Ahhh, calming, stress-soothing warmth…
Comforting, cold-relieving
Herbal Therapy Head Wraps by Claudia.

I can attest first hand that this is wonderful for when you have a head cold - between this and the neck wrap Claudia gave me, my cold has been feeling a lot better, and this head wrap is fantastic not only for relaxing you deeply, but keeping your head warm during a scalp treatment, and for helping the oils to penetrate into the scalp more efficiently.

Claudia designed this on my request to satisfy my quest for the perfect heated head wrap to use with scalp treatments. It is hard to believe there is nothing suitable out there in the industry. I looked high and low at every spa/massage/aesthetic supply house I could find for the perfect accompaniment to this luxurious treatment I was offering, but besides microfiber head towels, which were soft but not heated, the only thing I could find that was remotely like what I was looking for was this electric helmet-like thing that looked quite archaic actually. Have you seen it out there? I can’t find a picture of it right now, but it is quite dated looking, heats pretty unevenly and I don’t really like the idea of having electricity on my client’s head while giving them a treatment - Its just doesn’t feel right.

Anyway, what Claudia has created here is much more conducive to relaxation, it is safer and all you need is a microwave to heat it up for a couple of minutes - perfect. It stays warm for about 15 - 20 minutes, which is really as long as you need it to stay warm. Combine this with the following hot oil treatment and your scalp will be left invigorated, moisturized and delightfully tingly, and your hair will feel luxuriously soft and will look fabulously shiny, bouncy and full! How is that for a treatment? Some adjectives, huh?

For more information about Claudia’s product line or her Yoga classes, please call (310) 370-3278, or email bliss-yoga@hotmail.com

Combine the scalp treatment with Indian Head Massage, and you or your clients will surely be floating your way to Nirvana. Two of my favorite books on the subject are:

Indian Head Massage: Discover the Power of Touch by Narendra Mehta, and Indian Head Massage by Francesca Gould.

Both books are information packed, easy to read, and offer helpful diagrams and photographs of techniques. The latter is more of a text book with a larger focus on anatomy and physiology, and has tests and thought provoking questions at the end of chapters. They are both great resources, and you can certainly find them on Amazon.com.

If you don’t have the carrier oils or essential oils available to you that are in our Stimulating Scalp Treatment Oil - keep it simple and use what you have in your pantry for cooking.

Sesame oil is the most popular oil to use in India, and it is used with many Ayurvedic treatments along with Indian Champissage. It has anti-inflammatory properties, is wonderful for alleviating muscular aches and pains, is very moisturizing to the skin, and is great for keeping hair healthy and postponing premature greying. It gives great glide in massage. Can be irritating to sensitive skin. If so, try Olive oil.

Olive oil is easily found and is also indicated for muscular aches and stiffness, and said to be helpful in the reduction of swelling. Nice for use in the summer.

Virgin Coconut oil is wonderfull in spring time. Its intoxicating scent makes it a pleasure to use, and because of its moisturizing properties, it is great at encouraging radiant skin and hair. A solid when cool, it will be necessary to heat the container in warm water for a while until oil de-solidifies.

Mustard oil gives a warming sensation and is widely used in Northern India. Said to help “cleanse the blood by opening the pores” , and fantastic for relieving sore muscles, and increasing body heat. Nice in the winter time, and also very soothing to skin.

These are just a few suggestions of things you might already have in your kitchen. If you have a few more ingredients to work with try this recipe out. It smells lovely, the Jojoba oil is said to be great at unclogging pores, it is soothing to a dry scalp, inspires growth of a healthy head of hair, and supplies the scalp with vital nutrients.

Stimulating Scalp Treatment Oil

14 drops Stimulating Scalp Pure Essential Oil Blend (recipe to follow)
10 ml Carrier Oil such as Fractionated Coconut Oil
7 ml Broccoli Seed Oil
7 ml Cranberry Seed Oil
5 ml Jojoba Oil
7 drops of Vitamin E Oil

This yields approximately 1 fluid ounce

Stimulating Scalp Pure Essential Oil Blend

6 drops Rosemary
3 drops Lavender
3 drops Geranium
2 drop Cypress

Add the blend to the treatment oil mix above, and pour into a squeeze bottle with a fine tip opening (like hair dressers use for hair color), and roll container in your palms gently to blend. Heat bottle up in a bowl of hot water until desired temperature is reached. Apply to scalp and comb through to ends of hair. Wrap with a scarf, or with one of Claudia’s Herbal Therapy Head Wraps, and leave on for 15 to 20 minutes. If you can leave the oil in your hair overnight or at least for a few hours that is great. When you are ready to remove, use a nutritious naturally gentle shampoo, such as the beautifully aromatic mixture that is California Baby Shampoo and Body Wash (available on Amazon), and shampoo hair clean. May take a couple of shampoos to remove all residual oil.

And for something soothing to the senses while you revel in the above treatment:

Citrus Green Tea with Peppermint

1 tea bag of Green Tea
1 tea bag of Peppermint Tea
2 Tablespoons Korean Citron Tea (see photo below and post from 3/20/08)
juice from 1/2 a lime

Brew tea bags in boiling water for a few minutes. Stir in Korean Citron Tea and juice from 1/2 a lime.

Serve hot for a relaxing throat soothing, imune boosting beverage or serve over ice for a refreshing stimulating tonic!

(Remember, recipes or any contents of any of these pages are used at your own discretion and are not meant to be a replacement for any medical care or treatment. If you have known sensitivities, it is always wise to perform a patch test on a small area of the skin first (say on the inside of your elbow) before applying any new ingredients/products to larger body surfaces, so you can see first if you are sensitive to it. Please see the page labeled “Scent” for the safe use of essential oils and herbs. Thank you!)