Indian herbs and their uses

Indian herbs have been used for thousands of years and are still being used and will probably stay around for another thousands of years. Here are some of the things that Indian herbs are good for:

Methi - It makes the pastes very mushy, soft, and easy to apply, and rinse out and it is a great herbal conditioner I have tried so far.
Neem - (powder or leaves) can help get rid of pimples and dandruff,lice. Good hair conditioner too if you dont mind the smell.
Amla (gooseberry) - Thickens, darkens, and nourishes hair.
Shikakai - Hair cleanser,great alone or mixed
Aritha (whole or powder) - Helps rid hair of dandruff. Hair cleanser
Mehandi (henna) - Strengthens,adds shine and conditions hair. Also used as a herbal hair dye.
Chandan - Smells heavenly! Conditions and helps darken hair.
Til (sesame) - Promotes hair growth, darkens hair,sunscreen.
Bhringraj - Darkens, strengthens, and conditions hair. (I have found that it is best used in conjunction with other herbs for more beneficial conditioning).
Coconut - (used as oil or milk) conditioning,strengthens,helps keep hairs dark,cooling to the body and head.
Castor oil - maintains thickness and darkness of hair(used for light treatments with other oils).


How to make and apply a herbal pastes:
You will need the powdered form of the herb for the paste. You can use almost any herbs with each other for the benefits of all of them, but you should first consider what you are trying to achieve. For example, if you want your hair to be darker, you would want to choose herbs that will help darken it. Before you apply it is highly recommended to oil your hair and scalp,not just for conditioning but also for minimising the chance for the herbs to get absorbed into the body. For hair that is thick and around thighs length like mine, you will probably need about 8 tablespoons of herbal powder. If you want this paste to act only as a cleanser and conditioner, you could use 4 tablespoons of shikakai (cleanser) and 4 tablespoons of chandan (conditioner). It doesn't matter how much you use of each, all of the mixing and matching I have done have produced good results.

Once you have decided which powders to use and have put the amounts in a bowl, you will want to add hot/boiling water. You can also use cooked rice water. This helps take out some of the oil. If it is for a paste, you will want it to be fairly thick, but not so thick that it is difficult to apply (if you have ever used henna, it should be very similar to that).

Applying pastes:
Now you have finished making your paste how do you use it?
I will usually get upside down over a bathtub. This really helps the cleaning up when you are done. If you have made a paste that is to be used for conditioning purposes only, you can just apply it to the length of your hair and leave it in for however long you want before rinsing. If it is for cleansing as well, you will want to rub it into your scalp. I like to flip my head over and first rub the paste into my scalp, all over, then I work from the roots down, applying the paste on dry hairs. I dont apply herbal pastes to wet hairs. I twist the hair as I apply the paste, making sure I get it to all of the areas. Then I secure it in a bun on top of my head, with a towel wrapped around or a plastic bag if I'm going to sleep with it in.

If you have alot oil on your hairs then leave the paste overnight then rinse them off in the morning,this is really good when you have alot of oil in your hairs.

Now rinsing out the paste:
I get upside down, undo the bun, and spray the length and scalp with warmish/cold water from hand-held shower head. As I spray it, the twisted length unravels. I sometimes find it is very easy to rinse out herbal pastes. If it is not easy, you might want to try the bucket method - fill a bucket with water and dunk your length in. This is very effective in getting the paste out of your hair and it lets the mud get soft and easier to rinse out.

Whole herbs such as aritha can be boiled or left overnight in some warm water. In the morning massage these and the soapy liquid will come out and can be used for the washing. If you have alot of oil leave this on for sometime, (remember it is natural and will not hurt your hair) also making sure it does not get into your eyes cause it will burn very much.

Oils/ Now oils are good from oil baths to light oilings on non-wash days.
I like to do oil baths in summer time,as this is very cooling to the body and head. In India it is commonly used with sesame or coconut oils,and is used on days before head bath. Now I know this, how do I use them?
Take the desired oil and start applying to your scalp,youll want to use alot of oil so it looks like wet hair. Massage your scalp and braid. I use it on my body as well cause I get very hot in summer. I apply to backs of knees,under arms,neck and thighs. You can do this to babies as well so they are not getting too hot.
Light oilings are easy and should be done with massage 3 times a week. (Everyday without oil before bedtime). Take half a teaspoon into palm and cup it so it doesnt spill over. Take your middlefinger and index fingertips and dip in the oil,then apply to your scalp in a circular motion, (making sure you are only moving the scalp not hairs around). Do this all over your scalp (if you need more oil then add alittle more into your palm like first time. Then when all done massage it all in a circular motion and moving scalp around not hairs,for 5mins. After your done rub your hands together and put the rest on your hairs and all done. When doing massage without oils do same but leaving out the oil.

Some other ideas for herbal pastes:
Adding yogurt.Sometimes this treatments can leave your hair oily so it can be used as conditioning treatments. After mixing the herbs with boiling water (just enough to create a thick paste), add some yogurt. How much you add depends on the length of your hair and how much is in your herbal mixture.
Honey- When you are done mixing the herbs with boiling water, you can add a few tablespoons of honey. This will, like yogurt, help boost conditioning qualities of the herbs.

Applying to wet/dry hair:
Should you apply the herbs to wet hair or dry hair? That is a matter of personal preference. I usually apply it to dry hair, because it is the quickest for me, and I don't need to get into the shower first to do it.
After rinsing herbs out of hair squeeze water out of hair and wrap hair with whatever you normally use. I do a loose bun on top of my head and then use a t-shirt for a few minutes,then I let my hair open and air dry them. I always have sticks left in my hair, so I do hair slapping when my hair is damp, to loosen these and dry my hair.

Source:http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=21003