Strengthening And Conditioning The Ayurvedic Way.

When I first began my hair journey, I was faithful with my Ayurvedic treatments - Henna fortnightly or monthly and Ayurvedic conditioning at least once a week. My hair had little to zero breakage, was thriving and had amazing thickness and sheen. You see, my 4b strands are fragile and quite prone to breakage so anything that strengthens them without causing dryness is perfect for me.

 Then the desire to try other stuff out (as Yorubas would say, 'ojukokoro' lol)  plus lack of time saw me doing less and less of it till I practically abandoned it altogether. Lately I haven't been feeling my hair because I wasn't getting the best of it and therefore needed to tweak my regimen or completely overhaul it.

I was reading NappilyNigerianGirl's blog one day and realized two things:

- We have somewhat similar textures and fragile strands

- She doesn't joke with her Ayurvedic treatments (including oiling) and has been able to strengthen her strands to the point where her breakage is almost minimal - meaning better length retention of course (she's currently at waist length) Now while that's not really a goal for me, better length retention and healthier, stronger strands definitely is!

Source: Nappilnigeriangirl.com

So out came my ayurvedic powders and herbs! I also incorporated the oiling method she speaks about - making sure to oil my hair in between moisturizing. A few days before wash day, I oil the length of my hair every day with coconut oil to make sure they are protected. Coconut oil in particular is very good in  the prevention of hydral fatigue which  is damage to the hair caused by the constant swelling and contracting of hair from water intake and loss during the wash process.

The effect of water and coconut oil on hair. The coconut oil is represented by the yellow dots and water by the light blue dots.

After doing this for 2 - 3 weeks, I noticed a difference. I had less shedding and less breakage during my wash days! So I have now re assessed my regimen:

- Less Shampooing
- More Co Washing
- More Oiling (especially with coconut oil or coconut oil infused with Ayurvedic herbs)
- More Ayurvedic deep treatments

It's definitely messier and more time consuming than regular off the shelf conditioners but since this is what my hair loves, it's what it will get.


Basic Ayurvedic Conditioning Recipe

1 TBS Amla (darkens hair while strengthening it at the roots thereby preventing shedding)
1 TBS Brahmi (Strengthens hair, prevents dandruff and split ends)
1TBS Bhringaraj a.k.a Maka ('King of Herbs', it rejuvenates hair, prevents hair loss while encouraging hair growth)
1 TBS Methi a.k.a Fenugreek acts as a light protein,softens and conditions the hair, prevents hair loss and encourages hair growth.
1 TBS Hibiscus (strengthens hair, prevents graying and will even give you a nice red tint over time if you use it often enough)


*You may need more or less depending on the length and volume of your hair

Mix everything with warm water and let sit. I like to make my mixes sit overnight if I'm using Methi as it tends to swell and produce some sort of mucilage that makes the entire mixture slippery - giving you that extra slip for detangling. I will also add my favorite oils - coconut, olive and avocado. Maybe some JBCO and definitely some peppermint for the added tingle.

Now I prefer to use this on unwashed oiled hair; I leave in for about an hour and then rinse out ( I may or may not follow up with a co wash depending on how I feel)

You need to make sure that you apply this not just on your hair but your scalp as well - massaging it in really well without being abrasive. Cover with a plastic cap so it stays nice and moist - you don't want this drying and sticking on your strands.

You could use this as a pre poo treatment or a deep conditioning treatment. You could also add a bit of your favorite deep conditioner to it if using straight clay weirds you out  lol.

If you want to add a cleansing agent to it, a spoon of Shikakai should do the trick and you will get your hair cleansed and conditioned in one step.

Go on!

Try it out!

You know you want to! :)

And be sure to share how it goes and any additional tips you may have!