Natural care for oily hair: bring body and life back to your hair with these cleaning tips - bodycare

Natural Health, March, 2002

IF THE SEBACEOUS GLANDS ON your scalp produce a lot of oil, your hair will be oily. People with fine hair tend to have more glands on their scalps and thus have greater chances of having oily hair.

A good way to remove excess oil is to spike your shampoo with Epsom salts, sold in drugstores. Mix 2 to 3 teaspoons Epsom salts and 1/2 cup of a liquid shampoo in a plastic container. Thoroughly massage 1 tablespoon of this mixture into your dry hair (applying the mixture to dry hair will help it soak up more oil). Rinse.

When pressed for time, we like using either of these two natural shampoos straight (both are formulated for oily hair): Aubrey Organics Egyptian Henna Shampoo ($8 for 8 ounces; 800-282-7394; www.aubrey-organics.com) and Pure Essentials Citress Shampoo ($4.99 for 17 ounces; 800-222-6720; www.earthscienceinc.com).

After shampooing, skip conditioner, or condition only the ends of your hair. An occasional lemon juice rinse after shampooing will also help remove excess oil. Mix the juice of one lemon and 1 cup of lukewarm water, and pour over your hair. After 10 minutes, rinse with cool water.