Thinking about using bay leaf for hair health? Here's all you need to know. - 24 Mantra Organic

Bay leaf is used universally in Indian cooking. Usually accompanied by cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon, bay leaf leaves any dish it is used in, incredibly fragrant. It is one of the most nutritious spices to be included in your garam masala mix.

But, are you aware that you can use bay leaf to beautify yourself?

While soaking in bay leaf infused water, especially the organic kind, can help in making your skin smooth and supple, the subtle fragrance of the bay leaf when infused in bathwater, also helps in relaxing the tense muscles of the body and provide relief from daily stress.

Benefits of using bay leaf for hair

1. Gets rid of dandruff

Dandruff can have many causes. Other than an underlying medical condition, many times, dandruff can be caused by an oily scalp. Bay Leaf is rich in antioxidants – when applied to the scalp, they help in controlling the oiliness, and put an end to dandruff (1).

A simple DIY to help fight dandruff. Grind dried bay leaf into a powder, and mix it with coconut oil, or any other untreated hair oil. Allow the oil to remain in hai for 15 minutes before you rinse it off. Bay leaf powder can also be mixed in with yoghurt and applied on hair. Wear a wrap around your hair and rinse off after a few minutes.

2. Shinier hair

Using bay leaf for hair helps not only in eliminating dandruff but also in making the hair shinier. Free radicals in the air along with pollution, make the hair dry and brittle. The antioxidants in bay leaf help in reversing the damage done to hair and make it shinier with more lustre (3).

Boil a few leaves of fresh bay leaf in water for a few minutes. Once the water has absorbed the essence of the bay leaf, switch off the flame and let the water cool down. Remove the leaves and use the infused water as a final rinse after washing your hair. If fresh bay leaves are not available, you can use dry bay leaves, or even use powdered bay leaf.

3. Fights against lice

Lice are insects which transfer from one person to another. Lice are mostly seen in younger children and should be treated quickly to reduce itchiness and further contamination. The pungent smell of bay leaf helps in removing the infestation of lice from hair (2).

At night, wind a few leaves of fresh bay leaves in hair and wrap with a cloth. This causes the lice to suffocate and fall off the next day when you unwrap your hair. If fresh bay leaf is unavailable, you can use dry bay leaf for hair health.

4. Protects against fungal infection and scalp inflammation

Bay leaf has certain antifungal properties that are extremely useful in preventing or reducing fungal infections. Many times, fungal infections could lead to dandruff, and even excessive hair fall (2).

Infuse water with the essence of bay leaf. Add a few bay leaves to a pot of water. Boil for a few minutes and strain. Once cooled sufficiently, wash the scalp with this water. Rinsing with bay leaf is really good for hair also as it can help in removing infection and inflammation.

5. Boosts hair growth

Hair fall is a fear that everybody has. With pollution, stress, and unhealthy lifestyle choices there could be a visible increase in hair fall. Bay leaf can help in enriching hair and gently coaxing the scalp to regrow hair (3).

Bay leaf for hair growth can be used by infusing hair oils like coconut or almond oil with bay leaf. You can powder dry leaves and mix it with the oil, or tear fresh leaves into the oil and keep them sealed for a few days before using. You can either use the oil before a hair bath or as a leave-in oil to condition hair.

Conclusion

Bay leaf is one of those condiments that is always available in an Indian kitchen. So, the next time you are making your favourite pulao or paneer curry, set aside a couple of leaves to treat your hair.

Also, organic bay leaf for hair is one of the little known natural ingredients to use for healthy hair.

References

1. Health Benefits Of Bay Leaves And Its Side Effects
2. Uses of Bay Leaf for Hair and Skin
3. Did You Know Tej Patta Can Make Your Hair Grow?

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