Rosemary Rinse - Hair Growth Experiment - Week 1

Well, it's been a week now since my cousin, Lee, has been using "Rosemary Juice," the concoction I believe increases the thickness of the hair and "makes it grow."  I don't have any scientific data, no stats and very little detail on the benefits of rosemary on which to base my belief.  I have something better than that - my own two eyes.  I saw the results of the consistent application of a hair rinse infused with the herb for myself.  Read my prior article "Want to Grow Your Hair? Get a Rosemary Bush."

The scientific method requires that an event must be replicable to be declared valid so Lee has agreed to use this brew and allow me to track the progress (or lack thereof).  I will be enlisting other people to participate in my "study," including men.  If anyone is doing this experiment and would like to send me progress pics I would love to post them.

Anyway, the progress report is this - EXTRAORDINARY!    Lee used a 16 oz of the rosemary rinse every time she washed her hair over a course of eight days.  The picture above is a before pic. She had washed her hair and let it air-dry. Her hair has been bleached twice and she wants to strengthen it and grow it to BSL (bra-strap-length). 

When she came over this evening I was astounded by the difference in her hair.  It looked like it had been volumized with mousse or something but she says no, she just used her regular shampoo and conditioner and the rosemary rinse.  Besides the rosemary rinse the other difference in the before and after hair is that she blow-dried her hair instead of air-dried.  She said she could definitely see a difference and I could too:

If her  hair looks green to you that's only because of the poor lighting.  Outside pics with the sun are best.

Lee says she feels thicker roots and sees less shedded hair after only 8 days of use.

I made another batch of the rinse (see instructions in prior article), poured it in a recyled bottle and sent her back home with another week's supply. A glass container is preferable as the rinse can be poured while still warm.  If using a plastic bottle make sure that the liquid is completely cool to prevent any softening or melting of the plastic.

She gave the following tips:  She poured the liquid in a spray bottle and sprayed her scalp.  She felt this was a more efficient way to apply the rinse to the scalp and not waste it on the hair which is not needed.  Also, she said she didn't rinse out the rinse, just massaged her scalp.  Although she didn't say but I would recommend that you apply the rinse after the shampoo (when scalp pores are open) and before the conditioner, which should be applied mainly to the hair, not so much the scalp.

I'm really looking forward to seeing her hair next week and hopefully I can get some outside pics too.

To be continued.....

A Uniquely American Hairstyle - The Afro

I contend that the 1960s and 70s were the years when African-American hair was the healthiest its ever been.  For roughly a decade, black Americans all over the United States wore their hair unencumbered and unprocessed.  In fact, where I grew up (Los Angeles) the hairstyle was called a  "natural"  because hair was not processed (relaxed) or pressed.  Just a good trim to give it shape and keep it neat and some Afro Sheen to keep it soft and shiny.  

The comb in this pic was commonly known as a "cake cutter" for obvious reasons.

The hairstyle is interesting for a number of reasons. While cultural hairstyles are often connected to religion and are centuries-old, the Afro was connected to a political movement for civil rights and came on the scene in the middle of the 20th century.  It is also interesting that the Afro is a rare instance of both sexes wearing their hair in the same style.  This hairstyle that African-Americans created was a way to define themselves for themselve and liberate themselves from a Eurocentric definition of beauty. 

Both men and women wore Afros.

 

Say it loud!



Superstars wore Afros.

My prom date wore an Afro, 1973.



This picture represents the seventies on so many levels.  There's my friend and I, both 14 years old, in our matching tie-dyed hot-pants with knee-high socks and moccasins.  Neither one of us can remember where we were going that day.  My friend has an Afro to die for while I am Afro-challenged.

No Blow Dryer, No Curling or Flat Irons, No Shampoo, Lots of Conditioner and Oils

My hair could never do that when I was burning and otherwise torturing my hair. This is the result of eight months of using henna, essential oils and the air to care for my hair.  I use Wild Growth Hair Oil, the white bottle for my scalp and the yellow bottle for my hair. Also I use Vatika Oil (LOVE IT) and plain ol' coconut oil. Any oil will do as long as it is done consistently.  Please excuse the unmade bed.


To be continued..

"Henna, Oh Henna, I Have Missed You"

I love the hair forums because the members provide real-life experiences that we can learn from.  Here is a nicely written article by a poster in the Curly Nikki forum named "OffandRunning."

One of the tips she gives in this article is simple yet extremely time-saving:

....I did discover a new applying tech that i will always be sticking to...the night before i applied i washed my hair detangled, and put it in several chunky twist. That morning when i applied the henna i undid each twist at a time apply the henna and move to the next one...it was soooooo easy.....i had my entire head done in 15mins top...... "Henna oh Henna, I Have Missed You..."

The sectioning of hair is helpful for any type, from 1a to 4c, and any length.

Recycle! Recycle! Recycle!

KFC's coleslaw container specifically says "reusable."

I love to find another use for an empty bottle, jar or container, especially if it's glass or has an interesting shape or color.  I blame Tupperware and the 80's for making empty spaghetti bottles beneath us all.  Now that we are more conscious of the environment and the recession is kicking butt we should think twice before throwing things away.

Recycling containers are perfect for our homemade hair brews.  Many women like to mist their hair with a mixture of oils, water and herbs and spray bottles can be found everywhere for sale but why buy a dinky bottle with only one spray option when you have a power mister sitting on a shelf (or in the trash)?

This is the BEST spray bottle I ever had.  I've had it so long I can't remember what the product was that came in it.  It holds a lot of water and has nice spray power.  It's also useful as a spray bottle for pressing wrinkles.  Cost?  Zero!

Many containers can be cleaned and recycled for another use.

I made a couple of batches of "rosemary juice" for use in my hair growth experiment and used an empty baby oil bottle and a water bottle.

Neem, Miracle Plant?

Wow, talking about a powerful plant, neem kicks butt all the way around.  From scalp issues to athlete's feet and everything in between, there is nothing that neem can't seem to cure or contain.  Those of you who are familiar with ayurvedic medicine and hair care have probably heard of neem.  Those of you that are in dire need of relief from scalp itching, eczema, psoriasis or lice have probably not heard of neem.  It is known to act amazingly fast and is inexpensive. 

 It seems upside down that neem is so much more powerful and so much less expensive than eucalyptus oil and yet few people know about it.

"Rural inhabitants in India and Africa regularly use neem twigs as tooth brushes. Neem twigs contain antiseptic ingredients. That explains how these people are able to maintain healthy teeth and gums." Source

While neem does wonders for the hair and scalp, it is also very effective for skin problems such as pimples and severe acne.  It would take a book to list all the benefits of neem so here is an article that nicely explains pretty much everything about neem.  You will want to get some of this plant as soon as you finish reading it!

Neem will be offered on this site in the near future.

Want to Grow Your Hair? Get a Rosemary Bush

Rosemary is quite an herb.  Little do people know that a concoction of rosemary, poured over your scalp whenever you shampoo will make your hair grow.  I've seen it personally do this for a former boyfriend who was starting to go bald.  You know men are just as concerned about their hair (or lack of it) as women are and my FBF was frantic about the thinning he was noticing.  His friend told him to get some rosemary and place some in a bottle and fill it with water.  I'm not sure if he put the flowers in too but I do know that the concoction was purpulish in color. 

I've got to admit the results were startling!  His hair came back alright, even thicker than before!!  Someone told me that the "ro" in Rogaine comes from rosemary.  Sure enough whenI went to the Rogaine site there is a special page for rosemary.  

Rosemary is also suppose to be good for slowing (even eliminating) gray so I'm going to give it a go.  I'm going to buy a rosemary bush and put it in my yard.  It is a quick growing herb and you're suppose to trim the bush every month so that means a constant supply of "rosemary juice" which is what I called my FBF's concoction.

Update: My cousin and I went hiking this morning and I tried to spot a rosemary bush that perchance may be growing in the wild.  But I didn't so we went the Mexican market and found "fresh" (the date onthe back is 4/15/11, which means it was picked a month ago.  Anyway, it was the freshest rosemary I could find so I bought it.

It didn't look bad but then I've never seen fresh rosemary before so who knows for now.

So I put four sprigs into a pot of water and brought it to a boil.  The whole house spelled like eucalyptus once the steam got going.  Then I covered the pot and turned down the heat and let it simmer for a while (I can't remember how long, maybe 15 minutes).


This is after I boiled then simmered the rosemary for 10 or 15 minutes.



Same brew one hour later.

 After boiling and simmering I turned off the heat and let the mixture sit, with a lid, for about an hour.  The color of the liquid is similar  to my FBF's "rosemary juice."  Now I have to decide if I want to dilute it.  I think I won't.

I will be using this concoction on my cousin's hair which is blond and straight and is the exact opposite of mine.  I will update with pics.

I recycled an empty baby oil bottle after I strained the rosemary juice.

For directions read "Rosemary Rinse - Hair Growth Experiment - Week 1".