How I made Amla infused oil...

Hey there,
This is a semi- long post*

       

As my love affair with all things ayurvedic deepens, I now introduce you to my homemade Amla oil recipe!

I'm totally excited to be sharing with you on how I made my very own Amla oil! I've always been skeptical of buying Amla oil because it just doesn't smell like the Amla we used back in the day...and some of it contains mineral oil too. 

Amla is known to nourish and grow the hair.

Amla oil is actually made by soaking the dried fruit in a base of an oil like coconut, olive, almond oil, etc. 

There are so many things that you can infuse with oil, it is ridiculous! 

So while the Amla was heating I quickly threw in a little Brahmi  powder too. (This is one of my favorites.) Brahmi is an ayurvedic herb that strengthens the hair roots and helps with itchy scalp and dandruff issues. I wrote a post on most of the herbs and their benefits. You can read all about it here.

Anyhuu, let's get on with it- I used  less than half a packet of Amla powder,

Some Brahmi powder,
Half the bottle grapeseed oil, which I think is 125ml,
100ml of almond oil ( I'm totally not good with measurements I just eyeball everything*)
A few drops of castor oil, I didn't want the mixture to turn out thick, so go easy on this one.
You will  also need:
Lemongrass essential oil, use any essential oil you prefer-
a bowl and spoon for stirring,
a bottle or container for storing the amla infused oil.
Here's the thing- the plan was to just use Amla powder and an oil but it turned out to be more than that, (things changed as the mixtress in me came out to play, lol) It's always fun trying out new things!
Make sure you put paper on the table because it can get a little messy.

I poured the Amla and Brahmi powder in a saucepan and heated it on medium heat, until it got hot. I then added the oils.
  While stirring I thought of throwing in some fresh curry leaves from our garden and a stick of cinnamon. I'm sure you all know by now that curry leaves prevents pre-mature greying ( I just discovered a single strand of silver recently), as well as helps with hair growth. Cinnamon has vitamins and antioxidants which help improve the condition of the scalp Aaannd yes - hair growth!
   I didn't leave the mixture on too long, I didn't want it to boil. You will notice that it starts to look blackish brown.

 You can see the indents of cinnamon stick and curry leaves.
I poured everything into the bowl to cool. I added a few drops of lemongrass essential oil, ooh the aroma that filled my kitchen...sigh** the joys of being a curlygirl...

I let the mixture soak for up to five days for double potency.  The oil was clean when I poured it into the bottles, no need for a strainer or a funnel. I was super excited when I saw the resemblance of the color! A thick consistency like mud was left behind at bottom of the bowl. I kept it for future use. I'll probably add some conditioner to it and do an Amla gloss.
I will use my Amla infused oil for pre- poo and hot oil treatments. I'm going to mix a little with some essential oil and do scalp massages too. Oh, and not forgetting to add some to my ayurvedic hair masks as well. The options are endless...
   

Look at that color! 

So, will you try this ayurvedic doctor's  recipe, lol!
Keep me updated if you do on my hair page.

Until next time,
Stay Natural  -Stay Magical
Xoxo  - Marlene Louw