During monsoons, high humidity poses a real problem where appearance is concerned. In fact, it can be a bane for people with oily hair. Sweat on the scalp also attracts dirt and pollutants from the atmosphere more easily. The look of the hair really suffers. It becomes limp soon after shampoo and loses its shine, body and bounce.
In humid conditions, the hair tends to swell and becomes matty and rough. This is due to perspiration and sweat secretions. The salt in your sweat, along with environmental grime, makes the hair rough and robs it of its lustre and body. During the monsoons, therefore, you need to take more care of the hair.
You will find that you need to shampoo the hair more frequently. This is more so in the case of oily hair. It is quite safe to shampoo your hair daily if required, provided you use a mild herbal shampoo. Take care to use very little shampoo and rinse your hair well with water, to get rid of all soapy residues. Even short, layered hairstyles require frequent shampoos to maintain body and style.
Avoid rich conditioners, unless you have very dry hair. Try a herbal hair rinse, instead of a rich conditioner. You can also use conditioning agents from your kitchen shelf. Have tea and lemon rinses. Boil used tea leaves again, in enough water. You should have 4 to 5 cups of water after boiling. Strain and cool the liquid. Add the juice of a lemon and use as a rinse after your shampoo.
Lemon rinse
Lemon juice can be also be added to a mug of water and used as a last rinse by itself. A lemon rinse helps to reduce grease and also maintains normal balances.
Add a handful of fresh or dried marigold (gainda) flowers to three cups of hot water. Allow it to stand for an hour. Strain and cool the water and use as a final rinse. It benefits oily hair with dandruff.
Apply the white of an egg before your shampoo, leaving it on for half and hour. This not only gives body to the hair, but is also a wonderful cleanser, cutting down on oiliness.
A henna conditioner is ideal. It benefits all hair types and adds body and shine. It also helps to cleanse the hair and scalp.
Apply henna to the hair once a week, mixing four teaspoons each of lemon juice and coffee, two raw eggs and enough “tea water.”
Swimming in an open pool exposes the hair to the sun and results in dryness. Chlorine in swimming pools and salt in sea water can make the hair dry, matted and dull. Wet the hair well before and after a swim. Hair is porous, but it can absorb that much and no more. So, wetting the hair before a swim actually helps to protect it. Rinse out the hair with plain water after a swim.
Some people are plagued by bad odour from the scalp due to sweat and oily secretions. For this, add the juice of a lemon and half a cup of rose water to a mug of water and use as a last rinse. A few drops of eau de cologne can also be added to a mug of water and used as a last rinse. If you find your hair looking oily and there is no time to shampoo, as an emergency measure, pour some eau de cologne on a piece of clean cloth or hanky. Wrap it around your brush and brush the hair with it. It removes oiliness and adds fragrance.
