Herbal Tea Rinse: Customize It For Any Hair Type!

Here in the South, we LOVE our sweet tea! I'm from Florida, and tea is something that most people around here have on hand, so I decided to experiment with it. I love the idea of an herbal tea rinse, because it's double duty: you can make a drink and a hair rinse with the same set of tea bags! Since I was running low on my apple cider vinegar (ACV) rinse anyway, I decided it was the perfect time to try it! I've read a lot about how different teas can be used as acid rinses (sort of like ACV, which is an acid rinse). They can even be added to your ACV rinse; that's what I did! Adding herbs to your tea while it's brewing brings a little something extra to the table, depending which herbs you use.

Different herbs benefit different hair types, as do different teas (and coffee!), and that is what makes this tea rinse customizable: you can make it using the ideal tea and herbs for your hair type! I'll list some of the most common herbs and teas, and which hair type they benefit. First, I'll give you the rundown on the herbal tea that I made specifically for my hair: Herbal Oolong Tea Rinse.

My Herbal Tea Rinse:

For my herbal tea rinse, I brewed up some oolong tea that I happened to have sitting around since ordering Chinese takeout. I also threw in some mandarin orange peels and rosemary. I mixed the (cooled) herbal tea in with my diluted ACV rinse. However, I later learned that my hair prefers the tea diluted: about 1 part oolong tea to 3 parts water (read on for more details about diluting the tea).

If you prefer to get more bang for your buck, you can brew the tea bag per the normal directions for drinking. After your tea is brewed, remove the tea bag and boil it again for your hair rinse! If you're using this method, it may be best to brew the tea and orange peels/herbs separately (as I describe below) so that they don't interfere with the flavor of the tea. Although I have seen suggestions for brewing sweet tea with orange peels for a citrus flavor, so who knows!

But why did I choose these particular ingredients, and what are their benefits?

• Oolong Tea - the high level of antioxidants in oolong tea prevents hair loss. Oolong tea also softens hair, while adding shine and luster.
• Orange Peel - due to their anti-inflammatory properties, orange peels make a great dandruff remedy. Orange peels are also great for reducing oil. (They also smell great!)
• Rosemary - it stimulates the follicles, causing hair to grow longer and stronger, and is believed to slow premature hair loss and the graying of hair (Source: Organic Facts). Ideal for dark hair.

The cookie is for eating while your tea is brewing!

 

Method/Results:

I brewed all three ingredients in 1 cup of water for about 5 minutes, and then allowed the tea to cool. After it was cool, I strained it (cheesecloth or a coffee filter may be required), and added it to my ACV rinse. However, the undiluted rinse left my hair stringy and greasy-looking after 2 days. That's unusual for me now; I can make it at least 4 days without looking too oily. I didn't want to give up this experiment after one little hiccup, so I decided to try diluting the oolong rinse I'd already made (my ratio was about 1 part oolong tea to 3 parts water), and that did the trick! I'm so glad I stuck with it!



I brewed orange peels and rosemary in water to dilute my
oolong tea with, since the undiluted tea left my hair oily.

After discovering that my hair preferred the tea rinse diluted, I decided to boil the orange peels and rosemary in water, and dilute the oolong tea with the orange/rosemary water. I did this so that the orange/rosemary smell wouldn't be weakened, but you can boil them all together if you find that easier. 

This time I boiled the orange peels and rosemary in 2 cups of water for about 10 minutes, allowed it to cool, and strained it. I steeped the oolong tea bag in 1 cup of boiling water for about 20 minutes (I actually lost track of time, but it was at least that long), and mixed it with the strained orange/rosemary water.

When I first tried this oolong tea/ACV rinse last week (read about it here: Going No Poo - Week 3), I loved the smell but had to do some more experimenting to figure it out. So remember: this no poo thing is NOT one-size-fits-all; experiment and figure out what works for you.

I want to clarify that this herbal tea is what works for me. Every individual is different, so my method may not work for the next person. I'm simply sharing my experiences as I go, and I'm in no way an expert.

 

Customize your tea with other options!

Teas:

• Green Tea - (can be used on light or dark hair) prevents and treats dandruff and psoriasis, stimulates hair growth, softens hair, and adds luster (Source: STYLECRAZE)
• Oolong Tea - (can be used on light or dark hair) prevents hair loss and shedding, softens hair, and adds shine and luster (Source: STYLECRAZE)
• Black Tea - (dark hair only) increases hair thickness, fights hair loss and stimulates hair growth, darkens grays, and brings out natural highlights. It also adds shine, luster and natural darkness (Source: STYLECRAZE)
• Coffee - (dark hair only) adds luster and more intensive tone to brown hair, stimulates hair growth, conditions, and adds natural shine (Source: STYLECRAZE)

 Herbs (by hair type & benefit):

All-Purpose: basil fennel seed peppermint rosemary sage Dark Hair: cloves rosemary sage Light Hair: chamomile flowers Revitalizing: basil ginger root marjoram peppermint rosemary

Dry Hair: burdock root sage Oily Hair: lemon peel orange peel lemon grass peppermint rosemary Auburn/Red Hair: ·         hibiscus Conditioning: burdock root catnip lemongrass rosemary

There are many more herbs with benefits to different types of hair, however I only listed the most common. (Source: Frontier CO-OP)

Try creating your own unique herbal tea rinse! You can even experiment with different rinses to create more than one! For example: one for oily days and one to help with scalp irritation...

Please comment and share the herbal tea rinse you create!