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As the efficacy of natural medicines in general is being more widely recognized, the true value essential oils are also being recognized. The have a broad range of medicinal actions, and many are applicable to therapeutic skin and hair care. Here we'll look the premier oils for supporting stimulating new hair growth, and building a personal formula for a therapeutic daily oil treatment. What Goes Into A Hair Growth Stimulating Formula? The oils used for hair growth are also those used for skin care in general -- the health of the follicles is of course closely related to the health of the scalp and skin. Essential oils for your most effective, custom recipe can be selected from one of three general categories. These are: stimulating (may signal new hair to grow), nutritive (offers important nutrients), and balancing (helps over-oily or over-dry conditions become normal). The most deeply therapeutic means of using essential oils for hair growth is to make an oil treatment formula -- a blend of essential oils and carrier oils that is massaged into the scalp and left for some period of time (rather than simply just adding to your conditioner or shampoo). Revving Up Those Follicles We'll begin by looking at the "stimulating" essential oils. These essential oils are used in skin and hair care to stimulate cellular metabolism (increasing the oxygen and nutrients used by the cell) or stimulate the growth of new cells. The most popular of these are Rosemary and Sage. Sage MAY be the more powerful of the two oils, but it should not be used by children, or by women who are pregnant -- or may becoming so. Rosemary is the most popular, and if you do choose Rosemary, be sure you find the type that's specific to skin and hair care: it's called "Rosemary Verbenone" -- and while a little more expensive than the common Rosemary, it'll be far more effective for this purpose. Use either or both of these two essential oils at a concentration of no greater than 1% in your base (we'll talk about calculating this figure at the end). Getting Some Vitamins to the Hair Follicles There are certain vitamins and vitamin-like compounds known to stimulate hair growth. Like the pharmaceutical preparation "Retin A" contains something similar to vitamin A (and does stimulate hair growth for some men), Carrot and Sea Buckthorn essential oils contain similar compounds. These are actually found as CO2 extracts, found in the same category as essential oils in stores. These oils are often used between 1 and 2 percent concentrations. Getting The Scalp Back In Balance for Maximum Hair Growth Many, many people have either over-dry or over-oily scalp conditions which wreak havoc on hair growth. Balance is what's needed here, and here's the oils to do it. Lavender is the most widely used "balancing" oil, that has a wealth of therapeutic effects. If you do not have an outstanding skin condition that really needs clearing up, add a little Lavender to your blend -- it is thought to really tie all the components together to help them work most effectively. If you've got an over-oily condition, a little Myrtle essential oil is thought to do the trick. It's cleansing and balancing at the same time, restoring sebaceous output to proper levels. Finally, for mature women, be sure to use a little Clary Sage, thought to restore cellular estrogen levels to their optimum for the most beautiful skin and hair. How Are These Oils Applied? In Come the Carrier Oils! One would imagine for an "oil treatment", there must be some oil involved somewhere. The essential oils, interestingly, are really not "oils" -- they are very complex natural mixtures made up of readily-evaporated compounds. "Oils" on the other hand, are made up of larger, longer chain molecules that don't evaporate so easily. Olive oil is an example -- though in aroma-therapy, generally seed and nut oils are used due to their diverse array of therapeutic activity. In these blends, the oils of choice are Coconut -- very therapeutic, and may stimulate hair growth all by itself. Rosehip Seed -- highly regarded for its regenerative properties. Jojoba -- important for those with dry, brittle, thin hair. And Evening Primrose, who's essential fats are excellent for inflamed scalp conditions, and can offer important nutrients which may be missing from the diet (Hemp seed is also an appropriate choice for the same reasons). Each carrier can be used alone, or in combination with others. Use all four if you like, you're hair won't be sorry! Putting Your Blend Together Sometimes people are a little intimidated by mixing their own essential oil formula, but it's really much easier than even baking cookies. Let's describe how to make 1 ounce of hair stimulating blend, and then you can easily multiply the values to make larger amounts. This is best done in a 1 ounce empty dropper bottle, but again, you can start with a larger one if you like. To make the base, fill the bottle most of the way with your carriers. If you're using using more than one carrier, estimating equal parts of each is fine. Make sure you leave a little room at the top for the essential oils! So, for each 1% of an essential oil, just add 8 drops of that oil to your bottle. Using 1% Rosemary? Add 8 drops. 2% Lavender, 16 drops. 1/2% Sage? 4 drops. To Make 2 ounces of final blend, just double these numbers -- to make 4 ounces, multiply them by 4, and so on. Practical, Effective Recipes for Men and Women Here's two great recipes. For men, to make 4 ounces (which should last 2 to 4 months): To a base of equal parts Rosehip Seed, Hempseed and Coconut oils, add 32 drops Sage (Dalmatian or Common), 64 drops Carrot Root (also called Helio-Carrot), and 32 drops Lavender. For women, to the same base, add 32 drops Rosemary Verbenone, 64 drops Sea Buckthorn, 32 drops Lavender, and 32 drops Myrtle. Feel free to adjust as you see fit -- using your intuition is an excellent means of customizing your recipe. Once you've inverted or lightly shaken the mixture, it's ready to use: you can apply about an eye-dropper full to your scalp, and massage-in. You can do this before going to bed (though cover your bedding to prevent stains from the oils) or wrap your head in a moist towel for a while to maximize absorption. A light scalp massage with the oils will also increase circulation and absorption by the hair roots, perhaps increasing the efficacy of your blend even further. This concludes a basic review of the therapeutic use of the best essential oils for hair growth, and how to prepare and use your own personal formula.
Article Source: http://www.gambling-articles.org
The author utilizes pure essential oils for aromatherapy. More information is available through The Ananda Apothecary at www.anandaapothecary.com.
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