Marshmallow Root in Natural Hair Care

This article contains affiliate links from my favorite brand Mountain Rose Herbs. I love their high quality organic/fair trade products, and am blown away by their commitment to zero waste.

I recently purchased organic marshmallow root from Mountain Rose Herbs to try out in different DIY hair products that I've created.  Marshmallow root extract is a popular ingredient in many hair conditioners for its amazing slippery texture for easy detangling as well as softening the hair.  It’s high in plant protein that promotes healthy hair growth and shine while also soothing dry scalp and skin inflammation. I like to boil this herb to extract its mucilage to add to my hair rinses, or as a conditioning hair leave-in and detangler.

What you will need…

• Purified water

• Marshmallow root

• Nylon or Strainer

• Two glass jars

• Tongs (if using nylon)

I prepare marshmallow root extract almost exactly as I do flaxseed gel except different proportions.  You can easily boil 2 tablespoons of marshmallow root in 2 cups of purified water until the mucilage is released, approximately 15 minutes.  Or you can simply steep the same amount of the herb in 1 1/2 cups of boiled water like you would make a tea.  If I do the latter, I prefer to steep overnight or longer in a glass jar sealed tightly.    Extract the gel by straining or using a nylon to filter the mucilage from the herb with tongs into a clean bowl or jar.  Boiling the herb will create a thicker consistency.

You can use the mucilage from marshmallow root to add more slip to a previous store bought conditioner or add to one of your own DIY recipes.  I added the marshmallow root extract to the DIY Green Tea Cleansing Hair Rinse.  I created the hair rinse as I usually do, then added the marshmallow root extract in a container mixing the ingredients together.  The application of the hair rinse felt much better to the touch, giving slip for detangling, and my hair felt even softer afterwards.

Marshmallow root extract can also be added to flaxseed gel for super curl definition or used in conjunction with aloe vera juice for conditioning and detangling hair.  The options are endless and I plan to continue trying new things out to share.  Let's Talk Hair-Part 2 will be continued next week.  (General Note: Please research new herbs to ensure there is no conflict with pregnancy or medical conditions before using.)

Read Let's Talk Hair-Part 1 to catch up if you haven't already.  Have a beautiful weekend!

Image by Dawn Michelle