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What Does Shikakai Do for Hair

Nidhi Nangia
By Nidhi Nangia. Updated: April 13, 2017
What Does Shikakai Do for Hair

People have been using herbs to take care of their hair for centuries. Once such amazing herb that is widely used to gain extraordinary results for hair is shikakai. Scientifically termed as acacia concinna, and commonly known as the hair fruit, shikakai is an Asian shrub widely cultivated in Central India. Usually the fruit pods of the shrub are used in the form of hair pack, herbal shampoo, or hair wash. The use of shikakai is known to provide numerous benefits for the health of hair. Read this oneHOWTO article to find out exactly what does shikakai do for hair.

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Components of shikakai

The fruits of shikakai are primarily made up of alkaloids. Other major constituents of shikakai are citric acid, ascorbic acid, oxalic acid and tartaric acid, due to which shikakai has such a bitter taste. In addition to these, shikakai also contains a variety of antioxidants, and a number of vitamins including vitmain A, C, D and K. All these nutrients work together to give such nice benefits to the health of your hair.

The benefits of Shikakai for hair

Using shikakai provides several benefits to your hair, including:

Low pH levels

  • Shikakai contains very low pH levels, due to which it becomes such a good natural cleanser for your hair, especially for those people who have a sensitive scalp of suffer from psoriasis or seborrheic dermatitis. This is precisely the reason why it's also proven to be helpful in managing dandruff and dealing with other scalp infections and problems.
  • This is also the reason why it promotes hair growth and thus helps your hair grow thicker and faster by making their roots healthier and stronger
  • When you soak the shikakai nuts and pods overnight and use them to wash your hair the next morning, you will be able to remove all the extra dirt and oil from your hair, and also gain immunity from lice problems and fungal infections.
  • Shikakai leaves contain acrid properties which are helpful in treating dandruff problems and providing protection against different types of pollution.

Great moisturizer

  • It is also helpful in restoring moisture to your hair and keeping the natural oils intact.
  • Shikakai is naturally effective in detangling your hair, thus leaving them smooth and soft after each wash. So, if you are using shikakai to wash your hair, you will no longer need a conditioner.

Rich in vitamin C and D

  • As shikakai is rich in vitamin C and D, it provides nourishment to your hair and keep it moist during summers. Thus, it prevents the formation of split ends, and controls premature graying of hair.
  • Apart from helping your hair get nourished, it also helps improve dull hair become brighter.

Contains nicotinic acid

  • Shikakai contains nicotinic acid, along with many other proteins that are helpful in nourishing your hair with the help of various micro nutrients. This is also one of the reasons why it helps with scalp redness.
  • Moreover, when you apply shikakai on your hair before using hair color, the color will soak into your hair more effectively and will last longer than otherwise thanks to niacin, which helps in absorption.
  • Shikakai works as a natural hair cleanser that gives natural shine to your hair without causing any chemical damage.
What Does Shikakai Do for Hair - The benefits of Shikakai for hair

How to use shikakai to avail these hair benefits

To benefit from all of shikakai's properties, you can use it for hair wash in several different ways:

Use it as a shampoo

The shampoo that you make with shikakai is 100% natural and devoid of any harsh chemicals. Ingredients used to make this shampoo are shikakai, dried gooseberries or amla, and soap nuts. Remove seeds from the soap nuts, and let the three ingredients soak overnight. Next morning, boil this mixture, strain the liquid, let it cool and use it to wash your hair just like a shampoo.

Use it as a hair pack

Shikakai hair pack is highly effective in treating scalp infections and managing dandruff. Grind shikakai to make a powder, mix some yogurt in it to make a paste, and apply on your scalp. Leave it for 20 minutes and then wash off.

If you want to read similar articles to What Does Shikakai Do for Hair, we recommend you visit our Beauty & Personal Care category.

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Mrs Faiza Virani fazal
Can I use shikakai in powder form?
And would I just add the contents in my shampoo
Do you have a recipe for diy shampoo

Many Thanks
Love your website
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