Natural cosmetics, like kings and queens Part 9, Cleopatra's hair

Cleopatra was the last queen of Egypt, a very powerful woman surrounded by myths and legends that have increased her charm through the centuries. It seems that she dedicated much attention to her beauty with lotions and oils prepared with herbs and plants, such as aloe vera, which grew on the banks of the Nile, and sandalwood oil. Today we will take inspiration by Cleopatra's beauty secrets in order to protect our hair, to make it bright, to fight dandruff, itching, dermatitis, oily scalp and especially hair loss. Our scalp is in fact continuously attacked by aggressive products such as shampoos or conditioners that in their formulations contain silicones, that cover and suffocate the hair, and strong surfactants that deplete the skin, which reacts with irritations and an excess of sebum. So here's an idea to prepare a powerful natural cosmetic at home and with just a few ingredients. You need aloe gel and sandalwood essential oil. If you have an aloe vera plant even better, cut a leaf and extract its gel. To do this the advice is to first remove the lateral thorns, then cut the leaf in half and take the gel. Blend quickly with an immersion blender and the aloe gel is ready. Keep the gel in the fridge for no more than a couple of weeks. Alternatively, if you do not have an aloe plant, you can buy its amazing gel. Apply the aloe vera gel on the scalp, then dilute 3-4 drops of sandalwood essential oil in two tablespoons of grape seed oil and apply on the scalp, massage for a few seconds, then leave on to act for 15- 20 minutes, finally rinse with the usual shampoo. This cosmetic, simple but powerful, exploits the anti-inflammatory and soothing properties of the aloe, which, according to scientific studies, is also effective in treating seborrheic dermatitis (Vardy et al, Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 1999). Moreover, the aloe gel is also rich in vitamins A, C and E that are powerful antioxidants able to fight free radicals, but also minerals such as copper, zinc or selenium, another important antioxidant, and substances with an antiseptic and antibacterial action (Surjushe et al, Indian J Dermatol., 2008). The extra note that makes this mask a powerful product of health and beauty is given by the essential oil of sandalwood, with a calming and soothing scent but, above all, able, according to a scientific study we talked about in the section From Science, to counteract the hair loss (Cheret et al, Nat Commun, Sep 2018).