Healthy Hair for Your Indian Wedding

Healthy hair for your Indian wedding shares practical and easy to do tips to get your tresses glowing and silky for your big day! Amongst all the moving parts of planning an Indian wedding, one thing we encourage brides to pay even more attention to in the months before their wedding is their haircare regimen. And when we say months before, the earlier you start, the better. And continue even after you get married. These are ageless beauty tips.

Make sure you’re drinking at least 8 glasses (64 oz.) of water everyday. Bonus points if you add lemon juice in it.

In addition, ShaadiShop collaborates with hair and makeup artist Rani, the Founder at Beauty by Rani to bring you practical beauty tips to follow before your wedding.

When I say “practical”, I mean, our thing is to provide you tips that you can implement easily, with minimal having to go out and buy stuff and minimal cost. All of our tips are DIY, with a focus on natural ingredients, that you might even already have at your home.

This week we’re talking about alma (gooseberry) oil.

{Amla Oil for Hair Conditioning}

Amla is a tree found in the subcontinent of India. The tree produces yellow fruits the size of a plum. Also known as gooseberry, is a rich source of vitamin C. This fruit contains amazing nutrients that we all can benefit from.

The oil from the Amla fruits can be used as a hair strengthening treatment.

The oil will go down to the roots of the hair under the scalp and make it stiffer and stronger.

The number one reason why hair breakage occurs is the lack of Vitamin C to hold it in place. Not to mention, Vitamin C helps replenish your scalp and hair strands leaving it moisturized.

{Ways to Use Amla and/or Amla Oil}

If you’ve got the time and access to fresh amla then follow the DIY recipe below. For most brides that are balancing work, school, personal obligations and everything else that life throws your way, we suggest a few different ways you can incorporate amla into your haircare regimen:

buy ready-made amla oil at any Indian grocery store
drink ready-made amla juice, which you can also buy at most Indian grocery stores. Frequency: everyday
if you like smoothies/shakes buy frozen amla and put a few pieces into your daily smoothie. You can buy frozen amla at most Indian grocery stores…in the freezer section. Frequency: everyday
again for smoothie-lovers, you can buy amla powder and sprinkle a little in your smoothie. Frequency: everyday; FYI I don’t recommend just mixing a little powder with water and drinking it…I learned amla has a super bitter taste the hard way. =p

gooseberry juice — PC: tastyappetite.net

{Hair Oil Frequency}

The ideal situation is put oil in your hair for at least 1-3 hours, once a week. I know that seems like big time commitment but I’ve figured out ways to be productive. I’ll put oil in my hair and while that’s ‘simmering’, I’ll do my workout followed by a haldi facemask and while I’m waiting for the mask to dry I’ll wash the dishes or empty the dishwasher. The point is, nobody has time to sit around while your hair has oil in it. I have found that with just a little planning I can get more stuff done in the same amount of time.

{Using Products That Work For you and Your Lifestyle}

Speaking from personal experience, I put coconut oil in my hair instead of amla oil. I like how soft coconut oil makes my hair. I buy the organic coconut oil from Costco. I like the quality and the wide brimmed tub it comes in, which makes it really easy to scoop out (anyone who’s fiddled with those blue Parachute coconut oil bottles you find at the Indian grocery store will appreciate this point).

As far as amla goes, I drink 60mL of amla juice everyday. I started drinking amla juice about one and a half years ago and I have definitely seen an improvement in the shininess and health of my hair. As you can see from the photo below I have very long hair. It takes all of 30 seconds to follow this routine and I have a daily reminder setup in my phone to ping me when it’s time to drink my amla juice in the morning and evening.

It’s quick, hassle-free, easy and effective – features I think most modern brides need. But for those brides with the time and inclination to indulge in making their on amla oil, here’s a recipe for you. And if you do make it, PLEASE write to us and tell us how it turned out!

{DIY Freshly Made Amla Oil Recipe}

1. Take fresh amla pieces. Wash them in cold water. Cut them into small pieces. Spread the cut pieces on a wide plate. Allow it to dry in sunlight to ensure there is no moisture left. This can take up to 2 days.

2. Grind the dried amla pieces making a fine powder.

3. Heat coconut oil in a pan and add the powdered amla in the pan. Make sure that you heat in low flame.

4. Allow it to boil.

5. Once the oil starts to brown – turn off immediately. Keep aside to cool.

6. Filter the oil and keep it in an air tight container or bottle.

You can apply the oil mixture from root to tip for up to one hour. Rinse using warm water and gentle shampoo.

{Save Your Time and Money: Try Natural First}

Samta: I am in a few South Asian women’s Facebook groups and almost weekly participants post questions about haircare and skincare recommendations. And we rarely see anyone reply with advice or share about natural and DIY masks and simple things like drinking lemon water. I kinda think our elders and ancestors were on to something with all the recommendations to use turmeric (haldi), gooseberries (amla) in our hair and yogurt and chickpea flour, (besan).

So Beauty by Rani and ShaadiShop recommend starting with natural products. Try them out first and see if they work. And if they don’t work, well then the multi-billion dollar skincare industry has a plethora of products for you to try.

{What Makes Amla So Beneficial?}

The nutrients contain Vitamin C that strengthens your hair. Did you know that the number one reason why hair breakage occurs is the lack of Vitamin C to hold it in place? Additionally, Vitamin C helps replenish your scalp and hair strands leaving it moisturized.

DISCLAIMER: As with any skin care regimen, always do a test patch first to see if your skin is allergic to any of the . Please discontinue use if your skin does not react well to the regimen. Never use products that you are allergic to. Always check with your doctors before using products.

ProTip provided by Beauty by Rani, offering full bridal makeup services in Southern California for over 8 years.

{Take Aways}

The secret to healthy hair for your Indian wedding is amla oil.

For healthy skin up your water intake I know you’re so busy with work and planning your wedding) but if you can, especially in the months before your wedding, you’ll see a big positive difference in your skin if you drink a lot of water (at least 64oz. aka 8 glasses) per day and if you do regular masks and if you start putting oil in your hair regularly or consuming amla in any of the ways described above.

I also like drinking amla juice as it’s quick, easy and effective.

In case you missed it, here’s a link to our post about DIY coffee masks, a natural way to decrease dark under eye circles as well as a turmeric face mask. All of these are beneficial for exfoliated, glowing skin. We share a variety so you can find one that works for you.

From all of us at ShaadiShop and Beauty by Rani, congratulations and cheers to your upcoming wedding!