SHIKAKAI FOR HAIR:
1. Shikakai Shampoo:
Homemade shikakai shampoo can be done very easily, if you have the ingredients at home. The shampoo is made with natural ingredients and it doesn't have any harsh chemicals in it. This shikakai shampoo leaves the hair soft and silky. All the ingredients for this shampoo are already dried, so you can buy them in bulk, store and use it year round. The ingredients for this homemade shampoo are shikakai, soap nuts and dried amla (gooseberries). We call dried amla "Nelli mulli" in Tamil. To make this herbal shampoo, take out the seeds from soap nuts and soak it along with shikakai and dried gooseberries, the previous night. The next day boil them, till they turn soft and you will see foam forming on top. Strain this liquid, cool and wash your hair with this herbal shampoo. Soap nut is an excellent cleanser and shikakai has been used for centuries for hair wash in India. Dried gooseberries condition the hair leaving it soft. This home made shampoo will not lather like the regular surfactant based shampoos, but it will cleanse the hair well. To completely remove the oil from the hair, use this shampoo twice.
2. Shikakai Hair Pack:
Hair packs made with shikakai are very good in treating dandruff and treating scalp related diseases. However, if you are formulating your own recipes with shikakai powder, make sure to include a conditioning agent. I love to include yogurt, as it is great for hair too. To make the hair pack, ground shikakai powder can be mixed with yogurt and neem leaf powder into a thick paste and applied on the scalp. Wait for 15 to 20 minutes before washing it off.
3. Shikakai Hair Wash Powder:
Traditionally, for our oil bath, after massaging our hair with this massage oil, we have our hair wash with a mixture of arappu powder and shikakai powder. We have arappu tree in the farm and we usually collect the leaves, sun dry and powder it for the whole year's use. Good quality arappu powder made with tender leaves, cleans well and it is easy to wash the hair only with it. But store bought arappu is usually not that good and it is getting increasingly hard to get good quality arappu. If we buy arappu from the shops, we usually mix it with home made shikakai powder. Even older people will find it easier to apply/ wash their hair with arappu, if it is mixed with shikakai powder, as arappu mixture is pasty. We never use shikakai powder alone, as it can be a bit drying, especially if it is used without the oil massage. It is always mixed with arappu powder. Shikakai cleans the hair well and produces good lather, though not like surfactant based shampoos. This shikakai blends prevents hair loss and promotes hair growth, if used regularly. Make shikakai powder for hair wash, during the hot summer months. It should be sun dried till crisp. If you are making it in small quantities, powder it in a dry mixer after sun drying it well.
SHIKAKAI FOR SKIN:
4. Shikakai Body Wash:
I know for some of you using shikakai on the skin might sound weird, but it does wonders, especially if you are prone to skin related diseases. To make the body wash, first collect rice kanji. Rice kanji is made by boiling rice with a little bit of excess water than needed. Once the rice is cooked, strain some the excess water, we call it rice kanji. Let the kanji cool and mix it with good quality shikakai powder and use it as a body wash for your skin. if you want it to smell good, you can add a few drops of your favorite essential oil to it. You will notice a nice difference in your skin.
5. Shikakai for Treating Scabies:
We make an antiseptic wash for scabies using shikakai. To make the wash, first soak turmeric in hot water and rub it into a paste. Take a long piece of shikakai and burn it directly in the fire, till it turns dark. Wait for it cool and grind it into a fine powder. Mix both ground turmeric paste and ground shikakai powder with boiled water. Strain and use as a antiseptic wash on the affected area. Both shikakai and turmeric have anti fungal, anti microbial and anti bacterial properties, that makes this an effective wash for scabies. Please consult a doctor, if the condition is very, very severe. You can read the full post here.
6. For Cuts & Wounds in the Scalp.
For small wounds on the scalp, first burn a small piece of shikakai in direct fire. Make sure to burn a long piece, else you will hurt your hand when it burns. Better still burn it using a tong, cool and powder it finely in a mortar and pestle. Grind a small piece of turmeric, fresh neem leaves and the ground shikakai powder to a smooth paste. Grind it using boiled water and apply on the scalp, wait for 10 minutes before washing it off. This remedy is only for minor cuts and wounds on the scalp
