The Body Shop Polynesian Monoi Oil {Product Review}

Doing product reviews in a small paragraph is awesome because it helps me get rid of products I don't have much to say about but some do deserve a proper mention.

Price: Rs 895 for 150ml

Ingredients (taken from the website)

Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil (Emollient), Bertholletia Excelsa Seed Oil (Emollient), Cocos Nucifera Oil (Emollient/Hair Conditioner), Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil (Skin-Conditioning Agent), Parfum (Fragrance), Tocopherol (Antioxidant), Linalool (Fragrance Ingredient), Hexyl Cinnamal (Fragrance Ingredient), Gardenia Tahitensis Flower Extract (Skin-Conditioning Agent) 

Pros

gets absorbed in winters when the skin is really dry

moisturizing for all skin types except dry

smells faintly of Jasmine

softens the hair and is a good hair oil

Cons

very expensive

is very greasy on skin if not winters!!

might not be enough for dry skin

My Experience

I have had this product for quite a long time. Its basically coconut oil, I believe!! Or, rather believed before I got this entire ingredient list!! I thought it smells of Jasmine and coconut blended but its actually Gardenia. Apparently, Gardenia smells just like Jasmine. 

Anyways, I used this a couple of months back when I found it too greasy to apply. But, in fact, it does get absorbed pretty quickly into the skin in winters and moisturize well. But, there is one issue. I don't think it will be enough for too dry skin. One has to follow with a mositurizer.

Otherwise, its a perfect companion for winters. Now, I also used it as a hair oil. It makes the hair really soft but I don't think I really saw any better shine. But, yes, it is expensive enough to discourage you to use it as a regular hair oil :D But, yup, one of the good buys from TBS. 

Have you used the product? How do you like it?

Other products from The Body Shop:

The Body Shop Spiced Vanilla Body Scrub

The Body Shop Wooden Shaving Brush

The Body Shop Detangling Comb

The Body Shop Bath Gloves

The Body Shop Olive Body Scrub

The Body Shop Aqua Lily Body Mist

The Body Shop Cactus Brush

The Body Shop Vanilla Body Butter Duo

Some Random Product Reviews - Part II

Dove Go Fresh Face Wash

Price: Rs 150 for 100gms (approx.)

My Experience

The product is pearly white in color and smells really orangey and fresh. It is specifically for oily skin so in the yes, it did give me dry patches when I was in Delhi. But, in Hyderabad, its going on fine. 

Its not making my skin dry or stretched or anything. But, it doesn't do anything for the blackheads. Its specifically for summers, what I felt and anyway my skin is combi-dry so probably not a good product to suit me.

Lass Naturals Rose & Honey Soap Free Face Wash

Price: Rs 135 for 100gms (that's approx!)

My Experience

Ok, so this is an unheard brand for many of you but it has been there on my shelf and in the market for quite a long time.  have in fact used this product long long back in January. But, its a worth mentioning product. 

It smells of roses and the ingredients are all natural or would say skin-friendly and it has Sodium Benzoate for preservative for those who don't like parabens for whatever reason!!

Anyways, getting on to the product, its thick and gelatin-y in texture. It foams decently and cleanses really well. It doesn't dry the skin and leaves it soft enough and didn't stretch my skin in that winter month. 

It lasted me for a month so the price and quantity is decent. The only issue I found with the brand was that the packaging wasn't good at that time. But, I think they would have improved on that by now. I would definitely say that its a good product to try out!!

Auravedic Restructuring Hair Oil with Bitter Orange and Lemon

Price: Rs 250 for 100ml

My Experience

I don't really have much to say about this oil, unfortunately :( It was a very thrilling buy for me but the product turned out to be really flat. Its a thin colourless oil which smells of lemon, more or less.

It is light so should be washed off easily but the problem is that I apply a LOTT of oil so it didn't get washed off completely which was a surprise for me!! As such, I didn't find it do anything special for my hair, either!!!

Loving It / Using It Vol. 12 - MABH Herbals Fast Growth Hair Oil

So, by now, you must surely be aware how huge a fan of hair oils I am and of hair care tips. My favourite time pass is to search out for new tips in hair care department. That is why the latest on the block is the egg hair oil I am using currently. Sounds interesting, right? Anyways, I shall discuss about this product some other time.

Let me jump right in for the current product we are here to talk about. So, this is a product by Lancy who runs the Makeup and Beauty Home blog. Apparently, this product is a concoction of a lot of herbs in a secret ratio which results in amazing hair which has given Lancy her long locks. And, no doubt, its a family secret which they have been carrying all along :)

Loving It / Using It : Using It

• Price - Rs 400 for 100ml. Really expensive!

• Availability - Online Website

• Packaging - Comes in a plastic bottle with a stopper so it does not really leak except for a few drops here and there. Might not be so travel-friendly but can not really comment on that!!

• Smells - Ok, so, here is something which I noticed that it smells a lot like the mom's oil I talked about. Well, my mum had put all the herbs she knew of in that oil, after all!! I could also smell a whiff of coconut oil but not very sure about that!! But, the smell is not really that strong that it would bother you though.

• Ingredients - It is a secret recipe but we can be assured that it is handmade and herbal.  

Usage and Results 

Well, honestly, one bottle lasted a hair oil junkie like me around 5-7 uses of heavy oiling using the regular oiling method I use. I love my hair oiled like a frying pan!! So, the oil does prove expensive in the long run. Anyways, I think I should have taken a before and after pic just to keep a record of how much has the product helped in hair growth.

But, then, I do not think there was any significant hair growth so can not really comment on that. As regards to how it treated my hair, well, there was no change in hair fall either. Lately, my hair has been falling in a larger quantity but then remember that there is comparatively more hair fall in the fall months because of the hair growth cycles. The resting hair falls to make way for new hair. And, hair growth is less in these months due to dry and cold weather.  

As regards to other results, unfortunately the conditions are too variable for my hair right now! My shampoo does not suit me, hair is dry and lanky and frizzy, conditioner is not in my routine and any hair mask has been abandoned since years!! So, any hair oil making a major impact immediately is going to go on my highly-coveted list but for now, this hair oil also fails to make that mark. I wish I could use it more to review it better. 

My Verdict

Well, I would say that the product better be used before any opinion is formed about it. I am kind of confused about it but then it is a completely herbal product which has showed promising results for many others.

So, what do you think? Have you used the product? How did you find it? Do you also feel that hair growth is affected by a lot of factors and it is difficult to form an opinion about a certain product sometimes? What are your tips and tricks for hair growth and healthy hair care?

Related Posts:

Loving It / Using It Vol. 11 - Omved Purifying Shampoo Brahmi & Peppermint for all hair types
Loving It / Using It Vol. 10 - Vaadi Herbals Face & Body Scrub with Walnut and Apricot
Loving It / Using It Vol. 9 - Le Beurre Shea Butter Body Cream Vanilla

Vaadi Herbals Amla Thanda (Cool) Tail (Oil) {Product Review}

I have taken quite a good time to review this product, reason being its very difficult to make out how a hair oil will behave and also because I wanted to see if it stands tall on all its claims! I have to say it more than surpasses on one of it!!

So, let me start with the smell. It smells like the typical amla oil which we are so used to smelling. And, let me be honest when I say that how it fares on the hair growth aspect is something I would not speculate since one and half month is really less to make such inferences. 

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Pros

cools and relaxes the body

gives a subtle shine to the hair

gets washed off easily enough

Cons

its smell might not agree with everyone

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But, it is sooooo cool. I think no other cooling oil would stand in front of it and it really helps a lot! So, its best to use in summers. When you are going to have the head bath, it feels like heaven so yes, it is amazing in that aspect. It also relieves headache and relaxes the body. It quite beats navratan oil.

So, yup, do give this amazing oil a try. Have you already used the product? Do you like it?

Related Posts:

Vaadi Herbals Aromatherapy Body Oil Pure Lemongrass and Lily Oil
Nivea pure effect Total Face Cleanup
Maybelline Baby Lips Mango Pie and Berry Crush Lip Balms

Get it from flipkart:

Biotique Bio Flame of the Forest Fresh Shine Expertise Oil {Product Review}

Price: Rs 159 for 120ml

Ingredients

Pros

leaves hair soft and shiny

smells pleasant

gets washed off easily

My Experience

I have been meaning to try this oil since a long time and you might have seen this oil being mentioned in the hair diaries. I finally managed to finish the oil after using it on and off for a long time. The first thing to notice about the oil is its fragrance which is really pleasant.

The base oil is groundnut oil which is thick but even then, it gets washed off easily and leaves the hair really soft and adds a bit of shine as well. It did not give me any hair fall and whether it helps with hair fall or not is something which I don't know because I did not have hair fall at any time I was using this product specifically. 

Missing the cons? Well, I am not able to think any!! One more piece of information - "Flame of the Forest". It is a flower called "Palash" in hindi. It is supposedly amazing for dandruff and hair loss. The name of this flower is the only reason I got attracted to the product :) Have you tried it?

Other products I love or hate from Biotique:

Biotique Bio Almond & Cashew Fresh Repleneshing Hair Serum
Biotique Bio Honey Gel
Biotique Basil and Parsley Cleanser

Biotique Watercress Fresh Nourishing Conditioner

Biotique Bio Henna fresh Powder Hair Color

Biotique Mountain Ebony Fresh Growth Stimuating Serum

Biotique Carrot Protective Lotion

Biotique Avocado Body Massage Oil

Biotique Basil and Red Sandalwood Powder Talc

Biotique Kelp Hair Growth Protein Shampoo

Biotique Bio Pistachio Ageless Nourishing and Revitalizing Face Pack

Biotique Bio Musk Root Hair Mask

Winter Skin Care Lotions

My Hair Diary - June 2014

Good Morning folks or should I say afternoon. As I ranted yesterday about the bad condition of my hair, let me say I have to restart my hair caring routines :( The volume is gone, strands are full of splits and hair is peachy and strawy in texture. But, off late, I have inculcated a few good things in my routine so let us have a look at them.

• Oiling - I hate this step!! Of course, I love to oil my hair but damn the timing. I prefer to wash my hair at night and sometimes it gets so late for me to get back from office that sometimes I do not get time to do this. And, then, hot oil massage happens probably once a month so I really miss this step. I do try to keep it up but mostly I miss it. 

• Cuts and Trims - Last hair cut was in April and that too not a good one and I need to go for it again soon enough.

• Massage - I have developed this habit of massaging my hair while I am idle. This happens especially in the office (the environment is pretty relaxed!!) when I am thinking of something or watching House of Cards or The Originals! 

• Rubbing the nails together - Do you think this helps? Well, no scientific proof but people think so let me also give it a try.

• Scalp Serum - Coming to the more practical aspects, I got this Keo Karpin scalp vitaliser. I try to apply it once a week or in two weeks, though it says it should be done everyday. And, then, I stopped using it right away so its lying in the shelf.

• Leave-in - I shifted to rosehip from grapeseed for leave-in. I have no idea how it is working but lets see!! 

• Cocoa Butter Hair Mask - So, I had a lot of cocoa butter from a long time and I have been just wishing to put it to good use. And, finally I have a chance to do it. So, let me see when I will try it!!

And, I think Organic Surge has pulled out of India (not really sure but shampoos are not available online on couple of websites) so guess I shall have to find a new shampoo :( Also, it has been ages since I have used a conditioner. 

Products Used

• Hair Oil - Dabur Olive Oil 

• Shampoo - Madara + Kamini Shampoo

So, how is your hair doing?

Related Posts:
My Hair Diary - February 2014
My Hair Diary - January 2014
My Hair Diary - September 2013

Mom's Oil {DIY}

I remember talking about this oil sometime last year and many of you had asked me the recipe for this. I did not really talk about the DIY since then because I did not have the recipe and I was not sure how good it really was.

But, this time when I went home, I made sure that I get the recipe from mum and also try out the oil so that I can actually share it with you with its amazing benefits!! And, it has been ages since I have done any DIY and I am really glad to do it.

First, I am sorry I do not have any pic. But, the oil is very pretty red in color thanks to one of the herbs! Anyways, let me speak about the results first. I have kept the oil only for 2 hours at max before washing it off.

So, it makes my hair more shiny and really really soft (unbelievably so!). I am missing the softness. Hair is also better hydrated but one has to apply the oil once in 2 days. I guess this part applies to all oils. The oil gets washed off pretty easily. It nourishes the scalp as well, thanks to all kinds of herbs put into it. I have not seen any hair fall with the oil and neither did my mom. That is interesting because my mom actually faces hair fall quite a lot! So, that is quite a small list of amazing results. But, I have used the oil only a few times.

Anyways lets check out the Ingredients.

Base Oil - Refined Oil. I was completely against it but my mom does not really listen to me :D Now, she is going to use sesame oil. I would suggest any cold-pressed organic oil like coconut, almond, sesame.

Herbs:

- dried fenugreek seeds (methi)

- dried Tulsi leaves (basil or sage)

- Dhaniya (coriander seeds)

- Jeera (cumin seeds)

- Black pepper (kali mirch)

- Green tea

- Cinnamon stick (dal chini)

- Laung (cloves)

- dried kari patta (curry leaves)

- dried Rose petals

- Sesame seeds (til)

- Mustard seeds

- groundnut

- badam (almonds)

- walnuts (akhrot)

- ratanjot (this is an interesting herb)

- Bhringraj

- Brahmi

- Amla (if not using triphala otherwise only triphala)

- Triphala

- dried Hibiscus leaves and flowers

- dried Neem leaves (margosa)

- Dried ginger (sounth)

- dry jasmine flowers

- dried marigold petals

- dried paan patta (betel leaves)

- dried mango leaves

Yeah, a long list of ingredients and I have no idea if she forgot some of the other ingredients! Anyways, let us talk about Ratanjot herb.

This is the one which gives the lovely red color to the oil. It is basically a red dye which is used in oils like dabur lal tail. It is actually a rare herb which might not be available everywhere. If you live in Himachal or Jammu, you can still get it in ayurvedic shops but I have not idea if you can get in normal shops.

Rest of all the ingredients are known pretty widely. I have no idea what some of the herbs actually do to hair like mango leaves or paan patta. And, I am not googling it right away. Ok, how to use these herbs. First of all, the herbs should be air-dried in shade but not in direct sunlight.

Once they are all dry, powder all the ingredients together. Take a two heaped tablespoons of the powder and put it in a bottle or a jar of 200-300 ml. Pour the oil in the jar till it is full. Adjust the quantity of herbs according to the quantity of oil you are going to use. Generally, one tablespoon is enough for 100ml.

Leave the jar aside for a month. Keep stirring the oil in between. And, try to keep the in direct sunlight for sometime. Read about how to infuse oil with herbs for more specific instructions. There is another way to infuse as well but the temperature of the oil should be carefully controlled so that it is not burned. That damages the hydrogen bonds in the oil which can destroy the properties of the oil.

Once the infusion process is over, oil is ready for use so filter the oil and pour in a glass bottle, preferably! Happy using in case you are going to give it a try :)

What do you say about the DIY?

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Ginger infused Vinegar for Dandruff and Clarifying Hair
Chocolate Sugar Body Scrub
My current scent

Himani Navratna Oil {Product Review}

I have been suffering from headaches since time immemorial! And, then comes summers when the need for a cooling oil increases multi-fold so I finally took the plunge and got a small bottle of this oil to try out. Before that, I had taken two opinions - one from mom and other from a friend.

One said it burns the eyes like after you apply amrutanjan and one said it feels like you have put ice on your head. Well, neither really held true in my case so I guess the oil feels different for different body types!!

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Pros

relieves stress and anxiety

helps in sleeping peacefully

feels really cool on the scalp

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Day 1 - I took only a few drops of oil and massaged with finger tips on the scalp. It really felt cool after a few seconds and it was an awesome feeling! It was peak summers in Hyderabad and I do get a lot drained in summers. The oil relieved the tiredness to an extent and lulled me to sleep.

Other Uses - I have to say not all uses were same for me. Every time, it was different. Sometimes, I did feel cool on the scalp and sometimes not! I used it during headaches and it was a bit soothing. Oiling hair is good during headaches as it increases blood circulation and if you have something cool to compensate for the throbbing, what better than that?

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Cons

smell might not be to everyone's liking though it is not exactly very strong! it smells herbally and does not go soon enough!

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Today's Use (as and when the post is being written) - I had a headache due to combined effects of lack of fluids, improper diet and sleep and roaming in mid-afternoon sun and when I came back, the first thing I did was make myself a hot cup of tea and take a really hot bath and pop a pill and sleep! When I woke up, it was time for dinner so I fortified myself by which time I was feeling a lot better but hangover was still there. So, I oiled my hair with this and in half hour, I was decidedly awake thanks to the pill, sleep and oil. And, now I am typing away the review at the stroke of midnight without a wink of sleep in my eyes.

So, after all the rants, you would have got an idea whether I like the oil or not, right? Well, in my opinion, yes! The oil is great if you are looking to relieve yourself of headaches and anxiety and stress and lack of sleep. Bte, I have to add a word here that it might be helpful for dandruff though I am not very sure!

Price: Rs 30 for 50ml

Other hair oils reviewed:

The Body Shop Rainforest Coconut Hair Oil
5 Oils I love for my Hair
Essential Oils for Hair Growth

Loving / Using It Vol. 4 - Dabur Vatika Enriched Olive Hair Oil

Donchya think Monday is a better day to start over than waiting for the start of the new month? Coincidentally, the new month starts tomorrow. And, I am a day ahead. Reason being this review should have been done a month back but due to other preoccupations, I was lazy and busy.

And, thanks to the brand for being so generous as to provide me with two bottles of the product, I could use it for a longer time and come back with a thorough-er review. In fact, these past two months have subjected my hair to a very cruel regime so I can talk about the product effects more clearly.

Ingredients as specified on the product
Vegetable Oils including Olive oil, Bhringraj, Hibiscus and Aloe vera extracts 90%, Isopropyl Myristate, Cyclomethicone, Almond Protein Ester, Sugandit Dravya, Vitamin E Acetate, Avobenzone, Antioxidant-TBHQ and C.I.47000,26100,61565 

• Smells nice. That is the first thing I noticed! It has Sugandhit dravya as one of the ingredients. And, its not overly strong so that saves the day!! 

• Not travel-friendly. One of the bottles leaked while the package came to me even after being wrapped pretty securely.

• Inexpensive at Rs 60 for 100ml and Rs 110 for 200ml. And, available everywhere.

• Makes Hair Shiny. No, it does not protect my hair when I am hell bent on damaging it but the days I use the oil and wash off my hair, I can see how shiny and soft it gets!! But, unless I care for my hair regularly, the product will not do anything more than that.

• No, I do not think it helped with any hair fall reduction. And, more often than not, your hair falls because of the dirt accumulated on the scalp so regular hair wash helps keeping hair fall in check. Try it!!

• Gets washed off easily. It does not need loads of shampoo or tons of water to wash off so environment friendly :D

• Only, it should have been packaged in pearlpet bottles or better yet, a glass bottle. The one right now is not of a very good quality.

• Not entirely Herbal. As specified in the Ingredient list, it has chemicals, especially, a silicone which might be responsible for the shine it imparts temporarily.    

Loving / Using It : Using It

 
Overall Verdict

Do give the product a try. It definitely is one of the better hair oils in the market. What do you think? Would you like to use it? 

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Kama Ayurveda Rose Jasmine Bath & Body Oil
Nivea Pure Effect Total Face Cleanup
Garnier Pure Active pore unclogging wash

The Body Shop Rainforest Coconut Hair Oil {Product Review}

I have never been a fan of coconut oil but I have been using it for sometime to remove the sunscreen and that is all there to it! I did never really try coconut oil for hair seriously because I did not see it doing much for my hair. So, lets see how this product worked on me!

Price: Rs 625 for 200ml

Pros

can be used as a leave-in treatment!

gets washed out easily

leaves subtle shine on the hair

Cons

very expensive!

its a clear oil

My Experience
It always looked to me that doing the reviews are the easiest thing on Earth because you just have to use the product and write about it! No thinking and no brainstorming. Easy-peasy.

And, then the reality crashes saying "What do you know? It is the most difficult part of blogging!" The blogger has to test a product in thousand possible ways and then list them down as to what passes the test and what doesn't!

And, when it is a hair care product, it is even worse! So, forgive me if the review is too much or too less and please read on :)

I have been testing the product since a month and I can safely say I hate the smell. The oil is clear and colorless with a cocoa-buttery smell. Its not like I am a fan of the coconut oil smell but cocoa butter smell is even worse. And, the ingredient list states fragrance as well. They might have done better with few hair nourishing essential oils instead!

Anyways, barring that issue, I do not see any problem in the product. Incidentally, it is so different from coconut oil in texture probably because of the mix of all other oils. It is very less sticky and thick as compared to the regular coconut oil and does not weight down the hair if you apply as a leave-in serum. That is something I totally loved about the product.

it has all sorts of oils other than coconut and pracaxi (Pentaclethra Macroloba Seed Oil)!

Now, it says about some Pracaxi oil which comes from South America. The oil comes from the Pracaxi seeds and has high concentration of behenic acid which apparently is good for hair! Behenic acid is a saturated fatty acid which has smoothing properties. (Source: Wikipedia)

Now, lets talk about how the product functions. Honestly, the product is so expensive that it will break your heart to use it as a hair oil. And, fortunately, I do not think I saw any difference in my hair when I used this oil as a pre-wash treatment. It did not contain the frizz or show any extraordinary difference compared to any other oil.

oil does not come drop by drop from the fliptop cap!

But, it was a hero when it came to post-wash treatment. You can easily skip the conditioner and use this product on a daily basis. Just two drops would be enough for mid-waist length hair and the leftover oil on the palms can be rubbed on the scalp. That prevents dryness of the scalp. And, even if you apply it everyday, your hair would not get weighed down.

Oh I forgot to mention - whether the product is used as pre-wash treatment or a post-wash, it leaves the hair really soft and provides subtle shine to it which makes the hair look really healthy! Hair looks full of life and bouncy. Since I wash my hair on alternate days on weekdays, my hair behaves relatively well.

Also, it brings out the color of your hair (if your hair is colored or naturally possesses some very interesting shade) which I totally loved. So, yes, it is a product which can be tried as a leave-in treatment. And, it will last you ages that way so you can spend on it in one shot as well :)

PS: Product provided by brand.

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5 Oils I love for my Hair {Five Series}

I am so stumbled by the writer's or shall we say bloggers block so I thought of one topic I would love to write about and suddenly, it popped. I love oils and I love taking care of my hair so combine them both and voila, oils for hair :D

Ok, that was no rocket science but trust me, it is not easy to write a post with full conviction. So, one has to constantly either evolve their likings or stick ot something they believe fully in!! So, lets check out which oils I totally love using on my hair.

Coconut Oil

Not my first choice generally but it is said that coconut oil gets absorbed very easily into the hair. And, since I started to try TBS Rainforest Coconut Oil, I am liking it a lot. I am using it as a leave-in serum as well which is working out decently!!

Almond Oil

Ok, Rogan Badam has to be my favorite. It has revived my hair, after all.

These were the bring oils so lets move to something exotic now!

Grapeseed Oil

It is supposed to stimulate hair follicles and improve hair growth so how could I pass this one? I included a few drops of rosemary EO and use 3-5 drops of the mix as scalp treatment for my hair after washing it. In case, you are wondering, it is not oily AT ALL!!

Pomegranate Seed Oil

Ok, this was part of my hair conditioning and frizz-fighting arsenal. And, of course, it sounds so exotic so I picked this up when I saw it on Soulflower. I used to use it as leave-in serum but can't say how much it has really helped my hair. Probably, more testing is required!

And, now, lets move to the good old ayurveda!

Neelibrigandi Oil

It is one oil in the recent times which has tamed my hair and has been giving it a healthy appearance. The one variant which I got recently is pretty non-sticky as opposed to the general belief that ayurvedic oils are extremely sticky so that's a plus!! In fact, in the recent days, I have been using few drops (2-3) of this oil as scalp treatment instead of the Grapeseed oil mentioned above!

So, what about you? Which oils do you like? Have you used any exotic oils lately for the hair?

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Just Gossip Vol. 15 - A trip to Ayurveda!

It has been like ages since I have written about hair. But, there was an interesting development last month. Have you heard of Kottakkal Arya Vaidya Sala? They have quite a number of outlets in Hyderabad which I came to know through google. It is a long story!

Anyways, there is a store decently close to my house so one day I went forth after the office. Now, they have Ayurvedic doc also coming to their store every alternate weekday so I went at the very moment when I could find a doc! The doc holds MD in ayurvedic studies so that was reassuring.

I went to the store with a very long list of products to get from there. And, I asked the doc about the hair growth issue. So, he prescribed me two tablets (lets call them A and B) and Neelibrigandi oil. Now, I have no issues talking about one of the tablets, A which is meant for hair, because it is I think pretty much available everywhere but I shall do it some other time.

this is tablet A

Now, you would ask me if I saw any benefits? First, the hair doesn't generally show any significant changes in the first month of some treatment so lets say I shall continue those tablets for an indefinite amount of time for now. Second, I don't know about the B tablets. These tablets for weight loss and taking care of the metabolism and digestion issues. 

I am completely against such tablets but since they were totally ayurvedic, I was fine with them. But, I don't think I shall get them again and that's not for the want of the benefits. But, I think its better to maintain weight with physical efforts than resorting to all kinds of tablets, howsoever safe they might be! But, the constitution of both A and B tablets are totally safe. 

this is tablet B

And, coming to the oil, I did not use it more than twice by now but it smells really really bad! Everything ayurvedic smells or tastes really bad, it seems. Coz, the tablets also taste bad :( Anyways, this oil should be used every night before going to bed on the scalp. But, since I do not wash my hair everyday, I avoid doing that! 

But, an interesting discovery was Neelibrigandi helps in cooling the scalp! Thanks to Pranali, I came to know of this. So, I think I shall try using this oil at least on alternate nights or may be every night! I shall do that and let you guys know about how effective it is! In the mean time, let me tell you that the store is pretty popular and many many people came in the time frame I was there. I think you might also want to visit and check it out.

Have you ever been to Kotakkal Vaidya Sala's clinics?

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Just Gossip Vol. 14 - What did you do this weekend?
Just Gossip Vol. 13 - Do you watch movies on weekdays?
Just Gossip Vol. 12 - Happy Holi!

Home Remedies for Hair Fall {Pregnancy}

Hair Fall is one of the very common issues. When I googled about this topic, I found one common suggestion which was to use a shampoo that contains biotin and silica.

Honestly, I don’t have any idea of such shampoo but you might ask a dermatologist or a trichologist. If you can find such a shampoo, do let me also know :) And, coming on to the regular mom's remedies, let's check out what my mom suggests.

Warm Ghee
My mom suggests me to apply warm ghee (Indian butter) to reduce hair fall during pregnancy. I think this remedy can also be used when not pregnant. But, remember to use only the pure ghee. And, eat lots of sunflower seeds, walnut and almonds. I never tried this as I can’t bear that stickiness of ghee but my sister had good results using both the things.

Oils and Derivatives
Applying mixture of castor and almond oil does help a lot. Also, coconut milk hair mask was very useful during my pregnancy.

Regular Tips

• Avoid or minimize the use of hot styling instruments on your hair, such as blow dryers or flat irons.
• Be calm and happy during pregnancy, its really important coz stress can be the reason for your entire problem during pregnancy.
• Massage your scalp with warm oil and relax your self.
• Brush your hair regularly. 

Thanks a lot, Punam, for this helpful post. Co check out her blog here :) 

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Hair Care during and after Pregnancy
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Which Shampoo to Use? {Reader's Query}

"Could you please suggest a shampoo for 8 yr old girls? I am using J&J baby shampoo still but I have started observing it is not working on their hair and cleaning it properly? I see dandruff also started developing in their scalps. Any remedy for that?"

Actually, I would suggest organic surge shampoo for anyone. I would say stay away from sls shampoos and get organic products. They help keeping the scalp healthy and moisturized. The dandruff being developed might be due to the dryness of the scalp as far as I understand. Do you oil their hair? I would suggest you to oil their hair regularly and then use shampoos. Or, you can also go for body shop or schwarzkopf shampoos but all of them are definitely expensive!!

Thanks so much for the reply! I'm oiling their hair with J&J baby hair oil only. Do you suggest any other oils (brands)? Also can you please recommend any brand for organic shampoo? I heard Body shop products have lot of chemicals and they tend to dry hair. I've no idea about schwarzkopf shampoo. Should I get one for me first and see :-) 

I would suggest you to go for pure coconut oil or such things instead of J&J baby oil and all. It has mineral oil and might not suit everyone. Also, if possible, I can suggest to you the bhringraj oil or neelibrigandi sort of oil from arya vaidya sala shop or website or even pure coconut or sesame or mustard oils from 24 letter mantra or any other organic brand. If you stay in Hyderabad or Bangalore, I can suggest you to check out goodseeds website. And, for arya vaidya sala, they have lot of shops in Hyderabad and Bangalore as far as my knowledge goes.

Check out the following:
www.aryavaidyasala.com/(S(emocbj45sqglubyiy2aeivib))/Index.aspx
https://www.facebook.com/goodseeds

And, regarding organic shampoo, I would say Organic Surge brand is really really good. I have been using it almost since a year and its awesome. And, regarding body shop or schwarzkopf, I have not personally tried them so I can really not say anything about them. I just suggested coz I have heard good reviews about them!!

What do you say? Any pointers as to which shampoo should she use?

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Do you warm up the oil before applying? {Hair Care}

Yesterday, there was kinda a huge disaster averted. It arose from the same topic as I am about to discuss. Do you warm the oil before applying it? I love to do it as often as possible. I love the relaxation it gives me and I feel oil gets absorbed better on those days! 

And, for me, its a perfect end for a stressful day. Anyways, what I used to do was boil a medium sized utensil full of water and then put the oil bottle into that utensil for like 15 min. Oh! make sure that the oil bottle is not plastic or the water is not boiling hot coz the oil bottle can deform due to excess heat. 

And, then, pour the heated oil from the bottle into a small bowl and apply the oil using cotton ball immediately on the scalp. Or, if I am using this nozzle tipped bottle, I put that bottle directly into the hot water. You can get the water from the geyser as well, btw! 

These methods of heating the oil are perfectly safe but since either of these methods have not been working out for me recently, what I was doing was taking a bowl of oil and heating it directly on the gas. Worst idea EVER! Keep the oil bowl for 2 minutes on the gas and oil boils over. But, I managed it somehow until yesterday. 

I had kept a bowl of oil on the gas for like 1 minute probably and the moment I came back into the kitchen, the oil caught fire right in front of me!! I was like stunned. It was burning high and I could not use water to extinguish it coz any drop of water would make the fire blow up even more. 

Then, I had to call my MIL. She tried to blow off the fire but the oil was igniting again and again. So, finally, she took the bowl with the handler and somehow managed to drop it into the sink. The oil spluttered and the fire blew up for a second and then extinguished. But, it was a lesson for me :D 

Never again will I try it and am before-hand advising you to stay away from such experimentations. It is a bad bad idea. Better to stick to dropping the bottle in hot water. I am not even going to microwave the oil ever again.

So, have you ever had any of such almost-kitchen disasters?

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The Oil Cocktail {DIY}

It has been so long since I have done any DIY!! Anyways, I mentioned in my hair diary that I have been using an hair oil cocktail. So, let me share the recipe with you. Now, it does have some not very easily available things. In fact, I have them on hand right now but even I have no idea how to procure them once they run out. 

Ingredients

• Mustard oil
• Camphor oil
• Clove oil
• Oil of Wintergreen

Method

You simply mix all of them, right? Ok, so, let me explain all of them. 

• Mustard oil is the base oil in which all of these other oils go. 
• Now, all these oils are basically pretty strong oil so they should not be used in heavy quantities. They should be diluted with the carrier oil or the base oil just like the essential oils. 
• Put 20 tablespoons (20 ml) each of camphor and clove oils in mustard oil (100 ml). 
• Put only 5 tablespoons (5 ml) of wintergreen oil for 100ml. 

And, the oil is done!! 

Why?

Now, I have already talked about mustard, clove and camphor oils. 

Oil of Wintergreen is basically a naturally occurring salicylic acid methyl ester from the family of aspirin. It is actually a medicinal herb which is widely used to relieve muscle joints and heal the skin diseases. And, it is highly toxic if used in high quantities!! 

For our purposes which is how it is beneficial for hair and scalp, it acts like an astringent and helps contracting the hair follicles, there by, strengthening them. Also, since it belongs to the family of salicylic acid, it acts as mild exfoliant and keeps the infections at bay which is why it is used in cosmetics.

The oil stimulates blood circulation and is easily absorbed. It has a warming effect on the area where it is applied which is why it helps with pains. But, the oil should never be taken internally or used in huge amounts on skin or hair or anywhere else!! I think oil of wintergreen (which is also called gaultheria oil) might be available in ayurvedic stores. Will confirm and get back on that. 

Btw, I do have EO's as well in my recipe but it just struck me now that I have no idea how wintergreen blends with other EO's so it is always best to use it in seclusion instead of blending with oils. Yes, clove, camphor and wintergreen can blend together coz all of them are stimulants and relieve pain.

So, what do you think of this DIY? Does it sound interesting for you to try out?

Related Posts:

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Does oil leave buildup on hair? {Your Opinion}

So, today, I have a very interesting observation to share with you and ask a question. We apply products on hair and claim that even a shampoo can leave buildup on the hair so isn't possible for even the hair oils to do the same?

Well, why did I think of this? Honestly, it was a random thought and I am not able to think of the context in which this thought entered my head. When I racked my brains on this topic, I came to a conclusion why it might be so.

All the commercially available oils have additives and some percentage of them is mineral oil. And, mineral oil creates a layer on the hair strands so it is quite possible for it to leave a residue. Even if there is no mineral oil, the other additives can leave the residue. 

Now that we have got the commercial oils out of the way, what about the vegetable oils or the pure oils? Yes, I am including all the cold-pressed and organic claiming brands.

One observation is about pure coconut oil. In some post lately (I don't remember which), I had read that if the coconut oil is freezing in winters, it is pure. This claim is wrong. It is the property of coconut oil to freeze even if it has additives added to it in some quantity.

Anyways, coming back to the topic, I was concerned about all the amazing oils which I use, whether expensive or inexpensive, what if they leave a residue? Well, my answer is the purer oils don't leave a residue but still it is good to clarify the hair every month.

I love using this ginger infused vinegar DIY. I remember doing this sometime in January or December and will do it in some days again. If you ever feel your hair looks flat even after washing it well, it might be time to clarify your hair.

What do you think?

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My Hair Diaries - January 2013

New year and new starts and I have again started taking care of my hair. Again the start was fresh and the first thing I did was chop off my hair to get rid of the split ends and damaged hair. I could not take a pic of my hair this time so excuse the missing pic. 

Also, my 10 days travel had affected my routine a bit and the products I carried were not the regular ones. Also, I did not use conditioner for those 10 days. But, there is one important observation I want to share. 

I have been oiling my hair with fingers or using this bottle which applies the oil right on the scalp. But, last year, I had also mentioned another way of oiling the hair using a cotton ball. Now, I am qualified enough to tell the difference between the two methods.

Firstly, the finger nails don't interfere. Secondly, more pertinent to the hair fall issue, when I use cotton ball method, it does result in many hairs falling the first few times which many people have reported to me but gradually hair fall decreases. And, what I have noticed was after few weeks, only the very fine hairs used to fall, may be due to weaker roots. But, that also stops after a while.

While when I resorted to the less time taking and easy to follow routine of using fingers or the nozzled bottle, I found much hair fall while oiling and even during combing with a wide-toothed comb. This was something which had completely stopped when I was following the cotton ball method.

Products Used

• Shampoo - Kamini shampoo + Neev Olive Neem Shampoo
• Conditioner - L'Oreal Total Repair 5 + Liz Earle Botanical Shine Treatment
• Leave-in - Dove Nourishing Oil Care Serum
• Hair Oil - Kamini Oil + Sesa Herbal Oil + Patanjali Coconut Oil

Ok, don't bother with L'Oreal Total Repair because it turns the hair really dry!! And, I think Sesa herbal oil is a good one. I bought a travel pack of it which had just 2-3 uses but it did impress me a lot :) I am not gonna buy it very soon but if you are on a look out, its a good one to try. 

Oh, you know what, yesterday the Dove oil bottle BROKE! I know I didn't even get a chance to try it another time but honestly I am relieved. Now, I know the problems with glass packaging :D It was really messy! And, yes, I am liking Patanjali coconut oil :)

Related Posts:
My Hair Diaries - November 2012
My Hair Diaries - October 2012
My Hair Diaries - August + September 2012

Dove Elixir Nourished Shine Hibiscus & Argan Oil {Product Preview}

excuse the mess in the background!!

This is not a review of the Oil. I am just putting my forethought on the product depending on my first use. I have not even washed my hair yet so you are forewarned. 

Price: Rs 185 for 90ml

Ingredients

click on the pic to enlarge it and you can read the information on the packaging

My Thoughts

First of all, let me start with the packaging. That's something which leaps to the eyes. Yes, it comes in a pretty heavy glass bottle with a pump. Glass packaging makes me really and I mean REALLY happy for the price. Pump makes the product apt for easy usage. 

So, whats the issue?? Sadly, just after 2-3 pumps for the very first time, it STOPPED working!!! That was the bad as it is. But, unfortunately, I have more issues with it. Honestly, this looks like a bashing post on the product but I sincerely don't want to make it so negative. 

I thought this was an affordable version of the Kerastese Elixir but unfortunately it has 73% of mineral oil which gives it a very silicony feel which I absolutely hate. I did check out the ingredients before buying but still went with it. But, the pump thing disappointed me a lot!!

It smells different. I don't know how to categorize it but the fragrance is not strong. It stays for a while in the hair and later disappears. My main worry with the product is the build up. I don't know if it creates a build up in the long run. It also has Dimethicone.

90ml is quite a decent amount which you get with the price you pay and for one use, you don't really end up using much so this would easily last a month or more. Also, I noticed that somehow the product disappears after 2-3 hours of application. 

I had applied it yesterday and then didn't wash my hair today so applied it again. I hope I wash my hair tomorrow so may be I can update with how my hair feels after the wash. But, for now, I am feeling I would have been better off without this product.

PS: The post is written on 13th Jan, 2013.

PS2: This is my 1001st post!! Woohoo :)
Other products from Dove:
Dove Color Rescue Shampoo and Conditioner
Dove Deep Pure Face Wash
Some Random Product Reviews - Part II