Marshmallow root sounds funny and most would immediately think of the fluffy white sweet treat that many of us have had during a campfire. Marshmallow root or Althea officinalis is a polycrest herb and is also known as a white mallow herb. It’s an African plant with short roundish leaves and small pale flowers. It’s been around for centuries and even mentioned in Homer’s Iliad written over 2880 years ago! It was used by ancient Greeks, Indians, Egyptians and the Chinese.
The leaves and the root are used for making medicine since they have antibacterial properties and a soothing effect on inflamed membranes in the mouth and throat. It seems that every herb can help our hair but with marshmallow root you get double duty. You can drink it in a tea, take it as a supplement, add it directly into a DIY mixture or you can just buy it already in products. It’s great for soothing sore throats but it also helps with hair ailments too. Marshmallow root is great for soothing and relieving your scalp and hair but it’s also super slippery so it’s great for…you guessed it…slip! Slip is the slipperiness of a product and of course the more slip the better as it will help remove tangles, knots and your hair from coiling around itself. When discussing slip we are normally discussing conditioner and detangling products.
It will aid in treating hair ailments like eczema, psoriasis and dry scalp and it does this with the mucilage which is a gel-like substance that becomes slippery when wet. This substance is super rich in proteins and vitamins and there are several ways to use or take the herb. Some of the most beloved products in the natural hair world because of their remarkable slip contain Marshmallow root.
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Kinky Curly Knot Today
One of the best leave-ins around, Knot Today will almost melt the tangles away with the marshmallow root and slippery elm. It’s a cuticle smoothing detangling leave-in that will remove all your knots and snarls with ease.
Camille Rose Naturals Curl Maker Marshmallow and Agave Leaf Extract
Marshmallow root is giving you slip while the horsetail and beet extracts give you soft to the touch curl definition. You gain bounce, moisture and shine.
Milk + Honey Tangle Free Pudding
Infused with Coconut oil and marshmallow root, this pudding will revitalize and loosen any knots your tresses may be hiding. You get detangled and much softer strands.
If the DIY is your way to go then you can find several recipes online that pair marshmallow root with slippery elm, flaxseed oil and other natural ingredients to make amazing detangling gels, leave-ins and scalp soothing concoction.
Leave-In Detangling Spray Recipe with Marshmallow Root & Slippery Elm
LoveYourTresses gives a detailed and easy video on making your own leave-in detangling spray with marshmallow root and slippery elm. You see first-hand how hydrated and gorgeous her old twist-out becomes after redoing her twists with her DIY detangling spray. It’s super easy to make, super easy to mix and super easy to see why giving marshmallow root a try would be a good thing for your tresses!
MORE: Marshmallow Root Detangling Recipe
