We all love beautiful, shiny and voluminous hair and for this we often rush to beauty salons and to cosmetologists. Hair products like hair spray, shampoos, conditioners, gels give us desired look that we want, but the harmful chemicals in these products damage our hair after continuous use.
Unfortunately, hair loss, premature greying of hair, hair fall are very common these days. Some common factors of Hair damage are –
- Deficiency of vitamins and minerals
- Hormonal imbalance
- Environmental factors like climatic change, pollution, sunlight exposure
- Stress, anxiety and depression
- Medication
Some of these factors are very difficult to control as they are the part of our daily life. So it is very important to take care of your hair using natural remedies. Natural treatments are inexpensive and most of them do not have any side effects.
Today, I am going to share one of the important natural remedy which is very useful for your hair, skin and overall health. The ingredient is Vegetable Glycerin – The moisturizing power.
What is Glycerin?
Glycerin is an organic compound which is also known as glycerol. Glycerin is natural colorless, sweet tasted viscous liquid which gets easily dissolved in water but not in alcohol.
What Are The Sources Of Glycerin?
Glycerin is a natural compound which can be found in plants and animal fats or can be manufactured in synthetic form.
Vegetable Glycerin is a clear, odorless liquid which are obtained from plant like palm oil, soybean and coconut oil.
Glycerin is also obtained by mixing animal fat and lye. Animal derivative glycerin are mostly present in commodities like soaps, toothpaste, mouthwash, shaving cream and some hair care products. According to report published in year 2010, the plant based fats – Vegetable glycerin are used in food industries but in cosmetic, animal fats can be used. Try to check the label lists before you purchase any cosmetic product.
What Are The Uses Of Natural Glycerin?
1. Skin Care
Vegetable Glycerin is a great Emollients. They are those substances which prevents dryness, itchiness of skin by moisturizing it. Dry skin is caused due to loss of water from the outer surface of the skin. Vegetable Glycerin attracts moisture from the atmosphere and locks it in the skin tissues making it supple, soft and hydrated.
2. Diaper Rash
Baby’s skin is very sensitive. The creams or any product should not contain any artificial fragrance or any harmful chemicals. One of the important ingredient that can be applied for rash is vegetable glycerin. Before changing a nappy, apply glycerin cream on the baby’s skin. Glycerin is a great humectant which will retain the moisture and removes redness and irritation from the skin.
3. For Healthy Bowel System
Vegetable Glycerin is also used as laxatives. It has a tendency to holds the water which makes the stool soft and gives relief from constipation.
Overuse of any laxatives may damage intestinal tissue. Consult your physician before taking any medication.
4. Protective To Skin
Glycerin plays very important role in skin care industry as it is a vital ingredient which works as a humectant. It is a plant based natural product which is very gentle for sensitive skin and it is also beneficial in healing inflammation and irritation.
5. Boost Up Your Immune System
It is so surprising to note that glycerin can be used to boost up our immune system. Mixing of herb Echinacea root and herb Astragalus root with combination of vegetable glycerin and water makes a wonderful tincture which can boost up your immune system. Echinacea is a natural antibiotic and Astragalus increases white blood cells which is good to boost our immune system.
What Are The Different Ways To Use Vegetable Glycerin In Hair Care Regime?
Top 6 Amazing Ways To Use Vegetable Glycerin For Hair
1. Leave On Hair Spray
It is very disheartening to see that every time when we comb our hair, it takes so much effort to detangle your hair because they are rough, frizzy and damaged. I am going to share a quick moisturizing detangle recipe which will make your hair strand smooth and silky.
Ingredients-
- Aloe Vera gel-1 Tbsp.
- Vegetable Glycerin-1 Tbsp.
- Water-5 Tbsp.
- Lavender oil-7-10 drops
Vegetable Glycerin is hygroscopic in nature so it draws the moisture from air and gives extra smoothness to your hair. Aloe Vera gel contains lots of beneficial minerals in it which provides strength to your hair strands.
Method
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Store it in a plastic bottle which has nozzle in it. Shake it properly. Whenever you want to comb, just spray the liquid all over your hair and feel the smoothness.
2. Nourishing Shampoo
There are many chemicals present in commercial shampoos like Propylene Glycol, Sodium Lauryl sulphate and Polyethylene Glycol which can cause serious damage to our hair.
Coconut is always considered to be best ingredient when we talk about skin and hair products either it is coconut oil or coconut milk.
In this shampoo we are going to use coconut milk which gives your hair shine and luster. Coconut milk contains lauric acid and Vitamin E which helps to repair damaged hair and nourishes the scalp from within.
Ingredient
- Liquid castile soap-1/4 cup
- Coconut milk- 3 Tbsp.
- Distilled water-2 tsp
- Lavender oil-10 drops
- Glycerin-3 tsp
Organic Castile soap is made by mixing plant oils (olive, coconut or jojoba oil and vegetable glycerin with few drops of essential oils. Castile soap is free from all the chemicals and artificial fragrances.
Method
Mix all the ingredient and melt it on medium heat for 5-7 minutes. Remove the vessel from the heat and let it cool completely. Once the mixture gets thickens you can store in air tight bottle. Your home made Vegetable Glycerin coconut shampoo is ready to use.
3. Oiling with Glycerin
We all know that oiling is very beneficial for our scalp. Proper oiling gives hair roots to grow and it also increases blood flow within the scalp. Oiling itself is a procedure in which the hair strands gets shiner and glossy look but can you imagine what wonders it can create if you massage your scalp with oil and vegetable glycerin. Yes, you heard it right. Oiling with Glycerin not only gives healthy hair but also removes dryness from your hair strands.
Ingredients-
- Coconut oil-1 Tbsp.
- Vegetable Glycerin-1/2tsp
Method
Mix both the ingredients properly and store it in a plastic bottle. Massage your scalp for 20-25 minutes. Leave it overnight and wash your hair with mild shampoo in the morning.
4. Hair Masque With Vegetable Glycerin
You can prepare your own Hair masque using glycerin. Hair masque prepared with egg, olive oil and glycerin nourishes your scalp and prevents dry flakes. Egg is a good source of protein and is considered as a natural conditioner.
Ingredients
- Vegetable glycerin-2 tsp
- Eggs-1
- Olive oil-3 tsp
Method
Mix all the ingredients properly. Apply the mixture all over your scalp including roots and tips. Leave it for 45 minutes. Wash it with mild shampoo.
5. Conditioning With Vegetable Glycerin
Hair care is not complete if you are not giving proper conditioning to your hair. Conditioners give smoothness and shine to dry and frizzy hair. There are many conditioners available in the market which are full of harmful chemicals. So here is a recipe of homemade conditioner which will make your repair your hair strands making it smoother.
Ingredients
- Vegetable Glycerin- 2 tsp
- Aloe Vera Gel-2 tsp
Method
Mix both the ingredients. After the shampoo apply the mixture from root to tip of each hair strands. Leave it for 5 minutes. Rinse it off.
6. Can We Use Vegetable Glycerin For Hair Growth?
Glycerin is used in most of the hair products. You can use it as hair serum, conditioners, masque. It can resolve many hair problems like split ends, frizzy hair, dryness and dandruff. Apart from these problems vegetable glycerin can be used for hair growth.
Vegetable Glycerin For Hair Growth
Ingredient
- Chamomile tea-1/4 cup
- Honey-1tsp
- Vegetable glycrerin-3 tsp
- Castor oil-2 tsp
- Rosemary oil-5 drops
Method
Mix all the ingredients and store it in the bottle. Massage your scalp with the mixture and leave it for 1 hour. Wash your hair as you regularly do.
Frequently Asked Questions(FAQ)
Q. Can glycerin be used for all seasons?
A. Glycerin is very effective when you are using in dry season or in winter months.
Q. Can we use vegetable glycerin on color treated hair?
A. No, avoid using vegetable glycerin on color treated hair.
Q. What other essential oils can be used other than lavender oil?
A. Rosemary oil, Chamomile oil, Cedar wood oil are some essential oils which are really effective and can be used as remedies for hair problems.
Q.Can we use undiluted glycerin on damp hair?
A. – No, you should not use undiluted glycerin neither on your skin nor on your hair. Always mix glycerin with distilled water or rose water before using.
Q. Can we use vegetable glycerin as a sweetener?
A. Vegetable Glycerin is sweet in taste and it is widely used in food industry as a preservative. You can use vegetable glycerin in moderate amount. It should also be kept in mind that overdose can be toxic and some people are sensitive to it.
Q. Can I use Glycerin for my curly hair?
A. Yes, you can definitely use Glycerin on your curly hair.
Nature has gifted us lots of valuable treasures which we can use for our beauty care. Tere may be some other facts and uses of Vegetable Glycerin in our daily life. I hope this article will help you and will resolve all the queries regarding hair care. Please share your comments and feedback. You can also share some other information or your hair care remedies.
Thanks
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