Herbal Hair Care: 5 Hair Care Recipes
August/September 1993
By Kathleen Halloran
Shampoo
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Herbs containing saponins that can be used for shampooing hair include soapwort (Saponaria officinalis) and yucca (Yucca filamentosa, Y. glauca). Soap-bark chips, which come from the Chilean evergreen tree Quillaja saponaria and are available from some suppliers of herb products, are a good choice for oily hair. All have a gentle cleansing action.
Finely chop 2 tablespoons fresh or 1 tablespoon dried soapwort root or leaves and stems, or substitute a similar amount of yucca roots or soap-bark. Add 1 cup warm water and agitate until suds form. If desired, use half the amount of water and add the sudsy solution to an infusion made by steeping, then straining, a handful of other herbs suited to your hair type (see the chart on page 53).
Massage the preparation into your scalp, about 1/2 cup for average-length hair; rinse with water and repeat soaping if necessary. The solution, odorless when fresh, may begin to ferment and smell unpleasant in a few days so make only enough to use up in a short time.
Follow this shampoo with an herbal conditioning rinse (see below).
Castile Shampoo
Make an herbal infusion by pouring 4 cups boiling water over 5 tablespoons of the dried herb or herbs of your choice (see chart), or use a couple of big handfuls of fresh herbs. Chamomile flowers are often used for light hair, rosemary or sage for brunettes. Cover and steep for 30 minutes. Strain out solids, add 4 ounces of flaked or liquid castile soap, and stir.
This will make about 1 quart of shampoo, which will keep for a couple of weeks in the refrigerator. Follow it with the herbal conditioning rinse below.