Indonesian Hair Cream Bath - Unique Use for Massage Oil

Unique Use for Massage Oil

As a busy mom working full time from my virtual home office, life has changed… a lot. I now share my office with an 11 year old home-schooler who despite his protest, I am relatively certain plays Roblox more than anything else during ‘school hours;’ his 11 year old twin sister who happens to be an elite dancer and is not only virtually learning math and English, but a full complement of Zoom dance classes with 20 different meeting codes and passwords, Instagram Live conventions, virtual competitions and Tik Tok videos; a senior in high school who is trying desperately to figure out how to maintain any semblance of a social life in Quarantineland while suffering from a major case of Senioritis; and a full-time real estate agent who added a couple of side gigs more recently to keep the family afloat during these unprecedented times. And did I mention the dog? He is literally beyond thrilled to have company each day. So instead of napping, he plays. And plays. And steals shoes and pillows and socks in a feeble attempt to get the attention of his family. And barks. And just doesn’t sleep.

I find myself working from the solace of my bedroom, abandoning my home office as it has been taken over by at least one of the aforementioned situations…And I daydream. I find my mind wandering about all the glorious refuges our world has to offer and ‘oh! the places I will go’ when the world reopens. I imagine a gorgeous resort with a tranquil spa where I sit in my cushy robe enveloped in the soft sounds of New Age music and diffused aromatic botanicals. I can’t help but think of the amazing services I will have. I move from serene to sublime and back to serene. All. Day. Long.

I am a creative at heart and I thrive on the unique. My mind is often overtaken with thoughts of how to repurpose the mundane or finding innovative ways to approach the same old, same old. I research and learn, probably to a fault. I am not always sure where these thoughts come from but today, I know. I am in desperate need of that blissful day. I NEED that imaginary spa day to become reality. But for now I dream. And part one of my dream looks a little like this…

Indonesian Hair Cream Bath

My first stop along the path to full body recovery starts with the Indonesian tradition of hair cream baths. I have always been intrigued with the lustrous hair the men and women of this culture seem to maintain well into their senior years. and I have come to learn their secret lies in a 45-60 minute treatment.

The treatment is basically two steps.

Design a Custom Oil Treatment to apply to the scalp and roots of the hair.

Ingredients

Jojoba Massage Oil – Although any carrier oil you prefer will work, I became intrigued with the properties of Jojoba-based Massage Oil. And after all, it is my daydream! Jojoba oil comes from the seeds of the Zizyphus jujube plant. According to one study, when jojoba oil was applied to shaved hair, it promoted faster hair growth than hair that did not have jojoba oi. – www.medicalnewstoday.com

Essential Oils – A plethora of essential oils are readily available these days and I have been known to get lost in the abundance of information about their individual qualities, properties and uses. For simplicity sake (and again, because this is my daydream) I focus my essential oil selection based on two main personal issues…albeit relatively normal for women of my maturity (insert eye roll).

For Hair Loss - Rosemary, Juniper or Lavender

For Dandruff – Tea Tree, Eucalyptus, Rosemary or Cedarwood

For Dry Hair – Sandalwood, Geranium or Lavender

Directions

Mix Massage Oil with Essential Oils at a two-to-one ratio.
Part the hair and smear the oils along the scalp lines to cover the entire head
Apply a Conditioning Cream to the hair.

Feel free to use a manufactured product like a simple cream-based hair masque, or create your own naturally formulated base experimenting with ingredients. Through research, I have uncovered a few key parts imperative for a good mix.

Ingredients

The Base:

Avocado – Plain Greek Yogurt – Banana (fully mushed)

The base needs to be thick enough to not drip off your hair but thin enough to coat the hair strands completely.

The Slip:

Jojoba Oil – Olive Oil – Coconut Oil

To avoid tangled hair, add an oil that will provide a smooth slip to your hair cream.

The Moisture:

Aloe Vera – Glycerin - Honey

Choose an all-natural humectant for a soft finish.

The Extras:

Coconut milk – Seaweed – Essential Oils

Spike your hair cream with additives for specific client hair conditions, such as seaweed to enhance hair growth, coconut milk for a silky finish or essential oils for an aromatic sensation.

Directions

Apply the cream bath from the roots to the tips of the hair. Massage the scalp to help absorb both the oil treatment and the cream bath. Apply a hair cap or steamed towel and leave on for a minimum of 20 minutes. Shampoo to remove all oily traces.

Added Bliss

Upper Body Massage

Use the same wonderfully enhanced Jojoba based Massage Oil to masterfully massage away stress in the neck, shoulders and upper body.

Hair Perfuming

Consider adding this creative and simple service to catapult the entire experience to the next level. As the hair is drying, smoke the hair with incense.