Leaves for beauty and hair care

If you complain about hair loss, your grandma may pluck a few curry leaves from courtyard, heat with coconut oil and then apply on your hair. To remove stains of face, they may suggest you to apply juice of basil leaves. Yes, when you spend a lot of money for hair care and beauty care, many such instant remedies are available in our home and locality, which we can afford with cheap cost and less side effects.

Some of the herbs like mint leaves and leaves like curry leaves and moringa leaves which are used in dishes can be used for this purpose. Through this column I shall introduce you to a few such beauty packs for hair and face. Yet I would suggest you to do a patch test before using. Also read a short article: Beauty @ leaf tips – Leaves for beauty.

Moringa leaves

Beauty packs for face:

1. Dry moringa leaves in shade area and make a fine powder. You can prepare both face packs and hair packs using this powder. Take half big spoon of moringa leaf powder, 1 big spoon each of honey and rose water and half small spoon of lemon juice. Mix them together and prepare a face pack. Apply it on face and wash it off after 10 minutes using lukewarm water. Apply moisturizer.

2. Take a handful of moringa leaves and 1 small spoon each of rice flour, curd and lemon juice, and make a fine paste. Apply it on face and while removing it after half an hour, gentle massage your face. It adds extra glow to skin.

3. Take a handful of moringa leaves, make a fine paste and strain it. Add 1 small spoon of multani mitti and a little aloe vera, and mix together to prepare a face pack. Apply this moringa leaf pack on your face. It tightens your skin.

Hair packs for lovely hair:

1. Add rice starch of previous day, fenugreek powder and moringa leaf paste to coconut oil and apply on hair. Wash it off after 15 minutes. It’s a good remedy for hair loss.

2. Take two big spoons of moringa leaf powder and mix with equal quantity of coconut oil. Then add one big spoon of aloe vera gel and apply on your scalp. Wash it off after half an hour. It improves hair growth.

3. Here is a good hair pack for dry hair. Take 3 big spoons of moringa leaf powder and add 2 big spoons of Kerala banana smashed (Ethapazham) and 1 big spoon of olive oil too. Apply this pack on hair and wash it ff after half an hour. It turns your hair soft.

Mint leaves (Pudina leaves)

Beauty packs for face:

1. Make a fine paste of mint leaves and basil leaves and boil it for 1 minute adding 1 cup of water. When it cools, add a big spoon of rose water and transfer it to an ice tray. Every day morning, take an ice cube and massage your face. It’s an instant remedy to many of usual skin problems.

2. This face pack makes your skin cool. Take a handful of mint leaves, 2 pieces of cucumber and ¼ small spoon of honey. Make a fine paste and apply on your face. Wash it off using cold water after 15 minutes.

3. Squeeze mint leaves and extract juice. Break one vitamin-E tablet and add to this juice, and apply on your face. This instant pack gives a sudden glow to face.

4. Make a fine paste of 10-12 mint leaves and a small spoon of lemon juice to it. Apply this pack on face and wash it off after 15 minutes. It removes wrinkles and marks. Also read medicinal values of mint leaves

Hair packs for lovely hair:

1. Squeeze some mint leaves and extract juice. Add a little olive oil and aloe vera gel, and apply on scalp. Wash it off after 10 minutes.

2. Crush some mint leaves and add a little lemon juice to it to prepare a hair pack. Apply this mixture on your scalp for about half an hour and rinse it thoroughly. Do this twice a week for best results.

3. Grind some mint leaves to a smooth paste and add some curd to prepare a hair mask. Apply it on scalp and rinse it off after 30 minutes. You can use this pack twice a week.

Curry leaves

Beauty packs for face:

1. Dry some curry leaves in a shady place and make a fine powder. Take 2 small spoons of curry leaf powder along with multani mitti and 3 drops of rose water and mix well to prepare a face pack. Apply it on face and neck portion. It improves skin health.

2. Let’s prepare an antioxidant pack which beautifies skin. Take two big spoons of curry leaves paste and add 1 big spoon of smashed avocado to it, and apply on face. Also read medicinal values of curry leaves

Hair packs for lovely hair:

1. Beta carotene, which is required for hair growth, is found in abundance in curry leaves. Take a handful of curry leaves, some hibiscus petals and make a fine paste. Apply this mask on hair. You can also add coconut oil to it. When it starts drying, rinse your hair.

2. Take 2 handful of curry leaves and make a fine paste adding coconut milk. Apply in on hair and scalp. You can use this pack once a week. It improves strength of hair, and make it shiny.

3. Make a fine paste of half cup curry leaves, ¼ cup fenugreek powder and a gooseberry. Apply it on scalp and wash it off after 20 minutes.

4. We all know the magical effects of coconut oil on hair. It’s a good conditioner and supplies protein to damaged hair. Take a handful of curry leaves and boil in 1 cup coconut oil for 6-8 minutes. Allow it to cool and then massage your scalp regularly using this oil.  

Basil leaves (Tulsi leaves)

Beauty packs for face:

1. Make a fine paste of mint leaves and basil leaves and boil it for 1 minute adding 1 cup of water. When it cools, add a big spoon of rose water and transfer it to an ice tray. Every day morning, take an ice cube and massage your face. It’s an instant remedy to many of usual skin problems.

2. Take 2 big spoons of dried basil leaves powdered and add 1 big spoon of tomato juice to it. Mix it together and apply this pack on face. It removes paleness and marks on face, and gives a uniform skin tone.

Hair packs for lovely hair:

1. Make a fine paste of basil leaves and apply on hair. Wash it off after 20 minutes. It’s a good remedy for lice and also gives a pleasant smell to hair.

2. Take half cup coconut oil, half cup basil leaf paste and add a big spoon of gooseberry powder to prepare a hair pack. Apply this hair pack on hair. It’s a good remedy for premature greying of hair.

3. Basil leaves give quick remedy for dandruff. 2 big spoons of basil leaf paste, 1 big spoon of curd and half big spoon of aloe Vera – mix them together and prepare hair pack. Wash it off after 45 minutes.

Neem leaves

Beauty packs for face:

1. Take equal amounts of tender guava leaves and neem leaves, a small turmeric piece and make a fine paste adding water. This pack is a good remedy to get rid of pimples and marks on face.

2. Make a fine paste of neem leaves and add honey to it. Apply on face and wash it off after 10 minutes. Your face turns bright.

3. Make a fine paste of 8 neem leaves. Add half cp of papaya fruit and smash well. Apply this papaya – neem pack on your face and allow it to dry. Wash it off later. It improves skin beauty.

4. Let’s now prepare a 3-in-1 face pack with neem. Take 1 big spoon of neem leaf paste and green gram powder each. Add 1 small spoon of curd and mix well. This face pack gives the advantage of face scrub which can remove dead cells, face pack which removes marks and wrinkles and moisturizer which makes skin soft.  

Hair packs for lovely hair:

Dry neem leaves, and make a fine powder. Add coconut oil and prepare a hair pack. Apply this pack once a week. It improves hair growth.  

Guava leaves

Beauty packs for face:

1. Guava leaves, sufficient in potassium and antioxidants are good for both skin and hair. Pluck a few tender leaves of guava, make a fine paste and apply on face and neck. Before it completes dries, wash it off. Do it two or three times a week and continue it for a month. If you have problems with colour change of skin, this guava leaf pack is an instant remedy.

2. Guava leaf is a good remedy for pimples too. Take equal amounts of tender guava leaves and neem leaves, a small turmeric piece and make a fine paste adding water. This pack is a good remedy to get rid of pimples and marks on face.

Hair packs for lovely hair:

1. Boil a handful of guava leaves in water. Close the lid and boil for 10 minutes in low flame. When it completely cools off, strain it and apply this water on hair. You can also transfer this water to a spray bottle and spray on your hair.

2. Take 15 tender leaves of guava and 5 shallots and make a fine paste. Strain it and boil well in coconut oil. Apply on your hair. It is a good remedy for dandruff and promotes hair growth too. Also read: Health benefits of guava fruit.

Image source: Pixabay

Read a few more articles on natural products for beauty. Here is the page link. Click on the images in the gallery to read