wash your hair instead of using shampoo everyday {Hair Care}

Today, I will be telling you about co-washing your hair.

What is a co-wash?

It is washing your hair with your conditioner instead of using a shampoo. It conditions your hair well and keeps it soft, shiny and manageable.

Why to co-wash?

Many people are used to washing their hair everyday or pretty frequently, even if their hair is not dirty. Using shampoo so many times in a week causes so many chemicals to be used on the hair. It makes hair dull and rough. So, instead of washing your hair everyday with shampoo, you can alternate it by co-washing. It will reduce the use of chemicals for your hair. And, give the benefits of conditioner too.

Now, you would ask me that even a conditioner is made up of chemicals. So, how come hair is exposed to less chemicals while using a co-wash?

True, commercial conditioners are made up of all sorts of chemicals. But, a shampoo is made up of all the harsh chemicals like SLS which have to clean the hair and are detergents, basically, in their property. A conditioner has the chemicals which make hair smooth and shiny. So, the summary, is that the chemicals present in the conditioner are less harmful than those in the shampoo. And, in case, you use a natural conditioner, you do not have to worry a bit about using it.

How to co-wash your hair?

You can follow many methods to co-wash your hair. You can also use the conditioner to provide intensive conditioning.

1. Apply conditioner on your hair at night and put on a shower cap. Tie a scarf and sleep. Wash your hair nicely in the morning. Need not use a conditioner again. This provides deep conditioning to your hair. You can also put a hot towel around your head for better absorption.

2. Apply conditioner 20-30 minutes before you take shower. Wash your hair well.

3. In the shower, wet your hair well. Apply conditioner. Leave on for 5 minutes. And, then wash off well.

Either of the methods make your hair smooth and shiny.

Note: You do not have to follow up again with conditioner. Do not apply conditioner to your roots. It blocks the hair follicles. Apply it only on the hair body and ends. Concentrate more on ends. You can follow your co-wash with any type of a hair rinse for a better result.

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Hair Rinses for healthy hair {Hair Care}

You must follow your shampooing and conditioning routine by a last rinse which would provide shine to hair and make it even more softer. There are many natural ingredients which are very good to maintain hair. Some of the rinses are listed below:

Hair Conditioning Rinses

• A cup of Honey dissolved in a mug full of water gives shine and restores its vitality. It improves the scalp condition.
  
• The juice of one whole lemon in a mug full of water gives hair shine and removes dandruff. It also turns hair light so be cautious while using it.
  
• Indian Gooseberry (amla) rinse. Boil couple of gooseberry's in a liter of water till water remains half of its original. Strain and store liquid. It will stay for a week. Use it for rinsing hair every time. It makes your hair smooth, conditions your hair and encourages hair growth. It also improves the hair texture and health. You can also use the liquid to dilute your shampoo. It improves the scalp health too.
  
• Curry Leaves Rinse. Boil curry leaves in water. Strain and store and use it as a hair rinse. It imparts shine to your hair.
• Rice Water Rinse.You can rinse your hair with the water which is left behind after boiling the rice. It makes an excellent hair rinse and conditions your hair well. It gives shine too.
  
• Fenugreek rinse. It improves hair thickness and its health. It also conditions your hair. Use it to dilute your shampoo too.
• Floral Water. It gives shine to your hair and improves its health.
• Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse. Mix 1 cup of vinegar with a mug full of water and pour it over your hair. Your hair will shine with health. The smell of vinegar dissipates in 15 minutes as your hair dries.
  

Hair Dying Rinses

• A cup of tea (herbal tea like green tea, black tea, etc.). Green Tea gives shine. Black Tea is used to darken hair color. You need to rinse with black tea many times following up every time you wash your hair. Your hair will darken over a matter of time.
• A cup of coffee is also used to give color to hair. Similar to black tea, you need to follow it up every time you wash your hair. It gives a pretty brown shade to your hair with a gloss.
• Sage rinse. Boil handful of sage leaves in a liter of water till it remains half of original and use it as a hair rinse and also to dilute the shampoo. It gives shine and darkens the hair color. You can use it to dye your hair naturally.
• Henna Rinse. Boil henna leaves in water and use it as a rinse. It darkens your hair color and conditions your hair.Instead of applying henna mixture on head which is pretty messy, you can sue the hair rinses to get the same benefit.
  
• Beetroot Rinse: One of the best colors. It gives an auburn tint to your hair which will shine as highlights in sun. Boil beetroot in water till it becomes half of the original volume and use it as a rinse.
  

Dyeing your hair: You can keep the coffee, tea, sage, henna rinses on your hair for sometime to let the color settle on your hair. Fill your wash basin with the particular rinse and dip your hair completely into it. Use a cup or mug to pour the remaining rinse on to your hair and saturate your hair completely. Do this for 15-25 times. Let your hair stay in the rinse for 5 minutes and then, lift your head up and squeeze all the dipping rinse from your hair. Let your hair set for 20-30 minutes and then, wash off. The color will settle on your hair. The results would not be visible for a few weeks. Repeated rinses would show result in a month. 

These are some the rinses I use generally. You can mix these rinses and enjoy them. Few drops of Essential Oils can be added to the rinses. Lavender, Rosemary, Rose, Chamomile, Sage are good for hair.

If you have a different concoction, please share them with others.

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