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Recently, I decided to chop off 6 inches of my hair and... cut bangs. As always, the first 12 hours it felt like it was the best decision, but the next day, I realized that I (again) entered the flow of purposeful hair growth. In this article I want to share what I do and what treatments I discovered.
In this article:
Small Change in Good Old Things
You know that I have been a fan of Calia hair care products. Moreover, my entire family became a fan of it, and even my dog doesn't seem to rebel against it. I used to be loyal to their hydrating series and had been using Hydrating Shampoo and Conditioner for 4 years, but this time I decided to switch things up and purchased their Purifying Shampoo and Balancing Conditioner combo... I was blown away! My hair felt so differently even after the first use! I think I will keep using this combination of products from now on. Another cool item from Calia that I use is their Leave-In Conditioner from the Balancing collection. It is a nice refreshing solution, when I want to re-invigorate and lightly smooth my hair.
Disciplined Oiling
Next, I decided to start oiling my hair. I tried this practice in the past, but never followed a strict regimen with it partially because I used wrong oils. The biggest fiasco with scalp and hair oiling that I experienced was when I tried to use castor oil! It felt like a viscous glue that was impossible to spread, massage in, and wash away, even when I tried diluting castor oil with lighter carrier oils, so I gave up on it. I also used rosemary and mint essential oils in the past, and I was applying them directly onto my scalp for increased blood flow and stimulation of hair follicles. For the hair shaft, I was using almond or sesame oil, but I never saw impressive results. This time around I decided to look up if there is all-in-one oil or serum for hair growth and found this mixture by Mielle. Funny enough, it was one of the first things that I saw on Amazon when I typed "organic hair growth oil", so was not a suddenly discovered gem from the underworld of the internet.
This serum/oil contains rosemary and mint oils which seem to be present in the mixture in decent proportions judging by the pronounced minty and rosemary scent of the serum, however, I can't say I feel that distinctive cooling effect that concentrated mint oil provides. It also contains castor oil and I can also smell it and feel its texture, but it doesn't make it hard to spread the serum or wash it off, so this oil combo strikes perfect balance. Having a dedicated oiling solution made me more dedicated to oiling and I finally started observing positive changes in how my hair feels. I think my hair feels more elastic and comforted, especially after the long months of winter with dry air, freeze, and constant rubbing of hair against rough clothes. I use this serum on both scalp and hair and let it sit for at least 1 hr prior to washing. I don't know if it accelerated hair growth because I don't have anything to compare my current growth rate with (I apply my products on the entire scalp), but the effects it has on the hair quality are definitely positive. It has been precisely 1 month since I chopped off my hair and my bangs grew by ~2 cm, which has always been a pretty typical growth rate for me (genetics and good behavior).
Would I recommend this specific brand of oil? Well, it has everything I would like to have in a hair and scalp oil, it is clean and without any potentially harmful ingredients and synthetic fragrances, and it is convenient and comfortable to apply. It fits into my hair care profile quite well. I think I will buy it again when I run out, and on this note, it is fairly economical even applied to long hair. It is also quite affordable. I spent $10 for a bottle and I project that it will last me 3 months, so it adds $3/month. So, I DO recommend it.
Functional Hair Rinse
Now to the fun part! I first discovered the magic of hair rinses a few years ago (also after some impulsive haircut). I also had zero discipline with them back then because I didn't organize the process well to make this habit sustainable, so in this article I want to share the recipe, its perks, how to apply it, and everything I came up with to make this practice stick with me. We will begin with essentials.
Who shouldn't use it:
People with sensitivities and allergies to components
Blonde people who want to preserve lightness of hair and the shade of dyed blond
People who don't like the scent of the mixture
Recipe:
Dry or fresh rosemary: 4 - 5 branches if fresh or 2 tbsp of dry (buy here)
Cinnamon stick: 1 - 2 (buy here)
Cinnamon powder: a pinch (buy here)
Bay leaf: 1whole leaf (buy here)
Star anise: 3 - 4 stars (buy here)
Clove: a pinch of powdered or 7 pieces of whole (buy here)
Vanilla extract: to "taste" (buy here)
Add all ingredients into the pot with 2 - 3 liters of water, bring to boil and then reduce the heat to minimum and let it steep for an hour or two.
How to store:
I let this solution sit and cool down a bit and let all the components settle to the bottom for easy transfer. Then, when it is lukewarm it is time to transfer it. I use 1 liter bottles that I upcycled from my Calia shampoos to store the rinse and I usually use 1 liter per hair washing session. I use a funnel to carefully pour the solution into the bottles. Then, I further enhance the solution by adding a pinch of citric acid in each bottle. I store the bottles in the fridge until ready to use.
How to use:
Wash your hair with shampoo. If you do oiling, probably, lather and rinse hair twice.
Then, apply hair conditioner if it is your thing and avoid the scalp.
Rinse the conditioner with water.
Now, pour some hair rinse onto your hair ends and then proceed to the scalp avoiding the face, so tilt your head back.
Do NOT rinse your hair with shower water, let the herbal solution be the last thing.
Finish your shower/bath business allowing the hair rinse to sit and absorb.
Squeeze excess moisture from your hair and gently wipe it with a towel (it might be a good idea to have an old and dark-colored towel for it, such that it doesn't look crazy - the solution is going to be dark!).
How it works and perks:
We circle back to rosemary with its follicle-awakening properties, but besides that, I decided to boost it a bit with cinnamon. Cinnamon is a mild irritant (watch out if you are too sensitive to it though!) and draws blood to the scalp while the active ingredient's concentration is the highest. Other components contribute as anti-bacterial and anti-fungal agents gently resetting the microbiome of the scalp. The acidic pH of the solution due to herbs and optionally further lowered by citric acid will condition the skin and the scalp creating conditions for beneficial bacteria to grow. Acidic rinses are incredibly balancing and they reduce frizz, even if you just use weak citric acid and water solution or even if you use pure distilled water (it is mildly acidic too, pH = 5.5 or so). You will likely notice that scalp remains cleaner and fresher longer, that you don't experience as much dandruff, and that your hair feels lighter and plumper.
And now, my favorite bonus...
I have a guilty (guilty for a healthy lifestyle enthusiast) pleasure - perfumery. I love everything aromatic, complex, I study perfumery, history of perfumery, how compositions are created, how notes work together, and I actually own multiple interesting perfumes that I don't use daily, but they are my anchors bringing me back emotions and associations, so I use them for special occasions and to instill a certain artistic flow. I always explore perfumery market in pursuit of interesting and natural perfumes that would be intimate and happiness-inducing.
So. Making this hair rinse creates a magical vapor that fills the entire apartment with aroma that LASTS! It stays in the air for an entire day, and if you open the windows to let fresh, delicious air in before or during boiling this mixture, you will be all set for a luxurious and natural aromatic experience that feels somewhat warmer and cozier than pulverizing or evaporating distilled essential oils.
Then, your hair will smell sweet and aromatic for at least 2 - 3 days after the rinse! I hope you will enjoy the scent!
Let me know if you try it and what you think about the experience!
Anastasiia
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