USES OF GELATIN

Gelatin as Binder

Gelatin is protein that has broken down into its component amino acids through boiling or action of enzymes. When you mix gelatin powder with a little water, it feels sticky. Some people use this sticky substance as glue.

In ancient times, the Chinese use gelatin to stick paper on the Chinese flute. When the glue hardened, it stiffened and strengthened the paper. In modern times it is occasionally used to size and strengthen paper such as   some glossy printing papers, artistic papers, playing cards, and it maintains the wrinkles in crêpe paper.

It is used as a binder in match heads and sandpaper.

Besides using it as adhesives, it is found it in deodorants, dyes and fabrics. You can use this very same sticky and stiffening   quality of gelatin to thicken fine hair, style and keep hair in place. Synchronized swimmers apply gelatin to their hair since it does not dissolve in water.

RECIPE

HOMEMADE HAIR GEL: Mix unflavored gelatin powder into a paste with tepid/cool water. Stir while you pour in boiling water, fragrant herbal tea or hydrosol. A clear gel will form and thicken when cool. Store in a bottle with well-fitting lid/cover and keep in the fridge. It can keep for about a week. Use 1 part gelatin to 5 -8 parts liquid.

Thickener & Stabilizer

Gelatin and partially hydrolyzed protein is a thickener and stabilizer. You can find it in food, shampoo, hair styling products, hair conditioner, face cleanser, face mask as well as other cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.

Gelatin is also used in nail polish remover and makeup applications. The gelatin is often tinted in different colors to match the person’s natural skin tone. (Wikipedia)

RECIPE

NOURISHING FACE MASK: Mix 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin powder with 1 tablespoon of milk into a smooth paste. Stir in hot water (4 to 7 tablespoons). Microwave to heat up or put in a pan of simmering water and stir. Add in 1 tablespoon of mashed avocado or apricot. If you have oily skin, use mashed berry or tangerine flesh instead. Leave to cool, apply on clean, washed face.  Avoid eye and mouth areas. Leave on for 25 to 35 minutes, and then wipe off with dampened cotton balls. Wash with cool water.

Film former

It is a film former so it is used as a coating for photographic film and photographic paper.

Next time you pop your vitamin pill, take a look at the capsule. It may be made of gelatin.

RECIPE

BLACKHEAD REMOVER:  Mix 1.5 tablespoon of milk into 1 tablespoon of unflavored gelatin. Stir into a smooth paste and put into a pan of simmering water. Cover pan or the container with a glass cover so you can see when the gelatin is ready. The gelatin will swell up. Switch off fire. While the milk-gelatin is still warm, apply on blackhead area with a cotton ball or sponge. (Clean your face thoroughly beforehand)  Wait till the gelatin has hardened completely and peel off.

Clarifier

Suspended sediments in wine and beer make them look cloudy. Manufacturers add gelatin to their product to make it look crystal clear. Gelatin, which carries a positive electrical charge, attracts negatively suspended particles like a magnet. The particle-laden gelatin sinks to the bottom when it becomes too heavy dragging other particles with it. Manufacturers may use other sources of protein such as albumen (from egg white), casein (from milk), Isinglass (from fish), chitin (Chitosan),   in this ‘fining’ process.

Gelatin also reduces the astringency of wine.

You can use it to clarify juices and vinegar as well.

Chitin & Chitosan

Chitosan is hydrolyzed form of chitin, a substance extracted from crustaceans and mollusks such as prawns, crabs, lobsters, octopus   and squids. It is the main component of the cell wall of fungi and exists in insect.

In terms of structure, chitin may be compared to the polysaccharide cellulose of plants but with addition of nitrogen within the structure. It functions like the protein, ‘keratin’. Surgeons sew up patients with biodegradable surgical thread made from chitin.

Some farmers spray their crops with chitosan to naturally induce systemic resistance (ISR) against disease, pathogens and pests.

According to Wikipedia, “separation membranes and ion-exchange media can be made from chitin.  ”

A TREAT FOR YOUR HAIR THE AYURVEDA WAY

You can pamper your hair with an Ayurvedic treat each week to keep it healthy and beautiful. The basic procedure is easy to remember, but you will have to set aside time and preferably do it in an unhurried, stress-free environment.

Here is the basic procedure:

•Condition your hair with oil.

•Wash hair.

•Apply nutritious, herbal oil on hair when it has dried.

In addition, you can give your scalp a relaxing massage. A 1998 study found that massaging the scalp with a combination of several essential oils in a base of jojoba and grape seed oils improved new hair growth for 44 percent of patients suffering from alopecia areata (patchy hair loss). The report stated one patient dramatically completely regrew hair from an almost completely bald scalp!

1. CONDITION

Oils suitable for all hair types are sunflower, jojoba and olive oil.

If you have dandruff or infected scalp, add neem, clove, eucalyptus or tea tree oil.

•Vata hair: sesame / apricot / avocado / almond oil

•Pitta hair: coconut / grape seed / rice bran oil

•Kapha hair: olive / sesame / grape seed / soy / safflower oil.

In cold weather, you can add mustard oil to any of the above oils to warm the scalp.

2. WASH

You can add any one or a blend of the following ingredients to wash hair:

MAIN INGREDIENTS

Shikakai (Acacia concinna), soapnut / soapberry / soapbark / soaproot (There are a number of plants traditionally used as soap around the world so use what is available to you.), tea and vinegar

SECONDARY INGREDIENTS

Add any of the following ingredients to the main ingredients:

Besan powder (Chickpea/garbanzo flour milled from hulled roasted chickpea [Cicer arietinum])

Amla powder (Indian gooseberry, Emblica officinalis)

Hibiscus powder (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis)

Gram flour [black (urad dal) / red (toor dal) / green (mung bean) ]

LIQUID MEDIUM

Mix above ingredients in a liquid medium such as milk, yogurt or warm water. The warm water helps to dissolve oil better.

For some bath recipes that uses soapnut, go to:

 GOOD SKINCARE NATURALLY [2]- Bath recipes 

Herbs that enhance skincare are also good for your hair. They may balance sebum production, have antiseptic properties, reduces inflammation or mitigate some of the damaging effects of the sun. Such herbs can be added to your hair wash or conditioner. You may use either fresh or dried herbs. Ready-made hydrosols, oils or essential oils are convenient choices as well.

If your hair needs another oiling after wash, use any of above oils stated in ‘1. Condition’ as base oil and add any of the following ingredients:

Sandalwood, coriander, bhringaraj, rose, rosemary, holy basil and lemongrass.

Certain herbs and oils are especially helpful to specific hair types although they may be used by other doshas.

•Vata skin benefits from the oils of Sea buckthorn, walnut, jojoba and vetiver .

•Herbs particularly helpful for Pitta hair are jasmine, sandalwood and brahmi.

•Kapha hair may benefit from occasional application of oil infusions with black pepper, nutmeg and/or cinnamon. These are warming herbs with antiseptic properties and help to improve sluggish circulation, which kapha constitution is prone.

•apply black seed/ black cumin seed oil either on its own or blended with another oil.

That’s quite a lot of herbs to choose from. The next step is to choose and use the herbs the Ayurveda way. If you feel overwhelmed by the choices, you can try Meera herbal hair wash and Meera conditioning oil. This is an ancient recipe using a blend of flowers and herbs such as shikakai, green gram, tulsi, vettiver, amla and much more. The recipe varies slightly among manufacturers. A word of caution: some unscrupulous manufacturers may use mineral oil and some man-made chemicals instead of using all natural ingredients. Therefore, read the ingredients list carefully before purchase.

MORE INGREDIENTS FOR YOUR HOMEMADE HAIR RECIPES

Ayurveda may consider hair to be  a byproduct of bone metabolism but the modern theory is that skin and hair are related. This is because a protein called keratin is an important component of both. Therefore, you can use many of the ingredients interchangeably.

Below are some articles from the main site, JUMBLEBOX HOME

GOOD SKINCARE NATURALLY [1]

http://jumblebox.webs.com/healthF/skincare1.html

(Check out the properties of ingredients in this page, which are suitable for both skin and hair.)

GOOD SKINCARE NATURALLY [1]- sunscreen

http://jumblebox.webs.com/healthF/sun.html

(Your hair need protection from damaging rays of the Sun. the oils in this page is good for both your skin and hair. The heavier oils act as sealant to prevent moisture from escaping whereas the lighter oil penetrates your hair to moisturize it. GRAPESEED oil has ceramides to fill in gaps in damaged hair.)

GOOD SKINCARE NATURALLY [3]- TONER INGREDIENTS

http://jumblebox.webs.com/healthF/toner2.html

(You can use many of the acidic ingredients mentioned in this article to balance the ph of your hair. If you have dry hair, avoid the strong astringent ingredients)

GOOD SKINCARE NATURALLY [4]- Oily Skin

http://jumblebox.webs.com/healthF/moisturize3.html

(The ingredients and recipes in this article are suitable for oily to normal hair as well.)

GOOD SKINCARE NATURALLY [3]- Skincare herbs

http://jumblebox.webs.com/healthF/toner3.html

(Depending on the needs of your hair, look for herbs that are antiseptic, antifungal, antibacterial, improve elasticity, moisturizing, maintain ph and oil balance, improve circulation, antioxidant)

GOOD SKINCARE NATURALLY [2]- Bath recipes

http://jumblebox.webs.com/healthF/bath2.html

(This article has some soapnut recipes)

Natural Homemade Moisturizer Recipes

This is the forth part of the series, ‘GOOD SKINCARE NATURALLY’.  This series discusses the various skin types and provides recipes tailored to specific needs.

Among the various skin types, dry skin needs moisturizing most. A rich, nourishing moisturizer that protects the skin is most suitable for dry Vata skin type.

URL: http://jumblebox.webs.com/healthF/moisturize1.html

Sensitive skin needs moisturizer support as well. Cooling moisturizers that reduces inflammation is best for heat sensitive ‘Pitta’ skin type. When out in the sun, Pitta skin also requires a moisturizer with sun block capability.

URL: http://jumblebox.webs.com/healthF/moisturize2.html

Oily Kapha skin type is the most resistant to the ravages of the elements and premature aging. However, as one ages, there will be areas of dryness that needs lubrication with oil and other areas that can benefit from water-based hydration.

URL: http://jumblebox.webs.com/healthF/moisturize3.html