Extensively grown as a cultivated crop for production of the popular beverage tea from its leaves and leaf buds, it is the subject of much scientific research for its influence over human health. Of the several varieties of tea commercially available and consumed world over, green tea is being promoted for use in hair care cosmetics.

Cosmetic use

Rich in tannins tea leaves are used to fix hair colourants such as henna on to the hair shaft. Due to its stringency it is used as hair conditioner and colourant both in extemporaneous shampoos and it is also an ingredient in popular herbal hair colourants.

Tea is rich in polyphenols well known for their antioxidant activity. While the whole extract is promoted as a sunscreen, its polysaccharide components are recognized for their anti-ageing effects.

Eclipta alba L Hassk (Asteraceae) Syn. Eclipta prostrata (L.)

It is commonly known as False Daisy and Bhringraj. Bhringraj means “King of Hair” and it is considered a rejuvenating herb in Ayurveda. Its profound biological effects including hepatoprotective activity are reported in literature. In traditional medicine the plant is rubbed on the gums for toothache and applied with a little oil for relieving headache and with sesame oil in elephantiasis. A black dye obtained from bhringraj is also used for dyeing hair and tattooing. Its traditional external uses are in athlete’s foot, eczema and dermatitis and topical application to the scalp to address alopecia (hair loss). The leaves have been used in the treatment of scorpion stings.

Cosmetic use

A thick slurry of the leaves crushed in water is filtered and mixed with sesame or coconut oil. Other ingredients such as amla, brahmi, curry leaves, fenugreek, henna or hibiscus may be included before heating the oil for complete blending of the herbal ingredients into the oil. This when filtered and scented with the desired fragrance is a popular household hair oil. Hair oils containing bhringraj, amla and brahmi are today important commercial brands used extensively for their hair dyeing effect.

E. prostrata was shown to significantly decrease the amount of time it took for hair to begin regrowing and to fully regrow in shaved albino rats. In these experiments, hair growth initiation time was reduced to half on treatment with the extract, as compared to control animals. Quantitative analysis of hair growth after treatment with bhringraj exhibited greater number of hair follicles in anagenic phase which were higher as compared to those in the control animals.

This herb contains mainly coumestans – wedelolactone (I) and demethylwedelolactone (II) –, polypeptides, polyacetylenes, thiophene-derivatives, steroids, triterpenes and flavonoids.