Rosemary is an herb with a reputation of helping people obtain and maintain healthy hair. It is said to help with the hair’s growth and thickness. It is also said to darken hair and cover grey for those of us with dark hair. I tend to use rosemary in conjunction with mint and lemongrass, but regular rosemary oil treatments can do wonders for your hair’s health and color. If you begin rosemary oil treatment as you notice the first few grey hairs, it can keep those changing hairs under wraps. This is a great alternative to dying hair, particularly for those with very long hair. Because of the color-altering properties, I do not recommend rosemary oil or rinse for those with light hair because it can alter your color, albeit slowly. As a bonus, it also smells great, much better than the chemicals that you might otherwise use to dye your hair.
It is simple to make your own rosemary oil for your hair. All you will need is glass jar, a cup of rosemary leaves and enough of your favorite base oil to cover the leaves. I personally use jojoba as my carrier oil, but this is something that is highly subjective and everyone who uses oil on their hair has their own personal preferences. Jojoba, sunflower, grape seed, sweet almond and sesame are all oils that seem to work well, but if you have different oil that you prefer, please feel free to experiment with your favorite. As with all home made treatments and remedies, I feel the need to remind everyone that strength can vary between batches and that individuals react differently to ingredients and particular combinations of ingredients. Please test a small sample for allergies before committing to a full treatment of any combination of ingredients that you have not used before. .
Instructions:
1. Add a cup of rosemary leaves to the glass jar. If possible, bruise the leaves inside the jar by crushing them a few times with the end of a rolling pin. If the jar and rolling pin, or other blunt object, do not allow you to bruise the leaves inside the jar, then you can do it prior to placing the leaves in the jar. However, the bruising process releases some of the essence from the leaves that you are trying to instill in the oil. If you need to bruise outside of the jar, you might want to add some extra leaves to counteract the loss.
2. Cover the leaves with the carrier oil of your choice.
3. Seal the jar and give it a good shake to mix well.
4. Place the jar in a sunny spot and shake every day for around four weeks.
5. Using a mesh strainer or cheesecloth, strain the leaves from the oil, pouring the resulting oil into an amber bottle.
6. Store the bottle of rosemary somewhere that is cool and out of direct sunlight.
To use the rosemary oil as a weekly treatment:
1. Take a tablespoon or less of the rosemary oil and warm it lightly. For those with short hair, a teaspoon in your hands and rubbing them together to warm the oil will work. For those with very long hair, a tablespoon or less warmed in the microwave or a glass bowl over hot water will do the trick.
2. Apply the oil to your dry hair, starting at the roots. Massage the oil into your scalp and the work down through the length with your fingers or a wide-tooth comb.
3. Cover your hair with Saran wrap or a shower cap. If you would like, you can sit under a dryer or wrap your covered hair with a warm towel to further heat the oil. But your natural body heat can sufficiently heat the oil and allow you to reap the benefits.
4. Let the oil sit and work for around 30 minutes and then shampoo it out. You might need to shampoo twice to fully remove the oil.
You should notice a difference as soon as your hair is dry after the first treatment. You will notice the great conditioning and lovely scent your hair now sports. After weekly treatments for a month or so, you should also see an improvement in color and thickness. If you desire to change up the recipe a little, add other herbs or change oils. Your hair might have certain ingredients that it likes more than those I mention here. You can add some basil, peppermint, lemongrass or other favorite herbs to make use of their helpful properties or scents. Just remember to record every recipe or change you might make so you can repeat, or avoid, any given experiment. You can also use a small amount of the oil in your hair as an occasional leave-in treatment. Oiling your hair lightly can increase shine and manageability and leave you with the lovely fragrance.
