3 Ways to Make Reetha Shampoo at Home

What is reetha?

Reetha is the fruit of the soap nut tree, which is a species called Sapindus, derived from the Latin words "saponis", meaning soap and "indicus" meaning India. Sapindus is a genus of the Lychee family, Sapindaceae. The tree is native to India and other warm tropical countries.

The word Reetha is the HIndi word to call the fruit. What is reetha called in English? It is simply called "soap nuts".

The main characteristic of reetha is that it contains saponins, which is a natural surfactant substance, meaning it cleans and disinfects.

Reetha shampoo benefits

Before we learn how to make reetha shampoo at home, we should know why it is good to use reetha shampoo. Here are the main reetha shampoo benefits:

• reetha prevents hair fall
• reetha prevents and cures dandruff
• reetha is good for people with atopic dermatitis, eczema and psoriasis
• reetha reduces the effect of hard water on hair
• reetha thickens and strengthens the hair
• reetha prevents lice
• it makes hair soft and shine
• it heals damaged scalp
• no need for conditioner with reetha shampoo homemade
• reetha shampoo is so mild you can use it every day without damaging the hair
• reetha shampoo is environmental friendly: it does not pollute and does not require you to use plastic bottles
• most importantly, reetha shampoo is completely natural, so it can be used by people allergic to chemical components of commercial shampoo, and all people who do not like harmful chemicals

Bear in mind that Indian women have been using reetha shampoo for hundreds of years, as reetha is part of Ayurvedic habits, with amazing results.

Are you convinced by reetha shampoo benefits? So, let's learn 3 ways to make reetha shampoo at home.

How to make reetha shampoo: the basic recipe

Reetha or soap nuts only is enough for cleaning hair, so here is a reetha shampoo recipe that has only reetha and water as the main ingredients.

Ingredients:

• 15 reetha soap nuts
• 1 litre of water

Instructions:

• remove seeds from inside reetha soap nuts
• mix the soap nuts with the litre of water in a glass container
• let soak overnight
• the following morning, gently mash the reetha soap nuts in the water
• bring the mixture to a boil
• simmer very mildly for 15 minutes
• mash reetha soap nuts in water again
• let cool
• filter

Tada! You have a reetha liquid that you can use as reetha shampoo homemade, as a base for our following reetha shampoo recipes, or as a laundry liquid.

Let's now see 2 more ways to make reetha shampoo at home.

How to make reetha shampoo: reetha shampoo recipe for dry hair

If you have dry hair, reetha should be mixed with other ingredients that will moisturize your hair more. Here is how to make reetha shampoo for dry hair.

Ingredients:

• the basic reetha liquid we explained in the previous paragraph
• one tablespoon coconut oil
• one tablespoon olive oil
• one tablespoon besan (chickpea flour)

Instructions

• once you have made the basic reetha shampoo recipe we explained above, add coconut oil, olive oil and chickpea flour to the mixture while it is still lukewarm but not hot
• mix very well until you get an homogeneous mixture

Easy! You have made a wonderful reetha homemade shampoo for dry hair. Coconut oil, olive oil and chickpea flour moisturize your hair in a very natural way. You will find your hair thicker and more hydrated.

For specific tips on reetha and dry hair, check our article: does reetha make hair dry?

Now, the classic way to make reetha shampoo at home.

Reetha Amla and Shikakai homemade shampoo

This way of making reetha shampoo at home is one of the most popular. Reetha amla shikakai for hair is particularly beneficial. We talked about the benefits of amla for hair strengthening and growth, and of shikakai for nourishing and detangling hair in another article.

This reetha shampoo recipe is actually a shampoo-conditioner-hair mask all in one. You hair will be strong, soft, and clean. Let's see how to make reetha amla shikakai shampoo:

Ingredients:

• 100g reetha soap nuts
• 100g dry amla fruit
• 100g shikakai fruit
• 2 litres water

Instructions:

• remove seeds from inside reetha and shikakai
• mix reetha amla shikakai with 2 litres of water in a glass container
• let soak overnight
• the following morning, gently mash reetha amla shikakai in the water
• bring the mixture to a boil
• simmer very mildly for 15 minutes
• mash reetha amla shikakai in water again
• let cool
• filter

You can add a couple of drops of essential oil if you want your hair to have scent.

Now you know 3 ways to make reetha shampoo at home, and isn't it easy?

Image: http://naturalorganicandhappy.blogspot.de

How to store reetha shampoo

All 3 reetha shampoos we talked about today go bad quite easily. You can store them in a glass air-tight container in a dark, cool place, or in the fridge, for up to 2 weeks.

However, what we recommend is that you make big quantities of reetha shampoo at the time and then freeze it in small batches, so you won't need to make reetha shampoo at home too often.

There are many other combinations for homemade shampoos, but those 3 ways to make reetha shampoo are really easy, cheap, and healthy for your hair!

If you want to read similar articles to 3 Ways to Make Reetha Shampoo at Home, we recommend you visit our Beauty & Personal Care category.