UPDATE: My Snake Oil Investigation

[nadine1977canada]

Hi,

I want to start off by apologizing for my previous thread. I wrote it from work and I had to do it without anyone noticing...so the spelling was off the chain! I don't know how y'all decoded my question!

Ok, I have this Persian friend who told me she wanted to grow out her hair. Around March 3, her hair was about to her earlobe. I saw her again today...Mind you I see her daily but today I noticed her hair was brushing her shoulders :scratchch:

I complemented her hair and told her wow you hair grew quick! She smiled and responded:" I know". So i started talking to her about Ayuverdic products and how quickly it makes hair grow. She then told me that in her home country they use snake oil. Its oil made from a snake's skin. Now, I was so concentrated to figure out the name of the oil, she wasn’t sure if there was specific name for the oil. She said that she will check. Now, when I see her I will ask her what she used, if it's the snake oil where she got it from and I will let y'all know and try the scan the bottle for all of y'all to see.

Anyone know of the side effects? Other than hair growth.

Again if that is what she used...That stuff works like crazy!!!!

 

[Halimah]

We use that oil alot here is egypt the egyptians hair comes to there butts and beyond but it has a cobra on the front of the box just goto yahoo and type in snake oil and it should come up you probaly can even order it offline.

 

[tiffers]

This is very interesting! I'm gonna google this and see what I can come up with

Can you also ask her how she uses it (on her scalp and/or on her hair?) and how often

 

[AwesomelyNappy]

We use that oil alot here is egypt the egyptians hair comes to there butts and beyond but it has a cobra on the front of the box just goto yahoo and type in snake oil and it should come up you probaly can even order it offline.

is this it?

http://www.health-care-beauty.com/Promeko-Inc-manufacturer_1.htm (their snake oil listed at bottom of page)

http://cgi.ebay.com/Snake-Oil-Aceit...ZWD1VQQ_trksidZp1638.m118.l1247QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/EKO-SNAKE-OIL-S...638.m118.l1247QQcmdZViewItem#ebayphotohosting

 

[morehairplease]

This is very interesting! I'm gonna google this and see what I can come up with

Can you also ask her how she uses it (on her scalp and/or on her hair?) and how often

co-signing!

 

[tarheelgurl]

I'm wondering if buying here in U.S. is the same stuff you get if you bought it overseas..........?

 

[devans005]

Wow, that's some growth! If it works I can look like my avatar by the end of June (with shrinkage) It's price right, I'm going to try it and I'll post updates in my Fotki.

Hi,


Ok, I have this Persian friend who told me she wanted to grow out her hair. Around March 3, her hair was about to her earlobe. I saw her again today...Mind you I see her daily but today I noticed her hair was brushing her shoulders :scratchch:

 

[nadine1977canada]

She told me that she uses it on the scalp. I'm gonna double check with her again. See if that is the one y'all showed me.

Check back at around 9PM eastern time...by then I would have posted a response/update about this.

 

[devans005]

I'm sure it's not Eko Snake Oil. I just got a response from one of the ebay sellers with the ingredients in it: Cod liver oil and mineral oil

 

[drasgrl]

Note to self, check back at 9pm

 

[CocoGlow]

I'm sure it's not Eko Snake Oil. I just got a response from one of the ebay sellers with the ingredients in it: Cod liver oil and mineral oil

LOL.... I was just about to post that..

on ebay, it says "Contains castor oil and mineral oil." and then further on down it says "Contains cod liver oil and mineral oil" ... I wonder why they call it snake oil if it is obviously not derived from a snake? Then the seller has 2 different ingredient listings....

She must be using some other brand w/ the real snake oil...or maybe she is using the Eko brand ..hmmm can't wait to see

 

[devans005]

LOL.... I was just about to post that..

on ebay, it says "Contains castor oil and mineral oil." and then further on down it says "Contains cod liver oil and mineral oil" ... I wonder why they call it snake oil if it is obviously not derived from a snake? Then the seller has 2 different ingredient listings....

She must be using some other brand w/ the real snake oil...or maybe she is using the Eko brand ..hmmm can't wait to see

Seems most snake oils are a fraud. I've been looking for the real thing all day and all I found was this: http://eng.tz-ybsl.com/cpinfo.asp?id=331

Has anyone found the real thing?

 

[cicilypayne]

9pm 9pm I wanna know

 

[Dubois007]

9:51 pm eastern time here

 

[drasgrl]

........

 

[Bint Yusef]

Hello ladies,

I am not the OP but I have family in the ME and my cousin pointed me to this about snake oil. Its the Chinese version made from water snakes, and she says this is what is used sometimes. If you look at the properties of the Chinese Snake oils they are antifungal which seems to be the same magic behind MN. I do not know where to get the oil in the states.

http://www.souq.com/item.php?id=2634916&list=cat&pos=14&list_cat_id=1478&page=1&type=all

 

[drasgrl]

Hello ladies,

I am not the OP but I have family in the ME and my cousin pointed me to this about snake oil. Its the Chinese version made from water snakes, and she says this is what is used sometimes. If you look at the properties of the Chinese Snake oils they are antifungal which seems to be the same magic behind MN. I do not know where to get the oil in the states.

http://www.souq.com/item.php?id=2634916&list=cat&pos=14&list_cat_id=1478&page=1&type=all

I wonder of you can get it in China Town? I found some info on Wiki

 

[Bint Yusef]

I wonder of you can get it in China Town? I found some info on Wiki

http://longliqichina.en.ecplaza.net/

eta: i think that is the first link was liquor, but the 2nd link is supposed to be a to an exporter of snake oil.

 

[MrsHouston]

Very Interesting Information below...be careful.

http://www.hair-styles.org/hair-grow-faster.html

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Image, female with long hairstyle and hat.

How To Make My Hair Grow Faster

Hair News Magazine
by: Damien R. von Dahlem

In short, no pun intended, you can't. Putting pregnancy and illness aside, hair pretty much grows at a maximum rate of half an inch per month no matter what you do. A little faster in the summer than in the winter.

Of all the hair questions that we receive at the Hairstyles Catalog, questions regarding the rate of hair growth is by far the number one question. Many people write to us with remedies that they have heard about that will make their hair grow faster; from washing their hair with eggs, to cutting their hair during a new moon. This is what we call, "Hair Voodoo". There is not an inch of truth to any of these remedies.
Advertising

Hair is a fairly exact science called trichology and there is not much that we do not know about hair structure, chemistry and growth. Most of the Hair Voodoo out there dates back before the onset of modern science. All sorts of conclusions were drawn from what seemed like reasonable observation, but was more often than not just pure conjecture based on coincidence.

Although there is nothing that you can do to make your hair grow faster with current technology, there are a number of things that may actually slow the process such as; a poor hair care regimen, poor diet, illness, medication, male and female pattern hair loss, and emotional stress.

Some of these things don't actually affect the growth rate per se, but they affect the hairs' health and unhealthy hair will probably not grow to its fullest potential. Besides regular shampooing and conditioning with good quality products, the only other thing that you can really do is take an inexpensive daily multi vitamin such as Centrum or even Flintstones. Don't waste your money on super vitamins. Zinc and Biotin in particular seem to be good for hair and are both found in the above recommendations. Unless you are pregnant or very ill with cancer or the like, your body only requires so many vitamins per day and simply flushes out the excess. In other words, you can't put twenty gallons in a ten gallon tank.

I frequently hear of people taking pre natal pills to make their hair grow faster, even men. The reason that an expecting mother's hair may grow slower or faster has to do with hormonal activity and not the pills. So please, stop doing that.

Well, there it is. You may not like the answer, but that is the sci
entific facts of the matter. If you still insist on buying into the Hair Voodoo or the thousands of snake oil pitch men out there ready to separate you from your money, well, you know the expression.

I found other articles that said similar things to this...

 

[nadine1977canada]

Sorry for the late response... My friend was stuck in a meeting so I didnt get to see her today. However, she will text me as soon ASAP.


Sorry folks.

 

[devans005]

I contacted this company: http://www.xinyiindustrial.com/
Regarding price and shipping to the US. This is their response:

Thanks for your inquiry.

Re: Snake Oil
Specification: >99%
The below is our best price of this product:
Quantity: 10KGs
Best price: USD80/KG to USA by courier(Freight included)
Packing: 10KG/Drum
Delivery time: Prompt shipment
Payment: T/T in advance

Quantity: 100KGs
Best price: USD48/KG CIF Air USA
Packing: 25KG/Drum
Delivery time: Prompt shipment
Payment: T/T in advance

Your early feedback will be highly appreciated!

Best regards,
Jessie

Can someone tell me if they are says $80 for 10KG (what is KG) plus $10 shipping? The other looks like $48 for 100KG plus $25 shipping. Please translate for me.

 

[fungirl08]

I contacted this company: http://www.xinyiindustrial.com/
Regarding price and shipping to the US. This is their response:

Thanks for your inquiry.

Re: Snake Oil
Specification: >99%
The below is our best price of this product:
Quantity: 10KGs
Best price: USD80/KG to USA by courier(Freight included)
Packing: 10KG/Drum
Delivery time: Prompt shipment
Payment: T/T in advance

Quantity: 100KGs
Best price: USD48/KG CIF Air USA
Packing: 25KG/Drum
Delivery time: Prompt shipment
Payment: T/T in advance

Your early feedback will be highly appreciated!

Best regards,
Jessie

Can someone tell me if they are says $80 for 10KG (what is KG) plus $10 shipping? The other looks like $48 for 100KG plus $25 shipping. Please translate for me.

kg = Kilograms

The price quoted is per kilogram; so the prices are $80 per kilogram for 10 kg ($800); the second price is $4800 for 100kg. The packing portion is just telling you how they package the product (in a 10kg drum for the first and in 25kg drums for the second).

Bottom line: expensive.

 

[Jazala]

10 Kilogram Drum maybe.

edit: ok Fungirl beat me to the answer... but also wanted to point out that the second quote for the 25kg size has a different price per kilo.

 

[Valerie]

I have seem snake oil in a Middle Eastern Store, it was called cobra oil, used for hair.

 

[devans005]

kg = Kilograms

The price quoted is per kilogram; so the prices are $80 per kilogram for 10 kg ($800); the second price is $4800 for 100kg. The packing portion is just telling you how they package the product (in a 10kg drum for the first and in 25kg drums for the second).

Bottom line: expensive.

Thanks for the answers!! Don't look like I'm going to be taking part in this experiment after all!

 

[cicilypayne]

I have seem snake oil in a Middle Eastern Store, it was called cobra oil, used for hair.

I googled this and was link to this company which stated


We feel pride in saying; we are 5 generations and 163 year old Ayurvedic company of India. We are manufacturer of World famous original Cobra Hair Kit. Best seller of Alibaba & eBay. Cobra Hair Kit comes in a combo pack of Cobra Hair Oil & Cobra Hair Shampoo that lasts for a month. We also manufacture all types of Ayurvedic Hair care, Skin Care, Healthcare products.

Do you have a desire of having long, beautiful and healthy hair, flowing down your waist? If yes, then the solution is Cobra Kit (Cobra Hair Oil & Shampoo) a 200 year old Ayurvedic formula.

With Cobra Hair Extension treatment you can have up to 150 cm long hair within a few weeks. Cobra hair kit is a unique formulation prepared from the extracts of Bhringraj, Amla, Nimbus, Amervela, Neem, jatamansi, olive oil, almond oil, sesame and many other secret Indian herbs with a lot of hard work.

COBRA HAIR KIT is a BOON in real sense for hair. If used as per the prescribed method and for the prescribed period arrest hair fall in a week, increase thickness of hair strand and promote hair growth several times.

If used as per the prescribed method and for the prescribed period increase growth of hair up to 2-3 inches a month. Any health individual can get long, thick, black and shinning hair within few weeks. It is useful for all types of hair.

Also there is some video on youtube by the same company with this lady with floor length hair. Now I'm not saying I believe it butI am not desperate enough to try it...plus the ingrediants seem like stuff some here are using already.

 

[Bint Yusef]

You can get Cobra oil here
http://www.singhherbals.4t.com/
http://video.aol.com/video-detail/c...vedic-hair-oil-shampoo-testimonial/1786441485

I would not buy this stuff or put it on my hair.

 

[sweetwhispers]

I wouldn't purchase it, the one my mum has is full of cones. I see nothing special in the ingredients. She tried to get me to use it i was like nahh.

 

[devans005]

Cobra hair kit is a unique formulation prepared from the extracts of Bhringraj, Amla, Nimbus, Amervela, Neem, jatamansi, olive oil, almond oil, sesame and many other secret Indian herbs with a lot of hard work.

Cobra hair oil is another product that has everything but snake oil in it.

Look what I just found on ebay: http://cgi.ebay.com/INCREASE-SEXUAL...ZWD1VQQ_trksidZp1638.m118.l1247QQcmdZViewItem

Funny what it's used for. I wonder if it has snake oil in it, I see it's imported. I'll ask.

 

[ekomba]

Very Interesting Information below...be careful.

http://www.hair-styles.org/hair-grow-faster.html

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Image, female with long hairstyle and hat.

How To Make My Hair Grow Faster

Hair News Magazine
by: Damien R. von Dahlem

In short, no pun intended, you can't. Putting pregnancy and illness aside, hair pretty much grows at a maximum rate of half an inch per month no matter what you do. A little faster in the summer than in the winter.

Of all the hair questions that we receive at the Hairstyles Catalog, questions regarding the rate of hair growth is by far the number one question. Many people write to us with remedies that they have heard about that will make their hair grow faster; from washing their hair with eggs, to cutting their hair during a new moon. This is what we call, "Hair Voodoo". There is not an inch of truth to any of these remedies.
Advertising

Hair is a fairly exact science called trichology and there is not much that we do not know about hair structure, chemistry and growth. Most of the Hair Voodoo out there dates back before the onset of modern science. All sorts of conclusions were drawn from what seemed like reasonable observation, but was more often than not just pure conjecture based on coincidence.

Although there is nothing that you can do to make your hair grow faster with current technology, there are a number of things that may actually slow the process such as; a poor hair care regimen, poor diet, illness, medication, male and female pattern hair loss, and emotional stress.

Some of these things don't actually affect the growth rate per se, but they affect the hairs' health and unhealthy hair will probably not grow to its fullest potential. Besides regular shampooing and conditioning with good quality products, the only other thing that you can really do is take an inexpensive daily multi vitamin such as Centrum or even Flintstones. Don't waste your money on super vitamins. Zinc and Biotin in particular seem to be good for hair and are both found in the above recommendations. Unless you are pregnant or very ill with cancer or the like, your body only requires so many vitamins per day and simply flushes out the excess. In other words, you can't put twenty gallons in a ten gallon tank.

I frequently hear of people taking pre natal pills to make their hair grow faster, even men. The reason that an expecting mother's hair may grow slower or faster has to do with hormonal activity and not the pills. So please, stop doing that.
Well, there it is. You may not like the answer, but that is the sci
entific facts of the matter. If you still insist on buying into the Hair Voodoo or the thousands of snake oil pitch men out there ready to separate you from your money, well, you know the expression.

I found other articles that said similar things to this...

Even though i dont take snake oil (i hate snakes), dont cut on the moon (kinda creepy for me), and dont do voodoo things, i strongly disagree with the bolded. Yes in the past i did extreme things like popping pills, mtg whatnot but i do think, say that even though hair is a science, 6" a year is not an absolute. They are ways to extend your hair growth cycle, meaning that instead of the hair going to its resting phase at its scientifically determined time, the growing phase is prolonged. Two that i ve used in the past msm and fo-ti also called hou shou wu come to mind. and as for vitamins and pill poppin you have to understand that our diet will never be healthy nor satisfying unless we are raw eaters, vegan, eating only organic because what we eat cooked food is already depleted of most nutrients and just on our diet alone we are not getting the vitamins needed for the optimal growth of our hair, let alone body functions. THAT S WHY vitamins are important as maybe for the article prenatals, biotin, hair vits and super b complex pills, multivits are very crucial, i view it as helping the overall health, even though i take them for my hair. All my body benefits from it.



I do agree however with the other advice, that the body flushes the excess of vits and takes what it needs BUT AT LEAST GIVE IT WHAT IT NEEDS. if just a multivit works for a person fine but we cant say topical stuff doesnt work, or super vits dont work. and yes you can grow it faster by using PRO SULFUR, PROTEIN products and amino acids, herbs (such as nettle, spirulina, many other come to mind i m post in one second)

ETA: I'm break it down let me grab my African holistic health book, "TO GROW HAIR FASTER OR REGROW HAIR OR COMBAT HAIR LOSS:
1)supplements:
-PABA (Used for graying hair)
-silica (keeps hair looking shiny and sleek)
-VIT B COMPLEX (B VITAMINS ARE IMPORTANT FOR GROWTH OF HAIR)
-Unsaturated fatty Acids (primrose oil,linseed oil)(Enhances hair texture, prevents dry, brittle hair)
-PANTOTHENIC ACID (B5) Helps maintain hair
-vitamin b6 enhances growth
-INOSITOL stimulates growth
-NIACIN (B3) helps hair absorb nutrients
-VITAMIN C increases scalp circulation
-VITAMIN E increases scalp circulation, hair growth and oxygen to cells
-ZINC promotes hair growth by enhancing immune function
-COPPER CHELATE works with zinc to aid in hair growth
-COENZYME Q10 enhances scalp circulation,increases tissue oxygenation
-KELP supplies minerals for hair growth
-GH (GROWTH HORMONE) stimulates growth
-Pregnenolone stimulates cell growth
2)AMINO ACIDS:
-L-CYSTEINE improves hair growth and texture
-L-METHIONINE helps prevent hair from falling out
-GLUTATHIONE stimulates skin, glands and soft tissue
-OMITHINE releases growth hormone
3) herbs for growth
-alfafa
-birch leaves
-burdock
-calendula (Marigold)
-chaparral
-comfrey
-dwarf nettle
-horsetail
-maiden hair
-nettle
-rosemary
-wormwood if worms in scalp is a factor
4)food for growth
-asparagus,
-barley
-buckweat
-cabbage
-figs
-kelp
-millet
-oats
-onions
-rice
-romaine lettuce
-rye
-sesame seeds
-spinach
-strawberries
-tomatoes






ps: info on fo ti:
Fo-ti, He-shou-wu
Called the "Elixir of Life," Fo-ti tonic is said to produce longevity, fertility and vitality. Taking Fo-ti is said to keep one vigorous and extends one's life span. It is a vine plant that grows well in a shady bed.

He Shou Wu (also called Fo-Ti) is commonly used in China, and has been for many centuries. Originally, it was used to turn aged, greying hair back to it's youthful darker color. In time, it was also found to regrow hair in some users. It has also been found that He Shou Wu is very good at lowering LDL cholesterol and is also used as a tonic for the kidney's and liver to aid excretion. (Combined with the abilities of modern science, He Shou Wu has been blnded into the proprietary formula available as Shen Min: Advanced Hair Nutrients.)

Medicinal Uses: It's reputation as a tonic has been touted as a substance to produce longevity, fertility and vitality. Today, many use it as an effective tool against high blood pressure and hardening of the veins and arteries. The component of Lecithin which is contained in Fo-ti helps to reduce arterial plaque and blood pressure. It has also been used for years as a folk remedy for darkening pre-mature gray hair.

He Shou Wou (Polygonum multiflorum)
The use of He shou wou for the hair emanates from an ancient story of a famous Chinese military officer who was condemned to death by confinement in a remote cell with no food or drink. He was able to survive by consuming the leaves and roots of a common vinelike weed (polygonum multiflorum). After one year his keepers went back to dispose of the remains of the condemned military officer, that found him fully rejuvenated with his lustrous black hair color fully restored. Since that time, the herb that General He Shou Wou consumed while incarcerated for a year has been named in his honor.

He shou wou, commercially misnamed in recent times, fo ti tieng, contains lecithin, anthraquinones, chrysophanic acid, emodin, rhein, and chrysophanic acid anthrone. Normally He shou wou has been cured by cooking it with black beans. It is bitter, sweet, astringent and slightly warm.

It is used as a tonic for the liver and kidney and also to nourish the blood, benefit the essence, and kidney and liver yin. It is therefore used for deficient yin and blood conformations including dizziness, blurred vision, prematurely gray hair, weak lower back and knees, soreness in the extremities and insomnia. All of these are basic signs and indications for adrenal depletion included under the signs of kidney yin deficiency. As it contains some anthraquinones it also possesses some demulcent and detoxifying properties making it useful for lubricating the intestines and promoting bowel movement especially in anemic individuals.

One of the most remarkable effects of He shou wou is its effects on lipid metabolism. It is believed that the lecithin in He shou wou is responsible for preventing the accumulation of cholesterol in the liver and the retention of lipids in the blood stream and finally the penetration of lipids into the arterial endothelium, hence reducing arteriosclerosis. (14)

The lecithin, besides being good for the hair, is found in He shou wou as a main component of nerve tissue, particularly of the brain and spinal cord. It is also an important raw material for the membranes of erythrocytes and other cells, promoting their growth and developement. (15)