Hair thinning can turn out to be quite daunting and painful; thanks to the increasing level of pollution, stress and poor quality of water. Not only this, thinning of hair can happen due to various other factors like sedentary lifestyle, nutritional deficiencies, allergies, hormonal imbalances, poor hair care, and genetics. According to experts, many people are facing hair-related problems like hair loss and hair thinning, which are at an all-time high. But fret not; there are foods that may help you increase your hair volume naturally. And the best part is that they are right there in your kitchen.

Home Remedies For Hair Thinning

1. Aloe Vera

Aloe vera is packed with proteolytic enzymes, which are known to repair dead skin cells on the scalp. It helps stimulate hair growth from dormant hair follicles, increasing hair volume. It also acts as a great conditioner and leaves your hair all smooth and shiny. It not only promotes hair growth, but also prevents itching on the scalp and reduces dandruff. Oral consumption of aloe vera juice helps maintain smooth, radiant skin and promotes hair growth too.

How To Use Aloe Vera To Prevent Hair Thinning

Slice aloe vera leaf with a knife and extract about 2 teaspoons of aloe vera gel from its leaf.
Whisk the gel till you get a smooth consistency.
Now, massage the gel into your scalp with your fingertips.
Massage it for about 5-7 minutes; leave it on for 15-20 minutes.
Rinse it out with warm water.

2. Eggs

Eggs are considered to be great for hair growth and thickness. They are loaded with essential nutrients such as proteins, vitamin B12, iron, zinc and omega-6 fatty acids. This home remedy is used to accelerate hair growth and volume.

How To Use Egg To Prevent Hair Thinning

Take a bowl and add one egg along with one tablespoon of olive oil. You may use coconut oil too for this mask.
Stir the mixture till you get a smooth mixture.
Now, apply the mixture to your hair and scalp, working it in from the roots to the tips.
Leave it on for about 30 minutes.
Wash your hair with shampoo and cool water. Make sure you don't use warm water to wash your hair.

3. Amla (Indian Gooseberry)

Amla is nutrient-dense and has a lot of health-benefiting properties. Applying it or even drinking it may make your hair thicker and bouncier. Amla is rich in vitamin C, which is assisted by various minerals, nutrients, amino acids, and antioxidants, etc. that help amla in fighting against all the hair weakening factors.

How To Use Amla To Prevent Hair Thinning

In a bowl, add 2 teaspoon amla powder and lime juice and mix the two ingredients until you get a smooth mixture.

Now, apply the mixture to your hair and scalp, working it in from the roots to the tips.
Leave it on until it dries up.
Wash it off with a shampoo and cool water. You may also use conditioner post washing your hair.

Whether you eat them, drink them or simply apply them, these foods can do wonders for your hair and the results can be seen so quickly that you wouldn't want to let go of it!

The way your day starts can affect your entire day and nothing is worse than fighting constipation in the morning. Along with a feeling of heaviness in the abdomen and bloating, constipation can also cause mood swings and lower your attention span. While laxatives can be temporary quick fixes, they can worsen the problem over time.

Hence, it is better to treat this disorder with a few simple lifestyle changes and home remedies.

Eat plenty of fibre: A bad diet is one the key factors triggering constipation. Fibre not only fills the stomach, but also helps add bulk to your stool making it easier to pass. Ideally, a person should have 20-40 grams of fibre a day. If you suffer from chronic constipation, you can increase this amount a little as well. As an easy way to increase your fibre consumption is ensure that you eat some form of raw salad with every meal. Other foods that are rich in fibre are oats, almonds, cereals, beans, lentils and fruits.

Ginger tea or mint tea: Ginger is a warming herb, which when had in form of tea can make the body generate more internal heat. This helps activate the digestion process and thereby relieves constipation. The menthol in peppermint has an antispasmodic effect that helps relax the digestive tract muscles and makes it easier for stool to pass through. Dandelion tea can also be used as a mild natural laxative.

Castor oil: Castor oil is a popular natural laxative. This is because one of the components of this oil helps stimulate the small and large intestine. To benefit from castor oil, have 1 or 2 teaspoons of the oil on an empty stomach. You should be able to pass stool within about 8 hours.

Drink plenty of water: Water not only hydrates the body, but also helps food move along the digestive system. Without adequate water, the stool is likely to be hard and difficult to pass. Ideally, you should drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. Do not count artificially sweetened beverages as part of this count as they can actually cause constipation instead of ease it.

Warm lemon water: Lemon juice helps stimulate the digestive system and hence is ideal for treating constipation. When mixed with warm water, it can help eliminate toxins from the body. Adding a little honey to the mixture can also work as a mild laxative. Alternatively, you could add salt in place to honey as this encourages the bowel muscle contraction and is rich in magnesium.

One of India's most treasured foods, ghee or clarified butter has long been known for its healing properties and health and beauty benefits. Ghee is made from milk, which contains omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin A, butyric acid and healthy fats that benefit your overall health. From aiding the digestive system to strengthening the immune system, providing essential vitamins to having anti-inflammatory properties, and making your hair and skin healthy, ghee has a lot to offer. This versatile ingredient is all you need to prepare some home remedies for various conditions; ranging from skin and hair problems, to digestive issues and more. We enlist all these home remedies to ensure you use ghee to its full potential.

Home remedy for digestive health

According to the book 'The Complete Book of Home Remedies' by Dr. Vasant Lad, take one or two teaspoonful of ghee in a cup of hot milk at bedtime. It can turn out to be quite effective in keeping constipation at bay. Ghee has butyric acid, which makes it an ideal pick to support the health of intestinal walls. According to the book, ghee increases digestive fire and improves absorption and assimilation.

Home remedy for clogged nose

Cold and clogged nose can turn out to be quite annoying. Not only you suffer from continuous sneezing, but also have difficulty in breathing; moreover, your taste sense is hampered and let's not forget about the headaches that follow. One of the best ways to unclog your nose is to pour a few drops of warm pure desi ghee into the nostrils, first thing in the morning. Doing so may provide instant relief as the ghee tends to travel all the way down to the throat and soothes the infection. Make sure you have warmed the ghee to lukewarm temperature.

Home remedy for burning belly fat

Ghee comes packed with essential amino acids that help in mobilising the fat and making the fat cells to shrink in size. The presence of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids help you lose inches and shed body fat. Include a teaspoon of homemade ghee in your food to ensure proper digestion and absorption in order to lose weight.

Home remedy for diabetics

If you are a diabetic, eating rice and wheat roti may not be very healthy for you, considering they are high glycaemic index foods. Spreading ghee over chapattis, parathas and white rice could help bring down the glycaemic index, in addition to making them more moist and digestible.

Home remedy for skin

Ghee has long been an essential part of various beauty care rituals. Its vital fatty acids act as a nourishing agent that can do wonders on your dull skin. Ghee is suitable for all skin types. Here's a face mask using ghee to get a soft and supple skin.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons of ghee
2 tablespoons of besan
A teaspoon of haldi (turmeric)
Water

Method:

Mix all the ingredients together and stir the mixture thoroughly. Make sure the consistency is firm but not dry. After you have mixed the paste well, apply it on your face and leave for about 20 minutes. Rinse it off with cold water and repeat the process twice a week for effective results.

Home remedy for hair

Ghee is a super-rich source of fatty acids and antioxidants that make it an excellent hair conditioner for dry and frizzy hair. Mix two tablespoons of ghee and one tablespoons of olive oil and apply on your hair. Leave it for 20 minutes before rinsing off with water. This pack will help condition your hair and make them soft and manageable. You can use ghee and lemon juice to treat dandruff too. Make sure you massage your scalp well.

Home remedy for dry, chapped lips

One of the most neglected parts of the body is our lips. They generally lose out on their natural pink colour due to exposure to pollution, sunrays, dust or smoke. All you need to do is to warm some ghee and apply some on your lips before you go off to sleep. Once you wake up, you will see dry flakes on your lips. Scrub those dry flakes and see the results for yourself. Repeat the process every day to get soft and supple lips like never before.

Now that you know all the home remedies, make sure you use them for overall health. However, ensure that anything in excess is bad. Consume less amount of ghee as it has saturated fats that may reverse the goodness. If you know of more such home remedies, do tell us in the comments section below.

Winter is here and the sheer joy of walking around in the warm winter sun and enjoying the outdoors is a pleasure we all look forward too. There are plenty of traditional treats to be enjoyed and lots of fun and frolic with family and friends planned, right? That said, perhaps the most common issue related to this season is dry, patchy skin. And of course, you cannot afford to follow the same summer skin care routine in winter; it will only make your skin feel worse. Ditch all your summer skin care routines and try homemade face-packs that will help you get a glowing skin during this time of the year too. If you have no idea how to start, we have your back. Here are some natural face-packs that you should definitely apply on your skin to look radiant during this chilly weather.

1. Milk cream and honey

Milk cream or malai is one of the best natural moisturizing creams that you can apply on your skin to make it supple and soft. Trust honey to clear your skin off the bacteria that are responsible for the growth of pimples and acne on your face. All you need to do is to take a tablespoon each of milk cream and honey in a bowl and mix them well. Apply the mixture on your face and skin and leave it for about 15 minutes before rinsing it off with lukewarm water. Pat dry your skin and see the result; your skin will feel moisturized like never before. Follow the regime regularly.

2. Cocoa butter and olive oil

Nourish your skin with the goodness of olive oil and cocoa butter for an amazing moisturizer. A dash of ginger paste will help remove the excessive dirt off the skin. Make a past of one tablespoon each of cocoa butter and olive oil and a half teaspoon of ginger paste and apply it on your skin, especially face and neck and leave it for 15-20 minutes, before washing it off with lukewarm water.

3. Banana and milk

If your skin is dry and patchy, it is time you hydrate it with a combination of milk and banana, but if your skin is excessively oily, you can replace milk with rosewater too. Banana helps in peeling off dead skin and milk is a clarifying agent, so in case your skin has lost the glow, you know what to do. Take one whole mashed banana in a bowl and add one tablespoon of milk and mix it well. Apply it on your face and neck and leave it for 20 minutes and wash it off with warm water.

4. Aloe vera and almond oil or sesame oil

If you have been complaining of too much dead skin, bring aloe vera and almond oil or sesame oil to your rescue. This face pack works best to ensure hydration. All you need to do is take about 8-10 drops of almond oil or sesame oil and one teaspoon of aloe vera gel and blend them between your palms. Now apply and rub the mixture on your face in circular motions for at least 15 minutes and leave it overnight. Wash your face the next day and you will find your face extremely soft and lively.

5. Papaya and raw milk

Papaya is power-packed with essential nutrients and minerals that make your skin supple and soft. Milk, on the other hand, is rich in vitamin E, which adds moisture to dry and dull skin. All you need to do is to take half ripe papaya that is cut into pieces and raw milk; mash it with a fork and make a puree with a coarse texture. Apply the pack on your face and neck and leave it until it becomes dry and wash it off with tap water.

6. Carrot and honey

This face pack helps lighten the dull and patchy skin, thanks to beta-carotene present in carrots. Honey acts as a moisturizer for the skin. This pack will help remove dead skin cells too. All you need to do is to take one peeled and pureed carrot and one tablespoon of honey and mix them well. Now apply this mask on your face and rinse it off after 15 minutes.

Go on, try these natural face-packs, made from easy-to-find ingredients in your kitchen, for soft and supple skin even in winters!

Macadamia oil can strengthen hair

Macadamia oil penetrates hair more efficiently than some other oils, like mineral oil. Mineral oil can build up on your scalp. Over time, it can make your hair feel heavier and look duller.

But vegetable and fruit oils (for example, coconut oil) have been found to penetrate the hair follicles more effectively. Macadamia oil shares this property.

When macadamia oil binds to the hair shaft and infuses it with fatty acids, your hair follicles may be left stronger and healthier. Macadamia oil also contains antioxidants, which help hair to recover from environmental exposure to things like pollutants in the air.

Macadamia oil can smooth hair
The emollient qualities of macadamia oil can help smooth hair, giving it a shinier appearance. Anecdotally, hair that’s treated daily with macadamia oil may hold its sheen and become glossier over time.

Macadamia oil can make curly hair more manageable
Macadamia oil is especially popular for curly hair. Curly hair types can be especially vulnerable to damage from the environment. Curly hair that’s dried out and damaged is very hard to style and can break easily.

But macadamia oil helps restore moisture to the hair shaft, locks it in, and adds natural protein to the hair. Curly hair that’s properly moisturized is easier to untangle and style.

Are there any risks?
Macadamia oil is a safe ingredient for almost everyone to use on their hair.

If you’re allergic to tree nuts, it’s possible that you’ll have an allergic reaction to macadamia oil. However, the oil contains less of the tree nut proteins that trigger a reaction, so there’s also a chance that you won’t react to it.

Otherwise, using macadamia oil for long-term hair treatment shouldn’t cause problems with your hair or scalp.

If you have a history of allergies or are concerned about an allergic reaction to macadamia oil, do a patch test of the oil on your skin before trying a full application. Put a small amount on a dime-sized spot on the inside of your arm. If there’s no reaction in 24 hours, it should be safe to use.

If you do develop allergy symptoms, discontinue use.

Using macadamia oil as a treatment
You can use macadamia oil on your hair using several methods. You might want to start by trying pure macadamia oil on your hair to add shine after blow-drying or straightening it.

It’s not a good idea to apply macadamia oil to your hair before heat styling because the oil may damage your hair if it’s heated above a certain temperature.

Take a dime-sized dollop of virgin, cold-pressed macadamia oil. Rub it between your palms and then smooth it throughout your hair. Pay careful attention to getting the oil to the ends of your hair to help repair split ends and damage.

Pure macadamia oil can be purchased in a small amount specifically for this purpose. Shop for these products here.

You can also purchase or make your own deep-conditioning hair mask using macadamia oil.

Mix macadamia oil with a fresh avocado and let it sit on your hair for 15 minutes. Then rinse your hair well. This may thoroughly moisturize your hair while restoring essential proteins.

If you’d rather buy something than make your own, shop online for hair masks now. Shampoos and conditioners that contain macadamia are also easy to purchase online.

Does it work?
Macadamia nut oil should make hair look shinier and stronger within one application. If you continue use, the consistency of your hair may change to be healthier and easier to maintain.

For curly hair and natural hair types, macadamia oil may be an especially valuable tool to combat frizz and flyaways. But we don’t have solid clinical evidence to understand the mechanism that makes macadamia oil work.


Macadamia oil vs. other oils
Macadamia oil contains high concentrations of palmitoleic acid. This makes it unique in comparison to the other tree nut and plant oils, many of which are richer in linoleic acid.

Macadamia oil is much more expensive to purchase and use than coconut oil, avocado oil, and Moroccan oil. While it promises similar results, we have less research to tell us how macadamia oil influences hair strength and health.

Compared to other popular hair oil treatments, macadamia oil is one of the lesser studied plant oils. It would appear, though, that macadamia oil is one of the more efficient treatments for curly or natural types of hair.