Roots to Radiance

by Nikita Upadhyay

  6. Hair Growth/Thickening, Root Strengthening, Preventing Premature Balding

  I was quite the Rapunzel myself a year ago. I may have shoulder-length hair now, when I’m writing this book, but until last year I had knee-length hair . . . and funny but true, that may be more than half my height. So far, I’ve never faced troubles growing my hair, but then, I may consciously don’t know so, but the reason behind it could be all those years of oiling my mother had done to my hair when I was younger. Every window in the house that has sun exposure had a huge glass container filled with some kind of oil in my house. I think it’s safe to say that my mom is mad about oils. And for every hair concern, she has a recipe. Long or short, I’ve changed hairstyles all my life and what I get a lot is how I’m able to change it so quickly.

  Most girls in my squad, family and office at some point, have joked about losing the craze of having long hair till the time they’re actually able to grow it. It’s true that you can’t have the longest hair by the end of the week if you want, but these recipes may just help you grow your desired length while you’re still in that phase.

  So, here it goes!

  a. Oil-in-Mask 1

  3 tablespoons sunflower seeds

  3 tablespoons flax seeds

  2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds

  Half a bunch of coriander leaves

  Few drops of olive oil

  Mix the coriander leaves, sunflower seeds, flax seeds and pumpkin seeds in a grinder and grind till it forms a thick paste.

  Then add a couple of drops of olive oil and mix well.

  Use this before a mild hair cleanse each time.

  This particular mask is packed with hair growth-boosting ingredients. If you’re serious about growing your hair fast, this should be your ultimate go-to.

  b. Oil 1

  4 onions

  6 teaspoons neem oil/ghee

  3 slices of aloe vera

  Onion juice is best for those suffering with premature balding as it promotes new hair growth.

  Grind 4 onions in a grinder and extract the juice out in a bowl.

  Add neem oil, melted camphor and mashed aloe vera extract to the onion juice.

  Apply this oil-in-mask to your roots and leave it on for 45 minutes before you rinse it.

  c. Oil 2

  3 ridge gourds (Turai: Luffa acutangula)

  2 litre coconut oil/sesame oil

  Peel and slice the 3 ridge gourds into small bits and let them dry for a day or two.

  When the vegetable has fully dried, simmer it in coconut or sesame oil.

  Leave the sliced vegetable in the oil for 60 minutes after you’re done heating, then pour through a lined fabric or an oil strainer placed over a jar you plan on storing the oil in.

  And your oil is ready!

  Applying this oil twice a week not only helps your hair grow faster, but also makes it denser. This oil is also capable of keeping your hair from greying in the long run, when used regularly. And since we’ve used litres of oil to make this, this much oil should get you through months easily.

  d. Oil 3

  6–7 banyan roots

  2 cups of mustard oil (as required)

  3 teaspoons sesame seeds

  Banyan roots are an ancient remedy for hair loss and are easily available in the market, so it’s a relief that you don’t have to pull some out from the branches, but you could. If you do end up pulling one out, make sure to wash it off thoroughly and clean the dirt off it.

  Put the roots in a grinder and grind it for 7–8 seconds—just enough to not totally crush it.

  Simmer the mustard oil and add the roots and sesame seeds to it.

  When the roots look like they’re drained, turn off the heat.

  Filter the mixture through a sieve and pour it into a jar.

  This can be stored for a couple of uses before you make it again. Repeating this twice or thrice a week can help you grow longer hair in a short span.

  7. Premature Greying Treatment Oil

  1½ cups sesame oil

  15 false daisies (bhringraj)

  15 water hyssop (brahmi)

  4 sliced Indian gooseberries (amla)

  Simmer the ingredients for half an hour in sesame oil without burning the ingredients.

  Strain and filter the ingredients out of the oil and keep it aside. And your oil is ready.

  This oil strengthens roots and help treat premature greying.

  8. Hair Thickening and Conditioning Oil

  2 ½ cups almond oil

  2½ cups coconut oil

  2½ cups sesame oil

  4 hibiscus flowers

  15–20 hibiscus leaves

  15 curry leaves

  15 rose petals (desi gulab)

  15 Indian jujube leaves (ber patti)

  1 lemon

  5 bags of green tea/½ cup green tea leaves

  Mix and heat all the oils (sesame, almond, coconut) and store them in a glass jar.

  Crush all the other ingredients (hibiscus, hibiscus leaves, curry leaves, rose petals, lemon and green tea leaves) thoroughly and dip in the jar full of mixed oils and shut the lid.

  Place the jar near a window that gets decent sun exposure and leave it for a week.

  Then filter the ingredients out of the oil after a week and start using the oil. This jar of oil will last for months.

  This oil will thicken your hair and condition it. The remains of the filtered oil can be ground in a blender and used as a hair mask too!

  9. Split Ends/Breakage

  Splits are the worst. Whether it’s your relationship or your hair, both need constant care to stand the test of time. Breakage and split ends can happen because of various reasons.

  Using too many chemicals, or heat-based styling, not using enough oils or conditioners, or general carelessness—split ends and breakage are obvious signs of your hair being weak. Sometimes, not trimming your hair can also make the tips of your hair split, causing them to break.

  Here’s how you can avoid that situation by using these DIY oils:

  a. Oil 1

  1 cup mustard oil

  15 neem leaves

  30 henna leaves

  30 holy basil (tulsi) leaves

  1 10-cm aloe vera stem

  Mix neem, henna and basil leaves and the aloe vera stem in a grinder and grind it to make a paste.

  Simmer 1 cup mustard oil and add the paste and let it heat for 15 minutes.

  Let it cool and apply it to your hair to boost your hair strength and shine.

  Apply it twice or thrice a week overnight or hours before shampooing.

  b. Oil 2

  1 cup sesame oil (for rough hair) or coconut oil (for normal hair)

  3 teaspoons castor oil

  1 Vitamin E capsule

  3 gooseberries, sliced and grated

  Simmer the sesame/coconut oil and add the grated gooseberries and castor oil to it.

  Filter and pour it in a bowl and break open a Vitamin E capsule and extract its contents into the bowl.

  Mix well and apply this oil to your hair to bond it and prevent it from splitting.

  Apply it twice or thrice a week overnight or hours before shampooing—whatever’s suitable for your hair type.

  10. Hair Straightening

  Too many of us go for chemically straightened hair that only shows its true results once it starts wearing off. Suddenly your hair is wavy and curly from the roots and straighter from the tips and you have no idea which shampoo to use because every strand of your hair looks like it’s from two different zip codes. We often redo the treatments, which further causes hair to start thinning over time, among other consequences.

  Although there’s no way to make hair poker straight, without using chemicals there’s a better way to make your hair smoother and manageable. Fake a straighter texture by using these oils.

  a. Oil 1

  1 cup ghee/neem oil

  15 ber leaves

  15 hibiscus leaves

  4–5 sliced aloe vera ext
racts

  Mix the ber, hibiscus and 2–3 aloe vera pieces and grind them to make a paste and keep aside.

  Simmer the ghee/neem oil for 10 mins and add the paste and apply it to your scalp.

  Comb your hair while it’s oiled.

  Use the remaining sliced aloe vera extract to mix in your shampoo.

  When you’re done shampooing and conditioning the hair, comb it when it’s slightly wet till it’s dry. This will make your hair look straighter and super manageable.

  b. Mask 1

  ¾ cup olive oil

  1 avocado

  Apply a thin layer of olive oil on your scalp.

  Slice and grind one avocado to make a paste and apply it over that thin layer of olive oil directly.

  Comb your hair and leave it for 20–30 minutes before washing it with a mild shampoo and conditioning it.

  You can detangle and comb your hair away from the roots while the conditioner is still on, pour water on it to cleanse it without tangling it with your hands.

  Once your hair is fully rinsed, dry it with a towel and them comb your damp hair with a wide-toothed comb.

  Apply serum only on the tips to have straighter, manageable hair all day.

  11. Hair Serums

  There’s a serum for everything—body, hair, eye, face and even hands. But if you ask your mother if she needed a hair serum when she was 16, the answer would probably be no. Those days, even the first-generation shampoos were efficient enough to do the job of a conditioner and serums and everything beyond. But there’s something about present times—our body suddenly develops the need for new products available in the market. And what’s intriguing? Our body has a way of telling us how our routine is incomplete without those products. Hair serum is one of those products that are suddenly needed by everyone, especially for their hair. And how can you ever say no to something that makes your hair manageable and makes it smell delicious!

  From banishing frizz to detangling and helping style your hair, these DIY serums will help give the perfect post-shampoo care your hair needs, and with these delicious smelling ingredients, you can use them as hair mists as well. As scalp can hold a fragrance for longer than other parts of the skin, use these moderately on the tips of damp hair as a serum, and spray it 15 cm away from a damp scalp to use them as hair mists.

  a. Serum/Mist 1

  1 cup distilled water

  ¾ cup aloe vera gel

  A few drops of castor oil

  A few drops of lavender oil

  A few drops of peppermint oil

  Castor oil helps grow your hair longer. Best for calming your senses, lavender oil will leave your hair smelling amazing too. And with all the freshness of peppermint, this overall makes for a great post shampoo serum for your hydration needs.

  Grind the aloe vera paste in grinder to make it finer.

  Add that aloe paste to distilled water along with a few drops of lavender, peppermint and castor oil.

  Pack this in a spray or a pump bottle and shake well before using.

  Spray a moderate quantity on your palm and apply evenly to your hair after shampooing.

  b. Serum/Mist 2

  1 cup rose water

  A few drops of rosemary oil

  A few drops of Vitamin E oil

  A few drops of cedar wood oil

  Rosemary and Vitamin E oil boost shine and hair growth. When mixed with rose water, it makes for a good recipe to feed your hair with the care it needs after a shampoo sesh. Cedar wood oil, apart from smelling amazing, is also capable of boosting hair quality.

  Fill the spray or pump bottle with rose water and add the oils.

  Apply to wet hair to detangle and smoothen your hair texture.

  c. Serum/Mist 3

  ½ cup glycerine

  A few drops of jasmine oil

  A few drops of neroli oil

  A few drops of grapeseed oil

  Apart from smelling incredible, jasmine and neroli fight dull hair. Glycerine and grapeseed fight frizziness without making your hair greasy.

  Mix these ingredients in a spray bottle and apply in moderation to damp hair and brush it to get a manageable, delicious, luscious mane.

  d. Serum/Mist 4

  ½ cup rose water

  ½ cup distilled water

  A few drops of sandalwood oil

  A few drops of patchouli oil

  Sandalwood and patchouli oils make a great pair and, due to their strong smell, will probably last longer when sprayed to your scalp as a mist or to your tips as a serum.

  Mix rose water with distilled water and all the oils in a spritz bottle to make this amazing serum.

  12. DIY Hair Colour Spray

  Okay this is not your regular hair colour that bleaches the hair and leaves it dry, in splits. Dry and damaged hair is a pain I’d put no one through. These are healthy hair pigments that’ll add a great hue of brunette and red to your natural colour because I wouldn’t recommend any other colour for Indian skin. Brunette and mild reds match us the best. Although this will require some days and regular spray application to show results, the upside is that these are all ingredients that’ll benefit the quality of your hair.

  a. Hint of Red Spray Colour 1

  1½ cups water

  5 hibiscus flowers

  5 calendula flowers

  5 tablespoons beetroot juice

  Boil the water and steep the flowers in it for half an hour.

  Then extract the flowers completely from the water and put them away.

  Add beetroot juice to the water and store in a spray bottle and apply to your hair regularly.

  b. Hint of Brunette Spray Colour 2

  1½ cups water

  5 rosemary leaves

  1 tablespoon saffron

  20 nettle leaves

  20 sage leaves

  Boil the water and steep the saffron and nettle leaves in it for half an hour.

  Then strain all ingredients and put them away.

  Let the water cool down and pour it in a spray bottle.

  Spray regularly for weeks to see your hair change colour.

  c. Highlight Renewing Spray 3

  ½ cup water

  4 chamomile tea bags

  A few drops of lemon juice

  If you already have highlighted hair and are too lazy to go for a touch-up to make it seem new again, don’t worry, there’s a calming ingredient that’ll fix this for you. Chamomile can turn a bad day around when you drink it before sleeping, but what it can also do is boost the colour of your highlights. Here’s how:

  Boil the water and add chamomile tea bags to it and let it simmer for 30 minutes.

  Squeeze out the tea from the tea bags and put them away.

  Add a few drops of lemon to add freshness and store in a spray bottle.

  Spray to your hair regularly to keep your highlights look like you’ve just stepped out of a salon.

  13. Herbal Shampoos

  While I’m at suggesting tips to combat every hair problem, it’s impossible to leave the most mandatory product out of the list. It’s probably the one item you may have done a lot of experimentations with too. I know some people who rinse their hair combining two different shampoos, just to avail the goodness of both because the brand didn’t make one that has both ingredients in the same bottle. It is that kind of situation where you end up buying two pairs of blush palettes just because the ones you liked are paired with different colours. Well, make no mistake, it’s all smart strategy. How else can they bill you for two products when you needed one, otherwise?

  But I’m one of those people who think it’s high time we have our cake and eat it too.

  And all our haircare needs should find a way to fit inside one bottle, because God knows we already have enough things to take care of.

  I’ve seen my mom and aunt make their own shampoos since I was 10 or so. This segment will include hair ingredients for different scalp and hair types where one easily available ingredient—castile soap—is the constant i
ngredient that will help generate lather and clean your scalp. So, are we ready to put some good thoughts on our head?

  a. Shampoo 1

  ½ cup chamomile tea leaves or 6–7 chamomile tea bags

  ½ cup castile soap

  ½ tablespoon glycerine

  A lemon

  1 cup distilled water

  People dealing with anxiety and stress are advised to drink this tea before bed as it calms the brain. Its calming properties remain intact even when applying it to your scalp. If you have coloured hair or highlights, this relaxing shampoo can help boost that too.

  Boil distilled water on high temperature and add chamomile tea bags/leaves in it. Filter and pour the tea in a bowl and discard the leaves/used tea bags. Then add lemon, glycerine and castile soap to the tea and store in a bottle once it cools off. Apply and use as any regular shampoo.

  b. Shampoo 2

  ½ cup distilled water

  ½ teaspoon virgin coconut oil

  ½ cup coconut milk

  1 teaspoon castor oil

  A few drop of sandalwood oil

  ¼ cup castile soap

  Boil the distilled water and put it aside to cool off.

  Boil the coconut oil and add coconut milk, castor oil, sandalwood oil, castile soap and distilled water to it.

  Store it in a bottle after cooling and use it as a regular shampoo.

  This scalp-cooling shampoo will help your hair grow faster while really nourishing it because of the presence of castor and sandalwood oils paired with coconut milk.

  c. Shampoo 3

  ½ cup green/black tea leaves or 6–7 green/black tea bags

  ½ cup castile soap

  ½ tablespoon glycerine

  1 cup distilled water

  A few drops of cedar wood oil

  Green and black tea, both are high on antioxidants. Black tea helps make your hair denser and green tea helps reduce hair loss. It’s up to you which tea to choose.