Rasnadi Choornam is a wonderful ayurvedic formulation that can help prevent mucous build-up and heaviness in the head due to Kapha aggravation. What is it and how can we use it effectively?

This short blog post and video will explain more about this product. It will also detail how to use Rasnadi Choornam for babies & kids effectively to prevent mucous buildup and cold. 

Fear of catching cold with regular Hair oiling:

One of the fears that people have when we recommend regular hair oiling for good hair growth and many other benefits, is the fear of catching a cold. As Ayurvedic science tells us to formulate hair oils with Madhura rasa dravyas , Medhya enhancing herbs and ensure that the oil balances Pitta and Vata dosha, this combination can sometimes aggravate Kapha dosha. This is usually tolerated well by normal healthy people. But for those with high kapha aggravation or an existing sinusitis problem, this is a very real worry.

The answer?

Rasnadi Choornam Uses: to prevent Kapha build up in the scalp

Rasnadi Churnam is a safe , effective ayurvedic chooranam (powder) that retains warmth in the head, prevents mucous formation and helps clear blocked sinuses with regular use, safely and effectively. It balances Vata and Kapha in the body, and can also be used as a warm Lepa / Pack in cases of muscular spasm, tennis elbow, rheumatism, etc.

Rasnadi Choornam is a classical ayurvedic formulation that has many uses. It can also be effectively used to control headaches, especially headaches associated with mucous build up in the head / sinusitis. For Pitta-based migraine headaches, Rasnadi churnam can be applied as a paste on the forehead with warm water / milk. Leave the pack on for 10 minutes and then have a bath. For Pitta based migraine-type headaches, Kachuradhi choornam is also a very good option to use.

For external application in small amounts to prevent mucous build up after bath / head oiling, Rasnadi Choornam is safe even to be used for small infants. Usually for use for small babies and children, Ayurvedic texts like Arogya Raksha Kalpadrumah suggest very simple formulation with under 5 herbs. The Rasnadi choornam we have made for babies is modelled along these lines. If you want to use a classical formulation, Kachuradhi choornam is also a good option for infants and children below 2 as it is much milder.

For inhalation with Rasnadi churnam, we recommend that it be done only for 5 years and above. As a precautionary measure, pregnant women should NOT inhale Rasnadi Churnam - they can apply it on the scalp as demonstrated in the video.

Rasnadi Choornam uses for babies & young children 

Ayurveda recommends an extensive set of baby care practices like regular head oiling, abhyanga, herbal snana with herbal bath water, dhupana (herbal fumigation), and use of specific herbs, metals for the care and well being of the baby. Childhood is a Kapha rich time. This means that using oils regularly for the baby, while being excellent for the baby's growth and development, carries a risk of Kapha accumulation for the baby.

Therefore , as a counter measure to prevent Mucous build-up and to encourage immunity and well being, Ayurveda recommends the use of astringent, drying, and warming Baby Ubtans for Bath, Using charged herbal water for the Bath and suggests the use of dry herbal Choornams like Rasnadi churnam and Vacha Churnam post-bath on the baby.

Rasnadi Choornam is suggested to be applied post bath on the baby's head and behind the ear lobes to prevent water clogging and mucous accumulation in the head region. As babies are much more delicate and sensitive, certain Ayurvedic textbooks like Arogya Raksha Kalpadrumah suggest following a simpler and more pared-down Rasnadi churnam formula for babies.

Based on these guidelines, we have formulated a 5 ingredient Baby Rasnadi Choornam at Krya. You can read more about this product on the product page and also read more information on the herbs we use in this product. For product use guidelines, please follow our video given below. This product is NOT to be inhaled. Inhalation is NOT recommended for babies and children. This should be strictly used ONLY externally on the scalp.

The Krya Baby Rasnadi Choornam can also be used by adults. However, it is a very gentle and mild formulation and may not help in very stubborn cases of Kapha build up. If you are very prone to sinusitis and Kapha build up, it is better to use classical Rasnadi churnam formulations that are designed for Adults.

I am prone to sinusitis - Can Rasnadi choornam help me or should I avoid Hair Oiling?

Head oiling is an important Dinacharya and must be done by all everyday / atleast 3-4 times a week. This Diancharya practice is important to balance the excessive pitta and vata energy generated due to the activity of the eye and the brain everyday. If you avoid hair filing, you may have other issues arising due to pitta and vata build-up in the body.

These can include:

• Eye watering
• Light-based migraine or cluster headaches
• Excessive anger and stress
• Weaker eye sight (especially if you are already wearing glasses)
• Hair problems like premature greying, hair thinning, hair dryness and poor hair growth

However, for those prone to Kapha buildup at first hair oiling can seem intimidating. So here is what we suggest:

• IF you have a Kapha build-up it is wise to begin using rasnadi churnam or consult a vaidya so you may work on this problem and experience the benefit of regular head oiling.
• Use only a well-formulated Ayurvedic hair oil - do not use plain coconut oil, castor oil,or any plain vegetable oil. Oils like coconut oil are sweet and heavy and can aggravated Kapha build-up. When this same base oil is prepared in the Ayurvedic method with herbs, we modify the properties and make it less prone to Kapha aggravation
• Use less oil to start with to help the system acclimatise to the process - start only with a few drops of the suggested oil.
• Massage these few drops really well into the scalp. The action should help disperse the oil, produce heat in the scalp and allow the scalp to quickly absorb the oil. If this is not done and oil is left on the scalp it may aggravate mucous in the head 

Rasnadi choornam for babies - important benefit

Hair oiling is equally important for young babies. Ayurveda tells us that regular hair oiling helps strengthen the baby's skull bone, ensures that the gaps in the fontanelle are properly closed, and also ensures the growth of good quality hair. Hence hair oiling for babies MUST be done regularly (every day if possible).

However as babies are rich in Kapha, we should take the following precautions:

• Adjust the amount of hair oil applied after seeing how dry the baby's scalp becomes every day. depending upon the baby's inherent constitution (Prakriti), they may be high in pitta, vata or Kapha (or a combination of the above). Some babies are high in pitta or vata or both - so the scalp quickly absorbs the oil applied on the hair. Also in certain stages when the baby's mental activity is rapid, due to the high heat generated in the head, the oil is absorbed well. So every parent should judge this for  themselves and use the appropriate oil quantity. The quantity can be increased slightly in dry seasons
• Use only an ayurvedic baby hair oil and not a plain vegetable oil for the same reasons mentioned above. warm the oil well into the palms of the hand before massaging well onto the scalp
• Avoid excessive wetting of the head. Babies can be given a hair wash once or twice a week. Wetting the hair everyday or every other day can be avoided as this can lead to mucous build up
• Use a well formulated baby hair wash - this helps ensure oil is properly removed and that the baby's scalp is not excessively kapha prone after wash.
• Use Rasnadi Choornam daily for the baby - twice a day in humid conditions or if baby sweats . Before using Rasnadi churnam wipe the baby's sclpa and hair thoroughly using a good absorbent cotton towel.
• Cover the baby's head, block her ears and cover her feet and arms with socks / mittens. Avoid excessive outside exposure or travel for baby unless completely unavoidable
• Avoid using the AC excessively around the baby. This shrinks the Srotas and prevents optimal heat exchange. so thermal regulation will be paired in the baby's body. 

How to use Rasnadi choornam: a Video

Here is a short video we shot on how you can effectively use Rasnadi Churnam correctly & effectively. 

To Sum up: Rasnadi choornam uses 

We first came across Rasnadi choornam in the early part of the 2000s when we were suggested to do a series of therapeutic Abhyanga practices. Since then, we have used and suggested this gem of an ayurvedic formulation to many people to control Kapha build up. when used regularly, this Churnam gives excellent results and helps control Kapha related head aches and sinusitis.

We hope this blog post and video helped you understand how to use this product.

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