By Jacqueline Samaroo
Curly hair is so beautiful to behold in all its glory, but – it can be just as hard to maintain! What can make it even more of a challenge is trying to find curly hair products that are natural AND naturally good for your hair and scalp. Thankfully, there are quite a few that have been used traditionally in various cultures around the world and are now achieving mainstream recognition.
The butters we featured in our recent series come to mind. You can get a heads up on them, here: What Is Hair Butter? 10 Excellent Hair Butters for Hair Growth!
There are also many essential and carrier oils that can bring the natural goodness of their properties to your curly hair care routine. Find out about them here, in this post: The Difference between Essential Oils and Carrier Oils – 4 Really Good Things to Know.
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Each of these natural ingredients can be used to help you manage your curls and give them the bounce and shine you’ve been dreaming of. Another one of them is the beloved Gotu kola, an underrated but genuinely good pure herb that’s good for hair.
Read on to find out about this Ayurvedic hair care ingredient and discover four benefits of Gotu kola for hair health and hair growth.
What is Gotu kola?
Gotu kola is a wetland herb belonging to the parsley family. The plant has heart-shaped leaves, slender green to reddish-green stems, and beautiful bunches of white or crimson flowers.It is traditionally used in Ayurveda throughout different parts of Asia, such as Indonesia, India, and China.
Gotu kola, or Centella asiatica as science calls it, has been used to heal wounds, treat leprosy, and as a diuretic to clean out body systems of toxins. It is also a popular ingredient in a variety of dishes, including being added raw to salads and as a leafy green accompaniment to curries, as well as being used in stir-fries and to make a kind of porridge.
For more about common ingredients used in Ayurvedic hair care, check out these other CurlyNikki posts:
- Ayurvedic Hair Care: 4 Wonderful Benefits ofBrahmi for Hair
- 5 Excellent Benefits of Fenugreek for Hair Growth – Ayurvedic Hair Care 101
Four benefits of Gotu kola for hair growth
Gotu kola is known for its amazing medicinal properties and healing effect on skin, scalp, and hair. Here are some wonderful benefits of Gotu kola for hair.
1. Gotu kola promotes hair growth.
Gotu kola provides much-needed nutrition to dry, damaged hair, and stimulates the healthy growth of hair follicles. If you’ve been wanting to grow out your curls but haven’t been able to, Gotu kola could very well be the haircar ingredient that you’ve been missing.
Among the many benefits of Gotu kola for hair is its ability to repair, regenerate, and replenish hair strands from the follicle onwards, so that any new hair grows out strong and healthy. Furthermore, many regular users of Gotu kola have noticed their curls looking glossier and feeling more moisturized due to the herb.
2. Gotu kola boosts blood circulation.
Sometimes, our hair follicles sustain a lot of damage due to heat, dyes, pollution, and other factors, which makes them weak and prone to breakage. Massaging an oil made with Gotu kola extract into your scalp can help strengthen the weak hair follicles, stimulate blood circulation in the scalp, and thus infuse the follicles with necessary nutrition and oxygen. Gotu kola also has antioxidant properties, which makes it a great ingredient in hair care as it is able to help neutralize free radicals and regenerate hair cells.
3. Gotu kola treats scalp problems.
A study that explored databases on Gotu kola dating up to 2009, observed that the herb is beneficial in treating certain scalp conditions such as psoriasis, which is a troublesome issue known to hinder hair growth if untreated.
Persons facing problems like these with their scalp may truly appreciate the effects of Gotu kola when used regularly on the scalp. Gotu kola is also said to work as a treatment for the symptoms of alopecia. What’s more, it has the effect of calming an irritated scalp and leaves a soothing effect thanks to its inflammatory properties.
4. Gotu kola reduces hair loss.
One of the intriguing benefits of Gotu kola for hair is that it contains saponins. These are phytochemicals (plant chemicals) that help in defending the hair follicles against damage, provide antimicrobial benefit, and fight DHT, the presence of which can actively cause hair fall if left unchecked. Using Gotu Kola regularly will surely help you reap benefits as your hair fall gradually decreases.
There are many factors that can cause hair loss but there are also ways you can combat it. Read: Stress and Hair Loss: Here’s The Connection and 5 Ways to Break It.
How Gotu kola can be used
Commonly, Gotu kola is used in curries, stews, and other preparations of food. Other than that, Gotu kola extract can also be steeped to prepare a rich tea that can be drunk for health benefits.
But if you really want to enjoy the benefits of Gotu kola for hair growth, you can use Gotu kola powder to prepare a hair mask with aloe vera gel. Substitute aloe vera with another plant-based product if you are allergic to aloe. Leave this paste on your hair for about half an hour, then wash off with a gentle shampoo for best results.
Gotu kola can also be taken as an oral supplement, but it is advised to consult your doctor before proceeding, just so you’re sure it’s safe for you. Also, Gotu kola is not recommended for children.
Now that you know quite a bit about what some regard as a miracle herb, will you be trying it out to see what it can do for your curls?
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#diytreatments#haircare#oilsAyurvedic Hair CareAyurvedic OilCurly Hair TipsDIYHair Tipsnatural hairNatural Hair tipsoils and natural hair
