Pioneer Woman at Heart

One Flourishing, Frugal and Fun Family!

One family learning to live off the land, cut back on expenses, and to live a simpler and a more self-sufficient lifestyle.

Adopted Motto

"Eat it up,
Wear it out,
Make it do,
Or go without."
~A Pioneer Sampler, by Barbara Greenwood~

Monday, March 27, 2017

Hair Tonic

I have made apple cider vinegar hair rinses in the past, but this is my first time making a "hair tonic" for hair repair and growth.

There are many recipes online, but I used nettle and peppermint essential oil to make mine.  


The timing of my brittle hair (bangs breaking off first,
noticeable and hair underneath my back hair breaking off), I thought it was the homemade shampoo.  I honestly feel it wasn't the shampoo.  I feel it was the after effects of the liquid radiation they dumped down my NG tube (for an all night x-ray) and combined with the nasty pharmaceuticals they pumped into me, while hospitalized.  Oh, and I also think the bottle of hospital issued body wash/shampoo dried out my hair even more.

Well, my beautiful fingernails stopped growing at the same time my hair was showing damage. Shortly after being home.  Even after I started (two months after I was able to eat normal again) eating my greens, teas, and nuts, my nails continued to split, peel, and stay short.  I had a feeling both were growing out the poisons they pumped into me.  

I did some research, and started using aloe at the scalp for hair growth, and as a leave-in conditioner.  I started drinking my nettle tea infusions again too. Tea infusions are packed with nutrition.


Then, I ran across a hair tonic recipe, and felt I should give it a try.  You can google the recipe.  I found a few online.  I simply made mine as I would a tea infusion to drink, but cooled it and then added the essential oils.  I keep it in the refrigerator, shaking it up before each use.

Update 4/5/17:  Found another recipe for this hair tonic - 1 cup of nettle to 4 cups of water.  It said to leave it in, not to rinse it out. 

I have been using it for about 4 days now, but will update you if this tonic has a noticeable difference with my hair repair/growth.  I used to have thick hair, and it's really thinned out.  

If I remember right.  My hair dresser told me your hair is affected by what you consume.   It makes sense to me. The timing, what was going through my body (and what wasn't), and how nice my nails were prior to being sick.  

I can tell you that using peppermint was a good choice for myself.  It not only helped open my nasal passages, it gave me a boost in my day, firing me up to get moving.  Not only does it promote hair growth, but it has other benefits (you can use other essential oils as well). It also gives me a calming effect.  A nice way to start the day.

If you have used a hair tonic for these reasons, I'd love to hear about it.  It may be 4 weeks before I will be able to give an update.  I read that the average hair grows 1/2 inch in one month.    






7 comments:

Rain said...

Hi Kristina :) I think you're pretty courageous and inspiring, just wanted to say that! I'm interested in your hair tonic results. What are you going to do about your nails? Is there some tonic you can apply for that? You know, when I was loaded with pharmaceuticals during 7 years of depression, my skin was dry and pale, my scalp was itchy all the time and my nails split too. It took me a few months after I finally weened off everything to notice that I didn't have dry skin around my eye lashes anymore and then finally after a year or so, everything started to grow and remain healthy again. I feel the same way with the anxiety I'm trying to manage, so I'm looking forward to that book I ordered about food and anxiety. We have to help ourselves, because the pharmaceutical route isn't good for us.

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Rain, I first experimented just drinking the nettle/oat straw tea to help my nails and hair (mostly nails). I didn't see a difference. Then I started eating two organic/non-gmo brazil nuts a day, along with an increase in my greens. My nails grew like crazy. I'm back to the teas, nuts and greens, but I went several months without them. I have stinging nettle that I harvest right off my property, but it can be ordered from reliable sources online as well.

Rain said...

Wow, that's pretty cool about the Brazil nuts, which I love, but can't really find non-stale ones around here...I used to eat them when I did my vegan year to try to get some minerals into me, but didn't realize they helped with nail growth.

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Rain, for me and my daughter they worked great. However, you can't eat a too many or you can poison yourself. They are loaded with selenium, and too much is toxic. I have read anywhere from just eating two, to three or four.

Rain said...

Oh, well that's something I didn't know, that too much is poisonous because they sure are tasty nuts! Thanks for the information!

RB said...

It could very well be the chemicals poured into your body while in the hospital or it could be a body change. I read somewhere that our bodies go through a complete purge and change about every 7 years, so it could be that too. Will be interesting to hear the results of this.
God bless.
RB
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Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Thanks RB