Who doesn’t want long, thick and luxurious hair? Indian hair is highly sought after in the wig industry for its shine and length.
Ever wonder how Indian hair gets to be so healthy and beautiful? My whole life my friends, co-workers, and random people on the streets complimented my hair.
I routinely grow my hair for 3 years and then chop it off to donate. It grows so fast, one time I chopped it off and a month later a friend remarked, ‘it doesn’t even look like you cut it, it’s long again.
The thing is, I wasn’t doing anything crazy with my hair. I just followed what my mom and grandmother did. And, it works because it’s natural. There aren’t weird ingredients and things you can’t pronounce.
Just good old ingredients right from nature.
Read on for all the natural hair secrets for long, thick, and luxurious hair. You’ll have healthy hair in no time.
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Why use Indian tips to Get Long, Thick, and Luxurious Hair?
Did you know that India is the largest supplier of human hair for wigs and extensions? Women go to temples in India to shave off their long tresses. The hair is then sorted, cleaned, and auctioned off. One temple in India makes anywhere from 25-40 million dollars a year selling the hair.
Indian’s are genetically blessed with thick hair, but they also use a lot of natural hair care products that have increased the value of their hair.
The Secret To Healthy and Long Hair
The one thing Indians do routinely for healthy hair is oiling it. We deep condition our hair with nutrient-dense oils once a week.
When I was younger, every Friday night was oil night. My mom brushed my hair until it was smooth and tangle-free. This took some time as a kid, I always had tons of knots!
Then she’d use this green oil that had a distinctly Indian scent. She’d massage into my scalp and work it all the way into the ends. After 10 minutes, I’d feel so relaxed. For best results, we always slept with our hair oil mask overnight and washed it out the next morning.
Put it in a braid and sleep with a towel over your pillowcase to avoid staining.
Why Hair Oil Masks Work Wonders
Oiling your hair injects moisture into your hair. There are many health benefits to an oil hair massage.
- You stimulate your scalp which allows hair follicles to strengthen and be more active.
- Nutrients penetrate better with massaging
- It helps with hair loss
- Shinier and stronger hair
What are the best oils for healthy hair?
My mom always used Indian oils on my hair as a kid. It’s green and very potent. Usually, it is made with Indian Amla (gooseberry). Amla oil helps stimulate your scalp, controls premature greying, and helps with hair growth as it strengthens hair follicles.
As I got older, I experimented with all kinds of oils. I now use a combination of oils to maximize the benefits. Here are commonly used oils:
Castor oil comes from a plant that is native to Asia and Africa. It is a vegetable oil pressed from castor beans. Castor oil is known for its thick consitency and it is better to mix this oil with others due to its stickiness. This oil is rich in healthy fats such as the fatty acid ricinoleic acid.
This vegetable oil helps lubricate the hair shaft and protects it from damage. Fatty acids provide proteins and nutrients to hair follicles. It also can help those with dandruff issues.
This popular oil comes from Meditteranean olives. While we traditionally use this in our foods and with yummy breads, olive oil has tremendous hair care benefits as well.
This oil has a moisturizing effect on the hair and it gives it softness and strength. Olive oil is great for getting that shine that makes hair sparkle. If you have a dry scalp, this is the perfect oil for a head massage due to its moisturzing properties.
Produced from jojoba seeds, this oil is native to southwestern USA. Jojoba oil is rich in many vitamins that are vital for hair growth. This oil is great for preventing hair loss and promoting hair growth.
Jojoba oil also is moisturizing like olive oil and great for dry scalps and combating dandruff.
Coconut oil is my favorite oil to use in my hair serum bases. It was also my grandmother’s go to as well. This oil smells great and has so many great benefits for our hair. This popular oil moisutrizes hair, protects it from enviornmental damage, and helps prevent protein loss and damage when wet.
This vegetable oil is a powerhouse for hair care. Use fractionated coconut oil for best results. This oil stays liquid at all temps and won’t solidify.
Honorable Mentions:
While I personally don’t use these oils in my hair serums, they are also great for hair growth and care so they deserve a mention!
Avocado Oil
Sweet Almond Oil
Essential Oils for Hair:
While adding essential oils to hair oils isn’t a traditional Indian thing to do, I’m adding it to the list because essential oils are powerful, potent and non-toxic. They make great additions to hair serums and smell great too!
Lavender
Peppermint
Rosemary
Cedarwood
Thyme
Tea Tree
DIY All Natural Hair Serum Recipes:
Use these hair masks once a week for the best results. You can change it up to maximize the benefits to get long, thick, and luxurious hair in no time.
Deep Conditioning Hair Mask:
1 tbsp fractionated coconut oil
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp castor oil
1 tsp jojoba oil
Essential oils (optional)
This mask is great to use when your hair really needs some TLC. Watch your hair turn silky soft overnight.
Thick Hair Mask:
1 tbsp fractionated coconut oil
1 tbsp jojoba oil
Essential oils (optional)
This hair mask recipe will thicken hair when consistently used.
Shiny Hair Mask:
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tbsp fractionated coconut oil
Essential oils (optional)
Your hair will bring all the shine with this olive oil-based hair mask.
Long Hair Mask
1 tsp castor oil
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp olive oil
Essential oils (optional)
Feel free to experiment with the oils and use them more or less depending on your hair length. If your hair is on the drier end, use more. Be sure to wash well the next day. I usually wash my hair twice to get all the oils out. My hair is always left silky soft and never greasy.
Other Indian Tips for Healthy Hair:
Along with maintaining good hair hygiene and routine oiling, here are some other things to try for long, thick, and luxurious hair.
- Wash it 1-2 times a week instead of daily. Overwashing removed oils and dries out your hair.
- Use natural cleansing methods such as yogurts and chemical-free shampoos.
- Braid hair loosely and avoid tying it up too tightly. Tying it tightly leads to breakage and pulls on your skin which will lead to premature wrinkles.
Did you try these DIY natural hair masks for long, thick, and luxurious hair? Comment below!
Interested in other DIY non-toxic recipes? Try our 5 DIY Natural Lip Scrubs with Essential Oils.
