People have attached particular importance to hair care since ancient times. And this is not surprising: after all, beautiful, shiny hair is a sign of the he alth of their owner. But in our time, hair is exposed to much more aggressive external influences than ever, which means that they need enhanced nutrition and restoration. Today, many people are familiar with such problems as dandruff, hair loss or weakness. To improve your hair, it is not necessary to buy professional cosmetics. In this article, we will tell you how to properly make and apply ginger hair products at home.
What is ginger?
Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is a subtropical perennial cultivated plant that is now distributed on almost all continents. Its name is derived from the Sanskrit word singabera, which means horned root in translation. For the first time, ginger was used as a medicine and food supplement in northern India as early as the third millennium BC. He came to Europe thanks to the Phoenician navigators in IXcentury AD e. from South Asia. In our country, ginger appeared during the existence of Kievan Rus.
In food, medicinal and cosmetic purposes, a rhizome is used, which is mistakenly called ginger root. For hair, this plant is useful no less than for the skin, digestion, nervous system and genital area. The unique composition of ginger makes it one of the most valuable ingredients in cosmetics.
Healing properties of ginger
The benefits of ginger for hair are due to the presence of many amazing chemical compounds in it. The main one is zingiberen, which speeds up metabolism. The most useful in the product are essential oils, in the rhizome their amount reaches 3%. These oils contain a range of natural antiseptics:
- cineole;
- bisabolic;
- gingerol (gives the plant a specific taste, increases blood circulation);
- camphene (has antiviral, antimicrobial and antifungal effects).
Ginger rhizome also contains nicotinic acid, which prevents early graying and hair loss.
In addition, ginger is rich in vitamins and minerals. Iron and magnesium improve the nutrition of hair cells. Potassium keeps them hydrated. Thiamine restores damaged hair. Vitamin A makes hair more elastic. Vitamin C strengthens and activates protective functions. Vitamin B2 optimizes the functioning of the sebaceous glands. Vitamin B1 prevents hair loss. Ginger also contains calcium, chromium, manganese, phosphorus, retinol, tocopherol andessential amino acids.
Due to its local irritating effect, ginger increases blood circulation and accelerates the activity of the bulbs, which in turn causes active hair growth.
Ginger helps in eliminating dandruff, reducing oiliness, adding shine to dry and dull hair. Rinsing the hair with a ginger juice solution after washing makes it silky and soft. Interestingly, the gingerol found in ginger can make hair a tone lighter.
Ginger also eliminates the causes of baldness, such as fungal diseases, lack of nutrients and insufficient oxygen supply to the hair follicles. Home cosmetics with ginger helps to get rid of fungal infections and seborrhea, nourishes the scalp.
Ginger is widely used in the cosmetics industry. Manufacturers of hair care products produce shampoos, sprays, balms and masks with essential oil and ginger extract for hair loss, dryness and other problems. Ginger extract is also found in Indian and Asian natural cosmetics. There are also professional hair products with ginger.
Reviews of homemade masks with ginger, its juice and essential oil are mostly positive. People who used such products noted that hair, even dyed, acquired shine, became thicker, stronger and softer, the amount of dandruff significantly decreased, and bald patches disappeared. A careful study of numerous reviews of home cosmetics containing ginger leads to the conclusion that withthe absence of contraindications and the observance of precautionary measures, the use of such funds gives an amazing result.
Features of using ginger
Apply the ginger-based product so that it comes into contact with the scalp only lightly. After that, you must quickly put on a bathing cap or a plastic bag to prevent contact of the mask with air, as ginger juice dries hair sticky, making it sticky. It is believed that fresh ginger is more effective than dried ginger due to essential oils, but ground ginger is better washed out of the hair. The ground rhizome is sharper than the fresh one, so you need to use it in the preparation of cosmetics in smaller quantities. The ingredients should be mixed in a glass or ceramic bowl to avoid oxidation.
Ginger for the preparation of masks should be rubbed and used immediately, as essential oils evaporate quickly upon contact with air. Ginger should be peeled in the same way as carrots, scraping off the skin. Masks containing oil should be washed off with warm (but not hot!) Water and shampoo, best of all - in the bath. It is preferable to choose natural shampoos. Keep in mind that synthetic oils are not suitable for masks and can cause various problems.
Precautions
Due to the unusually active effect of ginger, it is recommended to mix it with other components, carefully observing the dosage. Ginger-based masks should be applied to dirty, slightly damp or dry hair and left on the head for no more than 30 minutes, unless otherwise indicated. You can apply them once every three days for three weeks, and then you should take a two-week break.
The ginger hair mask should feel warm, and there may also be a slight tingle. But wash it off immediately if you feel a strong burning sensation or itching. If ginger juice gets into your eyes, rinse immediately with water. Always wash your hands after contact with juice or mask. In no case do not rub essential oil or ginger juice into the scalp in its pure form - this can cause irritation, as well as a sharp and severe increase in blood pressure.
Contraindications for the use of ginger-based cosmetics:
- pregnancy and lactation period;
- hypertension;
- high body temperature;
- chronic forms of skin diseases;
- liver disease;
- gastric ulcer;
- individual intolerance, allergy;
- taking anticoagulants, drugs that stimulate the cardiovascular system or lower blood pressure;
- Increased sensitivity of the scalp.
To test if you are allergic to ginger, cut the rhizome and rub the skin on your wrist or elbow. If within a couple of hours there is no negative reaction (redness, itching, burning, rash), then there is no allergy.
Dandruff infusion
You will need:
- 1 small ginger rhizome,
- 2 cups boiling water.
Grate ginger rhizome, pour boiling water and heat forlow heat for 15 minutes. Cool the resulting infusion and strain, rinse clean hair with it, rinse with water after 10 minutes. After three uses of this infusion, the hair may become lighter, but for this you do not need to wash it off.
Oil masks
You will need:
- 1 part finely grated ginger or ginger juice (or 1/2 part dried ground ginger),
- 1 part warm natural vegetable oil.
Mix ginger and oil until smooth. Apply the mixture with your fingers on the scalp. It is not worth pouring an oil mask on your hair: then it will be difficult to wash it off. After application, a feeling of warmth should appear. Wash your hair after an hour. Use the mask 1-2 times a week for best results.
Using a mask with sesame oil or jojoba oil allows you to achieve rapid hair growth. A mask with sunflower or coconut oil helps prevent and heal dryness and alopecia, as well as eliminate dandruff (if coconut oil is hard, melt it in a water bath). Avocado oil and olive oil provide both benefits.
Oil masks are applied before shampooing, on dry, dirty hair. Before that, they must be carefully combed and massaged the head. You can use darsonval.
Mask for hair loss with almond oil
You will need:
- 1 part ginger juice,
- 1 part warm almond butter.
Grate the ginger rhizome and squeeze the juice out of it withwith a piece of gauze. Mix it with almond oil and apply on the scalp. Massage your head with a wide hair brush. Apply almond oil all over. Leave on for 30 minutes, then wash your hair.
Repeat this procedure every 7 days. The effect becomes visible after 4-5 applications. Hair becomes shiny and soft, stop falling out.
Nourishing banana mask (suitable for color-treated hair)
You will need:
- 4 spoons of homemade yogurt,
- 1 teaspoon ground dry ginger rhizome,
- 2 drops of lemon juice (for oily skin - the same amount of lemon essential oil),
- 1 tablespoon olive oil,
- 1 spoon liquid honey,
- 1 yolk.
Mix all ingredients well. Set aside part of the resulting mixture, add half a banana, crushed into gruel, and 1 raw yolk to the remaining mass. Apply a warm mask to the scalp. Apply the reserved part of the mask, without banana and eggs, to the ends of the hair. Wrap your hair in polyethylene, wrap it with a towel on top. After half an hour, rinse your hair with water and shampoo, and then with a cool solution of apple or wine vinegar (2 tablespoons of vinegar and 2 drops of ginger oil in 2 liters of water).
Mask for split ends and damaged hair
You will need:
- 1 spoon of honey,
- 2 tablespoons olive oil,
- 2 tablespoons ginger root juice,
- 1 yolk.
Mix all the ingredients in a homogeneous mass and thickly coat your hair with italong the entire length. Wrap your head in polyethylene, wrap it in a towel. Wash off the mask after about 20 minutes. This mask can also be used as a ginger hair growth treatment. Reviews indicate that its use allows you to make hair soft and crumbly.
Mask with aloe juice against alopecia
You will need:
- 25 g liquid flower honey,
- 1 scoop fresh 2 year old aloe juice,
- 1 spoon of purified cosmetic burdock oil,
- 1/2 spoon of any cognac,
- 1/2 tablespoon finely grated ginger rhizome,
- 1 yolk.
Slightly heat the honey and then quickly mix it with the rest of the ingredients. Apply the mask to the scalp. Put on a bathing cap or wrap your hair in cling film and leave the mask on for 50-55 minutes, then wash your hair. Use this mask once a week, with active hair loss - once every two days.
Ginger & Aloe Vera Gel Hair Growth Mask
You will need:
- 2 parts ginger juice,
- 3 parts aloe vera gel,
- 1 part liquid coconut oil.
Mix all the ingredients. Apply the mixture on the scalp and on the hair along the entire length. Wrap your head in foil, then in a towel. Wash your hair after an hour.
Ginger in tandem with aloe vera even better normalizes the production of sebum, due to the large amount of vitamin A. Coconut oil has a moisturizing and nourishing effect.
Ginger oil forhair
As already mentioned, essential oils are considered the most valuable component of ginger rhizomes. All minerals, trace elements and rare vitamins are concentrated in them. Ginger hair oil has a range of effects:
- antibacterial;
- antifungal;
- regulating (normalization of sebum production);
- feeding;
- tonic;
- moisturizing;
- stimulating.
Ginger oil is an effective therapeutic and preventive agent against itching, alopecia and dandruff due to its anti-inflammatory and sedative properties. To achieve a beneficial effect, you need to add 4 drops of oil to 15 g of your favorite balm or shampoo. So you can achieve shine, accelerated growth and strengthening of hair, as well as the disappearance of split ends.
If you use ginger essential oil to make a hair mask, then you should not add more than ten drops of oil to it. It is not recommended to add it to mustard or pepper masks. It is better to use shikakai, vegetable oils or henna.
Ginger essential oil can be purchased at pharmacies and aroma salons. Pay attention to the packaging: if it has the inscription Zingiber Officinale, then the product is natural. If you have any allergies, it makes sense to also study the composition. Allergy to ginger is rare, but pharmacy oil contains diluents that can cause unwanted reactions. Patchouli and peanut oils are the most common allergens.
EtherGinger oil quickly evaporates in the air, but it dissolves well in fats, retaining its beneficial properties. Therefore, you can prepare it yourself. To do this, you need to take a glass jar, pour odorless vegetable oil (for example, corn or olive oil) into it and put finely chopped ginger rhizome into it. Next, you should insist the mixture in a dark place for three weeks, and then strain into a clean, dry bottle. The product prepared in this way can be stored at a temperature of +2…+4 ºС for up to six months and used for cosmetic purposes.
Of course, ginger is a real find for hair. But in order for the result from the use of caring cosmetics to be achieved as quickly as possible, and to last as long as possible, it is necessary to take care of the hair in other ways. Absolutely all factors are important: nutrition, external influences, sleep and wakefulness, emotional background. In order for curls to always delight you with their beauty, you need to avoid stress as much as possible, get enough sleep, walk in the fresh air, choose a diet according to your hair type, and also wash, dry and comb them properly.