Hydration for Hair {Hair Care}

Rule 1 for Hair Care: Constantly hydrate your hair. 

One of the very basic principle of hair care is to keep your hydrated at all times. Dry hair is prone to damage and same goes with excessively oily hair. Oily hair is just excess in oil which is also harmful for the hair as it might cause excess buildup on the scalp and hair and of course, you need to wash your hair regularly to get rid of the grease. So, let us return to hydration of hair. If you want to keep your hair in optimal health, go for regular hydrating treatments. A hair spa is a good indulgence which will bring a lot of life to your hair too. And, whipping up various home remedies is also not such a bad option. Make it a routine to treat your hair at least once a week to a hydrating treatment whether its a hair mask from the brands or a homemade one.

READ MORE - Hydration for Hair {Hair Care}

Hair Products and Hair {Hair Care}

Hey All!!!

Since it's been a long time I have written anything about hair and the situation I am going to talk about is something I have been facing recently so I will begin with asking a question - how many hair products do you use on your hair? Well, no the today's topic is not exactly this. I am going to talk about the myth that changing hair products frequently reduces the build up and keeps the hair shiny.

Well, from my personal experience, I don't really think it is true. The chemicals might end up coating each other on the hair instead of cleaning each other. Anyways, the best way to remove residue is to use baking soda or Apple Cider Vinegar. So, moving on from residue issue, the product cycle change is also advised coz the hair may get bored of the same products being used and stops behaving nicely after sometime. So, firstly, hair is a dead body part so it doesn't have a mind of its own that it will behave and stop behaving at will. Ok, one might say that products stop affecting the hair. May be its not the fault of the products but ours. Every product affects the hair differently so a major difference is visible in the first usage, consequently with the uses, the difference reduces because the hair is behaving in accordance with the product.

But, there is a major downfall to using and jumping on various brand wagons. Hair loses its own strength if you treat it with different products every time. So, sticking to one single product is a better idea. I have lately observed that people who stick to the same product for quite a lot of years have good amount of well-behaved hair. The problem arises only when one starts to experiment for the want of better products. Well, that did happen in my case. So, my advice to all of you is to stick to the products which have worked best for your hair and stop changing them often. It is not good for hair at all. 

And, the products I am talking about includes everything starting from the hair oils to the serums and other styling products you use. Shampoos and conditioners are the most often changed products and there should be a control over that too. Don't worry if your shampoo contains SLS / SLES coz there are hardly any products in the market without them including Lush and most of them do not work well with the hair. So, stick to your own shampoo whether its Pantene, Garnier or Dove and when combined with the home remedies and their corresponding conditioners, they yield good results. If you want to try salon products, I would suggest Kerastese which are costly but work really well with the hair. 

The reason I have written this post is that lately in the last few months, I had changed my shampoos pretty often from Biotique to Meera to Sunsilk to Dove and my hair has definitely suffered the consequences so I would really like to suggest you all not to make the same mistake. 

READ MORE - Hair Products and Hair {Hair Care}

How much are you stressing your hair? {Hair Care}

Though Hair is a dead part of the body made up of proteins, it is extremely delicate and should be handled very carefully. So, whatever you do on your hair can stress it out. That is why it is said that you should handle your hair like a 'delicate lace'. The various actions include shampooing, conditioning, styling, coloring, combing, brushing and other chemical treatments on the hair. So, among all of these, shampooing, conditioning and combing are somewhat unavoidable and are done by everyone. So, there are a certain points which must be taken care of. 

• First is to shampoo your hair in the right way. Always partition your hair while washing. That will decrease the tangles and cleans the scalp nicely.
• Now, coming on to conditioning, condition your hair ears down and apply enough of conditioner to cover the hair strands but don't apply too much or try to lather with the conditioner. A partitioned hair makes it easy for you to condition your bangs. 
• So, no stress while your hair is wet. Do not flip your head or crunch your hair in the towel to squeeze out the water. Gently press the hair to remove excess water or put a towel round your shoulder to catch the dripping water. Doing anything more than that can result in hair breakage as wet hair is really delicate. 
• Let your hair air dry whenever you can. Well, if you are in a hurry, gently press an old t-shirt and remove excess water. Use a hair dryer on warm setting till your hair becomes just damp and then finish with a cold blast and then comb it out gently. Do not use the highest setting of your hair dryer ever on your naked hair. It is also easy to style damp hair and by the time you get ready, your hair would be completely dry. 
• No brushing till your hair is completely dry. And, actually, curly hair gals should use a hair brush very sparingly. Always choose a natural bristle brush and the base of the brush should be wooden. 
• Be gentle on your hair while combing and brushing it. Maximum of the damage happens during combing and brushing only if you are not using irons and straighteners and curlers and all. 
• Hair Coloring is again a big no-no. If you really want to get it colored, go to a good salon and get a good service from an experienced hair stylist and use quality products to take care of your hair afterward. 

Now, apart from all the above-mentioned points, I wanted to focus on tying your hair. In our country, especially, in the South, you will always find girls with oiled and tightly tied braids. That is one of the worst things which can happen to the hair. Leaving your hair open doesn't mean you are exceptionally fashionable. Yes, there are people who still believe in it.

Actually keeping your hair tied all the time has a very opposite effect on the hair. It stresses the hair a lot. Hair is supposed to be tied very gently and loosely so that none of your strands are tensed. If your hair is tied so tight, it can damage the hair follicles itself. I remember once when I was very young one my sis-in-law braided my hair so tight that it hurt right from the roots. Oh my god!!! I can remember it til today though it had happened sometime in 90's. 

Actually, it is advised to leave your hair open for as long as you can. There is no point in tying your hair when you can leave it open. Especially when you are at home or sitting in the office or inside a car or in any enclosed environment where you know your hair won't get dirty or damaged. That way there will be proper air circulation to the the roots of your hair and the scalp too. Otherwise, if there is no proper air circulation, the sweat and the natural oils produced can clog the hair follicles and inhibit hair growth and this if continued on a longer period would cause hair loss and hair breakage. So, it is always advised to keep your hair open whenever you can. Ans, another very healthy exercise for your hair is to stay in mild sunlight -  the morning or the evening sunlight for sometime to let the air and sunlight circulate through your hair and the scalp. This keeps your hair and scalp healthy.

Now, I would also want to add here that even the people facing lots of hair fall can keep their hair open. There is simply nothing to be afraid of. But, I would say use your own judgement coz it would be very foolish to leave your hair open in a completely windy and dusty area. It would have negative effects. So, if you are using public transport or an open-air transport or you know that you will be in the sun, always protect your hair with a scarf. Always tie your scarf comfortably otherwise it will hinder the circulation in the head and scalp resulting in unwanted headaches and tie your hair loosely inside the scarf. 

One more point I would mention is to never sleep with your hair open. It always causes tangles in the hair. Comb and brush your hair neatly, tie it in a loose side-swept braid and sleep on a satin or silk pillow cover to reduce the friction and dehydration caused by rubbing of hair on the pillow covers and in the morning, as soon as you get up, open your braid and comb out your hair gently. You will not find any tangles. And, I don't know if there is a myth 'if you sleep with your hair open, it will grow fast'. That is entirely untrue and nothing as such happens. Only relation which hair growth has with sleep is that hair grows more during your sleep which means your beauty sleep is essential for hair growth but tied or untied hair has nothing to do with that.

Also, read Routine Hair Care post to get more tips on hair care. 

READ MORE - How much are you stressing your hair? {Hair Care}

Combs and Hair Care {Accessory Review}

Combing is one of the most essential activity of our daily routine. And, the quality of our combs determine the health of our hair. I have changed a lot of combs in my life and my preference has always been the wide-toothed comb even before I had become interested in beauty and started reading about it. Wide-toothed combs make it easy to detangle and comb through the hair whatever the mass of the hair be. So, let us see how various combs in my latest years ave affected my hair. 

My yellow Giant Comb

This one I had received as one of the goodies from Sunsilk when they had launched their revamped version sometime in 2006 as part of the promotions in malls. And, since then, I have not touched another comb.

See the nice rounded edges of the comb

As you can see, the teeth in both parts of the comb are wide and they help in combing the hair very very easily. So, since I had started using this comb, my hair had improved drastically. Also, his comb has rounded tips though the plastic is jagged at some places due to the poor finishing.

Bad Buy - Roots Comb

Then, I got interested in vanity and read everything about hair care which includes a huge section on hair accessories of which combs are a staple part. Now, somewhere, I had read that the tips of the combs should touch the scalp and distribute the oils equally. Now, my yellow comb had been over-used in the years (2006-2010). So, I decided that it wasn't doing its job well-enough and I had to get a new comb. So, I hunted low and up in some vanity store (starts from 'K' and I am not able to recall its name though I have been trying since quite a long time). Finally, I checked all the combs and decided that roots would do the job well even though I could have settled for 30 bucks cheaper on another comb which was essentially the same (don't remember the brand). Bought it and very happily tried it on my hair, a little more hair than usual on the comb. I decided that was due to the change in the comb and hair will get accustomed.

Edges are not looking pointed but are pretty sharp!!!

Now, when I opened the comb, I got the shock of life coz its edges were really pointed though they didn't feel at all that way through the packing. They even look rounded. So, I was a lot disappointed coz the combs are not supposed to be rough on the edges as that snags and pulls the hair. Subsequently, my hair fall went to worse when I started usign this comb very regularly. I couldn't' guess the reason at first though the thunder bolt struck me probably a month or two after. I shifted back to my lovely yellow comb which I had so ruthlessly disposed off and voila, my hair fall was back to normal. 

Moral of the Story: Check the combs properly while buying combs. Do not settle for something which is cheaper coz your hair pays heavily afterwards. And, yes, your combs might be leading to your hair loss. Analyze them now. 

History of Combs

So, let us come to a little history of combs. Earlier in ancient times, single sticks of either wood or animal bones were used as combs to detangle hair. Since, wood would splinter so animal bones were preferred. In the Victorian era, there were ivory combs too. But, then, regard for animal life increased and such luxuries became privileges. I definitely do not support elephant slaughter for tusks. Or, any other animal for any part of theirs. So, we do not have animal bone combs any more. They were majorly made out of Sharks teeth and ribs. But, now, some companies do sell combs made of artificial keratin coz they don't get jagged. Otherwise, a simple substitute is wooden comb which is available for a cheaper rate courtesy The Body Shop. 

The Body Shop Detangling Comb

So, I was searching madly for a wooden comb since I had no access to bones comb. And, when I saw it in TBS, I felt crazy happy. I wasn't aware of TBS as a brand and didn't trust it so didn't buy the comb and 295 INR for a comb seemed really costly to me. Then, my birthday happened and this was one of my self-selected gift set. And, I obviously used it without further ado. And, voila, my hair was so soft in the first use. Though, the first time you handle this comb, you wouldn't feel comfortable. It needs a little getting used to and the wood gets little polished with regular usage. So, probably in a week or two, this was my favorite comb and this time, I didn't dump my yellow comb. But, here is the catch. When I tried combing my hair with the yellow comb after my hair got used to the wooden comb, there were more strands to be seen on the yellow comb which clearly proved that wooden comb is better. 

I have been using this comb since February and I can say there are less splits considering my previous track record with the split ends, my hair is more shinier and softer, has a better growth rate as far as I can tell, hair fall which I had been facing had reduced to a considerable extent, probably has a little more volume (can be attributed to the growth fact) and no breakage (I had little breakage earlier). Overall, my hair quality has improved with this comb. Now, I have wavy to curly hair and curly hair people should not use brishes as they lead to more hair fall so I am more of a comb girl (more coming on brushes in some other post!!). Ok, yeah, it is a little costly but I think worth spending for the results!!! 

Look at the rounded edges of the teeth

Now, here comes the biggest catch of this comb. Cleaning. It is wooden so cleaning with water is something unthinkable. So, I have no idea how to clean it. I do use water coz I have no other choice. I sprinkle baking soda on the comb and use a wet brush to clean the comb between its teeth. I nicely scrub the comb with the baking soda and when I feel its done, I wash it quickly with water to keep it for as less time as possible in water. IF you can suggest a better method to clean, please do so!!! Another problem is the packaging. The comb comes with a sticker stuck to it and the sticker is literally stuck to it. It takes weeks to scratch out the sticker (you can't use water, remember!!) and its really sticky. I don't know why TBS does that horrible packaging but that is something where it can be improved upon.

The comb itself is really small and extremely handy. It has polish on the upper frame. It is a wide-teethed comb which is said to detangle wet hair but I don't use it on wet hair. I use it on damp to dry hair. It says that it distributes the oils well. Well, seeing the results, it certainly must be doing its job. The edges of the teeth are not pointed but not even rounded. They are blunt edges and are wide enough to distribute the oils properly. Wooden combs also reduce the static in the hair so less frizzy hair. It is made up of the wood from trees which are some forest steward council approved (I don't remember what exactly it was but I think it was a rain forest preserve or something!!! It was on the sticker).

My Recommendation

Absolutely!!! You should invest in this comb for better hair. And, this is for people who have gorgeous hair too.

READ MORE - Combs and Hair Care {Accessory Review}

Neutrogena Deep Clean Shampoo {Product Review}

I didn't buy this but got the Neutrogena goodies at Hilton, Delhi. I don't think Neutrogena has launched its hair care products in India. Heard that the Triple Moisture range is just awesome. I hope it launches the hair care range in India soon. 

Ingredients

Oh, it has got a really big ingredient list and is full of chemicals as all Neutrogena products. Since you have seen the size of the bottle and the print is not very clear since it is transparent, so I can not reproduce the entire list here. But, it does contain SLS, Ammonium Lauryl Sulphate (is same as SLS) and Propyl Paraben in case you are interested in these specific ingredients.

My Experience

I loved this shampoo. Generally, I wouldn't know how to review a shampoo coz for me, generally, all are one. But, I have used this one following up with and without any conditioner. For the first time, I used no conditioner coz I wanted to see how it works and it cleansed my hair really clean without making it dry (my hair is quite dry and gets dry very easily). Very less of the product required and it does lather well. No frizzes and no flyaways. My scalp was also not feeling dry and stretchy as it does sometimes with some of the shampoos. And, it does make my hair feel heavy and voluminous which is a very big thing for a shampoo. It leaves hair soft, shiny and bouncy even without the help of a conditioner which is a lot from a shampoo. I think it has been now replaced with Clean Replenishing range. 

My Recommendation

Should be tried once to see if it suits your hair!!! So, try it out when it gets launched here :)

READ MORE - Neutrogena Deep Clean Shampoo {Product Review}

Egg Hair Pack for extremely silky and shiny hair {DIY}

Eggs are really great for hair as we are all aware of. Now, when I used this hair pack on my hair, I kept it for around 3-4 hours, though not intentionally. So, I believe that the results of this hair pack are more due to the time it stayed on my hair rather than the ingredients. But, the ingredients are also fabulous and just two in number!!!

Ingredients: 

• 3 eggs
• amla powder

Method 

Break the eggs into a bowl and whisk them into a smooth consistency. Add amla powder so that it becomes a smooth paste. Make sure it is not clumpy at all otherwise the whole thing tends to clump on the hair. Never make your hair packs clumpy. They do not deliver results properly as hair is not able to absorb it as well as it absorbs a smooth paste applied on it. So, after you make this paste, apply it on the scalp and along the whole length of the hair concentrating on the roots and the ends. I kept it on 3-4 hours but you can also make do with one or try to keep it for longer periods on weekends or at nights. Eggs make hair amazingly silky if left on for longer period of time, as my experience goes, though, I know it is difficult with the smell :(

Results

Extremely silky, soft and shiny hair which lasts for weeks together. I did this routine before April 10th and my hair is just the same even now and I have not applied anything extra to my hair in the meantime. And, the shine is unimaginable. It makes your hair more shinier than any leave-in or any hair product. Of course, using amla made my hair look darker too so the shine reflected better. And, I have wavy to curly hair. So, straight-haired gals, your hair is literally gonna shine like a lantern!!! Ok, bad joke :D but the results are just amazing and a lot can be attributed to the fact that we are using 3 eggs instead of just one which we customarily use. More the eggs, better coverage and better results. So, guys, try it and share your feedback!!! Don't forget to cover with a shower cap. And, for even better results, steam your hair before applying the pack to open the cuticles for better absorption.

READ MORE - Egg Hair Pack for extremely silky and shiny hair {DIY}

Orange for softer hair

Couple of days back, I had shared a simple recipe for a refreshing bath with orange peels. So, in continuation of that post, I have a simple trick to share which worked fabulously with me. Use this bath water to wash your hair too. 

I did and it made my hair so soft which was almost unbelievable and probably a tab bit shiny too. But, my hair has become really soft and it didn't get dry also. It does help getting rid of dandruff too due to the acidity present in the fruit.

READ MORE - Orange for softer hair

Lush Caca Noir {Product Review}

This was my first purchase from Lush. And, I am little disappointed, not a good start at all. Actually, no, I am kind of confused with liking or not liking coz it gave fabulous results but missed on my most important expectation. I have been wanting to color my hair since quite a long time. Only I was too afraid of chemicals and didn't wanna get my hair all damaged. Already its too thin and very prone to splits and dryness. And, I have never used henna on my hair. Mainly coz once my mom had used it and it had dried her hair completely and she ingrained in me the idea that henna is bad for hair. And, later I learned, the henna available in the market is chemically processed and is extremely bad for hair. So, I always stayed away from it. Very recently, while going through Lush website, I came across their Cacas which looked amazing to me.

Lush has four colors - Caca Brun for brown hair, Caca Maroon for chestnut hair, Caca Noir for black/blue hair and Caca Rouge for really flaming red hair. Now, I picked Caca Noir coz I really wanted blue glints in my hair. For me a combination of blue black hair looks celestial not crazy so I was very excited when I picked this up.

Price: 910 INR for a single block of 6 bars (yes, it is very expensive!!!)

Ingredients

Pure Persian henna mixed with Indian indigo for blue-black tints. It is an ancient Indian tradition to mix red henna with powder from the dried, fermented indigo root, to give dark hair deep blue glints. Indigo is not cheap, so there are some synthetic 'black hennas' around, but we want you to stay away from those! Lush Caca Noir is red henna with indigo powder, clove oil scent and Irish moss seaweed for softness. Cover it with Clingfilm and keep it damp for a redder colour, or let it air dry for a black/blue tint. Pick up any bits which fall on the floor or it'll dye the rugs, too. - Lush Website

Lush believes in as less wastage as possible and tries to minimize packaging wherever and even wherever not. So, it has made the Cacas into solid bars using cocoa butter. In case of Noir, all the above-stated ingredients are mixed with cocoa butter and solidified. So, when you apply Lush Hennas, your hair wouldn't go dry, you can be sure of that.

How to use it??

Using hennas is always messy, very very messy. So, first need is a pair of rubber gloves. They are easily available at a medical store. I bought mine - which were sterilized and powdered latex gloves size 8 which is way too big for my hands - from Apollo Pharmacy for 35 bucks. I don't what they are powdered with but the instructions to remove the powder once the gloves were worn were written on the cover so I simply washed the gloves.They look something like this after 'hennaing' my hair once. 

Now, how to use Lush Caca Noir. I took two blocks out of that bar coz my hair is thin and mid-shoulder length. For longer hair, you might need more blocks and a single bar is enough for short hair.

• Grate the block using a cheese grater. It is soft so it will grate easily. Grating it does take quite a lot of time and patience.
• After grating, add lukewarm water. Do not add hot water because heat breaks down indigo. Hot water can be added to other Cacas but not to Noir.
• Make a gooey paste as henna pastes are. 

It is ready to use. So, apply it to your hair as you apply henna. Cover with a shower cap for deeper glint or leave it to air dry for black/blue glints.

My Experience

It is definitely a messy process. Sitting with all that henna for four hours wasn't at all easy for me. After that, removing the henna takes all your energy and messes up your bathroom like never before. So, be prepared to labor on. Using a shower makes it easier but then take care of the temperature.So, when you are done with removing all the mess from the hair, it is time for a hair wash. But, with henna, it is always said that a day should be given for henna to develop the color deeper that is why we don't even wash the hands when we put the designs using henna. So, I prefer to just leave my hair like that. Following with oil is a great way to let henna settle deeper into the hair. But, mind you, cocoa butter is already pretty sticky so if you can't stand the stickiness, you should wash the hair immediately.

subtle color but more shine

So, what happens after washing the hair?? Ok, so there were no deep blue glints in my hair which I was so dying to get. So, a big disappointment there. But, then, I really checked my hair. And, voila, my hair was deep black (my hair is originally medium brown). A really beautiful black with all the shine and softness which I could never imagine. But, if you see the hair in sunlight, you can see beautiful brown highlights. I couldn't keep my hands off my hair. The results were that awesome. But, there is a very BIG but there!!! The results (softness) lasts only till the next wash. And, the color lasts only a week or two. Then, the color starts fading. While the color fades, it doesn't go really horrible or something, so you can rest on that account.

Lush says to apply henna three times consecutively day after day to make the color last longer. Well, who really has time for that. But, I did follow up on second application after two days coz I wanted to give it another shot to get the blue glints which I was originally aiming for. Alas, no results this time either. So, in case you are thinking that you can get blue color with Caca Noir, forget it. It does nothing of the sort. It dyes your hair jet black and that's all there to it. So, the second time I dyed my haur, my hair was all black. All the beautiful brown highlights were gone. Though, the deep black definitely gave a dramatic contrast to my face (I am a golden wheat color not fair, though and black is my color). Again, the same amount of softness in the hair and no need for a conditioner. But, one should apply conditioner always, no matter how deep you have conditioned your hair already. But, then again, the color was gone quickly in two weeks probably. 

second usage made my hair more shinier and deeper black

Now, one thing I wanted to share with you all. The first time I applied the Caca Noir, I added five tables spoons of Apple Cider Vinegar for a single block. And, I did not wash my hair immediately after the application. Trust me, it was damn sticky and the scalp was all full of the henna which I couldn't get out properly. So, my advise would be to wash it off. Second time I applied it, I didn't add anything to the henna paste and washed it off immediately. Now, about the third time, I added an egg, a spoonful of amla powder and probably Apple Cider Vinegar too. Now, this time, when I had washed out the henna, I decided not to shampoo my hair immediately. And, when my hair was dry, I noticed that my hair was absolutely clean of the gunk which I had had to put up with the first time. My hair wasn't at all sticky and oily but it was soft, clean, shiny and had a lift to it. So, I am assuming egg and amla powder acted as a cleanser too. In case you are wondering if my hair did get the color the third time, yes it did. I was also confused of it didn't get colored but I saw that it was darker. So, obviously, it did bind with henna and the color did get seeped into the hair. So, this was all about my experience.

Oh, btw, I completely forgot to talk about packaging. Horrible. They just hand over the block in a plastic cover. Reducing the packaging wastage is good but when you are charging so much, you should really give something to help the customer keep the product safely. And, as you begin to use it, the cocoa butter seems to melt on contact with the skin and the block gets softer at the point where you hold it. So, it gives a difficult time while trying to hold the block.  

My Recommendation

Ok, its actually difficult to say what I really think about this product coz I don't have anything to compare it with. I never used any other henna so I am completely clueless about how my hair reacts with henna. I wouldn't definitely mind trying the Caca Maroon coz I would like to see the chestnut colored hair. But, before I get that, I think I would go for Biotique Henna powder simply for the reason that its way too cheap and I had a good experience with the Biotique Musk Root hair pack.

Now, should you try it??? First thing is are you really sure of spending all that much on just 6 blocks of henna. I mean seriously 1000 bucks just on some henna mixed with cocoa butter really seems way too expensive. So, I would say its a luxury item. Go for it if you can afford but it is in no way a necessity. 

Btw, don't go for Caca Noir unless you are trying to cover up your grays coz you are not gonna enjoy bland black color. Go for maroon or brown. Again avoid rouge as it is for red heads and it wouldn't really look good with dark color skins. So, choose wisely. As a plus point, even Lush people promote Caca Maroon more than other colors. So, I am guessing, its really good. Well, as I said, yes I will try it someday. Ok, another 1000 bucks down the drain :(

READ MORE - Lush Caca Noir {Product Review}

Biotique Bio Musk Root Hair Mask {Product Review}

I do love to try hair products. So, this is my second hair mask after the disastrous wastage of my money on Himalaya Hair Loss Cream.And, thankfully, this was not at all disastrous. Now, I find Biotique to be a decent brand with some really good products and some average products. So, I am not able to decide how should I categorize this product. So, find it out for yourself.

Price: 199 INR for 230gms

Ingredients

I threw away the outer carton so I do not have the list of ingredients. From the site, the description of the product is as follows:

Therapeutic Pack for Hair Regrowth. An original formula. A unique combination of herbs from ancient Ayurveda which promote hair growth. Contains Musk Root, Beal, Liquorice and Nutmeg which help to rejuvenate the hair and leave it in a superb condition. Invigorates and revitalizes the scalp and adds body to the hair. It immerses hair and scalp in natural minerals and organic riches and leaves even dry and chemically treated hair luxuriously full and alive.

How to use it??

 

The product says that it should be mixed with eggs or yogurt. So, I used eggs in my preparation.

  

One egg broken in a bowl. I use a plastic one as I can throw it away after some uses.

I mixed one heaped tablespoon of the hair pack in the egg. The hair pack is jet black in color and resembles Chawanprash a lot. But, the texture of the hair pack is not smooth. It has little granules and small stems like things in it which look as if the fresh ingredients have been mixed together in a grinder and it manages to smell fresh too. The pack smells a lot herbal and is strong enough to irritate some people. I find it tolerable enough but it doesn't smell after mixing with egg or after applied to the hair so it is perfectly fine.

After mixing it thoroughly, the mixture becomes something like this. It should applied liberally on the scalp and hair. Cover with a shower cap for 30 minutes. Wash off with luke warm water and shampoo.

My Experience

First of all, one heaped spoon of hair pack wasn't enough for my little longer than shoulder hair with very less density. So, next time I used it, I put 3 eggs and two heaped spoons of the hair pack. So, a medium hair length requires two eggs and two heaped spoons of the hair pack for a generous application. So, how did I find the hair pack??

Well, if you try to apply it directly from the tub, let me tell you it is simply not possible. You will have to mix it with something and only then can you apply it. So, eggs and yogurt are best choices but you can also include other fav ingredients of your choice including essential oils and all. So, it is not exactly a ready made hair pack. You do need to spend little time in preparing it. But, I would not advise you to mix it with henna in case you are coloring your hair coz you need to shampoo hair after using this hair pack. So, after you prepare it, partition your hair and scalp into sections as it is a little gooey and is not as easily applicable as using just eggs. Be very generous with the application because otherwise you would not see much of results. I have done that and have seen the difference so it is a little advise from my side. Covering your hair with a shower cap or cling film is an absolute necessity otherwise one might find it drying for the hair and it is difficult to get rid of the hair pack while washing off. Well, I did. And, using a shower cap definitely gives better results as it traps heat and increases the absorption of the hair pack. Do not keep it more than half hour and in any case never more than an hour. Keeping it for more time is not gonna give your hair more nutrients or anything. So, once the half hour mark crosses, it is better to prepare for bath and enter it asap.

Now, washing off the hair pack will definitely create a lot of mess on the bathroom floor and the hair pack would not completely leave your hair either. So, be gentle and patient while removing the hair pack. Use lukewarm water (neither cold nor warm or hot) and patiently remove as much hair pack as you can. You will still find lot of granules left in your hair. Do not worry about them. Use a mild shampoo and shampoo your hair thoroughly. The granules will be gone by the time you finish shampooing your hair. There is no need to condition after using this hair pack but if you still want, you can. But, remember not to use too much of shampoo or conditioner. Shampooing your hair twice might be necessary to get rid of the hair pack thoroughly. Rinse your hair thoroughly to make sure it is completely clean. And, air dry your hair. Do not blow dry.

Now, for the results. Remember to be generous with the hair pack and you would get fabulous results. When I was generous with the pack, I got a beautiful shiny and bouncy hair. The shine and bounce do last for the next day too. My hair was looking a bit darker than it usually does. Hair behaves properly and is manageable. And, the oil production in the scalp might increase after two days of applying the pack. I have noticed this result every time I have applied this hair pack whether miserly or generous. But, other results were no so apparent when I was not generous with the hair pack. This hair pack is for the dry and damaged hair to give it nutrition and life so this hair pack does that job fabulously even though there is a little work involved. It moisturizes the hair as it claims and keeps it moisturized for at least two days after the hair wash.

Now, moving to its other claim of hair growth, I have not seen any difference but then hair growth is controlled by various other factors like nutrition and lifestyle and not only a hair pack so I would not blame a hair pack for that thing. There is one problem with this hair pack. The tub has only 230 grams of the hair pack which if applied generously every week can get finished in a month at max for a medium hair length so that can be a disadvantage to people who are looking for long lasting products.

My Recommendation

This hair pack is worth a try and is not absurdly costly that one can not afford it. It does give great results for people with damaged hair. Regarding its problem of less quantity, it does improve the hair quality so after a month of regular application of this hair pack, the frequency of application can be reduced to once in two weeks or three weeks so as to make the product long lasting. And, even if you are looking for hair growth, I would definitely advise this pack because it improves the hair quality and it is very important to have healthy hair before you think of growing it.This hair pack is absolute must for people with curly hair because curly hair, by nature, varies from mildly dry to extreme dryness.

Update: Well, I forgot to mention some salient points about this product which I recalled while reading your comments. First of all, as you have seen in the pic above, the consistency of the hair pack is just same as henna so it is very messy to apply. Be prepared to scrub your wash basin if you ignore it or as soon as you finish applying the hair pack and putting the shower cap in place, wash your wash basin with water immediately. As I mentioned earlier, you will deifnitely have to clean your bathroom after washing this off.

Secondly, I completely forgot about this point but I have been facing major hair loss since November or onset of winters. Donno if it is the climate or this hair pack but my hair loss has reduced considerably. So, may be this hair pack helps in hair loss too but I am not vouching for this fact and it is not even mentioned on the product that it helps with hair loss. 

READ MORE - Biotique Bio Musk Root Hair Mask {Product Review}

How to wash your hair with soapnuts (reetha)?

I had bought soapnuts (they are environment friendly and natural detergents) and shikakai a year back with the resolution that I would use only these things to wash my hair. Well, as you might have guessed, it never happened!! (till now) But, yes, I was successful in making homemade shampoo with soap nuts and shikakai and other ingredients. 

A few days back one of my friends informed me that she has bought soap nuts to wash her hair regularly. And, I remembered my long forgotten lot of soap nuts and shikakai. Now, the reason I could never use soap nuts was because I never knew how to use them. I had asked a lot of people and they told me correct procedure but still I could not bring myself to use them. So, there was no harm in asking one other person, right? I asked my friend how to use soap nuts to wash hair. And, she told me. Strangely, you have some people in your life who assure you of things without really doing so. She is one of them and I decided to follow here advice to the letter.

So, what did she advice me? Quite simple: Soak soap nuts and then use the liquid to wash your hair. When the liquid gets finished, use the soap nuts to lather a batch of water again and use it again and again as many times as you want. No details, nothing. But, still, I decided to go with it. So, what did I do? 

• I put 3 soap nuts and 2 shikakai fruits (vary according of the length and thickness of your hair, my friend said it is very less, she has shoulder length hair - shorter than mine and she used 10 soap nuts so you can go for 15 too if you have waist length hair) in a cup and covered them with boiling water and left them overnight. I deseeded the soap nuts before soaking them. You can throw away the seeds or grow your own soap nut tree.
• In the morning, during my shower, I shook the soap nuts in the water and then put them in little water in another mug. (Do not throw away the soap nuts.) 
• Now, I took the liquid (it has very less foam in it) and applied on my scalp and started massaging. It does not lather at all in the starting. So, you have to just work your way through your hair very thoroughly. Then, I dipped my hair strands into the liquid and shampooed them as well as I could. Yes, the whole procedure is a lot more messier than using a shampoo. And, it might tangle your hair. (There is a surprise there!!) Then, I rinsed it off. 
• Now, I took the other mug in which the soap nuts were transferred and used that liquid for the second round and simultaneously, transfer the soap nuts into the first cup in some water. Shake the soap buts a bit to bring out the lather. Again follow the same routine. This time your hair might lather. Mine did not because I had oil in my hair. The time soap nuts will take to lather depends on the oiliness if your hair so it might lather for you int he first time also if your hair is not very dirty and free of oil. 
• So, this way, I followed the shampooing of my hair six times though I could have probably stopped at third or fourth. Well, that would come with experience.I would aim for less times the next time I shampoo.
• I did not condition my hair. I wanted to see the results without the effect of any conditioners and such.

The results: 

• Soap nuts are also washing agents. Though they are natural, they also clean your scalp. So, excessive washing is not recommended. If you do try this, stick to three. That is enough to clean the oil from your hair also. I overdid in my naivety.
• My hair was shinier and softer without using any conditioner.
• Now comes the surprise!! There was minimal tangling of the hair which was easily resolved in a minute which is really less as compared to ones I get while using a normal shampoo. 
• There is no frizz in the hair even though I overdid my shampooing.
• Manageable hair.
• There was less hair fall in the bathroom as compared to using shampoos.

Advantages: 

• Completely natural and non-toxic.
• Soap nuts and shikakai condition the hair very well and promote hair growth. They also help stop hair loss and treat scalp infections and dandruff.
• If you use organic soap nuts, I think the results would be even better.
• Do not throw away the soap nuts after your hair wash is over. There is a lot of lather left in them. So, use them to wash your utensils or put them in a cotton bag and throw in a cycle of laundry. You can give your detergent a miss. Clothes come out really clean and bright if you use soap nuts.

So, I have decided that I would use soap nuts whenever I do not have to rush anywhere. I will keep a bottle of shampoo for emergencies. You really need time to wash your hair with soap nuts. Be careful not to get the liquid into your eyes or it stings the eyes pretty bad. I'll give an update the next time I'll wash my hair. 

READ MORE - How to wash your hair with soapnuts (reetha)?

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.

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Millk for Shiny hair {DIY}

Immerse your hair completely in a wash stand full of milk and leave it on for 30 minutes. Wash off. Your hair would become shiny instantly. You can use a cup of milk as a last rinse also.

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Honey: Elexir for Hair and Skin {Ingredient}

Honey is a natural humectant. It traps moisture and keeps your skin supple. It is anti-bacterial and prevents the skin breakouts. Many of the skin care and hair care products swear by the goodness of honey. The home remedies have their stock full of goodness of honey.

• put on a thick layer of honey on your face for 30 minutes and wash off.
• to remove scars, blemishes, even out complexion or any other marks on skin, apply honey on it.
• use it as an ingredients of various face masks.
• use it to clean your eyes
• use it as a hair conditioner (wash off or leave-in)
• use it as a last rinse for shine
• pour a table spoon of honey in bath water for a silky smooth skin
  

READ MORE - Honey: Elexir for Hair and Skin {Ingredient}

Tomato for Shiny Hair {DIY}

Well, Tomato is the answer for shiny and smooth hair. It also repairs the damage dun to your hair by sun and dust.

If you do not want to utilize a tomato for your hair, you can squeeze out the tomato juice and use it for cooking purposes. And, instead of discarding the pulp, rub the pulp onto your scalp and hair gently. Or, You can directly use the tomato juice on to your hair also. Leave it on for 15-30 minutes. Shampoo as usual. Your hair would be smooth and shiny and bouncy. Regular application improves hair texture and repairs the damage caused by sun and dust. It restores the vitality and health of your hair.

READ MORE - Tomato for Shiny Hair {DIY}

Routine Hair Care {Hair Care}

Hair is one of the first thing which gets noticed when you meet a person. It can create or destroy one's personality. It can make a plain person beautiful. But, one needs to take care of their beautiful locks if they want to keep it in good condition all their life. Hair undergoes major changes three times in a woman's life: puberty, child birth and menopause. Apart from that, it is said that our Hair undergoes texture change every seven years. So, to keep up with these changes, one needs to take care of their hair meticulously. Some of the tips followed as a routine can help in taking care of your hair:

Regular Care

• Love your locks as they are. Do not compare them with others. Every person's hair is different.
• Use only those products which suit your hair. Do not get diverted by nice campaigns or beautiful packaging. Price of the products does not determine its worthiness. 
• Do not tease your hair or put any pressure on it unnecessarily. Try not to use brush as much as possible. Use a wide-tooth comb. Brushing puts unnecessary strain on hair. If you want to use a brush, use a natural bristles brush.
• Use satin or silk pillows while sleeping. Do not sleep with open hair. Braid your hair loosely.  Or, tie your hair with a satin or silk scarf. It also helps preventing the wrinkles and drying of the skin at night.
  
• Drink water regularly. Hair comprises of 95% proteins and 5% water.
• Take beauty sleep of 7-8 hours regularly.
• Take proper nutrition. Do not let your body be deficient in any of the vitamins or minerals.
• Oil your hair regularly. It gives natural conditioning to your hair. Use cold-pressed oils. Heat destroys the benefits of the oils. Mix various oils to get as many benefits as possible. Hot oil treatments are very useful in improving the hair condition.
• Keep the scalp clean. Wash your hair whenever you feel your hair is dirty. Remember to use mild shampoo. Use a conditioner after shampooing your hair. It keeps your hair moisturized. 
• Use various home remedies for deep conditioning treatments. They take time to work but if used regularly, keep your hair free of chemicals and keep them in better condition naturally and for longer time.
• Exercise and massage your scalp regularly for beautiful hair.

These simple steps followed regularly in the routine can take care of your hair in any weather and you will never have a bad hair day.

READ MORE - Routine Hair Care {Hair Care}