Fallen in Love with Shikakai Powder, an Ayurvedic No-Poo Tradition
There is one thing I notice about going through my No-Poo journey and ranting it all here. The more I adopt this no-poo lifestyle, the more curious I am to learn about how people in the past lived without commercial body cleansing products.
Apart from asking grandma about it, I started to get more interested in what people from other cultures and traditions use or used in caring for their hair and body and how they use it.
This led me to discover this one traditional hair care product which has been proven highly effective and has survived the test of time for hundreds of thousands of years, the Shikakai Powder used in the Ayurvedic tradition.
The first time I heard of Shikakai hair wash was when I was working at a health store. An Indian client dropped by and asked if we can source Shikakai pods and dry Amla for her. She said she boils these two ingredients together with soap nuts to make a hair wash solution. Luckily, these herbs are also readily available in Thailand. So, it was not so hard to find them and make that customer happy.
That one incident sparked my interest in Ayurvedic beauty traditions.
Photo Credit: Keralaayurveda.biz
After a few YouTube searches, I got a chance to try it myself. I had to boil all the ingredients, let it cool down, and pour the solution on my hair. However, I found it quite hard to use because I was not sure about the ratio of each ingredient and the concentration required for it to be effective. Back then, I was not so adventurous to explore more and didn’t end up finishing the rest of the herbs I got for this purpose. But the whole experience still left quite an impression on me.
Photo Credit: bimbima.com
Years passed and one day, as I was strolling along a small alley in Little India in Singapore, I came across a store that sells sachets of Shikakai Hair Wash Powder. I was thrilled to finally get to try the real deal instead of guessing my way around with the raw ingredients alone! So I bought a bunch of them and finally gave it a try.
The ingredient list says “Most diseases are due to body heat. Soapnut, Kichlikizhangu, Shikakai, and Usilei leaves act as cooling agents. Mohwa Powder and Kasturi Turmeric are antibiotic and disease-fighting agents.” So basically, there’s not just one ingredient but many in the bag.
The word shikakai stood out for me from those days helping out the Indian client. I was also familiar with the other ingredients such as soap nuts and turmeric. A quick google search showed that Usilie leaf is basically hibiscus leaf. Kichlikizhangu is Curcuma zedoaria (a type of curcumin). Mohwa is an Indian herb. Together, these ingredients make great herbal remedies for hair and skin.
To use it, I boil about one cup of water and add a tablespoon of the powder, let it cool down, and pour over wet hair. Massage the mixture into each part of the hair so it reaches the scalp. Let it sit for 10 minutes and then rinse off.
The water-based solution could be a bit watery for many people. it also doesn’t spread so well on the hair. As soon as you pour it, it immediately disappears. But trust me, you’ll have to be patient because this solution is not the thick creamy texture like your regular shampoo. Regardless, it does the trick.
Credit: thebeautyholic.com
As soon as I rinse it off, and let my hair dry, the hair feels nice, soft, and just very flowy. I don’t feel the oiliness on my hair or scalp anymore. It feels clean but not dry. Comparing the Shikakai mixture to rice powder, the former does not leave white specks on my hair because it’s brown. Even if there is some leftover dust, it is almost invisible to the eyes.
For someone who’s been on this No-Poo journey for the past three years, this is definitely one of the best recipes I’ve ever tried. There are many brands out there. I recommend you check out the different brands and see which one suits you best.
If you are like me who’s eager to venture into a journey of natural living, give it a try, and you won’t regret it!
PS. Here are some more resources on Shikakai Powder
- About Shikakai
- Different brands of Shikakai Powder worth trying: Tiger, Kama Ayurveda Kesini, Khadi Organic, Shagun, Harika
3 Comments
Well, thank you for this idea. I have hair loss to such a degree that I am very emotional, even thinking I can no longer leave the house.
I bought Shikakai powder some time ago, so I had to research to remember why I bought it. Silly that I haven’t tried it yet. Today I am going out to buy the remaining ingredients to make a shampoo. I’m hoping I can find them. I have a store I tend to go to that usually has what I’m looking for. Llahsa Karnak in Berkeley, CA. They’ve been in business my entire adult life and I am 66 years old.
I will write back with the results. I tend to agree that hair loss comes from heat, probably other reasons contribute to the loss as well. Thanks again!
Please don’t use my name in the post!
I have had some success with getting my hair to grow back using soap nuts and shikakai. I just completely gave up on shampoos, as I believe they might have been causing the problem. For ages I just rinsed my hair, and it looked terrible so I put it in a bun, but I was determined to let my scalp regain its health I also think oiling the scalp and massaging it is good for your hair follicles.. Fenugreek is meant to be good too, both eating it and using it in a hair oil. I found a recipe. I hope the shikakai and soap nuts help you!
I have learned that if you blend a soap nut mixture in the blender, it lathers up into an amazing foam that you can easily scoop up with your hands and place where you want tit to go. This makes it way easier to apply it to your head.
You can buy the pods and use them this way. I just put about 4 soap nuts, a shikakai pod and some amla in the blender to soak overnight with some water, and when I’m ready to use it I blend it up.
You can store any excess in the fridge.