Hibiscus mostly thrives under warm weather because it needs a good 6 hours of sunlight. Which is why, India is one of the places where you will find its presence in plenty. The flower and the leaves are the most useful parts of the plant and are used for both medicinal and beauty purposes. Rich in vitamin C, pectin and organic acids, the flower does wonders with its astringent and diuretic properties. Simply putting, it is a miracle herb for the skin and hair.

There are many types of Hibiscus plants like the Tropical hibiscus, Rose of Sharon and Hardy hibiscus, but in India we would rather sort them by color; Red hibiscus, white hibiscus pink hibiscus and also yellow hibiscus. The white and the red hibiscus have been mentioned in Atharva Veda and been a part of Ayurveda for healing ailments. Some of the outstanding properties this plant are;

• This herb has I- hydroxy acids that are useful against the effects of aging.
• They generate hydro lipid film and hence can be used to treat brittle hair making it silky and smooth.
• Hydroxy acids can be used to restore the balance of the cellular division hence treating dandruff.
• Its high mucilage content helps in accentuating the retention of skin’s hydric contents. Making the skin look firm and young.
• Hibiscus extracts are also rich antioxidants that have better results on your skin and hair than BHA and b-carotene.

In short, be it skin cream, face pack, hair mask or any other herbal treatment or beauty product, hibiscus extracts have more than one benefit to contribute. So if you are still wondering, why your grandmother’s hair pack made your hair lustrous or why does her face pack felt so rejuvenating, then probably your questions have already been answered.