Hibiscus or Rose Mallow (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis), also known as Chinese hibiscus, China rose and shoe flower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae, which is native to East Asia. As well as being a beautiful five petaled large flower, Hibiscus can be used in hair and skin preparations.

There isn’t a great deal of contemporary scientific research on the benefits of rose mallow / hibiscus for hair, but it has been used for hundreds of years and the benefits stated by individuals following natural or ayurvedic hair regimes, include:

– Encourages hair growth
– Discourages spilt ends
– Thickens hair
– Mild cleanser that helps with toxin elimination
– Gives a great tone to hair, and works well in henna preparations
– Alleviates sore scalps
– Adds shine
– Gives definition to curls

The paste can be difficult to work with and therefore it best to blend it with cassia, henna or amla (all available from henncat).

Ensure that you and your surroundings are protected from the paste staining e.g. walls, floors, and clothing.

Recipe:

• 100g Rose Mallow powder

• Cool strong tea

Make some strong black tea by mixing three standard tea bags and about 250ml of boiling water. Let the tea cool to lukewarm. Sift the rose mallow powder into a bowl and then add the cooled tea. Mix to a yoghurt like consistency, and then fill a large cone to apply to your hair. You can apply the paste straight away or leave it to brew and settle for an hour or two. Leave the paste on your hair for the amount of time to achieve the colour and condition you want, 1, 3 or 6 hours. Shampoo out and condition as normal.

Want to buy henna online? Visit Hennacat’s henna shop – it’s secure and you can buy everything you need to dye your hair naturally, or go direct to buy rose mallow powder: