Restore Your Locks: How to Make Herbal Infusions

By Laurel Kallenbach
Published on February 4, 2011

Water-Based Infusions

1. Place dried herbs in a nonreactive, lidded container. Boil 2 cups water* and pour it over the herbs. Steep, covered, for 6 to 8 hours. The longer you steep it, the more concentrated your hair rinse will be. Roots, bark, and berries need to be steeped longer than petals and leaves.

2. Strain the infusion through a fine strainer or cheesecloth, saving the liquid. Discard the solids.

3. Refrigerate and use rinses within 2 to 3 days. Adding 1 or 2 drops essential oils such as tea tree, clove, or rosemary per pint will make the rinse last several days longer.

*Because chlorine dries and ­irri­tates the scalp, let chlorinated water stand overnight before using or use distilled, filtered, or spring water.

Vinegar-Based Infusions

1. Use the same proportion of herbs to liquid as when making a water-based infusion. Heat but don’t boil the vinegar and steep the mixture for 3 to 6 weeks, shaking or stirring it daily. Vinegar infusions will keep for as long as a year.

2. Using the Rinse First work half a cup into your scalp and hair. Then, holding your head over a large bowl, pour a cup of rinse over your head. Pour the liquid that collects in the bowl back ­into the cup and reapply. Repeat ­several times, working the infusion through your hair. Follow a vinegar ­application with a plain water rinse to eliminate the scent.

Click here for the original article, Body and Soul: Restore Your Locks.

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