Crowning Glory Part 1

Beauty Consultant and Cosmetologist Rima Soni talks Tress Sense and tells you all you need to know about hair care in a 3-part series.

Hair is your crowning glory, so respect it. Brush your hair twice daily. It helps cleanse scalp, activate circulation and add shine to the hair.

Hair is such a vital part of your beauty and 90% of the world takes it for granted until it becomes a sore topic of discussion. Hair needs loads of tender loving care; just like we talk and nurture our children or plants, hair too should be talked to and pampered for flowing tresses, shiny, thick and gorgeous.

Pay special attention to the comb or brush you use.

Avoid any thing that has metal wires or teeth or even plastic. As far as possible, use natural fibres combs and brushes. These help to avoid hair breakage or loss of natural hair gloss. Natural fibres give hair a healthy massage, which in turn, improves its quality.

Brush hair thoroughly with a natural hair brush. Drop hair in front, bending the neck. Start from the nape, reaching out to the ends of the hair. This helps to brush off dust particles from the hair, unclog the pores, improve circulation and distribute natural oils over the entire scalp and hair, thus making hair healthy and lustrous.

Summer Care

Exposure to the sun is very damaging to the hair, so always cover your hair with a scarf or hat if outside. Water used for the hair must be soft. It should be boiled, filtered and then used. You could invest in a specialised filter for the shower, if you wish to avoid the hassle of boiling and filtering.

Always oil your hair before a shampoo to keep it nourished and avoid damage. Shampoo your hair with only quality products. I prefer shampoos that are fruit or egg-based or contain nut seeds. My sincere suggestion is to buy just a small pack of shampoo when trying a new product. Test it on a small portion of the hair (preferably on the ends of the hair since most people suffer from dry ends).

Hair can be conditioned after a shampoo but you must squeeze out all the shampoo and water from the hair. When damp, massage the conditioner onto the hair. Leave on for 10 minutes or according to requirement and a final cool rinse will help trap the conditioner in the hair, making it soft, smooth and manageable. Avoid hot water after application as it washes off the conditioner coating.

CORRECT METHOD OF SHAMPOOING: First, untangle hair. Brush hair, wet hair, take a drop of shampoo, allow this to mix well into wet hair, lather this well in the scalp and all over the hair gently. Rinse off after a minute of thoroughly cleaning hair.

I believe you are what you feed your body with. Your food, mental state of mind and lifestyle all contribute to the quality of your hair. You need to know what works for you. Some hair types need the richness of oils; others need seeds, nuts, fruits or even plant treatment. Sunlight before its peak at noon is best. Let the hair breathe fresh oxygen. Play with your hair using the pressure points of your fingertips. These warm pads are better than any massage brush.

Beauty hair oil recipe straight from my kitchen:

I wish to start with my mum’s famous hair oil, which became an absolute hit with thousands of friends and relatives. This oil helped men, women and kids achieve healthy hair-and because of my fondness for all those who trust in my recipes, here is that special recipe formulated by her and shared with the world to spread happiness.

Choose 1 litre of either coconut or almond oil. Add 1 cup of grated green pumpkin, 1/2 a cup of castor oil, 2 tablespoons of fenugreek powder, 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper powder and 1 tablespoon of curry leaves paste. Boil all this on a very low fire till the pumpkin turn slight brown. Turn off the fire after 30 minutes.

Cool overnight and filter. Then store in bottles.

Massage this warm oil into your hair an hour before you shampoo; follow with a mild shampoo. You could massage scalp twice or thrice a week for great hair growth.

Hair food

Take 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons of brandy and 1 tablespoon of lime juice. Apply to dry hair and allow soaking for 30 minutes. Then finally, shampoo off with a mild rinse.

Smooth Shiny hair

Take a splash of cider vinegar (1 teaspoon) and 1 tablespoon of olive oil; mix well. Massage thoroughly and leave on for 30 minutes before shampooing off with a mild shampoo.

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Source: www.rimasoni.com