Amla hair care tips: Here's how to use gooseberries for healthier, shinee hair
Hair care is an overall term for hygiene and cosmetology involving the hair which grows from the human scalp, and to a lesser extent facial, pubic and other body hair. Hair care routines differ according to an individual's culture and the physical characteristics of one's hair.
Indian gooseberries or amla are considered to be the elixir for hair as they have both preventive and curative properties like - it prevents the breaking of hair as well as cures pigmentation, inflammation, greying of hair, etc. Furthermore, the leaves of the plant too, are utilized for hair care and while consuming gooseberries has its added advantages to the whole body, they can also be used externally to cater to the needs of the hair and scalp.
We have all heard throughout the years about the therapeutic benefits of amla or Indian gooseberry but did you know this particular component can work wonders for your hair? In an interview, Dr. Archana Batra, Dietitian, Nutritionist, Physiotherapist, and Certified Diabetes Educator shared, “Amla helps to nourish your hair from the roots up because it is a high source of vital nutrients. Additionally, it stops greying and strengthens and smooths out your hair.”
According to Dietician Vidhi Chawla, Founder of Fisico Diet Clinic, consuming Indian gooseberries help the hair be stronger and also caters to discoloration of hair brought about by nutrient deficiency. She gushed, “It soothes the scalp and so, reduces dandruff caused by inflamed follicles. They bring back dull hair to life by providing the shine required to the hair, whilst conditioning it as well. Traditionally, Amla was used to promote hair development instead of hair growth because of its property to produce collagen protein.
She recommended a murabba recipe for Hair Growth:
image source South China Morning Post
1. Take some gooseberries and clean them. After which using a fork try to create holes in the gooseberries.
2. Take some water, just enough to cover the gooseberries completely, and put it for boiling, after which add the required amounts of jaggery and 1 tablespoon of cardamom powder.
3. Once, the syrup starts lathering, add the cleaned gooseberries to the syrup, and let it boil with the gooseberries.
4. Once the syrup is soaked by the gooseberries, take the gooseberries out and season them with white sesame seeds.
Spilling the beans on a whole one-ingredient hair care routine that can be based on Indian gooseberries, Ruchita Acharya, Founder of Glow and Green, advised:
1. Starting with a hair oil
image source styles at life
Amla juice could be squeezed and then heated with coconut or almond oil. Into this, you could add a few curry leaves and aloe vera gel. Once the solution is heated well enough, it can be strained and bottled. When needed, this oil could be mildly heated and applied.
2. A hair mask
image source Healthline
A hair mask especially made to reduce split ends would lead to amla juice mixed with yogurt and henna powder. This helps the hair with cleansing and removing toxic material from the scalp. Yogurt/Curd helps the hair moisturize and retain hydration, thus helping with frizzy hair.
3. Shampoo
A really good amla shampoo to make would be drying hibiscus flowers and leaves, and gooseberries and making a powder of them. Then this powder mixture should be added with either reetha powder or shikakai powder and then honey could be added as well. All this could be made into a paste by adding a little water, turning it into a really good hair cleanser.
