2023 - 2024 Ayuravedic Treatments Challenge

Fwiw, I have used bhringraj in oil and tea rinses and have found it to be effective. Used the oil to seal and the tea as a leave in. I never do pastes.

I noticed it helped my hair feel softner and ends to not feel as rough and crispy. In hindsight, I may have needed a trim, but it helped my ends feel smoother despite that. It's been a while since I have used bhringraj, but this thread is reminding me how much I like it. May use it again next wash day.
 
snoop said:
I would say "yes" to your last statement. Also, I think it depends on what your hair is actually lacking vs what the herb brings to the table. If you use something to stop shedding, but you don't really have any excessive shedding then you won't really see a difference. Or if you want to slow down grey hairs, but you don't actually have any, then you want know if it's working.

As for your oil infusion, how did you make it? Cold or warm infusion? How long did you infuse for?

Have you tried fenugreek? It doesn't smell the greatest, but I feel like this herb packs a punch. In an oil, it's strengthening and good for reducing shedding.

I should add, I haven't really tried using my herbs as a pre-poo. I'll use them to seal my hair. (Not sure how that would work on relaxed hair.) I've also used them on my children's hair this way. Depending on how much oil you use on your hair, hou wouldn't necessarily have to add an additional amount to your scalp. Since your hands will be covered in oil from adding it to the length of your hair, as you are working at your roots your fingers will be all up in your scalp anyway. I tend to wipe any excess product into my roots and work it in so both hair and scalp are happy.
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I totally agree with the bolded. I think that applies to everything. But the issue with these herbs is they all supposedly do everything. Which promotes growth? All of them. Shine? All of them. Strength? All of them. Stop “hair fall”? All of them... and so on. I have a spreadsheet of all the herbs I have and the claims I’ve found on them during my research over the years, and most of the benefits read similarly, with a few having extra special properties, like Shikakai being a cleansing herb and Hanna depositing color, etc. So, I’ve kinda determined that the most important distinctions are between which ones will dry your hair out while imparting their benefits and which ones won’t, and of course, which will actually work for each individual’s hair. I feel that this is why I’ve read so many reviews from people who generally love Ayurveda, but not a lot of specifics about which herbs did what for them exactly.

I hope that made sense, I didn’t get much sleep. Lol

I did a warm infusion using the double boiler method in mason jars for 48 hours. Then I let it sit in the applicator bottle I transferred it into for about a week.
 
BeautifulRoots said:
Fwiw, I have used bhringraj in oil and tea rinses and have found it to be effective. Used the oil to seal and the tea as a leave in. I never do pastes.

I noticed it helped my hair feel softner and ends to not feel as rough and crispy. In hindsight, I may have needed a trim, but it helped my ends feel smoother despite that. It's been a while since I have used bhringraj, but this thread is reminding me how much I like it. May use it again next wash day.
Click to expand...

Oh, your review is worth a lot to me! This is what I’m looking for, herbs that will have a noticeable effect on the existing hair (as opposed to just promoting the growth of better quality hair).

Which carrier oil did you use?
 
@Theresamonet

I'm seconding the advice to use your infused oil as a sealant. Also, I would also suggest maybe adding it to your DC - especially during colder months. I think it might be more beneficial to you that way instead of rinsing/washing it out, especially with heat.

And I'm glad you mentioned it bc "off the dome" I was gonna say that I associate Shikakai with cleansing so I wouldn't use it in any other way, esp not leave in. It's one of the first powders I tried and I've been using it as my primary cleanser since 2010.

I primarily use the rest of my herbs/powders as leave ins mixed into my oils and condishes. I believe this is how I get the most benefit from them. They have time to penetrate and impart nutrients to my hair. I only rinse them out if they're in a DC mix and I've baked them in with some heat so I feel I got good use out of them OR if they're in my cleansing rinse, which I don't leave in for fear of drying out my hair.
 
MzSwift said:
@Theresamonet

I'm seconding the advice to use your infused oil as a sealant. Also, I would also suggest maybe adding it to your DC - especially during colder months. I think it might be more beneficial to you that way instead of rinsing/washing it out, especially with heat.

And I'm glad you mentioned it bc "off the dome" I was gonna say that I associate Shikakai with cleansing so I wouldn't use it in any other way, esp not leave in. It's one of the first powders I tried and I've been using it as my primary cleanser since 2010.

I primarily use the rest of my herbs/powders as leave ins mixed into my oils and condishes. I believe this is how I get the most benefit from them. They have time to penetrate and impart nutrients to my hair. I only rinse them out if they're in a DC mix and I've baked them in with some heat so I feel I got good use out of them OR if they're in my cleansing rinse, which I don't leave in for fear of drying out my hair.
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I was hesitant about the Shikakai too, because it’s associated so much with cleansing. But I was trying to think of some Ayurvedic mixes I have used and liked, and I remembered loving Hairveda’s Cocosta Shikakai oil. It’s was a castor/avocado oil base with Shikakai and some other herbs in it. I can’t find a full ingredient list anywhere. Apparently Shikakai in oil is used for shine, thickening the strands, it has antimicrobial properties and helps with itchy scalp and inflammation + all the benefits that all they other herbs are said to have ( :giggle: ). I’m going to make a much smaller batch of oil this time and use it more regularly like you’ve suggested.

I wish I knew what fragrance oil Hairveda used in their blend. That was the best smell Ayurvedic oil I’ve had.
 
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Theresamonet said:
I was hesitant about the Shikakai too, because it’s associated so much with cleansing. But I was trying to think of some Ayurvedic mixes I have used and liked, and I remembered loving Hairveda’s Cocosta Shikakai oil. It’s was a castor/avocado oil base with Shikakai and some other herbs in it. I can’t find a full ingredient list anywhere. Apparently Shikakai in oil is used for shine, thickening the strands, it has antimicrobial properties and helps with itchy scalp and inflammation + all the benefits that all they other herbs are said to have :)giggle:). I’m going to make a much smaller batch of oil this time and use it more regularly like you’ve suggested.

I wish I knew what fragrance oil Hairveda used in their blend. That was the best smell Ayurvedic oil I’ve had.
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Hey, I just so happen to have a bottle of the CoCasta Shikakai oil in my stash. Here is a picture of the ingredients.

20240606_152633.jpg

20240606_152758.jpg
I LOVE this oil too. I've have been savoring it since Hairveda went out of business. It is a really good oil. And their Vatika Frosting, still have a jar of that too, lol.
 
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BeautifulRoots said:
Hey, I just so happen to have a bottle of the CoCasta Shikakai oil in my stash. Here is a picture of the ingredients.

View attachment 496815

View attachment 496817
I LOVE this oil too. I've have been savoring it since Hairveda went out of business. It is a really good oil. And their Vatika Frosting, still have a jar of that too, lol.
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OMG!! :love: I knew I should have just asked you ladies! Thank you!! I’m going to try to come close to it.

ETA: For future reference and to save someone else the googling, these ingredients are:

Castor Seed Oil
Sweet Almond Oil
Shikakai Extract
Brahmi Oil
Amla Oil
Neem Oil
Fragrance
 
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BeautifulRoots said:
Hey, I just so happen to have a bottle of the CoCasta Shikakai oil in my stash. Here is a picture of the ingredients.

View attachment 496815

View attachment 496817
I LOVE this oil too. I've have been savoring it since Hairveda went out of business. It is a really good oil. And their Vatika Frosting, still have a jar of that too, lol.
Click to expand...


It might be worth trying to make something similar for yourself (the ingredients):

Castor oil, sweet almond oil, shikaki extract, brahmi oil, amla oil, neem oil


If I were making it myself, I'd stick to the castor and almond (but reverse the order) and then use the powders of the rest for infusion.
 
snoop said:
It might be worth trying to make something similar for yourself (the ingredients):

Castor oil, sweet almond oil, shikaki extract, brahmi oil, amla oil, neem oil


If I were making it myself, I'd stick to the castor and almond (but reverse the order) and then use the powders of the rest for infusion.
Click to expand...

Thanks! I should have refreshed the page to see that you’d already identified the ingredients. I’m planning to do just as you described, but I want to switch out one of the powders for Bhringraj.

Have you used fragrance oils in any of your mixes? One thing I liked about the Cocosta oil is that it had such a pleasant scent, unlike most Ayurvedic oils I’ve purchased.

Also, what is your experience using turmeric? JVN has a turmeric based scalp pre-poo, that I was also thinking of trying my own version of. I had a sample vial before and thought it was nice.
 
Theresamonet said:
OMG!! :love: I knew I should have just asked you ladies! Thank you!! I’m going to try to come close to it.

ETA: For future reference and to save someone else the googling, these ingredients are:

Castor Seed Oil
Sweet Almond Oil
Shikakai Extract
Brahmi Oil
Amla Oil
Neem Oil
Fragrance
Click to expand...
You're welcome!! Let us know how it goes.

As far as fragrance, it smells like almond to me. Pretty similar to CND solar oil for cuticles if you are familiar with that scent.

snoop said:
It might be worth trying to make something similar for yourself (the ingredients):

Castor oil, sweet almond oil, shikaki extract, brahmi oil, amla oil, neem oil


If I were making it myself, I'd stick to the castor and almond (but reverse the order) and then use the powders of the rest for infusion.
Click to expand...
Good idea! I need to get some almond oil; I have all the other ingredients in powder form.
 
Theresamonet said:
Thanks! I should have refreshed the page to see that you’d already identified the ingredients. I’m planning to do just as you described, but I want to switch out one of the powders for Bhringraj.

Have you used fragrance oils in any of your mixes? One thing I liked about the Cocosta oil is that it had such a pleasant scent, unlike most Ayurvedic oils I’ve purchased.

Also, what is your experience using turmeric? JVN has a turmeric based scalp pre-poo, that I was also thinking of trying my own version of. I had a sample vial before and thought it was nice.
Click to expand...

We were writing at the same time.

You can always add bhringraj instead of switching something out.

They most likely used a fragrance oil and not EOs. You can find Bath &Body Works dupes from suppliers or you can try something new.

I've never tried turmeric. Wouldn't it be staining?
 
BeautifulRoots said:
You're welcome!! Let us know how it goes.

As far as fragrance, it smells like almond to me. Pretty similar to CND solar oil for cuticles if you are familiar with that scent.


Good idea! I need to get some almond oil; I have all the other ingredients in powder form.
Click to expand...

Ahh. Almond scent. Unfortunately, I've never come across this. I know the solar oil. L'Occotain has a shower oil that also smells lovely and I think it's also almond.
 
BeautifulRoots said:
You're welcome!! Let us know how it goes.

As far as fragrance, it smells like almond to me. Pretty similar to CND solar oil for cuticles if you are familiar with that scent.


Good idea! I need to get some almond oil; I have all the other ingredients in powder form.
Click to expand...

I have no idea what something almond scented smells like. Lol. I remember it having some bright notes. Not fruity or citrus, but some kind of zing to it.

I just searched for a description of CND solar’s scent, since it’s similar to you, and the company says it’s cherry almond scented.

snoop said:
We were writing at the same time.

You can always add bhringraj instead of switching something out.

They most likely used a fragrance oil and not EOs. You can find Bath &Body Works dupes from suppliers or you can try something new.

I've never tried turmeric. Wouldn't it be staining?
Click to expand...

The JVN oil was not, but I don’t know if my homemade version would be.
 
Theresamonet said:
I have no idea what something almond scented smells like. Lol. I remember it having some bright notes. Not fruity or citrus, but some kind of zing to it.

I just searched for a description of CND solar’s scent, since it’s similar to you, and the company says it’s cherry almond scented.
Click to expand...
Ahh cherry almond. Didn't realize there was a cherry note in that fragrance.

So I went searching through the archives. Someone said it smells like "fruity ginger. Spicy/fruity/mildly sweet". Is this description closer to what you remember?
 
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BeautifulRoots said:
Ahh cherry almond. Didn't realize there was a cherry note in that fragrance.

So I went searching through the archives. Someone said it smells like "fruity ginger. Spicy/fruity/mildly sweet". Is this description closer to what you remember?
Click to expand...

Yes, that is closer to describing the scent I recall. I don’t know when you started using this oil, but the version I used was older than the one in the bottle you posted and came in a different bottle. It’s possible that they changed the scent. I believe the company closed and then reopened. I didn’t find out about the reopening until they were closing again. :rolleyes:

This is a screenshot from YouTube of the bottle I remember:

IMG_4747.jpeg
 
Theresamonet said:
Yes, that is closer to describing the scent I recall. I don’t know when you started using this oil, but the version I used was older than the one in the bottle you posted and came in a different bottle. It’s possible that they changed the scent. I believe the company closed and then reopened. I didn’t find out about the reopening until they were closing again. :rolleyes:

This is a screenshot from YouTube of the bottle I remember:

View attachment 496825
Click to expand...
Ohhhhh I see, that might be what happened. They probably changed the fragrance in the later years. My bottle smells like an almond/cherry almond fragrance.
 
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snoop said:
I don't have an instapot. What does that mean for your oil? Did it burn?
Click to expand...

I was attempting a 48-hour infusion at 98-100 degrees. After about 13 hours, I noticed a lot of steam coming from the water. I used a thermometer to check the temperature, and it was a little over 150 degrees. Given the high temperature for that duration, I don’t think I can trust that the properties of the oils and herbs haven't degraded.

How long and at what temperature do you do your infusions?
 
Theresamonet said:
I was attempting a 48-hour infusion at 98-100 degrees. After about 13 hours, I noticed a lot of steam coming from the water. I used a thermometer to check the temperature, and it was a little over 150 degrees. Given the high temperature for that duration, I don’t think I can trust that the properties of the oils and herbs haven't degraded.

How long and at what temperature do you do your infusions?
Click to expand...

Meh. If out doesn't smell burnt and you don't think water got into the oil I would use it.

At the end of the day can you confirm the properties of your oils/herb infusion doing:

the cold infusion method?
double boiler on the stove?
Instapot?
Infusing difference for any particular lengths of time?
differences between freshness of oils and herbs?

It's all guesswork without scientific equipment. I remember reading a passing comment on a cosmetic science FB post, that infusions at home aren't done properly in general (unfortunately, no further details were given... but I assume that it either had to do with contamination or potency or both.)

So don't waste the oil. At the very least use it as makeup remember or on your feet or something, but I'd just use it in my hair and be more mindful in the next batch.


I either use cold infusion or if I use warm infusion I do a double boiler. For the double boiler, I'll boil a pot of water then reduce the burner to the lowest setting possible. Then I'll put my herbs mix into a stainless steel bowl bigger than the pot so that the bottom of the bowl is getting heated by the water/steam. You want it to steam heat the bowl not boil from bottom. Boiling from the bottom would turn it into a bain marie which is too much heat (as you pointed out).

I don't know what temperature this results in, but I leave it on the stove for about 8 hours with this heat.

When I make emulation, I use a heat and hold method for my oils and water mixtures. Each are held at 80C (176F) for 20 min. Supposedly, this helps to kill micobs and the like. I'm not sure if the temperature you mentioned was C or F, so I put this here as some sort of gauge.
 
snoop said:
Meh. If out doesn't smell burnt and you don't think water got into the oil I would use it.

At the end of the day can you confirm the properties of your oils/herb infusion doing:

the cold infusion method?
double boiler on the stove?
Instapot?
Infusing difference for any particular lengths of time?
differences between freshness of oils and herbs?

It's all guesswork without scientific equipment. I remember reading a passing comment on a cosmetic science FB post, that infusions at home aren't done properly in general (unfortunately, no further details were given... but I assume that it either had to do with contamination or potency or both.)

So don't waste the oil. At the very least use it as makeup remember or on your feet or something, but I'd just use it in my hair and be more mindful in the next batch.


I either use cold infusion or if I use warm infusion I do a double boiler. For the double boiler, I'll boil a pot of water then reduce the burner to the lowest setting possible. Then I'll put my herbs mix into a stainless steel bowl bigger than the pot so that the bottom of the bowl is getting heated by the water/steam. You want it to steam heat the bowl not boil from bottom. Boiling from the bottom would turn it into a bain marie which is too much heat (as you pointed out).

I don't know what temperature this results in, but I leave it on the stove for about 8 hours with this heat.

When I make emulation, I use a heat and hold method for my oils and water mixtures. Each are held at 80C (176F) for 20 min. Supposedly, this helps to kill micobs and the like. I'm not sure if the temperature you mentioned was C or F, so I put this here as some sort of gauge.
Click to expand...

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and methods. I agree that there is much guesswork involved in the process. However, some basic principles apply when it comes to heat infusions: low and slow, or hot and quick. Doing the inverse is more likely to result in either an ineffective infusion or degradation of the properties of the herbs and oil (even if it’s not burned).

150°F for 13+ hours is cutting it close. I have no scientific equipment to test the remaining components, but I make oil infusions for cooking all the time and have learned over the years that there is a notable quality difference in taste when I’ve “overcooked” an infusion. It’s harder to make that distinction for hair and body care infusions, but I don’t have faith in this batch. So, I won’t be using it on my hair. However, it’s not going completely to waste. I’m going to use it to make a bathtub oil, if I can get the essential oil blend smelling pleasant. I’m really bad at mixing scents.
 
Theresamonet said:
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and methods. I agree that there is much guesswork involved in the process. However, some basic principles apply when it comes to heat infusions: low and slow, or hot and quick. Doing the inverse is more likely to result in either an ineffective infusion or degradation of the properties of the herbs and oil (even if it’s not burned).

150°F for 13+ hours is cutting it close. I have no scientific equipment to test the remaining components, but I make oil infusions for cooking all the time and have learned over the years that there is a notable quality difference in taste when I’ve “overcooked” an infusion. It’s harder to make that distinction for hair and body care infusions, but I don’t have faith in this batch. So, I won’t be using it on my hair. However, it’s not going completely to waste. I’m going to use it to make a bathtub oil, if I can get the essential oil blend smelling pleasant. I’m really bad at mixing scents.
Click to expand...

I totally agree about all of the points that you made about the oil degrading, though my points were my thinking out loud thoughts...I sometimes wonder if 8 hours at low heat is too much. I've know people on here were sometimes doing days at low heat...

I just figured that it seemed like a shame to leave it go to waste, but I'm glad that you found some use for it.
 
I didn't get a chance to post the tea infusion that I made last weekend. I was trying to make enough for the family. (I didn't get to wash two heads of hair.) The stuff in the jars is what was left over. :look:

At least I'll have enough for myself for this week.

20240617_192335.jpg

Fenugreek seeds, shikakai, amla, sidr, reetha
 
snoop said:
View attachment 497135

Fenugreek seeds, shikakai, amla, sidr, reetha
Click to expand...

I made a clay mask with kaolin, goat's milk powder and this herbal infusion instead of water.

After washing I moisturized then sealed with tallow. What I wanted to do was seal with my herbal oil then layer with tallow but I got too excited and reached for the tallow instead. I find it to be a good conditioner, so I'm not too disappointed. I'll use the herbal oil over the next couple of days when I LCO.
 
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