- A mild cleanser with less pH naturally. Unlike chemical shampoos, shikakai powder does not remove natural oils from your hair. Shikakai is a natural detangler too. That is the reason we do not need conditioner to condition our hair after treating it with this natural cleanser. It has been used for generations to maintain the hair especially by people in Tamil Nadu and some South Indian people.
Shikakai is also called as Sikakai, Sikaikai, Sigaikaay and in many other different ways. Sikai means tresses/hair. Fruit is the early stage of Kaay. It is believed that this is how Shikakai got its name.
at home to clean your hair effectively. My mom used to prepare the shikakai(in Tamil) at home and she packs and gives me every time she comes here. Thanks to her. I used to have Shikakai powder from a famous brand in my stock. I use the branded Shikakai powder when I want to go outside or if I want a smooth hair wash or whenever I feel lazy :-)
The shikakai powder made at home will not be a super fine powder and will not lather so much like the branded
or shampoos available in the market. My beautician friend asked me one day which one I use frequently for hair wash. I told her the brand. She asked me why don't you prepare the Shikakai powder at home and use it. It is really better for your hair in long term rather than the other brands available in the market. Then, I realised and started using the homemade Shikakai powder more frequently. What I noted down the line was, the hair growth was faster and totally free from any kind of damage. Nowadays, I prefer going for layer cut for my hair. By this quick hair growth, it is hard to find out the layers in few days :-) So, I am using homemade one for regular usage and shampoo or Shikakai powder from other brands(Meera Shikakai powder or Karthika Shikakai Powder) when I have to go outside immediately after I take bath. When you use homemade shikakai powder you need sometime to clean the hair with towel to remove the
completely from the hair. I used
for oiling my hair in the past. Now, I am using Kottakkal
Sharing you how to prepare the Shikakai powder at home. All you need to do is, buy out the ingredients whenever you see and find out a grinding mill in your neighborhood.
Ingredients to make shikakai powder:
Shikakai - 1/2 kg
Reetha - 100 g
Fenugreek seeds - 100 g
Optional:
Tulsi leaves - Handful
Hibiscus flower petals - Handful
Curry leaves - Few
Preparation of Shikakai Powder for hair:
1. Dry the ingredients including optional items well under the sun for at least 2 days.
2. Grind it to a fine powder. My mom goes to a grinding mill to make a fine powder.
Different ways to use Shikakai Powder:
Shikakai Powder: You can make it on your own as instructed above. You can also buy it from shops or online shopping sites too.
It can be used in many ways to get the full benefits from it. You can use it in different ways like hair pack, pimple mask, hair wash powder.
Shikakai Shampoo:
Shikakai can be used to make homemade shikakai shampoo also. You can make shikakai shampoo easily at home. Soak shikakai and deseeded reetha(soap nut) in water overnight. Boil them with the same water in the next day morning. Foam will be formed. Strain the liquid and use it as your regular shampoo. Unlike sulphate based commercial shampoos, it will not lather much but it can clean the hair effectively. You can wash your hair with shikakai shampoo twice a week. You can use amla, hibiscus, neem leaves, curry leaves, rose petals, tulsi leaves also while boiling. They will add more medicinal properties to the shikakai shampoo.
Shikakai tends to give a dry feeling for the hair. So, use it with sufficient amount of reetha(soap nut) to lather easily. You can do oil massage before you use shikakai on your hair to reduce the drying effect. You can also use shikakai powder with yogurt/curd to reduce the dryness. People also mix it with arappu powder.
Though shikakai has a lot of benefits for hair and skin, you must use good quality shikakai powder to reap the benefits and to avoid the side effects. Homemade Shikakai powder is the best in this case.
Benefits of Shikakai Powder for Hair:
- Although you cannot expect a good amount of lather like the other shampoos available in the market with Sulphate, it cleanses the hair effectively. Reetha added in Shikakai will give you the required lathering to clean the hair
- Applying the water used for boiling the neem leaves followed by Shikakai hair wash will remove the lice and keep your hair lice free.
- It prevents and treats dandruff problems effectively. Use it with the neem leaves as mentioned in the above point. It is more effective.
- Homemade shikakai powder is free from all harmful chemicals.
- Shikakai powder promotes hair growth and reduces hair problems like hair fall, hair loss.
- Cools down the whole body and the scalp will get sufficient moisture.
- Maintains the overall good health for your hair.
- Using the homemade shikakai for hair wash once or twice a week will keep your hair damage free.
Benefits of Shikakai Powder for Skin:
Shikakai powder is very good for skin disorders, infections, itching, pimples and psoriasis. It has anti fungal properties too. Take a tablespoon of shikakai powder with required amount of water to make a waste. Apply the paste on the affected area and leave it for 20 minutes. Rinse with clean water and pat dry the skin. This is the simplest way to use shikakai powder on your skin.
In my grandmother's place, they mix the shikakai powder with rice kanji(the water in which rice is cooked). They keep it aside for sometime after mixing both. You can close it with a lid and leave it for 15 minutes. Apply it on the affected area and allow it work on your skin for 20 minutes. Rinse with clean water. Pat dry your skin.
Shikakai in different languages:
Scientific Name - Acacia Concinna
In Hindi - Hikakai, Shika, Shikaikai, Shikakai
Tamil, Kannada, Gujarati, Marathi - Shikakai or Sikakai or Sikaikai
English: Shikakai(In India), Soap pod
Malayalam - Chikaka
Telugu - Chikaya, Seekaya
Hope you enjoyed the recipe for Homemade
Shikakai powder. Please share your comments if you have experience with shikakai powder.
