Hey, Pumpkin!
When it comes to better hair health, at Smart Solutions RX, we believe in using seasonal ingredients to better gut and hair health, and Autumn is admittedly a favorite season for our staffers, who welcome the return of Starbuck’s Pumpkin Spice Lattes among other seasonal favorites. During October and November, local farms are filled with colorful pumpkins, fresh for picking and for carving. While they certainly make for illuminating Jack-O-Lanterns and scrumptious pie, consuming the flesh and seeds of pumpkins also has key properties to grow gourd-geous hair, too (see what we did there?).
For hair loss sufferers, the stress of a hot summer on the scalp, combined with harsh chemicals from swimming, often combine for a late summer and fall phase of hair loss. As the hair on the scalp transitions into a survival state of rest, known as the telogen phase, hair loss sufferers often come to us here at LOCKrx to determine how to best protect what the hair they do have, seeking help to aid the scalp into a transition of growth once more.
We won’t bore you with details of how Aunt Ida’s pumpkin recipe dates back to our great, great, grandma, who lived through five famines with great hair, but at LOCKrx we do believe in mindful eating, that is knowing what you are consuming and how it can be of benefit (or detriment) to your body. Pumpkins are plentiful this time of year, and we encourage you to make use of their incredible hair benefits! Try these two recipes for better hair health.
The Pump-KING of fruits.
Believe it or not, pumpkins are, in fact, fruit. Go ahead, Google it (we did!).
Pumpkin is king of the fruit kingdom when it comes to its benefits for hair and gut health. Both the flesh of the pumpkin and the seeds hold powerful antioxidants to benefit the gut and scalp. The flesh of pumpkin contains antioxidants that protect the scalp from environmental stressors. From B7 to magnesium, pumpkins contain a multitude of nutrients to prevent disease and antioxidants to protect hair from environmental triggers.
Applied topically, pumpkin helps the scalp to produce sebum, the natural oil that helps to main strong, moisturized hair. When ingested, pumpkin seeds provide a source of zinc, vital to hair vitality. Pumpkin seeds contain a steroid, delta-7 sterine, which helps to block DHT.
We’ve teamed up with our test kitchen to share with you a few of our favorite recipes for both ingestible and topical applications.
Healthy Outside: Pumpkin Hair Mask.
1 cup canned or 1 ½ cup freshly pureed and strained pumpkin
¼ cup coconut oil
2 tablespoons of honey
1 tablespoon of yogurt
To Make:
Add all ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Wet hair with lukewarm water, and towel dry. Apply the pumpkin hair mask to damp hair, combing it through with a wide tooth comb to evenly distribute the mask. Cover hair with a shower cap or hair wrap and let it sit for 30 minutes. Rinse hair mask out with warm water, then wash and condition with LOCKrx Bio Balance Shampoo. Use the LOCKrx liquid dispensing scalp comb to apply LOCKrx Growth Factor 3X. Wait 2 days to wash hair. Repeat process weekly, as needed, and alongside the LOCKrx Healthy Inside plan.
Healthy Inside: Pumpkin Mint Patties
We all know that York Peppermint Patties shaped like pumpkins are the same as their regular patties, but there is something about the cute, fall shapes that makes them taste better. Try our homemade recipe, complete with hair healthy pumpkin seed oil and LOCKrx DEFENSE for healthy hair and gut.
1 can sweetened condensed milk
6 cups powdered sugar
1 scoop LOCKrx Chocolate Mint DEFENSE
3 tablespoons shortening
1 tablespoon pumpkin seed oil
¼ teaspoon pumpkin extract
Food Colors (Red, Yellow)
3½ cups semi sweet chocolate chips
Combine condensed milk, powdered sugar, LOCKrx DEFENSE, 5 drops of red food coloring, 12 drops of yellow food coloring, pumpkin extract in a bowl and blend until combined. Using a cookie scoop, evenly scoop 24 scoops onto a baking sheet. Using the bottom of a bowl or glass, press down the balls until they resemble flat discs. For fun shapes, you can also use a cookie press that looks like a pumpkin! Place the cookie sheet in the freezer until the discs are firm, about an hour. Before removing cookie sheet, melt chocolate in 20 second increments, stirring at each interval until chocolate is melted. Add in pumpkin seed oil and shortening and stir until combined. Place the frozen pumpkin forms one at a time into the chocolate mixture, using a fork to coat. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and return to the freezer until chocolate solidifies (about 30 minutes). Enjoy!
Whether you enjoy pumpkin topically or ingested, there is no doubt that adding it to your fall routine can help you grow beautiful hair, from the inside out! To learn more, visit www.lockrxhair.com
