The chamomile flower is where the medicinal effects stem from. A small, dainty, daisy-like flower, with a yellow center and single-layered rim of white petals, it can be dried and boiled or created into an essential oil. With countless medicinal applications, it has been used by humankind for centuries throughout the world. It is purported to be able to help with ailments from diarrhea to inflammatory pain. Other uses cited include to help with cramping, congestive neuralgia, toothaches, earaches, and inflamed mouth and throat. And when inhaled in the essential oil form, chamomile has even been recommended for help with depression.

Therapeutic Effects of Chamomile

Some of these medicinal effects have been backed by research done on chamomile. For example, one study showed that in tandem with other herbs, chamomile was able to help relieve things such as heartburn and nausea and help calm down upset babies. Another study showed that using it as a mouth rinse could help bring comfort to cancer patients with mouth sores resulting from their cancer treatments. Yet other studies indicate that it may prove beneficial in wound healing and as a potentially useful treatment for eczema.

Chamomile for Hair Health

While it is clear that chamomile has countless medicinal applications, what is a little less well-known is its use for hair care. The oil of this plant can be used to bring some shine to your hair while making it softer, and it can be used to bring relief to an irritated scalp. And the tea can be used topically for these same purposes, helping to improve hair health and prevent dandruff.

Chamomile and Hair Color

Another use for chamomile with hair is as a lightening-agent. While natural hair color is often beautiful, from time to time, we may have an urge to change things up. People who have dyed their hair using conventional products understand the physical cost of doing as such; their hair often times becomes brittle, burnt, and frizzy in appearance. This is due to the fact that conventional means of dying hair employ incredibly harsh chemicals that damage the natural structure of the hair strand. This is not even to mention the fact that these chemicals are often applied directly to the skin of your scalp, exposing your body to toxins. This can lead to skin irritation or damage, allergic reactions, and various other toxicities. For these reasons, many people opt to use more natural and less toxic hair-dying alternatives such as chamomile.

The degree of change in color when using chamomile to lighten your hair will vary based on the natural shade of your hair when you begin treatments. For some people, the change will be noticeable while for others it will be less dramatic. For example, people with blonde hair may see a change in shade whereas people with brunette hair may see that their hair is made brighter. In general, the changes observed by using chamomile are described as being gentle and natural. The mechanism by which chamomile lightens hair has not been clearly elucidated by research, but some sources attribute this effect to the presence of flavonoids found in chamomile. Whatever the means, chamomile can effectively help lighten the color of your hair or brighten it when used over time.

Use Chamomile to Lighten or Brighten Your Hair

There are several relatively easy methods of employing chamomile for the purpose of lightening your hair:

Make a hair rinse:

Steep five tea bags in about five cups of water until the water has completely cooled; after washing your hair in the shower, rinse your hair with the chamomile tea water you have prepared but do not rinse the tea water out of your hair. Instead, allow your hair to dry naturally so that the chamomile will be able to do its hair-lightening job. Use this rinse as often as you please; more frequent rinses will lighten hair more quickly.

Make a hair mask:

Steep five tea bags in about one cup of water for 15 to 25 minutes. Once this has cooled, mix it with one cup of plain yogurt until the mixture is smooth. After a shower, apply this mixture to your hair and allow it to set for up to an hour. You can pin your hair up if it is longer in length while the mixture is drying.

Make a hair spray:

Apply this to your dry hair before you go out in the sun. Mix a cup of chamomile tea that has been steeped for 15-25 minutes with about 3 tablespoons of lemon juice and a teaspoon of coconut oil. Then spray away! The combination of chamomile with lemon juice has been observed to be a particularly effective means of lightening hair, including for brunettes!

The Bottom Line

Whether you are using it to help calm a worried child down or you are using it to brighten up your luxurious locks, chamomile is a wonderful item to have on hand in your home. Its naturally therapeutic effects come in handy for many different ailments and it can also help change your look by lightening up your hair.