Today my 14 year old Daughter asked me, can you make me a hair rinse with apple cider vinegar? Of course I took this moment as a way to teach her about the powerful benefits of plants! Plenty of hair commercials and advertisements tell us that in order to have beautiful rich, smooth and soft hair, we must purchase these expensive brand name hair treatments and serums. That in order to have hair exactly like the models in the commercials, we must spend hundreds and even thousands on these products- and they dont even work ! Or they work, while you are using them, but the second you stop using them, your hair goes back to its same old dry frazzled self! How frustrating! Did you also know that many products actually contain a chemical that coats the hair for that soft feeling, in order to replace the oils that it has stripped.
This only puts us in a never ending cycle- a toxic addictive relationship with our hair products, many of which have harmful effects on our long term health! ( hormone disrupting chemicals plague most of our hygiene products)
What If I told you, there's a better way ? What If I told you, That nature gives you everything you need to clean and nourish your hair, and it is cheap, and sustainable ? What If I told you..... That you can even get rid of the toxic formulas that plague our homes and still have beautiful, healthy, and soft hair?
Horsetail and Stinging nettle! Both readily available in Alberta, and around the world.
Lets first talk about The main ingredient- Apple cider vinegar. ACV softens and cleanses your hair, without stripping away the important natural oils in your hair. I have even heard of some people using this type of hair treatment in place of using shampoo and conditioners.
Now lets talk the herbs!
Horsetail has so many benefits for your hair and nails. Horsetail; contains readily and easily absorbable silica, which helps to strengthen your hair. Many shampoos and hair products contain silicon which only imitates the effects of silica. Horsetail herb contains calcium, magnesium, bioflavonoids, chromium, potassium, copper, and iron, all of which are amazing for your overall hair health. Horsetail is also considered an astringent, which can be very useful for those who suffer with persistent oily hair.
Now lets talk Stinging Nettle! This truly amazing herb contains vitamin A carotenoids, vitamins B, C, D, and K, as well as calcium, magnesium, boron, chromium, silica, just to get started ! With all of these compounds, vitamins and minerals, your oily damaged hair does not have a fighting chance against herbs like this. This provides exceptional nourishment for your hair and scalp!
There are a few other herbs that you can add to your new found hair rinse, things like basil, rosemary, lavender, chamomile, pineapple weed, all with their own individual benefits for your hair, and they smell great! This stuff sounds truly fascinating doesn't it !
At the time of writing, My daughter and I are going to enter ourselves into a 1 week hair challenge. We are going to use the following recipe and wash out hair every two days using ONLY THIS! I would love to challenge you to do the same with us and post about your experiences below in the comments!
You need :
1 Quart sized mason jar
1 jug of unpasteurized apple cider vinegar ( unpasteurized organic is even better)
1/4 cup of dried horsetail herb
1/4 cup of dried stinging nettle
*add in optional supportive herbs , like chamomile, pineapple weed, lavender, rosemary, basil, 2-3 TBSP each*
2 paper coffee filters
cheese cloth
Pro Tip : It is best to make double or triple recipes, so that you are not waiting weeks in between new batches! Gotta have enough on the side to last you !
Add all of your dried ingredients into your mason jar, and then fill it up with ACV, making sure to leave 1 inch space from the top of the jar. I placed 2 coffee filters under the lid, to prevent any leakage from the metal lid into your formula.
Shake your formula and place it into a cool, dry and dark place for 2 to 4 weeks. You can give it a shake every day, when you remember. This waiting period gives your herbs time to infuse into the ACV, its like magic in a jar! Once the infusion is complete, Simply strain out your herbs using a cheese cloth, and store your liquid in a clean glass mason jar.
To use:
mix equal parts hair rinse with water (1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of each depending on your hair length) I will be using 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup hair rinse, making sure to only mix wit water when ready to use, and store the rest in your glass jar.
You can use this hair rinse daily, every two days, or even once a week, in between shampoo washes, or in place of shampoo, depending on your own personal hair needs.
Tilt your head back , and gently and slowly pour your hair rinse over your scalp making sure to run your fingers through your hair, so that the rinse reaches every single strand of hair. An alternative to this is to use a clean spray bottle ( fill for 1 use then empty and wash for next time) and spray it all through your hair. When finished, you can leave it in your hair, or rinse it out with water.
For some additional nutrition and moisture for your hair, add to your hair regime a weekly hair mask consisting of almond oil, coconut oil, and egg yolks.
Egg yolk has very powerful moisturizing benefits for your hair and is classified as a superfood for your hair strands due to the unique combination of vitamins found inside. Vitamins A and E, biotin, and folate are just some of the nutrients that are found in egg yolks. Coconut oil moisturizes and contains lauric acid that easily absorbs into the hair strands. Almond oil. It's rich in vitamin B-7, or biotin, so almond oil helps to keep hair healthy and strong. Also- Almond oil has a natural sun protection,SPF-5. Wow this stuff just keeps getting better and better.
Alright, so now you have learned all about how horsetail, stinging nettle and apple cider vinegar can help your hair, you have learned about how to moisturize your hair using natural oils and eggs, now I challenge you !!
Take the 1 week challenge and post your results in the comments below! Let us know the condition of your hair before and after, what you used and how often, and if you added in the hair mask. I cant wait to read your experiences!
For more blogs regarding Horsetail and Stinging nettle, click the links to check out my blog posts. There is a ton of useful information regarding how to find, identify and use these amazing wild herbs!
**This information for educational purposes only. This blog post is not intended to cure any type of disease or replace any prescription medication you are currently taking.
Always make sure to check with your doctor before choosing herbal teas or salves for remedies, as some herbs may not work for all people and may react to certain medications.
This post is not intended to treat, diagnose, cure or prevent any disease or illness. It is not intended to represent or replace professional medical advice or prescription medicine. It is not intended to give medical advise either. **