Your Crowning Glory

Everyone wants vibrant, shiny hair. Natural shampoos, hair color products and home treatments from your health food store can give your hair a boost without the worry of harmful ingredients.

Hair is made up of three layers. The first layer is the core or medulla. The next is the cortex, where the hair’s fibrous protein or keratin is located, and finally the outer layer, or cuticle. It consists of six to eight layers of shingle-like cells. When hair is healthy, the cells in the cuticle layer lie flat. Light bounces off its smooth surface and gives your hair a glossy appearance.

The old saying, "you are what you eat" holds true for your hair. A diet rich in whole grains, proteins, fruits, and vegetables will provide the nutrients necessary for proper follicle development, function, and hair vitality.

Taking supplements will give your hair the edge it needs to fight back against damage. Capsules of primrose, flax seed, or cod liver oil improve your hair’s texture and prevent brittleness. Vitamin B-complex, C and E will improve overall hair health by increasing circulation to the scalp and stimulating growth. Zinc helps provide healthy protein formation within the hair’s cortex, while iron is needed to supply vigor. The most important supplement is silica, from spring horsetail or in the colloidal silicea form.

Shampoo Danger

Improper or over use of hair products can badly damage the hair’s cuticle, resulting in lifeless hair. One of the most common mistakes is frequent shampooing. This strips away the hair’s natural moisture and oils. Many people who shampoo often turn to milder formulas or shampoos for every day use, but that doesn’t solve the problem.

In addition, the use of conditioners, gels and mousses can leave a film on your hair that shampoo doesn’t always remove. This will weigh your hair down and attract dirt and oil. There is a solution.

Have you ever heard of a rum rinse? Rum is one of many natural build-up removers. Rubbing in just a teaspoon of rum, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice or peppermint extract by themselves, or in combination, will do the trick. Let the mixture sit on your hair for five minutes and then rinse.

Another alternative is to add the build-up remover to a quarter cup of a natural shampoo for one-step hair care. Use what you need and refrigerate the rest for the next time.

The ingredients in natural shampoos promote healthy hair. They remove the oil and dirt while retaining your hair’s moisture and texture. Natural shampoos have low pH balances of 4.5 to six. These products contain citric acid (grapefruit and lemon extracts), which removes build-up and shrinks the hair shaft to make it stronger.

Wheat and oat amino acids are often included in natural shampoos, since protein is able to coat the shaft easily, fill in any cracks and help seal split ends. Coconut oil, wheat germ oil and jojoba are natural moisturizers that help to hydrate and shield against the water loss from blow-drying, the sun or curling irons.

Vitamin B₅ is included in some shampoos as a strengthener. For an added benefit, take it internally to increase your hair’s growth and resilience. If your shampoo doesn’t contain balsam, a natural resin, which adds body and volume, you can customize it by adding a couple of tablespoons of beer during the wash.

Color Commentary

Rinsing in vibrant color or highlights is easy. The temporary color coats the outside of the cuticle and provides a fun look. These products only last from shampoo to shampoo. Wash-in color shampoos for blondes contain camomile, sunflower and marigold. Products for brunettes have walnut, boysenberry and licorice. Ingredients for redheads include rhubarb, strawberry and pomegranate. All these shampoos have sunscreen incorporated into their formulation to prevent fading.

For your own home color rinse, try a combination of black tea, rosemary, coffee and oregano. For light hair, blend calendula and camomile flowers. Once the brew is ready, saturate your hair. Let it sit for 20 minutes and rinse. The spray-on lighteners from the 1960s still work. Put some lime or lemon juice in a spray bottle and spritz. All you have to do after that is sit in the sun for 20 minutes.

Henna offers a more permanent color alternative. It lasts for up to six to 10 shampoos, as it is able to penetrate the hair’s outer layer. This ancient hair coloring herb is mixed with various other plants such as indigo, coffee, walnut, logwood and camomile to produce different shades that will accentuate the hair’s natural color.

After coloring, use a conditioning color sealant with sandalwood, vanilla, anise, cherry bark, callalily and protein to restore the hair’s moisture and bring out its new color and shine.