Boost Hair Growth with Basil Leaf Extract
Hair growth isn't something that happens overnight. In fact, most of us have to wait months if not years to see a difference with the length of our mane.
The bad news is, hair grows only about 1/2 inch per month on average - that's approximately 6 inches per year. The good news is, you can speed up the process thanks to an Ayurvedic herb known as holy basil. Or more specifically, basil leaf extract, an essential oil with a plethora of health benefits.
Let's delve deeper into this medicinal plant and how to use ocimum sanctum leaf extract to speed up hair growth!
WHAT IS BASIL LEAF EXTRACT?
Holy basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum) isn’t the same thing as the sweet basil (ocimum basilicum) you put in your spaghetti sauces. Also known as Ocimum sanctum L., tulasi, and rama tulsi, this leafy plant is native to Southeast Asia and has a rich history in Thai, Hindu, and Indian medicine as a treatment for everything from blood clotting to ringworm.
It is considered a sacred plant in many cultures due to its long list of health benefits, including stabilizing blood sugar and blood pressure, preventing heart disease, and treating type 2 diabetes. That's why in Hindu and Thai cultures, they call it "The incomparable one." In terms of its antidiabetic, antipyretic, and antioxidant properties, it really is incomparable.
Let's learn more about the benefits of this medicinal plant.
HEALTH BENEFITS OF BASIL EXTRACT
Several studies show how beneficial holy basil is for human health as well as its therapeutic value. According to studies, this medicinal plant contains high levels of vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, zinc, iron, oleanolic acid, and rosmarinic acid, as well as phytochemicals and flavonoids. It also offers powerful anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, and antioxidant activity. For centuries, Indians have used holy basil to fight free radicals and oxidative stress, which can prevent cancer, stimulate wound healing, prevent blood clotting, and strengthen the immune system.
What's more, holy basil leaf extract is a natural adaptogen, a herb of ayurveda, known for possessing anti-stress effects and treating anxiety disorders. In ayurvedic medicine, holy basil can help bring more balance to the body, normalize the stress response, and promote peacefulness and stillness within the body. Scientific studies show that basil leaf extract can potentially counter metabolic stress through stabilizing blood sugar levels. In India, people continue to use this adaptogenic herb to promote wellbeing.
HOLY BASIL LEAF EXTRACT HAIR GROWTH ROUTINE
Clinical trials show that holy basil extract can help boost hair growth by increasing circulation to the scalp and stimulating the hair follicles. So if you're trying to grow your hair faster, ocimum sanctum can help speed things up for you. Here's an easy routine using tulsi to get the long, luscious locks of your dreams.
Wash your Hair in Holy Basil
While you can add a few drops of holy basil essential oil to your regular shampoo, why not just buy a shampoo that contains the adaptogenic oil? Because we shampoo daily or at least, a few times a week, using a cleanser that contains bail leaf extract is the easiest way to ensure your hair is getting its holy basil quota.
Try Truly's Super Fruit Shampoo, a blend of organic coconut, argan oil, tea tree, and basil to hydrate and restore your locks, while stimulating hair growth and preventing shedding.
Apply Basil Extract to the Scalp
The best way to use holy basil oil for hair loss is to apply it directly onto your scalp daily. Packed with ursolic acid, phenolic acid, eugenol, and orientin, it provides both a nourishing and protective effect to the scalp.
Best of all, it's not high maintenance. You can apply a small amount of ocimum sanctum leaf oil to your scalp while you condition and be able to rinse it out without any traces of oil-build-up. You can even use it on dry hair if you don't have to time to wash it.
Mix it with Other Essential Oils
One source found that daily intake of pumpkin seed oil increased hair count by 40 percent.
Another discovered that peppermint oil showed the best hair growth results. Even though basil ayurvedic oil is good enough on its own to stimulate mane growth, using it as a carrier oil with other essential oils could move you several steps closer to waist-long hair. Still, ocimum sanctum linn remains the clear winner when it comes to treating hair loss.
SIDE EFFECTS OF BASIL LEAF EXTRACT
Approved by the FDA, the extract of ocimum sanctum is relatively safe, either as a topical treatment or dietary supplement. Of course, we recommend speaking to your health care professional and getting medical advice if you have a condition or are taking medication that ocimum sanctum leaf extract may interfere with.
OTHER HAIR GROWTH TIPS
Besides using ocimum sanctum linn as part of your haircare routine for treating hair loss and stimulating hair growth, there are many other ways you can grow your mane faster.
Here are some easy tips that don't involve extract of ocimum sanctum:
Eat more protein
“To help ensure that your hair is receiving enough energy for growth (hair cells are the second fastest growing cells the body produces after bone marrow), include a portion of complex carbohydrates with each meal. I.e. brown rice, whole-wheat toast, potatoes with skin-on or oatmeal,” says Anabel Kingsley, director of communications at Philip Kingsley.
Take supplements
Look for piron, zinc, vitamin B12, and Biotin. B12 is crucial for vegans, as it's only found naturally in animal products. So stock up if you're following a plant-based diet! And of course, feel free to get plenty of ocimum sanctum linn supplements too.
Get regular trims
A trim won't make your hair grow faster, but it will help to maintain the quality of your ends. We know it's not what you want to hear, but frequent cuts will prevent split ends and keep your mane looking shiny and healthy.
