We all want beautiful, healthy hair. If you’re like me, your healthy hair journey has been a struggle. Two years ago I lost my a section of my hair due to birth control, and have been on a journey to grow it back. Allow me to help relieve the burden with these four foods to grow your hair!
Rosemary
Used as a shampoo by women in Victorian England, Rosemary is a wonderful herb to use to grow your hair. Board-certified dermatologist and assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine Dr. Jeannette Graf states, Rosemary essential oil can help stimulate healthy, thick hair,” affirms Dr. Graf.
“The oil can speed up the process of cell turnover and growth, which can work as a natural remedy to grow thicker hair. Since it is an anti-inflammatory, it is used for [preventing hair loss], as well as regrowth.”
Add a few drops of rosemary oil to your weekly deep conditioner, or use rosemary water as a rinse. After deep conditioning my hair, I rinse with rosemary and onion water, which I’ll talk more about below.
Onion Water
I know, onions stink, but this root vegetable will make your hair grow because of one mineral abundant in onions: sulfur.
Keratin is made of sulfur and hair is made of keratin- adding more sulfur will strengthen hair allowing you to retain length. The Black community knows all about Sulfur8, when our mothers and grandmothers would grease our scalps with the product before styling! Speaking of protein, another protein is important for your hair: collagen.
Collagen
Your hair is made of collagen, so adding collagen to your regimen will reap many benefits! Bone broth, meat, eggs, seafood, berries and citrus fruits are all high in collagen and vitamin C which aids in collagen formation.
To reap the benefits of collagen, add 1-2 tbsp of lemon juice to your conditioner, or take daily collagen supplements. Taking a daily hair vitamin (I take Nature’s bounty hair, skin, and nail vitamin with collagen) has been a game-changer for me for retaining length. I have a friend who always has long, and thick hair and she attributes this to collagen supplements.
To maximize hair growth, I use rinses after I deep condition my hair. Check out the rosemary-onion water hair rinse I use below.
Rosemary-Onion Rinse
-¼ cup dried rosemary
-¼ cup chopped yellow onion
-Peppermint oil (12-20 drops to get rid of smell)
-2 cups of water
-1 cup organic, grass fed beef bone broth, optional
Add rosemary and onion into pot
Add 2 cups of water
Boil for 10-15 minutes
Set aside to cool
Strain rosemary and onion
Add 12-20 drops of peppermint oil, and 1 cup of bone broth (optional)
Wash and deep condition hair as usual, rinse with cooled rosemary-onion water.
Circulation
Unlike the previous points, you can’t find this in your kitchen, but this is a simple trick you can add to your hair regimen! Increase circulation to your scalp.
Increasing circulation increases hair growth because increased blood circulation delivers more nutrients the hair follicle needs to grow your hair longer.
To increase scalp circulation, use a scalp massager or your fingers to massage scalp for 5-10 minutes every night. Or place head between legs for 5-10 minutes every night. To add more circulation, massage your scalp with peppermint oil (be sure to use a carrier oil!).
Conclusion
With anything in life, consistency is key. When utilizing these tips, it’s important to remain consistent. Try these for at least 30 days and decide for yourself if you notice any difference! I have implemented these tips and noticed my hair has been growing, and getting stronger.
Most folks’ hair only grows ¼ inch to ½ inch per month so patience is also a factor. If you really want to grow strong, healthy hair, it’s important to use the right products. Some hair care products have ingredients that are harmful to your hair-check out my post about that here.
In a previous post, I spoke about some of the harmful ingredients in many personal care products. Many of which are tied to cancer, can jack up your hormones, ruin some vital organs, and or cause irritation. Many of these chemicals are in our tried and true, ride or die products (I’m looking at you Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Deep Conditioner!). Today, I’ll list the best toxin-free hair care products that are great to try for all hair types that don’t break the bank!
SheaMoisture Manuka Honey & Mafura Oil Intensive Hydration Shampoo & Conditioner pack -$20.89(at Amazon, see link below)
This brand is known for its high quality ingredients free of toxins that are great for curly hair types. I personally use this exact line, and my hair has been super moisturized since using it. You can find Shea Moisture products anywhere these days: CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, Target, and Amazon.
ACURE Curiously Clarifying Shampoo, Lemongrass & Argan-$9.99 (at Amazon, see link below)
ACURE is a vegan hair care brand that has amazing products! This shampoo is a great clarifier that will strip hair of nasty oil and dirt leaving your hair clean and stronger because of the argan oil infused in the formula. They have lines for thin, fragile hair; and even dry, thirsty locks! This brand is definitely A CURE for dry, damaged, limp hair (get it? A cure?). You can find them Amazon or at your local Whole Foods!
Puracy Citrus & Mint Sulfate-Free Natural Daily Shampoo and Conditioner Pack-$25.99 (at Amazon, see link below)
Puracy is a vegan, hypoallergenic hair line that is cruelty free. This award-winning hair care brand has all your toxin-free needs from hair care products, baby shampoo and body wash, body washes, laundry detergents, and multi-surface cleaners! Their Citrus and Mint shampoo and conditioner will keep your hair cleaner and stronger between washes. You can find this brand at Target and Amazon.
The Honest Company Conditioning Detangler & Fortifying Spray-$5.99 (at Amazon, see link below)
This product is Amazon’s choice for detanglers with 4.5 stars. It’ll soften and nourish hair while leaving it smelling of vanilla and sweet orange. This company has it all: body washes, hair care products, even personal care products for babies all toxin- free! You can find their affordable products at Amazon and Target.
Pacifica Pineapple Curls Pomade–
Who doesn’t need bouncier curls while smelling like pineapples? This pomade will nourish, and define curls, lay edges and add shine to hair. This brand is also cruelty free and vegan! You can buy these at Amazon and Target!
Kerastase Discipline relays anti-frizz oil serum–$37.99 (At Amazon, see link below)
This serum is pretty popular, its effectiveness touted even by the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle. Kerastase is great for all hair types. But this particular line is great for reducing frizz, and smoothing hair: making it a winner for curly, or wavy hair types! You can find this product at Sephora, and Amazon.
Yarok Feed Your Roots Mousse–$32.00 (At Amazon, see link below)
Hmm, a mousse that’s toxin free, will nourish my hair, and not dry it out? What more could a girl ask for? This all-natural, cruelty free, vegan product is great for thin, limp or damaged hair. The Yurok Feed Your Roots Mousse transforms your locks into voluminous hair by giving it the nutrients it needs. You can find these products on Amazon or the detox market. They’re having a huge half-off sale right now on their site!
If you’re in need of some hair care products that are free of harmful chemicals, give these product lines a try! They’ll get the job done of giving you luscious, nourished locks without the worry of using dangerous chemicals.
Our body is our temple, right? Most of us are pretty good at ensuring the things we put into our bodies are not poisonous, damaging or harmful to our bodies, right? We wouldnt willfully eat lead or arsenic or inhale asbestos. But what about the things we put outside our bodies?
Did you know that most of our daily care products like shampoo, toothpaste and lotion are filled with dangerous chemicals? While the European Union has banned more than 40,000 dangerous chemicals in personal care products, the US has only banned around 11 dangerous chemicals. Leaving most consumers with a cocktail of dangerous chemicals seeping into our bodies every day. In this series, were gonna discuss some of the chemicals in our everyday personal care products. But there’s still hope, because I’ll also provide some great alternatives.
Take a look at some of the many chemicals you can find on the back of many everyday personal care products taken from Safecosmetics.org:
Formaldehyde, a known carcinogen.
Paraformaldehyde, a type of formaldehyde.
Methylene glycol, a type of formaldehyde.
Quaternium 15, which releases formaldehyde.
The long-chain per- andpolyfluoroalkyl substances known as PFAS, which have been linked to cancer.
M- and o-phenylenediamine, used in hair dyes, which irritate and sensitize the skin, damage DNA and can cause cancer.
1, 4-Dioxane, Not listed on ingredient labels, 1,4-dioxane is a contaminant linked to cancer found in products that create suds, such as shampoo and liquid soap.
Acrylates, ethyl acrylate, ethyl methacrylate, and methyl methacrylate) are ingredients found in artificial nail products
Benzophenone, and related products, chemical linked to cancer, benzophenone is used in cosmetics such as lip balm and nail polish to protect the products from UV light.
Butylated compounds (BHT, BHA), Concerns about organ-system toxicity and endocrine disruption led the European Union to prohibit the preservative butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) from cosmetics
Carbon black, dark black powder used as a pigment in cosmetics such as eyeliner, mascara and lipstick that has been linked to increased incidence of cancer.
Coal tar, known carcinogen found in shampoos, soaps, hair dyes, and lotions
Ethanolamine compounds (MEA, DEA, TEA, etc.), The European Union prohibits DEA in cosmetics due to concerns about formation of carcinogenic nitrosamines.
Ethoxylated compounds (PPG, PEG, polysorbate, phenoxyethanol, polyoxyethylene, sulfates, emulsifying wax NF), breast cancer and other cancers
Methylisothiazolinone, allergies and possible neurotoxicity
Mica, respiratory problems, and lung scarring
Nanomaterials (zinc oxide, micronized titanium dioxide, micronized quartz silica, fullerenes), damage to skin cells, cell damage, and lung cell mutations
Nitrosamines (TEA, DEA), linked to cancer
Octinoxate, endocrine disrupter
Parabens, endocrine disrupter
PABA, endocrine disrupter
Petrolatum, petroleum jelly (paraffin and mineral oil), cancer, International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) lists 14 PAHs as probable or possible carcinogens and one PAH as a known carcinogen.[5] A study on Long Island, NY, found that those women with high levels of PAH-DNA adducts had a 50 percent greater risk of breast cancer
Whoah, that’s a huge list for dangerous chemicals! How can I possibly remember all of that? Plus, I’m sure its not so bad if my favorite products have only a small amount of these chemicals, right?
Wrong. According to an article on Safecosmetics.org, it was long held that as long as a dangerous chemical was used in small amounts, it was not dangerous. This theory was put forth by a 16th century physician scientist Paracelsus. He believed that any substance was a poison if you ate too much of it and that any substance could be safe if the exposures were small enough. Research has since revealed that there are no safe exposure levels for some chemicals. For instance, lead can affect brain development even at parts per million. A dangerous chemical, is a dangerous chemical, is a dangerous chemical.
You’ll notice in the list above, most of the chemicals fall into one or all of these categories: organ system disrupter, irritant, endocrine disrupter (i.e. reproductive toxicity or developmental toxicity), or cancer-causing (carcinogen).
Considering that cancers are 70-90% environmental, meaning not caused by your genes inherited from your parents (5-10% of cancers are hereditary), is it too much of a stretch to consider the products we use as causing cancer? Or even infertility? A meta-analysis published in 2017 in the journal Human Reproduction Update found that sperm count has declined by 50% in 40 years! Miscarriages and female infertility are also increasing, at a rate of 5-10% per year according to singlecare.com. Its easy to wonder if those numbers would be different if the personal care products didn’t have these dangerous chemicals in them.
For example, take a look at some of these everyday hair care products below:
We only get one body, so we owe it to ourselves to care for it, and be diligent with how we take care of it. And what products we use to care for it. I know how disappointing this list can be-especially if some “natural” products you have are filled with some of these dangerous chemicals! But there’s still hope. Consumers are becoming more aware of the dangers of chemicals in products, and companies are listening.
If you’re like me, some of those products mentioned above are your tried and true faves! It can be tough finding other personal care products that are free of dangerous chemicals. Thankfully, I’ve found a few good brands to check out (that are pretty affordable too)!
The Mustard Seed Wife 