As the monsoon brings a welcome relief from the summer heat, it also brings a notoriously frustrating side effect: unruly hair, frizz, and sudden hair fall. To combat the rainy-season blues, celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar — famous for orchestrating actor Kareena Kapoor’s ‘size zero’ transformation — shared ‘a little bit of grandma’s wisdom for your hair in the rains’ in a July 13 Instagram post. Also read | Kareena Kapoor’s nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar shares 3 rules for healthy weight loss: ‘If you eat dal-rice, idli-dosa…’
“If your hair is creating a ruckus during the rains, do these three things,” she said, breaking down a traditional, three-part approach to ancestral dietary and grooming habits that can restore volume, strength, and shine.
1. Kulith soup, the ‘OG plant protein’
Rujuta Diwekar‘s first recommendation focused on internal health, urging people to swap a daily caffeinated beverage for a warm bowl of horse gram soup: “Kulith is very easy; it’s called horse gram. You need to soak it for a little while, then pressure cook it, and after that, grind it with a little bit of chili and garlic. Then, just boil it with water. When it is boiled with water, give it a tempering (tadka) of some cumin and more garlic. Obviously, add salt.”
Describing it as ‘the OG plant protein that is naturally packed with iron, calcium and fibre’, she noted that the soup is deliberately ‘light and easy on the stomach’. She also offered an easy modification for specific dietary restrictions: “If you are a practising Jain, avoid the lasun (garlic) but add a strong spice like black pepper and a dash of hing.”
According to Rujuta, beyond aiding digestion, the nutrient-dense legume works wonders for systemic fatigue and life stages associated with heavy hair shedding. She shared, “If you replace at least one of the many teas or coffees you drink during this rainy season with kulith soup, your iron and calcium assimilation will improve. In Ayurveda, Kulith is used to improve male fertility. In Indian traditional practices, we also give it to breastfeeding women because hair falls out after having a baby, and kulith arrests that.”
She added that it provides vital structural support for perimenopausal and menopausal women: “Where there is a lot of bleeding, the resulting fatigue and loss of strength in the body also leads to a loss of strength in the hair; kulith helps with that too. So, drink kulith soup at least once a week. It is the most romantic drink you can ever have.”
2. Ditch the chemicals for a reetha wash
For external care, Rujuta advocated halting the ‘constant chemical attack we subject our hair to through shampoos, conditioners, and other things’, urging a return to soapnut, or reetha. “Reetha or aritha wash — this one needs to make a massive comeback,” she asserted, calling it ‘a method that is truly anti-allergen, non-chemical and entirely nature-made’. According to Rujuta, the natural cleanser ‘infuses life, lustre and volume, and makes every day a good hair day’.
Rujuta shared that the preparation requires minimal effort: “Reetha is also very easy to use; you can get reetha or reetha seeds anywhere. You also need to soak it for a bit, then boil it at night. It will produce a natural lather. Then, just put it in a bottle overnight so it cools down. In the morning, shampoo your hair with this reetha water.”
The shift promises immediate aesthetic and therapeutic benefits for the scalp. “You will begin to feel really fresh. Your hair gets natural volume and starts smelling really good,” she said, adding, “Reetha has all those things currently trending on Instagram: anti-inflammation, antioxidants, anti-dandruff. If your scalp is bothering you, you need a dose of reetha. If nothing else, end your regular shampoo wash with the reetha water and watch the magic happen.” Also read | Shalini Passi’s homemade reetha, amla shampoo keeps her greys at bay, promotes hair growth: Recipe
3. Fight stress-induced thinning with kharik
The final pillar of Rujuta’s monsoon haircare routine centres on eating seasonal, fresh dates, known as kharik. “The third thing is very important and is in season right now: you should be eating kharik, or fresh dates that are available in red and yellow colours,” she stated, adding, “The stuff that stops premature greyjng, frizz and fall, is often the overlooked seasonal produce.”
Packed with essential minerals and polyphenols, dates act as a natural shield against the biological toll of environmental and emotional stress, Rujuta shared: “They are a good source not just of all vitamins and minerals, but also of polyphenols. If you are feeling stressed out — because our hair falls when we are stressed — we need polyphenols. Eating kharik will help you retain your hair density and volume… to keep the oxidative stress in check and let your hair be as young as your heart.”
For those living abroad who might struggle to find fresh, seasonal variants, she offered a simple alternative: “If you are an NRI and cannot get fresh dates, you can just try kharik or dried dates. So try this and tell me how you feel.”
Note to readers: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.
This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice.
