CASSIA RECIPES TO STRENGTHEN & CONDITION HAIR

There is a ‘Mom & Pop’ grocery store in my area that sells coconuts and grates the chosen coconut for its customers. When I want coconut with a lot of oil, I would choose a very mature nut. At home, I placed the grated coconut flesh in a muslin bag to squeeze out the coconut milk. The milk from the first extraction is very rich and thick. 50 percent of coconut flesh comprises lauric acid (a.k.a dodecanoic acid), a fatty acid that is found in smaller quantities in human breast milk. Another fatty acid called capric acid has pharmaceutical and medical uses.

For the second round of extraction, I mixed a little water with the grated coconut before squeezing it into a separate bowl. Normally, milk from the second round of extraction is used for cooking.

Let’s use coconut milk in our first cassia recipe.  If you do not have fresh coconut, use the packaged variety instead. Alternatively, use warm water, honey water or brew a pot of herbal tea to dissolve the cassia powder.

Check out ‘GOOD SKINCARE NATURALLY [3] - Skincare herbs’ for herbs and their properties.

Do NOT use metal utensils to hold and mix your recipes. Use inert materials such as glass/porcelain/wood/bamboo instead.

Cassia for dry hair

POWDER INGREDIENTS:

3 parts cassia powder

1 part amla powder

LIQUID INGREDIENT:

Warm coconut milk

A little oil with ceramides (See previous article)

Essential oil of your choice for fragrance (optional)

METHOD

• Warm up coconut milk from first extraction. (It should not be boiling hot. Boiling first extraction can result in separation of oil and water.)
  
  
• Place Ingredient 1 into a bowl/container. Pour in warm coconut milk and oil gradually, stirring to mix into a paste with pancake batter / yogurt consistency. Wait for 30 minutes.
  (If the weather is cold, place container into a pan of hot water and cover)
  
  
• After 30 minutes, stir in fragrance and spoon cassia batter into a squeeze bottle with enough quantity for one treatment.
  
  
• Put excess cassia batter into container with well- fitting lid and store in the freezer.

Applying cassia treatment

This process may be quite messy if you are doing it for the first time. Thankfully, cassia is not as staining as henna.

1. Apply cassia batter in your bathroom, just before you take a bath.
   
   
2. Divide your hair into sections. If you have long hair, clip up your hair according to section.
   
   
3. Use the squeeze bottle to apply cassia from root of the hair to tip of the hair section-by-section, starting from the back of the head.
   
   
4. When you have finished, cover hair with shower cap and let hair marinate for between 30 minutes to one hour.
   
   
5. Take your beauty bath.
   
   
6. After your hair has marinated long enough, wash off cassia batter. Use your fingers to help to remove residue from the hair.
   
   
7. Wash until all residues are gone.

Note:

You can either apply cassia treatment before or after you have washed your hair.

Depending on hair type, a cassia treatment can last between one to three weeks.

Your hair should feel soft and lustrous. If it feels dry, apply a light coating of oil on the dry parts.

Condition and thicken hair

Cassia-Fenugreek Mask

INGREDIENTS

4 tbsp. cassia powder

1 tsp. fenugreek powder

LIQUID INGREDIENT

Warm water or herbal tea

Essential oil of your choice for fragrance (optional)

METHOD

1. Soak fenugreek powder in 2 tablespoon of very warm water for several hours until mucilage is released.
   
   
2. Mix fenugreek mucilage and warm water/warm herbal tea with cassia powder into yogurt consistency. Wait for 30 minutes.
   (If the weather is cold, place container into a pan of hot water and cover)
   
   
3. After 30 minutes, stir in fragrance and spoon cassia batter into a squeeze bottle and use immediately.

[Refer to ‘ADD MORE BODY TO YOUR HAIR’ for other ingredients and ideas you can add to cassia powder to thicken your hair.]

If you have very greasy, dirty hair, wash your hair before cassia treatment.  For liquid ingredients, besides warm water or herbal water, you can use juices of acidic fruits such as orange or diluted lime/lemon juice, diluted vinegar or citric acid.

Acid can breakdown protein molecules into shorter chains. It is one of the substances to hydrolyze protein. However, the short span of time recommended in the conditioner recipe is not likely to breakdown the protein in cassia. For benefits of acid in a conditioner, refer to PH AND YOUR HAIR.

Check the pH of your preparation to ensure it is not too acidic.

CASSIA AS HAIR STRENGTHENER & CONDITIONER

Cassia is a plant with a yellow dye that   strengthens the hair shaft, adds richness, texture and luster to light color hair. The yellow color comes from its active component, chrysophanic acid, also called chrysophanol. This compound has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties.

Rhubarb root has higher concentration of chrysophanol. Consequently, when manufacturers sold their product as ‘blond henna’ to dye hair yellow, they may include rhubarb in their formulation. Cassia does not dye dark hair yellow. Blond henna (cassia) is a totally different plant from henna.

When you buy cassia, the plant may go by different names. This is due to its ‘complex taxonomy’. Put simply, the scientists who classified the hundreds of species within this plant family were confused or did not agree on their lineage.  Therefore, the plant that is most often used as a hair dye and hair conditioner is often called ‘Cassia obovata’, but may also be called Senna italica ssp. Its common names are cassia, senna, neutral henna or blond henna.

The resin in cassia is positively charged (with cationic molecules) which are attracted preferentially to areas of damage along your hair strands and fill in gaps left by broken cuticles. It also envelops your hair in a protective sheath that glues down hair cuticles. This makes your hair feel soft, smooth and silky, reduces friction during wet and dry combing and acts as an anti-static agent to reduce frizz. 

The germicidal, fungicidal and anti-inflammatory properties keep scalp healthy and eliminate dandruff.

OTHER CASSIA SPECIES USED IN HAIRCARE

Some manufacturers may use Cassia alata (Senna alata) another plant with the yellow chrysophanic acid. This plant is a very effective fungicide. Hence its popular name, Ringworm Bush, due to its effectiveness in treating ringworm infection. Some people add turmeric to cassia since the herb also has germicidal and anti-fungal properties as well as contain a yellow dye that stains hair yellow.

The company, Lubrizol Advanced Materials Inc., patented a product based on carbohydrates derived from Cassia gum extracted from the endosperm of the seed of Cassia tora and Cassia obtusifolia.

Lubrizol chemically modify mannose and galactose sugars extracted from cassia gum and described its product as ‘quaternised cassia gum polymers’. The ‘chemically enhanced’ cationic properties of cassia polymers were “used as a deposition polymer to deposit silicone and/or other conditioning agents to improve the performance of a shampoo.” The silicones help to improve the conditioning properties of two-in-one shampoo.

Research by another company testing ‘quaternized cassia galactomannan polymers’ in hair conditioner found that the cassia formula increased silicone deposition by 16 percent, demonstrating that the chemically modified ingredient enhances the efficacy of the synthetic ingredients. The cassia also decreased the thickness of the conditioner, making it easier to spread through the hair.

In oriental traditional medicine, * Cassia obtusifolia/ Cassia tora are taken for eyes, lungs, kidney, liver and bowels ailments. Since the last three organs mentioned are for detoxification and waste elimination, their proper functioning affects the skin and hair. These leguminous plants are germicidal fungicides as well. Since legumes are rich in protein, you do not need to add any protein to a cassia treatment.  The seeds come in powdered form.

Although Cassia obovata is used as a hair treatment with effects similar to henna, it does not thicken hair significantly like henna. If you wish to thicken your hair as well, include a little Cassia obtusifolia/ Cassia tora as thickener. The latter are used as gel and thickener in food.

Next week I shall post some hair recipes that use cassia.

*some scientists think Cassia obtusifolia and Cassia tora should be classified as one plant.

HAIR STRENGTHENERS - Ceramides & Horsetail

Horsetail is good for people with weak hair, prone to split ends or hair fall. Try a horsetail tea rinse after washing your hair. If you have dry hair, follow up by applying ceramides oil on your strands. Give your hair a double boost by taking horsetail internally. You can get the herb from some health food stores.

CERAMIDES

Ceramides oil is the glue that binds to proteins through sharing electrons. The Ceramides oils found in polyunsaturated fats glue down the hair cuticle thus preventing the scales from being entangled with neighboring scales and breaking off. The oil form a protective film on each strand of hair, thus preventing moisture lost. Examples of oils with ceramides are grape seed oil, walnut oil, wheat germ oil, evening primrose oil, borage oil, carrot tissue oil, sunflower oil and   safflower oil. Sunflower and safflower oils come in two varieties: one is high in monounsaturated fats and the other is high in polyunsaturated fats.  Use the polyunsaturated variety if you want the benefits of Ceramides oils.

Apply a light coating of the oil on the tips and dry parts of your hair. This allows the oil to penetrate the core of your hair yet do not completely block out water from entering to moisturize the cortex.

Research

Research indicates chemically treated hair, e.g. bleaching or straightening, benefits most from using ceramides. This type of hair is damaged and weakened due to chemical treatment. Chemicals strip hair of its natural protective oil and weaken protein structure both internally and externally. Ceramides penetrate into the cortex to support and strengthen hair internally whereas protein patches up broken cuticles of the hair externally. To a certain extent, hydrolyzed protein can penetrate your hair strands as well. The advantage of ceramides is the oil can be left on the hair whereas protein is left on the hair for a short time and then it is washed off. The result of using these hair strengtheners is your hair become more resistant to breakage.

For maximum benefit, your hair need a combination of lipids (fats) namely ceramides, 18 methyl eicosanoic acid or 18 MEA and Cholesterol. Research on skin suggests that there must be a balance of all three fats in order for a ceramides-containing product to be effective in healing the skin. Therefore, do not rely on only one type of lipid to lubricate and strengthen your hair or skin.

HORSETAIL (Equisetum arvense)

Horsetail is high in silica and minerals that are necessary for the growth and repair of skin, hair, bones, cartilage, teeth and connective tissue. It has many forms of silica, such as silicin, which IS soluble in water.

Use this herb if you have weak hair, prone to split ends or hair fall. It increases hair strength and luster as well as   control hair loss.

This herb is suitable for oily hair as it is drying and astringent. 

Make a tea with dried horsetail as an after-wash rinse.

HORSETAIL TEA RINSE

• Simmer 2 tablespoon dried horsetail in 1 liter of water or steep it in water overnight. You can add in slippery elm if you like to add more slip for your hair. Horsetail works synergistically with stinging nettle for hair lost, dandruff and irritated scalp. Nettle also provides conditioning for your hair.

• Strain out residues and use tea as an after-wash rinse.  

HAIR STRENGTHENERS - Proteins

We need a balance of moisture and protein for strong, flexible hair. Water hydrates the hair, promoting suppleness and  elasticity. Protein provides strength and structure.  Water and protein work together synergistically to give hair tensile strength. Proteins are humectants. They attract water and are film formers and emollients that soften hair.

A wide variety of proteins play different roles and serve different functions. Proteins with higher molecular weight  bind to the surface of hair, filling gaps left by broken cuticles and help to rebuild weakened areas temporarily.  These proteins form a film on the outside of your hair, making it look lustrous and silky.

lower molecular weight hydrolysed protein (2)  can penetrate the hair and form cross linkages to strengthen the cortex of the hair (1). The reinforced hair shaft is able to withstand mechanical stress and breakages better.

Traditionally people use eggs, powdered pulses and powders beans for protein treatment.  Now, modern technology hydrolyzed the protein to improve solubility in water. Hydrolyzed protein is protein that has been ‘chopped’ into smaller pieces through a chemical process or enzymatic action.

you only need to use a small amount of hydrolyzed protein in your conditioner – between 2 to 5 percent only. Since protein is water soluble, you can add them to water-based conditioners. According to Susan Barclay-Nichols, “In surfactant blends, they will increase foam stability, add slipperiness, and offer creaminess and density.”

Among the hydrolyzed protein you can choose from are silk, wheat, oat, corn, soy etc.

Some manufacturers use hydrolyzed human hair protein in their products, claiming it  not only penetrate hair  and skin better but also contain all the needed amino acids.

Besides water and protein, there are other substances that help to strengthen hair weakened by chemical treatment, mechanical stress from over styling, high heat   or pollutants. The natural alternatives are ceramides, horsetail, henna, Cassia etc.

There are specially formulated man-made positively charged Cationic polymers and silicones tailored-made as artificial hair strengtheners, thermal protectors, glossers  and hair reconstructors. (More about them in another article.)

(1) Journal of Cosmetic Science, 1993

(2) Hydrolyzed protein - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

WHICH TYPE OF HAIR CONDITIONER TO CHOOSE?

TYPES OF CONDITIONERS

One of the ways to classify conditioner is as follows:

• Moisturizer

• Reconstruct or

• Detangler

The ingredients in the above types of conditioners may overlap but proportions differ. Manufacturers also add other properties to differentiate hair care products within their product range to meet different user needs. For example, they may include :

• Thermal protector to shield the hair from excessive heat for people who use hair dryers, curling irons, hot rollers etc.

• Sunscreen to ward off radiation damage due to UV (Ultra violet) light. UV rays can cause protein degradation and color loss.

• Antistatic agents to ward off frizz

• Glosser is light-reflecting chemicals that coat hair strands to give dull hair more luster.

CHOOSING A CONDITIONER

• To get the most out of your conditioner, choose one made for your hair type and hair condition. Consider your hair texture and needs. Does your hair need an oiling before wash followed by strengthening and moisturizing? Does your hair require conditioning before styling? Some people may need more than one type of conditioner whereas others just require a conditioning shampoo only.
• If you have fine lank hair, you would not want a thick, heavy conditioner to weigh it down further. Your hair will look even more limp, oily and lifeless. A light, volumizing conditioner is more appropriate for this hair type. Heavy, oily conditioner is more suitable for smoothening down frizzy, flyaway voluminous hair. Hair prone to frizziness benefit from positively charged antistatic agents in the conditioner.

• Use color-safe conditioner to protect color treated hair. This type of conditioner helps to retain and enhance your hair color longer. Use a conditioner appropriate for your hair color. They protect against the dulling effect due to washing and over styling. Heat and UV rays of the sun can fade hair color. Thermal protector and sunscreen can mitigate this problem.

• Dry hair benefit from humectants in the conditioner. However, if the hair is too porous, the strands can swell from soaking up too much moisture from the air, leading to frizziness. Occlusives such as Wax, oil or silicone in the recipe help to reduce this problem. 

Rinse off conditioner tends to be creamy and thicker than leave-in conditioner.

• Hair with adequate moisture but tend to lose it easily due to porosity require occlusives more than humectants. Occlusives form a barrier on the hair to retard moisture lost. They are also called anti-humectants.

• Hair with open cuticles allows water and nutrients to enter easily. The flip side is the hair tangles and loses internal moisture easily. Acidic conditioners can close the cuticles.

• Use a mildly acidic conditioner that adds slip and lubricity for tangled hair.

• Hair damaged and weakened from over processing and styling benefit from protein and ceramides treatments to help strengthen and repair the damage. Ceramides are a group of lipid (fats) found in cells of plants, animals and human. The lipids provide an effective barrier on our skin. Used in hair care, ceramides help the hair to accept protein treatment better. This is because ceramides bound covalently (share electron) with the proteins.

Modern conditioner formulation may also include silicone or polymers to strengthen and fill in gaps left by broken cuticles. However, some people do not like it because these man-made substances adhere so strongly to the hair that it takes a strong shampoo to remove build-up.

You may notice elastin and collagen in the ingredients list of conditioner for weak hair strands. They provide tensile strength and elasticity to hair.

Before buying a conditioner, scrutinize the label. You would not want to add body to voluminous hair or waste your money on a conditioner with color protector or thermal protector when you do not dye or use heat styling tools.

WHAT IS IN A HAIR CONDITIONER?

Hair conditioners play a variety of functions. They make our hair look and feel good, increase elasticity and flexibility,     hydrate and lubricate, strengthen and repair. Applied on the hair, it improves manageability, reduces friction and frizz as well as fill in gaps left by broken cuticles temporarily.

About 87 percent of our hair is made up of the protein, keratin. The surface of keratin contains negatively charged amino acid fingers. Conditioners uses positively charged molecules (Cationic molecules) to stick to the negatively charged amino acid so that they will not wash out easily.

Shampooing and excessive combing can remove positively charged ions from the hair leading to static electric build-up and frizz. The positively charged molecules in conditioners prevent this from happening. When the conditioner is mildly acidic, it closes the cuticles of the hair, which protects the inner shaft of the hair. For more information, go to: PH AND YOUR HAIR

Acidifiers detangle hair and closes cuticles, thus preventing moisture lost.

Humectants moisturize hair by attracting water from the air on humid days. However, humectant is a double-edged sword.  Go to ‘MOISTURIZEHAIR + RECIPE’ to find out why.

Your hair needs balanced moisture and protein to be strong. For recipes to revive and strengthen your hair, refer to: HAIR STRENGTHENING RECIPES

People traditionally use various herbs that soothe itchiness as well as have antiseptic and antifungal properties to deal with dandruff and accompanying itchy scalp. For homemade remedies, go to: SOOTHING CONDITIONING HAIR RINSE

We shall cover other components of a conditioner in this series in the ‘Plants4Health’ section of the main site, Jumblebox Home in future.

HAIR TYPES & ETHNICITY (4)- Caucasoid hair

The characteristics of Caucasoid hair

The Caucasoid people are very varied. They ranged from the pale-skinned people of Scandinavia to the darker skinned peoples of Portugal and India.

Caucasoid hair exhibits a rainbow of hues from platinum blond, flaming red, brown to black in color.  They may be curly, wavy or straight. Texture may be fine, medium or coarse. The mix in ancestry resulted in very wide combination of genetic Influences. It is oval in cross section. Over seventy percent of caucasoids have fine textured hair.

Generally, blonds have finer texture and the most hair. Darker shades have coarser hair with redheads with the coarsest and least dense head of hair.

Caucasoid hair tends to have fewer layers of protective cuticle and is laid flatter than Asian hair.

The distance between cuticles  is farther apart from each other compared to Asian hair but the ‘glue’ is stronger. Therefore, when you stretch the hair, it  breaks off into small fragments. This is because although  the glue is stronger, the cuticle is weaker and breaks off individually.

Conclusion

The structure of the hair influences its characteristics. However, there are differences within each hair type due to genetic factors, health status, diet, age,  lifestyle, how well you handle and take care of your hair as well as external environmental conditions.  All these factors will influence your haircare routine and choice of haircare products.

There are various natural homemade hair care recipes at the main site, JUMBLEBOX HOME   in Plants 4HealthList

A hair recipe that suits one person may not be perfect for another since there are so many variables. Try to adjust the quantity of certain ingredients within a recipe, substitute or remove them  altogether if you think they are not suitable for you.