Restoring Vitality to Hair with Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy has many beautifying benefits that were known to the Ancient Egyptians, Romans, and Greeks.  In the Bible, it was said that Queen Esther purified herself and bathed in herbal oils to beautify her skin. 

Aromatherapy infusions, oils, and teas are not only beneficial to the skin, but they also can add vitality, shine, and luxuriousness to the hair.  Whether your hair is straight, curly, permed, dyed, bleached, natural, blonde, brunette, or gray Aromatherapy can enhance the feel and appearance of your hair, nourishing each strand from the inside out. 

One of the most used methods for treating your hair with Aromatherapy is by using an infusion.  Taking one ounce of dried herbs and steeping them in one pint of boiling water make an infusion.  The infusion can be added to your bath water, to soak the entire body, or it can be applied directly to your hair for immediate benefits. 

Another way of treating your hair with Aromatherapy is to use massage or hair oil that has been made with Essential oils or herbs and a carrier or base oil.  For use on the hair, you can choose base oil such as Olive, Sweet Almond, or Jojoba and add the Essential Oils that carry the hair nurturing qualities that you desire. 

Many blondes may be familiar with Chamomile and its ability to add natural highlights to the hair.  In fact, many shampoos are adding Chamomile as a main ingredient.  You can make your own Chamomile infusion for your hair by seeping one ounce dried Chamomile flowers to one pint boiling water. 

Let the infusion cool then apply to the hair.  You can sit in direct sunlight to enhance the effect. 

You can add a few drops of herbal essential oils to either your shampoo or conditioner to create your own custom Aromatherapy treatments.  When using essential oils, it is important to understand that they are highly concentrated and need to be diluted. 

This is accomplished by adding a few drops of an essential oil to a carrier base such as Olive oil, Jojoba oil, or Sweet Almond oil.  However, you can achieve the same effect by adding a few drops of essential oil to creams, lotions, and conditioners as your base. 

If you are suffering from an itchy scalp, from psoriasis, dandruff, or just plain dry skin you can add a few drops of peppermint oil to your conditioner for a wonderful soothing and very cooling treatment. 

Make sure to use just a few drops of Peppermint Oil, because in large amounts it can be very irritating to the skin.  Test your itch relieving Peppermint conditioner in a small area of your scalp to make sure that the Peppermint Oil isn’t overwhelming. 

A wonderful Aromatherapy treatment for dry hair consists of adding a few drops of Lavender or Rosemary essential oil to your conditioner.  You can also make your own hair oil treatment by adding these oils to your choice of carrier oil such as Jojoba or Olive oil.  If you want to use a deep oil conditioner, use the oil. 

For an extra deep conditioning treatment, cover the hair with a towel for 20-30 minutes after applying the conditioner.  Rinse out thoroughly with lukewarm water.