1. Basic Shampoo
This shampoo is also based on olive oil soap. It has a
pleasant fragrance and creamy consistency, and will produce no side effects.
Ingredients
·
1 tablespoon olive oil soap. Grated
·
100ml water
·
Herbal extract of your choice
·
Essential oil off your choice
Preparation
Boil
the water in a saucepan, then turn down the heat and add the soap to the water,
stirring continuously until it has dissolved. Remove from the heat and leave to
cool. Stir in a few drops of your chosen herbal extract or essential oil. Pour
the shampoo into a screw-top jar or bottle.
2. Bulbine
Conditioner
This
conditioner, suitable for all hair types, is made with Bulbine frutescence¹, a
useful cure-all plant in every garden. Sap from the leaves can be used to
soothe insect and mosquito bites, burns, grazes and cuts, sunburn and rashes.
Ingredients
·
Fresh Bulbine leaves
·
2 drops rose essential oil
·
2 drops rose geranium essential oil
Preparation
Squeeze
the gel from the fleshy Bulbine leaves to fill about four tablespoons. Pour
into a bowl, and then add the selected essential oil. Mix well. Apply to
washed, towel–dried hair and massage in thoroughly. Leave for 30 minutes. Rinse
out thoroughly.
3. Chamomile
Conditioner
Modify
this recipe to suit your hair color-add dried chamomile for fair hair and
walnut shells if your hair is dark. If using walnut shells, crush to a powder
using a pestle and mortar or coffee grinder.
Ingredients
·
100 ml water
·
1 tablespoon dried chamomile flowers
·
1 tablespoon walnut shells, crushed
·
6 table spoons lemon juice
·
6 tablespoons cider vinegar
Preparation
Boil
the water and pour it over the chamomile flowers or walnut shells. Leave to
infuse for ten minutes. Strain the liquid, then stir in the lemon juice or
vinegar; leave to cool slightly. After washing your hair, work the conditioner
through the damp hair. Do not rinse out.
4. Comfrey
Shampoo
This
shampoo will cleanse and condition your hair.
·
15 g comfrey root
·
100 ml water
·
2 egg yolks
·
4 teaspoons ethanol
Preparation
Put
the comfrey root in a saucepan. Pour the water over it and leave to infuse for
three hours. Bring to the boil, stirring continuously. Cover and leave to cool.
Strain the liquid, and then stir in the egg yolks and alcohol. Massage half the
shampoo into wet hair and rinse. Repeat twice.
5. Mild Herbal Conditioner
The horsetail in this conditioner will make dull hair shine again.
·
500ml water
·
1 teaspoon dried stinging nettle leaves
·
1 teaspoon dried rosemary flowers
·
1 teaspoon dried horsetail
Preparation
Boil
the water and pour it over the mixed herbs. Leave to infuse for ten minutes,
and then strain the liquid. When cool, massage into the scalp. Leave for three
minutes, then rinse.
¹Bulbine
frutescence is indigenous to South Africa and it occurs naturally in the Orange
Free State, KwaZulu-Natal and parts of all the Cape Provinces. It is an
aloe-like succulent plant with a rosette of fleshy, thorn less, straw-colored
leaves.
²Horsetail is a safe herb and you can
drink horsetail infusion throughout the day for an indefinite amount of time.
Always buy organic horsetail grass in order to avoid harmful toxins that are
present in conventionally grown herbs.
