What Benefits Does Burdock Root Provide for Aging Hair?
As we age, our hair texture and needs can change. Did you know that there are natural herbs that can support thinning and aging hair?
Here are a few of the benefits of burdock root, what our favorite things about burdock root are, and how to incorporate burdock root into your hair care regimen. Burdock root may just be your new favorite ingredient when looking at the labels of your hair products!
How Can I Support Aging Hair?
Many of us are familiar with the fact that our hair goes through many changes as we get older. Some of these changes can be easier to live with than others. The process of aging can bring about a receding hairline, hair loss, thinning hair, and dry hair.
We often find ourselves wondering just what we can do to combat these changes — or at least, make them a bit easier to deal with. After all, we’re looking to age better, not be younger!
Aging better when it comes to our hair means taking a multi-pronged approach. We can promote hair growth, moisture, volume, and all-around healthy hair by using a variety of resources. Hair care products, supplements specifically designed with the health of our hair in mind, and shifts in lifestyle can all come into play when we seek to care for the differences that our aging hair has.
Various types of plants and medicinal herbs have been utilized by people for centuries. Archeological studies have shown that the practice of herbal medicine dates back some 60,000 years!
Humans have used plants and herbs to treat many maladies — with some having better results than others. Some treatments that take advantage of plants served us so well in the past that they are still being used to this day! You know where this is going: taking a peek at the benefits that burdock root can provide for aging hair.
But are the claims about the advantages of burdock root just that: claims? Or can burdock root be included as a part of our healthy hair care routine when we get older?
What Is Burdock Root?
Root vegetables are commonly used in most cultures: after all, many of us love potatoes! Burdock root, as it sounds, is a dark brown root vegetable from Northern Asia and Europe.
The roots of this vegetable are long, and it has a leafy green top that is surface side. What you will find inside the burdock root plant is a tough, white, sweet, crunchy interior.
Upon first glance, you wouldn’t guess that it’s a relative to the daisy or that it can now be found in the United States, where it's been classified as a weed. But when we think of weeds, we think of plants generally regarded as pests. Such is not so with the burdock root, which has many benefits.
As a biennial plant, burdock root requires two years to complete its life cycle. Growing three to four feet tall, it produces burrs that can attach themselves to clothing or fur. Because of this clinging feature, burdock root can travel on people or animals so the seed can be dispersed.
An interesting tidbit about burdock? It happened to be the inspiration for Velcro. The hook and loop feature of the burdock root’s burrs allows it to easily attach and pull apart, leading to the invention of Velcro.
Now that we know what burdock root is and how to identify it, here are some ways that it is utilized for natural remedies as a part of herbal medicine and even in cooking!
Common Uses for Burdock Root
Burdock root has been a natural remedy used for multiple ailments. It can be used as a topical treatment to soothe skin issues and the appearance of blemishes. It can be found commonly in Chinese medicine, where its properties are boosted when used as an added ingredient with other herbs.
In Japan, burdock root has been used as a root vegetable in dishes (burdock root soup or pickled burdock). Burdock is often praised for its high levels of antioxidants, as well as its prebiotic qualities. Its inulin content supports healthy digestion.
This is due to inulin being a type of dietary fiber. You'll most commonly find burdock root as a powder, extract, tincture, or decoction.
How Can Burdock Root Support Healthy Hair As We Age?
When we get older, our hair often needs special support. Our hair becomes a bit more fragile and susceptible to damage or breakage. The consideration we should give our aging hair means finding ways to make ingredients, products, and supplements backed by science work for us.
The properties of burdock root have been studied and shown to positively impact the body in a cosmetic way. In Europe, the oil that can be extracted from burdock root is used on the scalp, which is known as bur oil.
This oil lends itself immensely to the ability to help maintain healthy hair, especially as we get older. Our scalp becomes drier as we age, so oil from the burdock root plant can help our hair and scalp retain much-needed moisture.
Aging hair is susceptible to issues like dryness, breakage, and thinning, making it tricky to care for. On top of that, much of the haircare market is geared toward an audience that doesn’t necessarily address these issues. That’s why Better Not Younger exists, to find what works for aging hair and to make hair the best it can be as you age better.
The Best Hair Products Containing Burdock Root
Knowing that burdock root has been shown to support healthy hair, we wanted to harness the power of this root vegetable in our Better Not Younger products.
We have found the properties of burdock root to be extremely helpful in hair care. Our Wake Up Call Volumizing Shampoo and Conditioner helps support thickness and volume. Aging hair doesn’t have to go hand in hand with adjectives like “thin” or “flat” anymore! This volumizing shampoo and conditioner combo is the perfect way to cleanse your hair without weighing it down.
If you have bleached, colored, or gray hair that is turning brassy or yellow, our Silver Lining Purple Brightening Shampoo For Grey & White Hair can help. Vitamin A, iron, potassium, and essential fatty acids work together to nourish the scalp. With the addition of burdock root, this purple shampoo is elevated to a whole other level.
We can support healthy growth by taking care of the scalp, where hair begins its life cycle.
If you’ve got flyaways or a special occasion updo that you need to keep in place, our Wake Up Call High-Hold Thickening Hairspray can do that easily. Hair spray can be tough on the hair, which is why we made sure ours wasn’t.
This spray gives a brushable hold that will stay in place and provide the benefits of burdock root. We’ve added our burdock into a blend of hops, bamboo, and biotin to help support thicker-looking hair.
Conclusion
Learning more about plants and other herbal remedies and how they can improve our hair health helps us age more confidently. The rest is easy when we know what goes into our hair care products is backed by science.
If you’re still unsure where to start, take our hair quiz today for personalized recommendations on feeling better, not younger!
Sources:
A Comment on the Science of Hair Aging | PMC
A Guide to Common Medicinal Herbs | University of Rochester Medical Center
Historical Perspective of Traditional Indigenous Medical Practices | PMC
What Is Burdock Root and How Do You Use It? | MyRecipes
Burdock Information | Mount Sinai - New York
Burdock Root: Benefits, Side Effects, and More | Healthline
A Review of the Pharmacological Effects of Burdock | PMC
Scalp Condition Impacts Hair Growth and Retention via Oxidative Stress | PMC