As bright yellow daffodils and purple crocuses appear on the roadsides and the days start to lengthen, spring definitely feels like it’s on the way! And with warmer weather on the horizon, I can’t wait to start getting outdoors more often.

But springtime is not all about cute fluffy bunnies and frolicking among the daffs… With International Women’s Day (IWD) being celebrated today and Mother’s Day (or Mothering Sunday) just around the corner, what better time to reflect on the women in our lives and applaud our collective achievements?

An ancient family hair oil recipe, passed down through generations of women

The women in my life have always been a source of inspiration and care. In fact, they were the beginning of Nosheen Hair Oil.

As some of you who are regular readers of my blog may know, several years ago, I suffered an episode of alopecia and telogen effluvium. It really affected my confidence, but I was incredibly fortunate. You see, the women in my family wereharbouring a secret… An ancient hair oil recipe that had been handed down over generations: passed from our ancestors to my grandmother, my mother, and finally shared with my sisters and myself. By following a careful treatment plan and rigorously using this secret hair oil recipe, I was able to restore my hair back to a normal cycle of growth within months.

After experiencing these incredible results, it got me thinking: what if I could use this secret formula to help other women struggling with their self-confidence as a result of hair loss? Or those who are simply looking to improve their hair health and have healthier, shiner and fuller hair. And so, I was inspired to create Nosheen Hair Oil, a 100% organic, natural, cold-pressed hair oil containing a carefully-balanced blend ofoils, and based on my family’s secret hair oil recipe.

From a family secret to an award–winning formula

This month I was able to share some incredible news with the women in my family. Their secret family hair oil recipe was about to help even more people. On February 22^nd, Nosheen Hair Oil scooped a coveted Highly Commended accolade in the hair treatment category of the Asos Beauty Awards 2022. A pretty mean feat for a product launched in November 2020, and something I certainly could not have achieved without the support of the awesome women in my life. 

In honour of this, I would like to pay tribute to my grandmother, mother, sisters and the generations of women who came before us. Thanks to the knowledge of our forebearers, Nosheen Hair Oil is helping women in the present to look and – more importantly – feel their best. I would like to take a moment to acknowledge this monumental collective achievement.

You can find out more about the award and the event at Magazine London on our Facebook and Instagram pages.

Secret hair care tips from around the world

International Women’s Day has got me thinking. Today, more than 100 countries celebrate IWD in their own unique way and it is an official national holiday in more than 25 of these countries, including Afghanistan, Cambodia, Cuba, Georgia, Eritrea, Montenegro, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Zambia, among others. Every year has a different theme and for March 2022, the official theme is #BreakTheBias – check out the link if you’d like to get involved. You can also visit the IWD website to see how women are celebrating around the world.

There’s nothing more uplifting than women supporting and empowering each other, and one way that we do this is by teaching our children, siblings, friends and relatives how to take care of themselves and others, physically and emotionally. While talking about hair care may seem frivolous to some, body image is an increasing problem for women, especially the younger generations growing up in this age ofsocial media.

Sometimes self-confidence can be built from the outside –looking your best also helps you to feel your best. This can mean different things to different people, of course, but healthy-looking hair is one way that we women like to express our unique and individual beauty. 

Women have used different hair care treatments for centuries, so I though it might be fun to share some ‘secret tips’ from around the world.

Africa

African cultures use a variety of plant-based products to encourage new hair growth, including, in Namibia, crushed bark from the baobab tree, traditionally blended into a mixture using animal fats. Known for its moisturising properties, rich in omegas 3, 6 and 9, as well as linoleic acids and fatty acids, the mixture helps to strengthen the hair’s keratin. This reduces breakage and keeps hair in tip-top condition. At Nosheen Hair Oil, we advocate for vegan- and eco-friendly formulas, so if you’d like to test this ancient remedy for yourself, try blending powdered baobab bark with castor oil, one of the ingredients in our formula.

Asia

In Japan, women believe hair care begins at the roots, which we at Nosheen Hair Oil can definitely concur with! Japanese women frequently use treatments to exfoliate and deep-cleanse their scalps, often performing this hair care ritual several times a week. Exfoliating the scalp helps to eliminate any dead skin, debris or product build-up, allowing the scalp to breathe. Exfoliation also delivers a massaging action on the scalp, which is known to stimulate the hair follicles, leading tohair regeneration. To achieve optimal hair growth, particularly if you are suffering from hair loss, try using the newest addition to the Nosheen Hair Oil range, our Bamboo & Silicon Scalp Massager. Its soft silicon bristles gently massage your scalp, encouraging new hair growth.

Australasia

Valued by the Aboriginal Australians for millennia due to its anti-inflammatory properties, eucalyptus oil is also known to promote new hair growth, as it improves blood circulation in the scalp. To inject hair with moisture and shine, Australians massage a few drops of eucalyptus oil into their scalp and leave overnight, for silky tresses. In New Zealand, another ancient ingredient – manuka honey – is favoured. Made usinghoney from bees that pollinate the native tea tree plant, it also has anti-inflammatory properties. Applied as a hair mask with coconut oil, another ingredient in our Nosheen Hair Oilformula, this traditional hair care remedy conditions, moisturises and protects hair.

Europe

Italians are known for their love of olive oil in traditional cuisine. But did you know that this golden, fruity nectar is not just for drizzling over tasty pasta and salad dishes? Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fats and packed with a high number of antioxidants, also making it an excellent emollient for hair, something Italian women have known about for generations. As an alternative to castor oil, or if you run out of Nosheen Hair Oil, try warming a tablespoon of olive oil in the palm of your hands, then run it through your locks, to nourish, condition and eliminate frizz.

Latin America and The Caribbean

There are so many delicious traditional hair care treatments from this part of the world, it’s hard to pick just one. In Colombia, they use mashed avocado, which can be combined with an oil of your choosing and worked into a paste for a 15-minute conditioning hair treatment. In Brazil, women like to use a natural cocoa butter treatment mask, left on for around half an hour, then rinsed off with coconut water, while in Jamaica, cactus is on the menu. With its heat-protective nutrients, the prickly pear cactus is also excellent for revitalising heat-damaged hair. The outer skin of the cactus is peeled off and the oil from the fleshy interior used as a washing agent to leave hair silky smooth and hydrated.

Middle East

There are a myriad of hair care remedies hailing from the Middle East. However, one of the more unusual conditioning treatments, originating in Egypt, is to mix crushed garlic cloves with castor oil. To give this strong-smelling concoction a more fragrant perfume, a drop of lavender essential oil is added. Lavender is another ingredient contained in Nosheen Hair Oil, and known for its anti-inflammatory properties.

There are so many more secret hair tips I could choose from but I’ll save those for a future blog… I hope you’ve enjoyed reading through this current selection of secret hair care treatments from around the world. If you decide to try out one (or all) of these traditional hair care remedies, let us know how you get on in the comments below.

Whatever you’re up to this March, I hope you’re able to create unforgettable moments with the women in your lives.

Love Nosheen xxx