Sendha Namak - Indian Rock Salt Beauty Benefits

I do not know how many of you are aware that Sendha namak is the pure rock salt of India and is a little costlier than the normal salt because it is found in very less quantities in the Indian sub-continent. The commercial salt available is iodized where as the rock salt is pure from nature, is more granular, has less salty taste as you would have already noticed and is not chemically processed. It is rich in lot of minerals and if used in regular cooking as a substitute of common salt, it can control all the health problems posed by common salt like high blood pressure, puffiness in the body or the eyes, is cooling for the body, helpful in digestion, relieves gas and soothes heartburn and helps in weight loss.

Not only health but many beauty benefits can also be acquired from rock salt. 

• Rock salt can be used as a body scrub. Since high in mineral content, it is a perfect substitute for spa standard products made at home.
• Drop a table spoon of rock salt in your bath every time and enjoy a relaxing bath. It also detoxifies your body externally as well as internally. Eases stress and body pains.
• Can be used as a teeth whitener or a mouth freshener. Also clears a sour throat if used for gargling.
• Can be used as a foot soak, foot scrub or a hand scrub too. It is not drying on the skin.
• Removes the yellowness under the nails and makes your nails shine beautifully.
• Use it to cleanse your skin at night. Mix a table spoon of rock salt with your cleanser or face wash and rub it gently into the skin. Make sure to remove make up before this routine.

In Pakistan, there is a salt range of Himalayas, called the 'Himalayan Salt Range', which has the purest form of rock salt in the whole world. It is sold as 'Himalayan salt' but it actually is just a rock salt too. The only specialty of this salt is that it is pure and does not need any kind of filtering. So, those who have easy access to Himalayan salt or Pakistan rock salt, make sure you use it regularly in your food and beauty routines.

Do not forget to differentiate between Epsom salt and Rock salt. They have different mineral contents and Epsom salt is the best for skin. If you have access to Epsom salt, you can use it for

• Removing product build up from your hair. Mix a cup of Epsom salt in your shampoo.
• Volumnize your hair. Mix equal parts of your conditioner and salt and apply it to your hair. Keep it on for 20-30 minutes and wash off. 
• Removes excess oil from the hair. If you have oily hair, this is for you. Mix a cup of Epsom salt with your shampoo and leave it on for 10 minutes before rinsing. The salt soaks up all the oil present in the hair. 

You can read about more uses of Epsom salt here.

We have always heard that salt is not good for hair but it is not so. The common salt is not suitable because it has many chemicals in it where as naturally occurring salts are as good for hair as they are for other parts of your body.

READ MORE - Sendha Namak - Indian Rock Salt Beauty Benefits

Hair Types and their Hair Care Routine

Our hair has generally been categorized only in three types: Dry, Normal and Oily. But, have you ever thought that the hair can also be like skin. As skin has many types like dry, sensitive, normal, oily, combination; similarly, our hair can also be categorized in various types:

• Normal Hair
• Damaged (or Sensitive) Hair
• Dry Hair
• Oily Hair
• Combination Hair
• Dry Scalp with Oily body
• Oily scalp with dry body

Please remember that I am talking about the condition of hair not the texture of hair. And, the way we care for our hair should be customized depending on the hair condition.

Normal Hair does not require any special care. Normal routine of shampooing and conditioning will keep it in place.

Dry Hair needs a lot of conditioning and deep conditioning treatments. Avoid going into sun too much and do not let your hair get subjected to heat.Always keep your hair moisturized using a leave-in conditioner or aloevera gel. And, of course, do not forget the hot oil treatments for your hair weekly once or twice.

Oily hair does not need oil. It needs something which can soak oil from the hair and neutralize the oil production. For this, you can two things: one is using lemon on your scalp and another is using milk (without cream) or buttermilk on your scalp. Apply fresh lemon juice on your scalp before you shampoo your hair every time. You can also use tomato instead of lemon juice. It also has the same effect. You can also experiment with strawberry hair mask. And, you can use your clay masks as a hair mask also. After all, clay will absorb oil no matter where it is applied. Right!!

Combination Hair really needs a combination of oily and dry hair treatments but not so much in intensity.

- For dry scalp, you can massage a few drops of oil (coconut or olive) every time before you shampoo your hair. And, leave the hair body as it is. If your scalp is dry to the extent of being scaly and itchy, only then use hot oil treatment but use it just for the scalp. And, once in two weeks you can also go for deep conditioning treatments but make it only for the scalp (only if your scalp is scaly and itchy or if you feel a tightness in your scalp).

- For oily scalp, follow up the lemon juice or tomato treatment on the scalp and leave the body as it is. Follow up with a leave-in conditioner. You can also use your favorite conditioner to condition your hair. But, in no case, use hot oil treatments or deep conditioning treatments on your hair.

READ MORE - Hair Types and their Hair Care Routine

Multani Mitti (Clay Mask) for Oily Hair

A great tip for reducing oil in your hair.

Apply the clay mask (multani mitti) on the scalp and hair strands section by section. Let it stay for and hour or till it dries up completely and then wash off. You do not need to shampoo. Its up to you.

The clay mask has the same effects on hair as it has on skin: it soaks in the oil, keeps the hair moisturized and soft. Another advantage is that it straightens your hair naturally.

READ MORE - Multani Mitti (Clay Mask) for Oily Hair