Is Hibiscus Just a Vibrant Flower? Discover Its Beauty and Ayurvedic View

Have you seen the trumpet-shaped red, pink, orange, and yellow flowers blooming in the gardening area of schools, university campuses, or parks? Adding beauty and attraction, they make you linger over there. These are hibiscus flowers that come in different varieties and colors. Consider the question of the day: Is hibiscus just a vibrant flower? The answer is no. Hibiscus is not just an ornamental flower adorning tropical hedges and attracting butterflies and hummingbirds; it is a centuries-old secret to beautiful skin and hair. Today’s blog unravels the hidden benefits of hibiscus for skin and hair, backed by Ayurveda and science, and its practical use for the same. So, sit with your snacks and enjoy reading the blog.

Ayurveda reveals Hibiscus: A Beauty Herb.

In Sanskrit, hibiscus is known as “Japa” or “Java Kusuma.” Ayurveda, the renowned science of life, reveals it as a beauty herb for rejuvenating hair and skin. It describes basic properties of hibiscus as:

• Sheeta Virya (cooling) in potency

• Kashaya (astringent) and Amla (sour) in taste.

This special composition is efficient in calming the Kapha (made of earth and water elements) and Pitta (made of fire and water elements) doshas. The cooling nature of hibiscus aids in soothing inflammation and irritation both on the skin and hair scalp, and on the other hand, its astringency helps in tightening tissues and preventing sagging and excessive oiliness in the skin. Therefore, hibiscus is both a Keshya (meaning one that promotes hair health) and a Varnya herb (meaning one that enhances complexion).

What is inside the hibiscus?

Hibiscus is packed with beauty essentials, providing benefits for skin and hair:

• Mucilage: A gelatinous substance that works best as a natural conditioner.

• Vitamins A and C: Your skin’s collagen boosters that fight free radicals.

• Amino acids: The protein building blocks essential for hair keratin.

• Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs): natural exfoliants that remove dead skin cells.

• Antioxidants: combats oxidative stress that causes skin aging.

And guess what? This powerhouse botanical isn’t just for external application; it has been consumed traditionally as a tea for promoting heart health and blood circulation. Now, let’s first get started with the hibiscus benefits for skin:

Hibiscus benefits for skin

Hibiscus benefits for skin resolve a wide range of skin issues and provide multiple benefits. Let’s discuss different skin problems and investigate what you can gain:

1. Aging skin: To fight premature signs of aging like fine lines, wrinkles, and sagging skin caused by oxidative stress and UV rays, hibiscus is your faithful ally. Due to being rich in antioxidants, including flavonoids and anthocyanin (present in the red hibiscus), it can help you repel free radicals and save you from their damage. Free radicals are unstable molecules responsible for loss of collagen and elastin—proteins essential for skin firmness and elasticity. Therefore, hibiscus helps aging skin shoo away these protein stealers and helps diminish fine lines and wrinkles.

2. For Dry and Dehydrated Skin: Mucilage content in hibiscus comes into play, drawing moisture from the environment into the skin, and works very well, particularly for dry and dehydrated skin. It makes a protective and hydrating layer, preventing moisture loss. If you are looking for soft, supple, and plump skin, hibiscus is a good addition to your skincare.

3. Dull Complexion: Harsh scrubs can cause micro-tears to your skin. You need some natural AHAs that can gently exfoliate your skin, effectively clearing pores, pulling out roughness, and fading dark spots and pigmentation. Where can you achieve this? Of course, we are talking about hibiscus. It can provide your skin a bright complexion, even tone, and lit-from-within glow!

4. Oily and Acne-Prone Skin: The astringent property of hibiscus can work wonders for your oily and acne-prone skin. It evens your skin tone and tightens enlarged pores (as we talked about above) and controls excess sebum production. Hibiscus has antimicrobial properties that keep acne-causing bacteria away, making it a gentle yet effective treatment for breakouts.

5.   Inflammation: The cooling nature of hibiscus makes it perfect for calming inflamed skin, reducing redness, and soothing skin conditions like acne and rosacea.

Hibiscus Benefits for Hair

Let’s look at hibiscus benefits for hair:

1. Hair Growth: Perhaps the most famous benefit of hibiscus for hair is promoting hair growth. It is rich in vitamins and amino acids (refer to the “What is inside the hibiscus” section) that nourish and strengthen hair follicles. It is believed that applying hibiscus enhances blood circulation to the scalp, providing oxygen and nutrients to follicles. This, in turn, reduces hair fall and promotes the growth of new and strong hair.

2. Hair Conditioning: The mucilage content present in hibiscus ensures deep conditioning, leading to smooth and silky hair. It eliminates frizz, detangles knots, and gives shine to hair. Therefore, hibiscus is a brilliant alternative to commercial conditioners that lead to silicone-based buildup.

3. Combats Premature Graying: Ayurveda suggests that hibiscus helps retain the natural pigment of hair. We already discussed in earlier sections that it is packed with antioxidants that fight oxidative stress—a key contributor to premature graying. Therefore, hibiscus becomes a good option for delaying white hair, as it nourishes the scalp with vitamins and minerals, potentially aiding hair to remain dark throughout time.

4. Cures Dandruff and Itchy Scalp: The anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties help eliminate fungi that cause dandruff and itchy scalp. Moreover, the cooling nature of hibiscus soothes itchiness, and mucilage gives hydration to the dry scalp.

What does Research say about Hibiscus?

While we discuss hibiscus benefits for hair and skin, there remains doubt of how authentically it can work for us. For this, we need to find what research says about it. Fortunately, there are research studies that confirm its benefits.

Marfan syndrome is a disorder of connective tissue. People with the same were studied, and it was found that infusion of hibiscus extracts proved to reduce oxidative stress and increase antioxidants in the blood. Another study shows that hibiscus extract helps against cell damage in rats. However, these studies are based on concentrated hibiscus extracts, and more research is required to further confirm its benefits for skin and hair.

How to use hibiscus for hair?

You can use hibiscus for your hair in the following forms:

• Hibiscus Oil

• Hibiscus Hair Mask

• Hibiscus Conditioner Spray

 Let’s make hibiscus oil: Heat a cup of any carrier oil, like coconut, sesame, or olive oil, that suits your hair on a low heat. Chop and add a handful of fresh hibiscus flowers and leaves. You can also add ¼ cup of dried ones instead. Do not boil; just let them simmer for 10-15 minutes. Now turn off the heat and let the oil get infused overnight. Strain the oil and store it in a glass bottle; your hibiscus oil is ready to use.

Let’s make a hibiscus hair mask:Use this classic mask for nourishing your hair that is very simple to make. You need 5-6 hibiscus flowers and a handful of their leaves (you can also take two tablespoons of dried powder). Blend them with yogurt or coconut milk with a little water. If you want extra nourishment, add a little bit of coconut oil or aloe vera gel. Your mask is ready to apply on your hair. Make sure you leave it on for an hour before washing off.

Let’s make hibiscus conditioner spray:Just boil two cups of water with hibiscus flowers for 10 minutes, let the liquid cool, and strain it. Pour this deep red liquid into a spray bottle (you can add a few drops of your favorite essential oil). Your leave-in conditioner spray is ready to heal frizz, add shine, and detangle your hair throughout the day.

How to use hibiscus for skin?

You can use hibiscus for your skin in the following forms:

• Rejuvenating mask

• Toner for Pore Tightening

• Exfoliating Scrub

Let’s make a hibiscus face mask:Take 1 tablespoon of hibiscus powder with 1 tablespoon of raw honey and a pinch of turmeric. Add enough rosewater to make a spreadable paste. Your rejuvenating hibiscus and honey mask is ready. It hydrates, exfoliates, and brightens your face. Apply on your face and leave on for 15-20 minutes until dry and rinse off.

Let’s make hibiscus toner:Make a strong tea of hibiscus flowers (or powder). Let it cool completely, and then strain it; your toner for pore tightening is ready to use.

Let’s make hibiscus scrub:Take 1 tablespoon of finely ground oatmeal with 1 tablespoon of hibiscus powder. Mix it with aloe vera gel or milk to make a paste. Your exfoliating scrub is ready to use. Massage onto damp skin in circular motions for 1-2 minutes and rinse off.

Conclusion: 

In a nutshell, the humble hibiscus is not just a vibrant flower adding beauty to our environment. It is an Ayurvedic remedy for skin and hair, a natural pharmacy, and an ancient beauty herb. It is a rich source of antioxidants, vitamins, and other substances that help beautify the skin and hair. Ayurveda calls it a Keshya and Varnya herb, meaning one that promotes hair health and enhances skin complexion. Hibiscus can help fight premature signs of aging, deeply moisturize, fade dark spots and pigmentation, reduce inflammation, gently exfoliate, and tone the skin. In addition to this, it can help promote hair growth, provide superb conditioning, fight premature graying, and cure dandruff and itchy dry scalp. Therefore, it becomes an important natural skincare and haircare product to give amazing results. It can be used in the form of oil, a mask, or a leave-in conditioner spray for hair that is easy to make and available in natural haircare brands. It can also be used in the form of toner, scrub, or mask for rejuvenating skin. There are animal studies that have found hibiscus extract to have antioxidant properties. One study on specific diseased people also reveals the same. Further studies are needed to determine how it can be effective for humans for haircare and skincare.

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References

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/hibiscus-tea-benefits

https://www.ndtv.com/lifestyle/hibiscus-for-skin-and-hair-the-natural-anti-ageing-ingredient-2243402

https://www.hercircle.in/engage/beauty/health/3-expertapproved-ways-to-use-hibiscus-for-healthier-hair-2486.html