Both whole herbs and essential oils can be used to promote hair and scalp health. Many of the commercially available products leave a residue on your hair that can dull its natural shine, and may even contain toxins such as phthalates. Common household apple cider vinegar, diluted with water leaves hair soft and shiny, invigorates the scalp, and eliminates dandruff, all for mere pennies an application! Good quality castile soap can be used as a shampoo alone, or as the base ingredient in natural hair care remedies.

My favorite way to use herbs for hair care is to used cooled herbal teas as hair rinses. Easy, and much more effective than the so called "botanical" commercial hair products that contain bare trace amounts of herbal extracts. Once you get started on making your own herbal shampoos, hair rinses and scalp treatments, you will never go back.

There are many herbs you can use, the following list is some of the more important ones. Fresh herbs work best, however good quality dried herbs will do.

Chamomile tea Cooled chamomile tea used as a hair rinse brings on the highlights in blonde or light colored hair. Add lemon juice to enhance the effect.

Sage Using sage to darken greying hair comes down to us from gypsy times, and I can personally attest to the fact that it works, gradually over time. Sage also leaves the hair feeling soft and shiny.

Rosemary Rosemary is the queen of the herbal hair tonics. Brings out the warmth of darker-colored hair. Rosemary is also known for its ability to stimulate the scalp. A few drops of essential oil of rosemary can quickly condition dry, fly away hair.