Tag: dandruff

hibiscus 2.0 – hair & skin tonic

if you’ve followed me long enough, you’ll remember i first posted on the hibiscus flower for beauty uses about 3 years ago. now that i live in mexico and hibiscus, or ‘flor de jamaica,’ is abundant here, i’d thought i’d give a little update post for this wonderful flower.

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hibiscus can be used both internally and externally, for a multitude of purposes.

when used internally, it’s been touted for cholesterol level and blood pressure maintenance, to help nausea and promote appetite, and to calm nerves. when used on hair, it increases shine and softness, and decreases hair fall. when used topically, hibiscus, a natural source of alpha-hydroxy acids, known to promote cell turnover, gently polish/exfoliate, increase elasticity, even skin tone, lighten spots and blemishes, control break-outs, and balance oils. it’s quite the power plant!

there are various parts of the plant that can be used and prepared differently. if you’re wondering whether you could benefit from incorporating hibiscus into your diet, please consult a certified herbalist and also conduct your own research.

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for this post, we’ll make a really strong hibiscus tea that you can store in your fridge for a few days. this tea can be applied directly to your scalp and hair to help with dry/itchy scalp, dandruff, and dullness.

you can also apply it to your clean face before bed for a nice dose of vitamin c and AHA acids that will gently polish and brighten your complexion. it’s a powerful anti-aging flower and will help with fine lines, spots, and increasing elasticity.

HOW TO:

start with a large coffee mug, enough water to fill it 75%, and a handful of whole, dried hibiscus flowers. big bags of these flowers are at my local grocery stores, but i used to buy them from Mountain Rose Herbs. i’m sure amazon would carry some, too.

put your flowers in your mug,  boil your water, pour the boiling water into the mug, let steep, and let it cool to room temperature. done! keep in a sealed bottle or jar in your fridge. use nightly. discard remaining liquid (or drink it – it’s tangy and delicious!) after 3 days.

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please note that if you are fair-complected or have light colored anything in your bathroom, hibiscus can leave stains.

bonus: blend the leftover flowers up really finely and apply as a face pack for a gentle flower acid exfoliation. moisturize after.

have you used hibiscus for any beauty recipes? do you drink it? it’s such a popular drink here in CDMX, usually served iced and slightly sweetened.

XO, ALEXRAYE

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so you’ve got the flakes…

so you’ve gone no-poo/low-poo and now you’ve started seeing some flakes…
or maybe the cold weather has dried up your poor scalp.
let’s check out some ways to keep your scalp moisturized and healthy!

natural dandruff recipes (even no-poo friendly ones!)

causes of dry scalp/flakes/dandruff:

  • dry scalp
  • irritation to ingredients
  • bacteria/fungus on the scalp

so what can we do to help our scalps out? try these natural solutions! you don’t need to do them all. experiment and see which one/s work best for you and your hair type 🙂 when trying one, use it for a few washes before you judge it. some of these will take a little time, and others will be a little more immediate (depending on the severity of the dandruff and your hair type). the “**” denotes low-poo friendly options only, and should be avoided by no-poo-ers!

natural solutions to dandruff – 

overall tips:

  • drink enough water. you should be drinking roughly 1/2 oz of water per pound of body weight, or 2/3 oz of water per pound of body weight if you’re very active.
  • wash your hair less & remember to scritch and preen!
  • take fish oil supplements. i swear by this fermented cod liver oil/butter oil blend. it’s pricey, but the best money can buy (that i know of).  you can either get it in capsules (easier to take daily), or as a gel (what i have… it’s tough taking it, but i don’t mind much anymore. it goes great in tuna salad! haha).

natural solutions:

each solution is unique, so don’t be afraid to play around with them (and maybe even mix some things up!)

  • try a different wash – if you’re a no-poo-er, ditch the baking soda and switch to a no-poo alternative or a low-poo (you can even try water-only, which is what i do now!). the bs/acv routine could very well be too drying for your scalp. you can always switch back later on down the road!
  • raw honey – slather raw honey on your scalp and massage into wet hair. let it sit for 15-20 minutes and rinse well with cool water.
  • acv – use an acv rinse on your scalp. this should be stronger than your usual acv rinse. try 3-4  tbs per cup instead of the usual 1 tbs. rinse well with cool water.
  • EOs – add a few drops of tea tree oil or rosemary oil to your bs/acv mixes. rinse well with cool water.
  • pure aloe vera – slather pure aloe vera on your scalp and let sit for 15-20 minutes. rinse with cool water. *this is my go-to remedy!
  • lemons – rinse with lemon water (1 tbs fresh lemon juice to 1 cup water). rinse well with cool water.
  • witch hazel – rinse with 3 tbs witch hazel and 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice. rinse well with cool water.
  • whip up a couple egg yolks and apply it to your scalp on dry hair. let it sit for 15-20 minutes and rinse very well with cool water.
  • onion – blend an onion and massage the “paste” into your scalp. leave on for 30-60 minutes and rinse very well with cool water. a lemon juice rinse will get rid of the onion smell!
  • coconut oil – massage coconut oil into your scalp before you wash your hair. let it sit for 20 minutes to overnight and wash out. you can add in 1 drop of tea tree oil or rosemary oil for every tbsp of coconut oil for extra flake fighting power! **
  • oils – as with CO, you can also massage almond oil or jojoba oil into your scalp before you wash your hair. let it sit for 20 minutes to overnight and wash out. you can add in 1 drop of tea tree oil or rosemary oil for every tbsp of oil for extra dandruff fighting power! **
  • DIY scalp rinse – try this heavy duty scalp rinse!

whew! i hope this helps!
what’s worked best for you? any other tips you have?? leave it all below! ❤

and don’t forget to enter in the “thank you giveaway”!! just as a little THANK YOU to my crunchies, i’m giving away an essential oils kit! ENTER HERE!    CLOSED.

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the title picture is clearly edited for pinterest reasons… lol