Sassy Mama DIY: Stimulating Rosemary and Mint Hair Oil Recipe

This here is the king of hair treatments. It’s your crowning glory. The secret to happiness… no, it’s not! But taking time out to grow the rosemary and mint, learn about these beautifying herbs and make your own recipes just might be.

Infusing oil is most commonly known in terms of cooking, where we can extract the flavours of different ingredients to spruce up our oils. Along with flavour, oil can also extract beneficial properties, which we can then use to enhance (and feed!) our skin and hair.

For this hair oil recipe, I chose rosemary and mint because they are the antidote to a bad hair day! Both contain essential oils, which stimulate your scalp and promote healthy tresses.

Rosemary: One of the oldest and most respected herbs, rosemary has even been found in ancient Egyptian tombs. Today it’s used in commercial skincare because of its high anti-oxidant levels – this protects the product from bacteria and will do the same for your body, saving your skin from free radicals. Sunlight pounding down on your hair can cause damage, so rosemary is a great defence! Because of its antibacterial properties, it also cleans out the hair-follicle, which is thought to help hair grow.

Mint: A perky herb, mint stimulates your senses, your circulation, your hair follicles – it gets things moving! It’s like a boost of energy, which dull hair really responds to! It also helps maintain the natural pH of your scalp, which controls excessive oil production. Regular oil treatments, especially with mint, keep the scalp happy, which makes for beautiful hair.

Note: for this recipe, you can use fresh herbs, store-bought herbs or even dried herbs!

Coconut Oil: Unlike other oils, coconut oil can actually penetrate the hair shaft. It doesn’t just coat your hair, it feeds it from within. High in lauric acid, it’s also incredibly antibacterial, which helps to maintain a healthy, clean scalp and control dandruff. Especially good for weak hair (like mine!) coconut oil helps to protect your hair from losing protein, which prevents breakage, split-ends and frizz! Always make sure that your coconut oil is cold-pressed, which retains all of its nourishing properties.

Stimulating Rosemary and Mint Hair Oil Recipe

Ingredients:

• Sterile glass jar
• Unrefined, cold-pressed coconut oil
• Fresh or dried rosemary
• Fresh or dried mint

Directions:

1. Sterilise your jar by rinsing in boiling water, then letting air dry completely
2. Gather your herbs. If they are fresh – make sure that they are fully dry
3. Fill your container with the herbs and cover fully with the coconut oil
4. Seal and set in a warm spot for two weeks, shaking often to release the essential oil, or you can set in a warm oven at 50C (no hotter!) for five hours
5. Strain out the herbs and reserve your oil to use in hair treatments (keeps for six months)

How to Use:

• Massage a teaspoon of oil onto your scalp and down to your ends. Leave it in for 20 minutes (or even overnight). Wash out thoroughly and repeat the treatment, once a week or fortnightly as needed.
• Use the oil to create this amazing hair recipe! You’ll love it!
• Use the oil as a frizz-treatment on dry hair — just a tiny, tiny drop will do!

Militza Maury is the multi-tasking mama behind Little Green Dot, where she offers simple and fun ways to bring green living back into our modern, busy lives. Militza comes from a background in creative design, and is a big believer in embracing a handmade life. She teaches simple recipes, tips and ideas to make it easier for us to reconnect, and make better, healthier choices.