Recipe for January 2008
Hibiscus is the name of a group of plants that belong to the mallow family. Hibiscus rosa-sinensis (Hibiscus Shoe Flower or Bunga Raya) originated from East Asia. The flowers are large, red, firm but scentless. The five-petaled hibiscus flowers have distinct protruding stamen tubes and pistil tips. The petals come in six basic colours that are deeply saturated: white, red, yellow, orange, lavender and brown. But many colour variations are available among the 1,000 hibiscus varieties. Hibiscus flowers are characterised as either single or double form with variations in petal number and arrangement. Single hibiscus always has five petals, while the double form has more than five petals. They are propagated by cuttings and budgrafting. Among the types cultivated in gardens is the Rose of Sharon, a tall, late-flowering shrub. This flower which can stand 8 to 10 feet tall are very attractive to hummingbirds and butterflies.
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Hibiscus Hair Tonic
Great for covering greys, providing a rich deep dark colour to your hair. Suitable for those with dark red, brown and/or black hair.
Preparation time required:
10 to 15 minutes
Uses:
- To strengthen the hair from the papila root to tip
- To cover premature greys
- To immediately seal the hair cuticles, stop hair breakage and repair split ends
Method
- Over low heat, warm 450-500 ml of water
- Add 20-30 dried Organic Hibiscus flowers
- Simmer, making sure NOT to let the mixture boil or evapourate - too much heat will destroy the goodness in the Hibiscus
- Remove from heat
- The water would have turned a dark purply-pink
- Cool and store in a clean dry jar overnight
- In the morning, wash your hair with Shampoo Bar, rinse, and then instead of using your regular commercial conditioner use the Hibiscus infusion to condition your hair and scalp
Do not rinse out.
- Cover hair with a towel or cling film
- Leave the infusion on your hair for at least 45 minutes to an hour
- Rinse until all of the colour is gone
- Your hair and scalp will look & feel soft & moisturised
..and your greys will be naturally dyed & nourished..
Note:
Hibiscus *does stain clothes* so make sure you are wearing something old that you don't mind staining.
If you are using this tonic to cover grey hair then in order for the natural pigment of the Hibiscus to remain in your cuticle you will need to use this tonic at least once a week to maintain the colour.
Next recipe in February 2008.
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