Tera Warner

Natural Beauty and Skin Care: Rosemary and Olive Oil Hair Tonic

by | 2 comments

bad hair dayIf you’ve ever felt like your hair needed some extra tender loving care, this is the treatment for you!

Rosemary

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) belongs to the Labiatae or mint family. Its native habitat is the area around the Mediterranean Sea and Portugal. It is now cultivated in many countries. Rosemary can grow to be as tall as man to about 6 feet and grows out to look like bushes. The leaves are long and skinny like pine needles. Rosemary flowers which are violet in color, bloom briefly in spring on young shoots.

Commercially cultivated and dried rosemary leaves come from Spain, France, Morocco, and Tunisia. The common method of extraction is steam distillation of the leaves.

When applied to the hair, rosemary has the ability to stimulate hair follicles and may also help to reduce dandruff when combined with rosemary oil. In some instances, rosemary may also be useful in the prevention and treatment of head lice.

Beauty Note: This herb should not be used by anyone who is pregnant or suffering from epilepsy. Because rosemary is a stimulant, it should not be used by heart patients.

Olive Oil (Extra Virgin)

The olive is traditionally regarded as a symbol of peace. The ancient Greeks wore garlands of olive leaves in their hair as they prayed for peace. The oil comes from the pulp, not the kernel, and mills crush the fruit gently so that the stone does not fracture. The oil is separated by centrifuging, and some oils are filtered for purity, however unfiltered olive oil contains all the nutrients found in the olive fruit.

‘Extra-Virgin’ means the oil comes from the very first pressing (or processing) of the olives and releases the highest quality oil from the olive. ‘First cold-pressed’ means the oil is processed using as little heat as possible. This ensures minimal damage and no chemicals are involved in the extraction process.

rosemary oilOlive Oil for the hair infuses moisture directly into the scalp and hair shaft, quenching the thirst of extremely dry hair. It also helps to repair split ends and gives body and sheen to the hair.

Beauty Tip: Exposure to light and heat can turn olive oil rancid. This destroys the healthy, antioxidant properties of the oil. Store your olive oil in darkly tinted bottles.

Rosemary Essential Oil

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) essential oil is steam distilled from the leaves, flowers and twigs of R. officinalis and the numerous sub varieties. It is a pale yellow to almost colorless mobile liquid with a strong, fresh, woody-herbaceous smell. Rosemary is probably one of the best known and most used of the aromatic herbs. It is a relaxing and revitalizing oil that has the ability to heal wounds and regenerate the skin. The oil is reputed to stimulate hair growth and prevent premature baldness and well as used in the prevention of dandruff.

Remember: This herb should not be used by anyone who is pregnant or suffering from epilepsy. Because rosemary is a stimulant, it should not be used by heart patients.

beautiful hairRecipe:

· 1/4 cup warmed olive oil (2 tablespoons for normal to oily hair)

· 4 drops of rosemary essential oil

· 2 sprigs of dried rosemary (do not pull leaves off of stem)

Combine the olive oil and the rosemary essential oil first and then add the sprigs of rosemary and store in a darkly tinted glass jar with a tight fitting lid. Let steep on a sunny window sill for 24 hours. Strain the tonic through a cheese cloth and store in a dark, glass bottle. Apply tonic from scalp to the ends of the strands of your hair, cover hair with plastic cap or warm towel for 15 minutes. Shampoo and rinse your hair twice. Dry and style your hair as normal. This treatment can be done once a week for normal to dry hair or once a month for oily hair.

Enjoy!!