Henna Hair Oil (மருதாணி எண்ணெய்)

In India, women endowed with thick dark tresses are considered lucky! Every young girl loves to have dark, silky hair. Traditionally, women took great pains to prepare herbal oils and powders for hair care. My grandmother never allowed us to use 'shampoo' when we were young and always used homemade hair oil for hair care. Henna hair oil was always available at home and she personally used to massage my scalp gently with this oil. Ingredients required for this hair oil are readily available and you can easily make it at home. 

Ingredients:

Coconut oil – 200ml (தேங்காய் எண்ணெய்)

Henna leaves – ½ teacup or 100ml measure (மருதாணி இலை)

Hibiscus flower – 5 no (செம்பருத்தி பூ)

Hibiscus leaves – a handful (செம்பருத்தி இலை)

Curry leaves – a handful (கறிவேப்பிலை)

Basil – a handful (துளசி)

Neem leaves – a handful (வேப்பன்கொழுந்து)

Method: Grind the flowers and leaves in to a smooth thick paste. While using the mixer-grinder, ensure that the contents do not get heated up. Take a small quantity of the paste, in the size of a wild gooseberry (காட்டு நெல்லிக்காய் அளவு) and flatten it on your palm into a patty (வடை போல் தட்டவும்). Place these patties on a plastic sheet and dry in the shade for a day. On the next day, turn the patties around and allow them to dry in the shade for one more day. Continue this process till the patties are completely dry. Add the dried patties to coconut oil in a sterile bottle. Leave the bottle in the hot Sun for 2-3 days. On standing in the Sun, the oil will turn red in color. Now the henna hair oil is ready for use.

How to store: Store the henna hair oil in a sterile glass bottle with a screw cap. 

How to use: You may apply little oil to the scalp every day. Alternatively, you may apply sufficient oil to the scalp by applying little by little, covering the entire scalp. Massage your scalp with finger tips and allow the oil to stand for 1-2 hours or overnight. Then wash your hair with mild shampoo or herbal hair wash. 

If you like this post, please share it with your friends, followers or contacts, by just clicking the 'Face book', 'Twitter' or 'Google +’ icons you see below the post. Feel free to post your comment/ feedback. Your support is greatly appreciated. Thank you!