moonglowdiva
New Member
I though this was cute. I got this from another hair site. I guess there's nothing new under the sun.
BTW: This is my first post.
There are many surviving recipes focused on hair care in the Middle Ages. These recipes range from:
Encouraging hair growth, thickness
Make hair curly
Hair color (from bleaching to black)
Conditioners
Fragrance
To get rid of “itch-mites”
Good sources for hair care “products” can be found from Plat's Delightes for Ladies, the Trotula (12 th c), Porta's Natural Magic, the Manual de Mugeres (16 th c), and Gervase Markham's English Housewife.
Long hair wasn't washed as often in period, and the tendency to tangle probably accounts for the period tendency to keep it in braids and other elaborate arrangements.
A word of CAUTION: many of the ingredients mentioned here are not safe for modern use. Alum was used as a hair-dye mordant and should be used with care even on hair-switches. The selection of hair dyes included here is only a small sample. And it seems that hair dye recipes are the most common category on hair care in surviving recipes.
Encouraging Hair Growth
So that hair might grow wherever you wish. Take barley bread with the crust, and grind it with salt and bear fat. But first burn the barley bread. With this mixture anoint the place and the hair will grow. ( Trotula )
In order to make the hair thick. Take agrimony and elm bark, root of vervain , root of willow, southernwood, burnt and pulverised linseed, [and] root of reed. Cook all these things with goat milk or water, and wash the area (having first shaved it). Let cabbage stalks and roots be pulverized and let pulverized shavings of boxwood or ivory be mixed with them, and it should be pure yellow. And from these powders let there be made a cleanser which makes the hair golden . ( Trotula )
To make hair to grow:
Take leaves of willow and boil them well in oil, and therewith anoint the place where you would have any hair to grow, whether upon head or beard. ( Markham )
Another:
Take treacle water and honey, boil them together, and wet a cloth therein,and lay it where you would have hair to grow, and it will come speedily. ( Markham )
Unction to grow and perfume the hair
Whoever desires to have their hair grow a lot and to make the head smell very good, should get used to combing the hair, with vulture grease, in the sun. ( de Mugeres )
Bruise Marsh-Mallow roots with Hog Grease, and let them boil long in Wine.
T hen add Cumin seed well Bruised, Mastick , and Yolks of Eggs, well boiled.
First, mingle them a little, and then boil them. Strain all through a Linen clout, and let it stand and settle, then take the fat that swims on the top and anoint the head, first wash. But to make them grow quickly, take Barley bread with Salt, and Bear's Grease. Burn the Bread, and with such a mixture anoint the place. Some smear a Glazed pot with the fat of a Horse's neck, and they boil river Eel that is fat, and cut into pieces in it, till it Dissolve into Oil, and they anoint the part with it ( Porta )
Curly hair
For making the hair curly. Grind root of danewort with oil and anoint the head, and tie it on the head with leaves. ( Trotula )
BTW: This is my first post.
There are many surviving recipes focused on hair care in the Middle Ages. These recipes range from:
Encouraging hair growth, thickness
Make hair curly
Hair color (from bleaching to black)
Conditioners
Fragrance
To get rid of “itch-mites”
Good sources for hair care “products” can be found from Plat's Delightes for Ladies, the Trotula (12 th c), Porta's Natural Magic, the Manual de Mugeres (16 th c), and Gervase Markham's English Housewife.
Long hair wasn't washed as often in period, and the tendency to tangle probably accounts for the period tendency to keep it in braids and other elaborate arrangements.
A word of CAUTION: many of the ingredients mentioned here are not safe for modern use. Alum was used as a hair-dye mordant and should be used with care even on hair-switches. The selection of hair dyes included here is only a small sample. And it seems that hair dye recipes are the most common category on hair care in surviving recipes.
Encouraging Hair Growth
So that hair might grow wherever you wish. Take barley bread with the crust, and grind it with salt and bear fat. But first burn the barley bread. With this mixture anoint the place and the hair will grow. ( Trotula )
In order to make the hair thick. Take agrimony and elm bark, root of vervain , root of willow, southernwood, burnt and pulverised linseed, [and] root of reed. Cook all these things with goat milk or water, and wash the area (having first shaved it). Let cabbage stalks and roots be pulverized and let pulverized shavings of boxwood or ivory be mixed with them, and it should be pure yellow. And from these powders let there be made a cleanser which makes the hair golden . ( Trotula )
To make hair to grow:
Take leaves of willow and boil them well in oil, and therewith anoint the place where you would have any hair to grow, whether upon head or beard. ( Markham )
Another:
Take treacle water and honey, boil them together, and wet a cloth therein,and lay it where you would have hair to grow, and it will come speedily. ( Markham )
Unction to grow and perfume the hair
Whoever desires to have their hair grow a lot and to make the head smell very good, should get used to combing the hair, with vulture grease, in the sun. ( de Mugeres )
Bruise Marsh-Mallow roots with Hog Grease, and let them boil long in Wine.
T hen add Cumin seed well Bruised, Mastick , and Yolks of Eggs, well boiled.
First, mingle them a little, and then boil them. Strain all through a Linen clout, and let it stand and settle, then take the fat that swims on the top and anoint the head, first wash. But to make them grow quickly, take Barley bread with Salt, and Bear's Grease. Burn the Bread, and with such a mixture anoint the place. Some smear a Glazed pot with the fat of a Horse's neck, and they boil river Eel that is fat, and cut into pieces in it, till it Dissolve into Oil, and they anoint the part with it ( Porta )
Curly hair
For making the hair curly. Grind root of danewort with oil and anoint the head, and tie it on the head with leaves. ( Trotula )