Hola!

So the other week on wash day (that’s usually Saturday or Sunday for me), I used yet another ayurvedic powder, Shikakai! I used the one by Hesh and bought it from my local Indian Market for just a few bucks a box. Be sure to always check the expiration dates if you buy from a local grocer. I have seen expired products still on the shelves! You always want the freshest powders.

Shikakai is an Indian herb, originating from in the Himalayas, that is ground into a fine powder. You mix with water or tea and used to wash your hair, so it’s an alternative to shampoo. It doesn’t lather or anything though so don’t expect any of that. It is applied like any other conditioning treatment. It is awesome because it promotes growth, strengthens your roots (yes!) and since it is astringent and anti-fungal, it removes dandruff and helps stop scalp issues. It also makes your hair shiny and bouncy! It’s also great because it is pH balanced and helps detangle your hair. It also says it cools your scalp. I guess this may be handy in the summer and warm climates. I know my head gets hot often with all this hair!

Yes the paste looks like mud and yes it can get messy. BUT that’s the fun part!! :o)

Now let me tell you, this was my first time using this kind of powder and I made a HUGE mistake. So I normally don’t wash my hair prior to using ayurvedic treatments since they typically do the washing themselves. But for some reason, my genius self decided to wash AND use the Shikakai back to back! OMG!!! When I tell you that my scalp was on FIRE, I mean, it was burning!!! And to add to it…I used a shampoo bar that had peppermint!! And you know peppermint already makes your scalp tingly….WTF was I thinking!? I swear it felt like I had left a perm on my hair, it was that bad. I had to rinse it out right away! Omg….

I also didn’t realize how abrasive Shikakai is and I was rubbing it into my scalp (I normally rub the other pastes into my scalp i.e. amla, brahmi, neem). Definitely not going to do any rubbing next time lol I was like my hair better not fall out! (it didn’t thankfully lol) Moral of the story, do not wash my hair before using Shikakai (duh!). I also read that some people will pre-poo with coconut oil on their scalp and then wash with Shikakai. I also love that you can mix ayuvedic powders together to get added benefits :o)

All in all, regardless of my dummy experience, I did get great results lol with this ayurvedic paste! My hair was definitely clean, super soft and my twist-outs the following week were super bouncy and springy! It was like it refreshed my hair. It also helped reduce the shed I’d been having. I’ll admit, I slacked off on the ayurvedic treatments for a while and I definitely felt the affects of it. My hair sheds a LOT when I don’t use them. That’s why I call them miracles in a box! lol So I need to continue to do these treatments regularly, at least 2x a month. Just be sure to always rinse really, really well. I have had little flakes of grain from the powders left in my hair a few days after I wash lol It also helps to gently detangle with a comb to help dislodge any particles stuck in your kinks.

I love ayurveda. All glory to God for these gifts of the earth :o)