Thicker, Softer Hair with Rosemary, Lavender and Apple Cider Vinegar
October 15, 2019
I love plant folklore, and this is one of my favorite wisdoms: "Keep rosemary at your garden gate and plant lavender for luck". Rosemary protects the house from ill intent and promotes the dominance of the woman who dwells there. Imagine how good those herbs might be for your hair!
Rosemary essential oil is one of those powerhouse oils that serves us in many ways. One of those being it's amazing hair rejuvenating properties. Another bonus, Rosemary has been proven to improve memory, both very good reasons to reach for pure Rosemary.
My Rosemary beginnings...
This is me, pointing to my genetic tendency. In our family, a few of us are watching our hair thin just above the hairline and, of course it's front and center where I'm pointing.
Awhile back, I decided to enlist the help of Rosemary EO in my efforts to prevent or slow hair loss by increasing circulation to my scalp! Hoping for thickening of hair and rejuvenating of hair follicles too. I've been massaging 2 drops of Rosemary with a tiny bit of fractionated coconut oil into that thinning spot directly on my scalp several times a week. Some days, I'll add a drop of Frankincense with the Rosemary.
Without good blood flow to the scalp, hair will thin, genetics and hormones can accelerate the thinning process too. As we age, the skin on our scalp gets tighter with less blood flow inhibiting hair growth. Since using Rosemary EO regularly, I've seen my scalp go from a very pale pink to downright rosy and more malleable, meaning my scalp doesn't feel so tight and immovable when I massage it as it did before.
Note: If hair follicles have been shut down long term, you may not see much of a change in new hair growth BUT, if you're just beginning to notice some thinning, by all means...enlist the help of Rosemary essential oil!
Since this success with direct application of Rosemary to my scalp I looked for more ways to use Rosemary EO. Thanks to lots of different recipes from different websites, I settled on one that I love...it's a Crunchy Betty blogpost, she adds Lavender and Apple Cider Vinegar too!
How to use a Hair Rinse
If you're a poo-less fan, you can use this rinse as your only hair product. No need to rinse it out. If you shampoo and condition, use this hair rinse as your final rinse. Again, no need to rinse out. Trust me, the vinegar scent will fade away leaving only the faint fragrance scent of Rosemary and Lavender, love it!
Rosemary: Cleanses, strengthens and nourishes hair follicles and encourages growth. It also has the ability to darken gray and the aromatherapy effect can improve memory.
Lavender: Called the Swiss Army Knife of EOs, is antibacterial but also enhances the properties of Rosemary for improved cell regeneration and better penetration. Beneficial for dandruff too!
Organic Apple Cider Vinegar: ACV cuts through shampoo and hard water build up, it also balances the pH of scalp and hair. This is great news for those with oily tendencies. Vinegar also closes the cuticles making hair smoother. In case you're wondering, I color my hair and haven't noticed lightening of color but I color light so I can't speak to whether this would strip dark hair color.
Borax: This is optional, I know some people get worked up about Borax but it's a salt/mineral, it won't hurt you used in such small a small amount in my experience nor will it harm colored hair! Borax is an amazing softener but like I said, completely optional (but really, really nice!).
No Rinse Rosemary & Lavender Hair Rinse
4 cups water (filtered if possible)
1 tsp. Borax
3 T. Organic Apple Cider Vinegar (I use Bragg's)
Combine ingredients in a glass jar, I love my 1/2 gal mason jars for this! I also picked up two plastic condiment squirt bottles for a $1 at the dollar store...this is what I take to the shower with me. One recipe can give you 2 to 4 rinses depending on the length of your hair. Once or twice a week application is all you need! The rinse will keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks, but it's likely you'll use it all up before then :)
Enjoy your newly, naturally softened hair and don't be surprised if your hair grows a little faster!
