One of life’s most simple accessories is having beautiful hair!
Beautiful and shiny hair is a reflection of perfect health. Healthy hair gives you a natural radiance that can not be found with make-up, hairspray and GHD’s.
Just like the rest of our body, our scalp and hair follicles is a living system. The way our hair looks and feels depends largely on our lifestyle choices and our daily hair care habits. If you are having some concerns with the current state of your hair, you will be happy to know that almost every hair condition can be corrected with the right nutrition and natural hair care remedies.
Eating a balanced diet, getting lots of exercise and drinking plenty of water plays a big part in how our hair looks. However there are little extra’s we can do to keep our hair looking shiny and healthy. Follow a few of our favourite DIY natural remedies and holistic rituals for beautiful hair and watch your hair transform from dull and limp to sleek and glossy.
Green beauties, this is your holistic guide to glossy and healthy-looking hair.
Ritual #1 – Nourish Your Hair With Nutrition
When your body is nourished, so is your hair.
What you eat plays a significant role in determining the health of your hair and scalp. To be honest, the standard western diet is nutrient starved. Carbs, refined sugars, processed foods, gluten, excess salt, dairy products, caffeine, alcohol and hormone injected meats are what most people eat on a day to day basis.
Except for the odd salad, piece of fruit, smoothie or the three times a week steamed greens, the standard western diet has no nutrient value whatsoever.
I want you to sit down with pen in hand and write down what a day of eating looks like for you. Is it toast and coffee for breakfast, a meat, cheese and salad sandwich for lunch and pasta for dinner? Once you have your daily go to meals down on paper, spend a little time learning about the nutrient benefits and health concerns with these foods.
When we take the time to get honest about how we eat, it truly is no surprise that we are riddled with disease, premature aging and beauty problems we want to fix with botox, hair dyes and wonder creams.
A diet where fruits, vegetables and healthy fats make up for 80% of the daily food intake is vital for optimal health and beautiful healthy hair. If you want to improve the strength and natural shine of your hair, then step up your intake of seaweed, green leafy vegetables, almonds, brazil nuts and coconut oil.
Cut down on caffeine and alcohol, for these stimulants hamper the absorption of minerals essential for hair health. Reduce sugar, gluten, dairy and refined processed foods as they all wreak with our body's hormones and cause inflammation in the body. Inflammation is the cause of
- pretty much all disease,
- the majority of pre-mature ageing
- all skin conditions such as acne, rosacea, eczema, psoriasis, dry skin, blemished skin and so forth
- dry, brittle and yellowing nails
- our unpredictable mood swings, including anxiety and depression
- thinning, dry and dull hair.
The condition of your hair will be affected by your nutrition. If your body is nourished, so will your hair.
Ritual #2 – Scalp Massage
By massaging your scalp for 5 minutes a day you will treat dandruff , de-stress and relieve tension. Your hair will become stronger, thicker, glossier and grow faster. Massage stimulates your scalp’s blood supply. The blood brings nutrients to the follicles, feeding your hair with nourishment.
When you massage your scalp you can either do it dry or wet. You may want to consider massaging an oil or scalp treatment into your hair. I like to make my own massage oil by mixing a few drops each of rosemary, lavender, thyme and lemon oils into a little melted coconut oil, I find this is much lighter than the traditional toxic loaded treatments you buy at your local store.
If you’re short on time you can massage your scalp while you wash your hair.
When you massage your scalp ensure that you use the pads of your fingers. Spread your fingers apart and place them firmly on your head. Move in little circles starting at the base of your neck and slowly working your way up to your forehead.
In summer I love to massage my hair in the morning with a little coconut oil, and then tie my hair up in the bun. As I go about my day paddle-boarding, walking or just doing my outside chores the warmth of the sun helps release the nourishing properties from the coconut oil. In the afternoon I let down my hair have glossy beach waves for the evening.
Ritual #3 – Get The Cut
Your ends are the oldest and driest part of your hair; you need to get them trimmed every 6-8 weeks to prevent split ends and further damage. No matter how gentle you are to your hair, the ends split and move farther up the hair shaft. Split ends cause tangles, which leads to breakage and snapping.
Ritual # 4 – Use Natural Products + Discover Natural Remedies
You are doing your hair and body a great favour if you reduce the chemicals you put in your body and that includes what you put on your hair and body. When your body has to spend time breaking down toxins it has no time to repair other areas of your body such as hair, nails and skin.
Choose natural and chemical free shampoos and conditioners - try our luxe Alpine Botanicals Natural Shampoo + Conditioner. Use true vegan coconut oil as a hair treatment and to tame frizz. To gloss up your hair, try a rinse made of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar and water. Either of these mixtures will bring life, shine and bounce back to distressed hair. To help your hair grow faster mix a little ylang ylang or rosemary oil with a carrier oil and massage on to your scalp.
There are loads of natural alternatives for hair problems and concerns, get curious and start researching on the internet or getting books out from your local library. Some of my favourites are:
-
Treating Dandruff: Pre wash hair. Then massage 1 cup of apple juice (natural) into the hair from the roots to the tips. Shampoo hair. Massaging either jojoba oil or coconut oil are great for treating dandruff also.
-
Detoxing Your Hair: Make a paste of bicarb soda and water. Massaging into the roots, then rinse out. This will remove residue and impurities, leaving you with squeaky clean hair.
-
Tame The Frizz: Rub a little coconut oil or Argan oil in place of your toxic hair serum.
-
Gloss Up Your Hair: Try a rinse made with apple cider vinegar and water. After shampooing and conditioning your hair finish off the cycle with this rinse.
-
Hair Growth: To help your hair grow faster mix a little ylang ylang with almond or coconut oil and massage on to your scalp.
Ritual #5 – Let Your Hair Breathe
Your hair gets filled with residue from not only your hair products, but from the pollution in the air. When your hair is filled with residue it is harder for your scalp to breathe and oxygenate. To reduce the residue in your hair, wash your hair every second day and swap your shampoo and conditioner brand with another brand every two or three months.
Ritual #6 – Treat Yourself To A Warm Coconut Hair Treatment
Bring a little tropical infusion into your home with this warm coconut hair treatment. Coconut oil is widely used in the pacific islands and Polynesian beauties thank the natural benefits of coconut oil for their long, healthy tresses.
Coconut oil is jam packed with goodness like calcium, iron, magnesium, and potassium; and if you have dry, damaged hair from excessive colouring or styling, then this treatment will restore your hair back to how it should look – thicker, shinier and lustrous.
Coconut oil is also a fantastic remedy for scalp problems like dryness, itchiness and dandruff.
It also contains lauric acid, which has antifungal and antimicrobial properties, as well as moisturizing and calming benefits.
Schedule 30 minutes every few weeks for this gorgeous hair treatment that will take all your senses on an aromatic journey.
You will need:
A small bowl
10mls of coconut oil or about 2 teaspoons if it’s solid! Make sure it is our vegan + free from monkey business coconut oil
5 drops of your favourite essential oils
A slightly larger bowl than the small bowl.
Wide toothed combe
Glad Wrap
Towel
Relaxing Music
First fill the bigger bowl with hot water. Place your oil and essential oil in the smaller bowl. Sit the bowl inside the bigger bowl that is filled with hot water. Allow 5 minutes for the oil to warm.
Turn on some soothing music and grab a cup of your favourite herbal tea. Next Take a nice deep breath in…and then exhale. Repeat 3 times.
Slowly massage the warm oil into your scalp and through your hair. Gently comb through right to the ends. Being mindful of each breath as you go.
To seal in the nourishment, wrap your hair in some cling wrap or a warm towel – the heat caused from this will help lock in and penetrate the nutrients.
You can leave it for 30 minutes, an hour or even overnight [I personally love overnight as it gives plenty of time to feed + nourish the hair while you sleep].
This is a great weekly or monthly treatment to give yourself. It is super simple yet so nurturing. After the treatment your hair will feel soft and look so shiny! It’s also great for an itchy and/or flaky scalp and hair loss.
If you don’t have time to do the entire treatment you can just do the ends of your hair. In summer, especially if I am spending the day outside I will often put this in the ends of my hair in the morning, toss it up in a top knot bun and let the heat of the sun aid in penetrating the oils deep into the hair.
Here are 2 of my favourite essential oil hair blends for you to try:
Stimulating: For hair growth and strength use 3 drops Rosemary + 2 drops Peppermint.
Soothing: 2 drops Ylang Ylang + 2 drops German Chamomile + 1 drop Lavenderdrops Ylang Ylang + 2 drops German Chamomile + 1 drop Lavender
Ritual #7 – Amp Up Your Bitter Greens + Green Leafy Vegetables
Green vegetables are natures miracle food. Eating them in abundance nourishes the body at an optimal level, in return our bodies then gift us with health, vitality, a positive and sharp mind, glowing complexion, white and glossy nails and strong lustrous hair.
While all vegetables are nutrient dense, leafy bitter greens take it up a notch. There really is no food on this planet that compares to the beautiful bitter greens. I'm talking about things like parsley, dandelion, rocket [arugula], spinach, beetroot leaves and kale. I won’t lie they do have a bold flavour that may take some getting use to, but the health benefits are definitely worth the effort!
Trust me, after a week or so of eating/drinking this green power house your entire body will crave the greens. To ensure you are getting the maxium nutrient punch to feed your body, skin and hair get in the habit of drinking 2-3 green drinks a day – trust me it works wonders. For over 50 green smoothie recipes download my free ebook here
Ritual #8 – Increase Your Fats
Just like fats are great at plumping and hydrating our skin, they work similar for the hair. Good fats like avocados, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, coconut oil, chia seeds and flaxseeds will stimulate hair growth, prevent hair loss and breakage, reduce scalp inflammation and leave your hair hydrated and shiny.
Ritual #9 – Avoid Excessive Styling
Too much shampooing, styling, and dyeing can harm your hair. Heat and chemicals weaken the hair, causing your hair to become dry and brittle. Dry and brittle hair eventually snaps and breaks off. By all means still have fun with your hair, but just don’t over-do it.
Alternate your styling each week. Instead of blasting your hair with harsh heat every week, every second week try a natural style. Not only will it give your hair a break, it actually changes up your look which can make you feel a sense of renewal. For some natural styles try a loose bun or scrunch your hair with some salt spray for beach curls.
You can make your own sea salt mist by mixing 2 tbsp. of sea salt with 1 cup of boiling water. Stir until the salt has dissolved. Once cooled put the solution in a spritz bottle.
Ritual #10 - Embrace Your Natural Style
Women everywhere are covering up their natural hair – they are straightening their curls, colouring over their natural colour and trying to achieve the opposite of what nature blessed them with.
Every day we are bombarded with beauty advice as magazines, billboards and products tell us what is beautiful. The secret of beauty is not in the latest hair product or expensive haircut. The secret of beauty is embracing your own natural style whilst enhancing it subtly with products and trends.
The truth is that nature knows best – and what you were given naturally is what will work best for you. Natural is beautiful and nothing in nature is ever copied - it’s unique.
I know; as women we get bored with our hair easily, and let’s face it we feel great when we get a new colour. When you are craving a little change work with your natural colour and highlight it a little. Add more lustre, warmth and richness to your hair – get some gold, honey, caramel or red highlights.
Learn how to embrace your natural style whether it is with your hair, your life or with your clothes, doing this will free your soul and you will start to radiate with a deep natural beauty that cannot be purchased or copied.
Ritual #11 - Straight Hair Is Shinier
While we are all about embracing our natural waves and curls, let’s get real, it is not realistic for women to never change their hair style. As women, we feel refreshed when we change our style. It’s about being smart, and not over-doing it.
Every now and then it is nice to treat yourself to straight hair PLUS straightening your hair will make your hair look shinier. The reason behind this madness? Well, more light is reflected off straight hair shafts as opposed to curly or wavy ones.
To create a sleek and straight style you need to:
- start by putting a small amount of coconut oil through the ends of your hair to prevent heat damage and frizz. When adding the coconut oil, you don’t want to add to much as it will leave your hair greasy. To find the right amount simply rub the oil lightly into your hands first and then rub your hands over your hair.
- With your hair dryer gently dry your hair straight, using a radial brush to grip the hair - giving you maximum control. The secret is to ensure that your hair cuticles are dried flat by keeping the hairdryer nozzle pointing downwards towards the end of the hair shaft at all times.
- Once your hair is dry, run a straightening iron through your hair to give you extra sleekness.
- Finish with a small amount of coconut oil rubbed into only the ends of your hair.
Don’t be over zealous with the hair drying or straightening – as you don’t want to do any heat damage.
To curl the ends under, dry your hair and spray a radial brush with a natural hairspray [if you can’t find a good one, make one yourself out of lemon water]. Roll the ends under the brush and heat with a hairdryer. Make sure you hit the cooling button to lock in the curl before unrolling.
Ritual #12 - A Sleek Ponytail
Knowing how to do a sleek ponytail will add class and elegance to every outfit – no matter if it with your jeans on a Sunday morning or sipping cocktails with your girlfriends in your little black dress.
- Wash and shampoo your hair.
- Add a little coconut oil through your hair to prevent heat damage and then dry your hair as normal.
- Run a straightening iron through your hair, section by section.
- For a little volume and height, backcomb the roots slightly at the crown of your head.
- Secure your ponytail with a hair tie and then wrap a small section of hair from underneath your ponytail around the hair tie. Fasten the hair with a bobby pin.
Ritual #13 - Enhance Your Curls
Make the most of what mother nature gave you and style your wavy hair into natural beachy curls.
- Dry your hair with a diffuser on the end of your hair dryer.
- Spray your hair with some sea salt mist and scrunch your hair.
- Repeat the dry, spray and scrunch process until your hair is dry and wavy.
- Don’t brush your hair; just run your fingers through to detangle.
Make sure you set your hair dryer on a medium setting, as overheating dries out your hair and makes your curls fluffy.
You can make your own sea salt mist by mixing 2 tbsp. of sea salt with 1 cup of boiling water. Stir until the salt has dissolved. Once cooled put the solution in a spritz bottle.
Ritual #14 - A Salon Blow Wave
Treat yourself to a DIY salon style blow wave. To get the perfect blow dry, use a round brush and dry your hair in sections. Start from the roots of the hair, running the brush and dryer all the way down to the end of the hair. Let that section of hair cool off for about five seconds, then repeat. Alternating between heat and cool-down will give your hair more body and set your style.
For a little hair lift, after you have finished your blow-dry, section off the hair on top of your head with some clips. Now divide that section into three parts and wrap a 2-inch Velcro hair roller around each section. Run your hair dryer over the rollers and finish with a gentle blast on the cold setting to lock in the curl. Let your hair sit like this for 30 minutes, and then unwrap your strands, and lightly brush them.
Ritual #15 - Blackstrap Molasses.
Blackstrap molasses is great for slowing down the process of greying hair. Unlike refined sugar, which has zero nutritional value, blackstrap molasses contains vital vitamins and minerals, such as iron, calcium, magnesium, vitamin B6, and selenium.
Manganese, iron and selenium are great for containing hair pigmentation as it encourages your body to produce the hair pigment melanin. Consume a tablespoon every day for a couple of months and see if you notice reduced greying.