NATURAL BEAUTY:  Plant Oils Restore Thinning Hair.

One of the most satisfying products we have offered these last few years was one of our first, the Lazarus Hair Renewal System for restoring volume and health to thinning hair.  It was initially based on a blend of essential oils from a study first published in the Archives of Dermatology (1998) in which 44% of those using a synergy of essential oils showed significant hair growth after seven months.  We have since supplemented the core oils of lavender, cedarwood, rosemary, and thyme used in the study with additional essential oils, botanical extracts, ayurvedic oils, and vegetable oils reported to have been successful in enhancing hair growth.   The greatest successes reported to us have been with those who use the hair oil treatment.  (See this month’s Nature’s Pharmacy in this newsletter for a protocol on applying hair oil treatments.) While restoring hair growth is difficult at best, customers tell us that consistent use over a period of months has increased hair growth to varying degrees, as well as retarding continued loss of hair.  The key word here is consistent and we are the first to admit that it will take more than a day.  Others use just the shampoo because they are happy with the volume it gives their hair.  We even had one customer complain that it made her hair grow too fast! 

There are additional benefits to the ingredients we use in the Lazarus system.  All of the oils are antiseptic to fight bacteria and yeast overgrowth that can also cause hair loss, and a healthier scalp means dandruff is no longer a problem.   While lavender in the formula is famous for its relaxing properties, the very process of massage is also known to lower cortisol levels and increase serotonin and dopamine levels which translates into less stress, anxiety, and depression.  That’s a good thing. 

Beauty salon owners often comment that they would like us to package it in smaller bottles and jars because the product is so concentrated and lasts so long that their customers don’t need to replenish their supply as often as they do with the other brands the shops sell, thus affecting their sales.  We consider this a happy consequence and continue to package the product as we always have.