Hey there!

Ok so I just want to apologize to all the English and grammar teachers out there lol I know some of my posts may be a little painful to read because there are sometimes typos and grammatical errors. I know I should proof read more but ain’t nobody got time fa dat I try to knock these posts out a quick as possible, plus I tend to type as if I am speaking sooooo….sorry!!! lol Can’t say they will get any better but just letting you know that a) yes, I am educated lol Howard University educated in fact, I know how to spell and all dat lol :o) and b) I am aware of my typos and try to go back and fix them when I can, if I care happen to re-read a post and come across them! What it really comes down to is, you know what I am trying to say either way!!!! :oP hehe

Had to get that off my chest lol moving along….

So I tried a new ayurvedic powder! This time it is the Holy Basil also known as Tulsi! I was at my local Indian market re-upping and came across this one and figured I would give it a go. I only got one box because I wasn’t sure how well I would like it. It was my usual Hesh brand and only $1.99 so what the heck. I have seen it sold on other ayurvedic powder retailers and I have found that tulsi is one of the more inexpensive powders, I guess it’s more common I suppose.

Tulsi is a type of basil plant (it’s not the same as sweet basil which is common in italian cuisine) and is part of the mint family. It has antiseptic and antibacterial properties and is considered an anti-pollutant. It helps alleviate skin and scalp issues like dandruff, itchy scalp, ringworm, scabies, eczema. It protects and moisturizes your scalpYou can also use it on your face to treat blemishes and acne. It acts as a deep cleanser, I have seen it listed in many ayurvedic facial soaps as well :o)

It appears as more of a green color in its powder form but when I mixed it with herbal teas, it turned into more of a brown. For this mix, I used an herbal tea mixture of nettle, burdock, lemongrass and catnip (<—thanks Aja!). Also, this is one of the BEST smelling ayurvedic pastes I have ever used! It is a sweet, minty kind of scent that was very pleasant I can’t say the same for other pastes lol so that made it much easier to tolerate :o)

 

I applied the paste on freshly washed, damp hair this time (I normally skip the wash part and let the pastes do the washing, I think may start washing first just because lol EXCEPT with shikakai….O_O ). I section my hair in half down the middle and then section each half into 3 smaller sections.

I found this this paste was a bit difficult to apply because it was a bit gritty and didn’t distribute well. It’s definitely a thicker paste. I had to keep adding more and more water and even a conditioner (used my Trader Joe’s Tea Tree Tingle) with a lot of slip to try to make the process go a bit smoother and it still didn’t make much of a difference. I also spritzed each section to dampen it even more as I went along. Luckily, Hesh gives you a good amount of powder in each box that I had enough to cover my whole head.

After I applied it, I pinned up each section and sat under a plastic cap for about 30 mins. I couldn’t let it sit much longer because it started to run down my face and neck. Had to keep a towel around my neck lol These pics look kinda nasty but whatever, ya’ll know you look the same when you do these treatments too lol

So, as much as I love ayurveda, I am not sure I will incorporate tulsi into my regular regimen (brahmi and amla are still my favs…henna is creeping up in there but i have a few other new ones I plan on trying and sharing with you VERY soon hehehehe). Applying the pastes are a feat in itself and dealing with the tulsi just made it even more difficult, perhaps it was the crop, the brand or other factors. I know Hesh is not THE best brand but I never have any problems with any of their other powders. Maybe I will try it again from a different brand and see if it’s easier to deal with. It also did not rinse out very well either. I had to shampoo again and “wash” with conditioner several times to really get it out. A good thing is It definitely got rid of a little itchiness I had going on and helped a LOT with hair fall. Hair fall is one of the main reasons I do these treatments so maybe that is enough to give tulsi a try again…but I’m in no hurry *sigh* oh well! At least it smelled really good and I had some benefits from the teas!

Has anyone tried tulsi paste?! It’s on my “To Try” tea list lol