I've had some time to get to know this reliable, long-lasting and independent herb. Out of all the plants I originally planted in my herb bed about a year ago, the oregano is one of the only ones that's still here. You can tell a lot about how herbs interact with your body by how they are as plants. The first thing I notice about oregano's personality is that it repels all types of bugs, beetles, and slugs. A neighboring plant can be getting chewed up, but the bugs just skip over the oregano. Oregano is a perennial, so if it's happy, it can live for years. The variety I have has soft stems that are too thin to stand up on its own, so it grows low to the ground and sends new roots down into the soil as it spreads like a carpet. Oregano is such a strong insecticide and antimicrobial that as it spreads out, it protects other vulnerable plants from bugs and diseases. Its loves full sun exposure, fertile soil, and like our natural hair, doesn't like to dry out. When it gets too crowded, I cut it back. It seems harsh, but cutting it back simulates it to regenerate and helps it last longer. Oregano is a powerhouse of nutrients, minerals, and anti-everything bad. When it comes to our hair and scalp, what jumps out to me the most is its antifungal, antimicrobial, antibacterial, antiseptic, antiparasitic, antiviral, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory properties. Yeah, that's a lot of antis. In other words, oregano is a really, really, really good scalp treatment. Oregano is powerful enough to treat psoriasis, dandruff, nail fungus, lice, acne, cold sores, dermatitis, and yeast infections. So think of it as a disinfectant for your scalp. You can use oregano as a tea rinse or as an oil. I'll show you how to make boba. Let's start with oregano oil. I harvest a large handful of oregano. I strongly encourage you to brew your own herbs. They don't need a lot of space. They add a positive energy to your house and growing them yourself saves you money. Any presence of water can make your final product go rancid, so it's important to wash your oregano well and dry them completely. I tie them to a string and hang them upside down in a dark room for about two weeks. Once you end up with homemade dried oregano, you can also order dried oregano online or get some at the grocery store. It's an easier option, but it's not as fresh and it can be pricey. You'll need an oil of your choice. I use the herbal hot oil treatment as an oil base for all my DIY recipes. The herbal hot oil treatment comes with additional herbal benefits, so it makes my DIY recipes more potent and medicinal. You'll also need a mason jar, a double boiler, water, and of course dried oregano. Start with the bottom part of the double boiler on the stove. Pour water in it and turn the stove on to high. When the water starts to boil, turn the heat down to low, then place the top part of the double boiler. If you don't have a double boiler, no worries, you can use two pots or a pot in a bowl. I add the oil and dried oregano to the top portion of the double boiler to keep them further away from direct heat. We want to infuse the oil in a oregano, not fry it. Try to submerge the herbs in the oil as much as possible. Cover the pot and let it sit on low heat for about an hour. Make sure to check the water level and the oil once in a while to make sure nothing funny is going on. Here's what it looks like after an hour. I used the heat to kickstart the infusion process, but if you want to make your infusion even more potent, put the oil and oregano into a jar and place it in a dark area of your house for about a week or so. After that, sift out the dried oregano and your left with oregano oil. You can use it as a hot oil treatment and you can use it as a leave-in as often as you want. Either way, make sure to focus on your scalp. If you avoid dipping your fingers in it, this oil will last you a really long time. Making an oregano tea rinse is also really easy. Boil a pot of hot water, turn off the heat, and add either dried oregano to the hot water. I usually use fresh herbs for teas and save my dried herbs for oil infusions. Close the top and let it sit until it cools. You can also continue the infusion process by putting everything into a jar and letting it sit for another day or two. You don't want to let it sit for any longer than that because the water-based rinse will go bad and start to ferment if you don't use it soon. You can use this on your scalp as a mouthwash to keep the cavities at bay or on your whole body in the shower. Just as the tip, even though it's called a rinse, you don't have to rinse it out, leaving it in your hair and scalp so it can really absorb. Oregano is an amazing disinfectant. It really does a great job at cleaning house when it comes to all the microorganisms and bacteria on our scalp. It's also very stimulating and spicy so it's a great growth accelerator. Oregano is strong and kind of harsh so make sure to do a quick patch test first. Don't rinse it off and observe if you notice any burning or evitations throughout the day. It's safe to use on a consistent long-term basis but for some, it can start to irritate the scalp after a while so make sure to be mindful of that. You can use a store-bought oregano essential oil instead but two things to keep in mind. Make sure to dilute it in the carrier oil and you get what you pay for. It takes a lot of herbs to make a small amount of essential oil so the expensive options are more likely to be the purist. Oregano is also a great internal disinfectant so if it's not already, look into adding it into your diet either fresh, dried as a seasoning or as a tea. Remember that herbs are powerful medicines so if you're pregnant or breastfeeding, talk to your doctor before starting an herbal regimen. I hope this video was helpful. As always, thanks for watching. See you in the next video!