Ayurveda Support Thread

[poookie]

i infused my own amla oil over the weekend. it was messy but totally worth it!

i use and love dabur amla gold oil, but after finding out that it had mineral oil, i decided to make a more natural solution. i took 12 ounces of organic cold pressed unrefined coconut oil, melted it down in a small crock pot, added some vatika, sweet almond, & extra virgin olive oil, and added 3 tablespoons of amla powder & 1 tablespoon of tulsi powder.

i let the mix brew for a total of 4 hours on low heat, strained the oil through coffee filters (pantyhose didn't work, since the amla and tulsi powders were so fine it would pour right through), and bottled it up.

the oil smells really good. not quite fresh and clean like the dabur amla oil did, but like toasted coconut and herbs. it feels good on my scalp, and gives my hair a healthy sheen when applied to my length.

also, i've noticed a drastic difference in the strength and thickness of my hair since switching from liquid shampoos to shikakai bar soaps. my hair feels healthier.

i'll be indigo-ing for the first time in a few days, and i'm really excited!

 

[MrsSmitty77]

i infused my own amla oil over the weekend. it was messy but totally worth it!

i use and love dabur amla gold oil, but after finding out that it had mineral oil, i decided to make a more natural solution. i took 12 ounces of organic cold pressed unrefined coconut oil, melted it down in a small crock pot, added some vatika, sweet almond, & extra virgin olive oil, and added 3 tablespoons of amla powder & 1 tablespoon of tulsi powder.

i let the mix brew for a total of 4 hours on low heat, strained the oil through coffee filters (pantyhose didn't work, since the amla and tulsi powders were so fine it would pour right through), and bottled it up.

the oil smells really good. not quite fresh and clean like the dabur amla oil did, but like toasted coconut and herbs. it feels good on my scalp, and gives my hair a healthy sheen when applied to my length.

also, i've noticed a drastic difference in the strength and thickness of my hair since switching from liquid shampoos to shikakai bar soaps. my hair feels healthier.

i'll be indigo-ing for the first time in a few days, and i'm really excited!

Thanks for posting this, I wanted to try and make my own Amla oil. Last time I did Amla I took me for every to get "all of those little white rocks" as my daughter call them out of my head. I'm excited to try your method this weekend.

 

[mahoganee]

I've always wanted to try this. Was it moisturizing? Did it leak all over your pillow?

It moisturized really good. It didn't leak because I had two baggies and a twistie towel on.

 

[Lucia]

I've been using brhami and bringraj oils now and I love them so far, I was using the powders, but this is double the effectiveness.

 

[simcha]

I did my first tea rinse today. I was wondering if the more knowledgeable/experienced could critique it for the next time I plan on doing this!

I pre-oiled my hair with Vatika oil first. In 8 oz of boiling water I steeped half a teaspoon of shikakai and 1 tsp each of maka, brahmi, and amla powders for 45 minutes. (The powders were in a disposable tea bag.) I added it to two cups of room temperature water. In the shower, I poured the mixture over my hair without rinsing out the Vatika oil. I put on a cap and basically hung out in the bathroom for ten minutes. Then I rinsed for about a minute and added in some VO5 to detangle. Then I rinsed that very well and added in a deep conditioner (I used a little ORS Replinishing treatment because I want to use it up and some AOHSR because I am trying it out.) An hour later I rinsed that out and applied my moisturiser.

I have to say, as others have remarked, after rinsing out the tea my hair felt so nice I almost felt like I could skip conditioning. My hair is dry now (I air dried) and it still feels very soft. I am having a hard time keeping my hands out of it!

My issues were that I had quite a lot of broken hair. Was there something wrong with my routine, or do I just need a better conditioner? Is there a recipe that helps curb breakage?

The other issue was that my hair is not as coily. Is there a way to get my curl definition back? I still had a lot of coils, but not as much as I am used to. What can I do?

Critiques? Comments? Advice?

Thanks in advance!

I notice my hair breaks if I leave the tea rinse in for awhile. I generally very gently scrub my scalp and squeeze it through my hair and then rinse. When I baggie my hair with the tea rinse for about 5-10 minutes is when I notice breakage.

I've also noticed the type of conditioner I use may cause more breakage, which is why I just stick with Mixed Chicks.

Also I only mix two herbs together. I think it was Candy C who said mixing more they start to cancel out each other.

HTH

 

[simcha]

http://ayurnaturalbeauty.ecrater.com/ is another great online vendor. I've purchased Brahmi and Indigo from her before and got it in three days. She offers reasonable priced shipping too! I also just placed a order for more Amla and Brahmi I'm so excited

I just ordered Indigo and Amla from her.

Also, the owner is Black.

 

[Lucia]

I notice my hair breaks if I leave the tea rinse in for awhile. I generally very gently scrub my scalp and squeeze it through my hair and then rinse. When I baggie my hair with the tea rinse for about 5-10 minutes is when I notice breakage.

I've also noticed the type of conditioner I use may cause more breakage, which is why I just stick with Mixed Chicks.

Also I only mix two herbs together. I think it was Candy C who said mixing more they start to cancel out each other.

HTH

That's true, if you mix more than 3 then it actually doesn't help your hair and you don't get the moisturizing effect. 3 is the max, but they have to compliment each other and not cancel each other out, I stick with 2 powders at the same time, then I would recommend trying 2 powders, or just 1 that works is even better b/c then no chance of messing it up and getting hard hair. hth

 

[guudhair]

I have been using herbal tea rinses instead of shampoo since Feb 2008 and my hair has been getting VERY tangled for the last few months...to the point were there are sometimes knots...I can't figure out what is causing this...I follow up with conditioning but what do yall recommend I use to help detangle?...I am 4a/b relaxed

 

[Aggie]

That's true, if you mix more than 3 then it actually doesn't help your hair and you don't get the moisturizing effect. 3 is the max, but they have to compliment each other and not cancel each other out, I stick with 2 powders at the same time, then I would recommend trying 2 powders, or just 1 that works is even better b/c then no chance of messing it up and getting hard hair. hth

I'm not sure I agree with this theory of Candy_C about not mixing more than 3 powders because I use Kalpi Tone Powder which has a perfect blend of at least 5 maybe more different powders all in one box and I get amazing results from it.

I believe Vestaluv uses it as well and her hair started growing like weed after she started using it.

I do agree however that one has be able to mix the right powders together in the right porportions to get optimal results.

The hard hair seem to come from aritha and shikakai powders for me. I don't use aritha at all anymore but I use the shikaki powder very sparingly.

Of course, this is simply my opinion based on my experience with the powders.

 

[Aggie]

I have been using herbal tea rinses instead of shampoo since Feb 2008 and my hair has been getting VERY tangled for the last few months...to the point were there are sometimes knots...I can't figure out what is causing this...I follow up with conditioning but what do yall recommend I use to help detangle?...I am 4a/b relaxed

I'm thinking you may need some porosity control. I usually have to give myself one if I'm experiencing tangles which would normally be right after a henna treatment but before DCing.

 

[flowinlocks]

I'm not sure I agree with this theory of Candy_C about not mixing more than 3 powders because I use Kalpi Tone Powder which has a perfect blend of at least 5 maybe more different powders all in one box and I get amazing results from it.

I believe Vestaluv uses it as well and her hair started growing like weed after she started using it.

I do agree however that one has be able to mix the right powders together in the right porportions to get optimal results.

The hard hair seem to come from aritha and shikakai powders for me. I don't use aritha at all anymore but I use the shikaki powder very sparingly.

Of course, this is simply my opinion based on my experience with the powders.

I agree.

 

[Lucia]

I'm not sure I agree with this theory of Candy_C about not mixing more than 3 powders because I use Kalpi Tone Powder which has a perfect blend of at least 5 maybe more different powders all in one box and I get amazing results from it.

I believe Vestaluv uses it as well and her hair started growing like weed after she started using it.

I do agree however that one has be able to mix the right powders together in the right porportions to get optimal results.

The hard hair seem to come from aritha and shikakai powders for me. I don't use aritha at all anymore but I use the shikaki powder very sparingly.

Of course, this is simply my opinion based on my experience with the powders.

maybe if you know how to mix it it's ok or if it's already mixed with the right portions. how often are you using the kalpi tone?

 

[Aggie]

maybe if you know how to mix it it's ok or if it's already mixed with the right portions. how often are you using the kalpi tone?

Every chance I get. It's that serious. I loved it so much, I bought 2 kilos of it just so I don't run out of it. I even add it to all my henna treatments now too. I'm now thinking that I may not need to purchase so many other powders as long as I can find Kalpi Tone.

You can find it on www.ayurnaturalbeauty.com (this one is US based and the owner is Black) or if you live in Canada, you can find it at www.mehndiskinart.com.

 

[guudhair]

What's the least amount of time you have left the rinse in and still got results?...I am trying to cut down my wash day time....will leaving the rinse in only 10-15 min be okay, or even less than that?

 

[Lucia]

What's the least amount of time you have left the rinse in and still got results?...I am trying to cut down my wash day time....will leaving the rinse in only 10-15 min be okay, or even less than that?

2 mins, pured it all over and get the ends, then rinsed it right back out, but you still have to rinse well I still got results. It was much better when I let it sit in my hair for a while I like leaving it for 20-30 mins under a cap

 

[Lita]

Every chance I get. It's that serious. I loved it so much, I bought 2 kilos of it just so I don't run out of it. I even add it to all my henna treatments now too. I'm now thinking that I may not need to purchase so many other powders as long as I can find Kalpi Tone.

You can find it on www.ayurnaturalbeauty.com (this one is US based and the owner is Black) or if you live in Canada, you can find it at www.mehndiskinart.com.

GO KALPI TONE.I mix it in my henna/conditioners with great results....



Happy Hair Growing!

 

[sheba1]

Hi everyone! I've been revisiting ayurveda as I'm hiding my hair under wigs for the cooler months. My hair is in braids and I've been cowashing with shikakai/amla/brahmi tea and conditioner mix every other day. I just got the courage to make a shikakai/garlic oil for my scalp massage before cowash and an amla/brahmi/henna oil to seal after cowash. My homemade amla oil came out looking nearly the exact same color as amla oil!! Definitely more woodsy smelly since there is none of that fragrance in there but I really love the way it looks and smells. For both oil mixtures I used equal parts of castor, coconut and almond oil. My hair is feeling really great!

Big thanks to you Flowinlocks and Vestaluv for answering all my questions as I came up with a personalized reggie.

 

[flowinlocks]

Hi everyone! I've been revisiting ayurveda as I'm hiding my hair under wigs for the cooler months. My hair is in braids and I've been cowashing with shikakai/amla/brahmi tea and conditioner mix every other day. I just got the courage to make a shikakai/garlic oil for my scalp massage before cowash and an amla/brahmi/henna oil to seal after cowash. My homemade amla oil came out looking nearly the exact same color as amla oil!! Definitely more woodsy smelly since there is none of that fragrance in there but I really love the way it looks and smells. For both oil mixtures I used equal parts of castor, coconut and almond oil. My hair is feeling really great!

Big thanks to you Flowinlocks and Vestaluv for answering all my questions as I came up with a personalized reggie.

You're welcome. I'm glad to hear it's working out.

 

[guudhair]

I'm thinking you may need some porosity control. I usually have to give myself one if I'm experiencing tangles which would normally be right after a henna treatment but before DCing.

Since I only use tea rinses and/or the Shikakai bar to wash, when should I use this?...only on the days I use the bar?

And is this the right one?...

 

[Aggie]

Since I only use tea rinses and/or the Shikakai bar to wash, when should I use this?...only on the days I use the bar?

And is this the right one?...

Yes this is the right one. I use PC once a week as my final rinse and even though you are only using tea rinses, you can make the PC your final rinse as well.

 

[Lucia]

Has anyone here tried coconut shampoo bars? the shampoo bars and the bath bars are basically the same except the shampoo bars have patchuoli in them. TIA

http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/organic_natural_soaps.htm

 

[Shay72]

Has anyone here tried coconut shampoo bars? the shampoo bars and the bath bars are basically the same except the shampoo bars have patchuoli in them. TIA

http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/organic_natural_soaps.htm

No but it sounds interesting. I need to go ahead and order from them because I am interested in the coconut cream concentrate too.

 

[Lucia]

No but it sounds interesting. I need to go ahead and order from them because I am interested in the coconut cream concentrate too.

yeah it's better than the regular coconut cream, next order for coconut cream I might order 2 bars 1 unscented and shampoo scented and try it. If I don't like it on my hair I can use it up as regular bathing soap

 

[zenith]

To the ladies who made their own Amla oil, how long does it last? (freshness wise) do you have to keep it in the fridge to make it last longer?

 

[sheba1]

I make small batches, but I don't worry about refrigerating. Since I start with the powder and mix with oils (no water) I figure it should keep as long as the oil would. Also I use a mixture of oils that include coconut oil which has anti bacterial properties on it's own.

 

[~NanCeBoTwin~]

Flow..I've been away for a while, so excuse me I'm just seeing your siggy.....OMG!! Your hair looks great! Wonderful progress!

 

[miss Congeniality]

I have been terrible these last two weeks. I am thinking about putting henna in on Saturday.

 

[Khadija.D.Carryl]

Just be careful with the drying affects of saponified palm, and coconut oils. That can be drying when not used affectively with any other oils, and especially on the hair. For the skin it may have a different affect. But it depends what else they put in it. There'd have to be other ingredients as they have different scents.

That is one reason I don't use saponified coconut oil for that concern. Instead cocoa butter and coconut milk are both really moisturizing when made into soap/shampoo.

 

[MzJai]

I recently installed a weave on friday...Can I still do tea rinses with my powders with a weave in or should i wait until i take it out?

 

[jamaraa]

Miz Jai I'd wait until you got your weave out. You wanna make sure everything comes out and that it's conditioned well. If it's possible that you can be sure of it, well...but I'd wait until after and to see the condition of you real hair/scalp. JMHO.

If you do it, make sure it's well filterd and that you can get a good DC to your hair underneath. The potential dryness to both hairs concerns me here.