Shikakai Shine...

(Indian Beauty Secrets)

I mentioned in this post about using Shikakai as a natural shampoo. I was going to wait until I'd used up the last of the Body Shop bottles before I gave it a go...

 

It has to be said that I am very impatient. 

So I thought that now we are leaving anyway, I may as well give away my 'Sodium Lauryl Sulphate' and get used to using the shikakai before I go. I went to the local Indian supermarket and started scouring the hair products, finding only a 'Shikakai Hair Soap' in a bar, by several different brands, all of which had no list of ingredients. I wasn't too sure about the soap, so I asked for help from an assistant. She ran all over the shop and came back to me with a packet of shikakai powder, only 99p.

I picked up a little steel dabba to store my treasure in an exitedly went home.

We spent Friday night at my Mums so Angel and I got to have a bath, something I really miss. So we both tried it out together.

I used about a tablespoon of the powder with a little water and massaged it in. It's not soapy, in fact it doesn't lather at all and it feels a bit grainy like exfoliating your scalp. I left it on for about 2 minutes and then rinsed it out.

As soon as I started to rinse I knew it had worked a miracle! Because my hair is quite long I wear it up all the time, even in bed, so it gets very tangled. I only wash it about twice a week so the knots are a usually a mess. When the shikakai washed out my hair felt incredibly soft.

Brushing it through was easier than usual and it dried completely straight (I usually have a slight wave) My hair has truthfully never been this good. I'm sure it looks thicker and it just feels beautiful. 

I never use shampoo on my daughters hair so she was a bit unsure of the scratchy head massage at first and hated the rinsing, but it was well worth it because her curls are looking lovely now.

So thats me hooked... 100% natural, pure and has a low pH that doesn't strip you hair of it's natural oils.

I'll probably use it twice a week and see how things go from there. I may try the soap bar too if I can find out what's in it. Whilst looking for a list of ingredients, I found this thread, which is extremely informative with regards to Indian herbal hair care. 

From here on I'm will endeavor to join the 'nopooers' of the world...

***

Second nopoo last night, my hair still feels wonderful! I used it on my face and body this time, like an exfoliating scrub...wonderful! 

I'm going to get some Neem powder and Amla powder too as I have read they are also great for hair. Neem is a 'miracle' of nature, having a list of medicinal properties longer than a sari. Amla, Indian gooseberry is a natural conditioner, so mixed with the shikakai it should make my hair look and feel even more beautiful. 

Neem has been used in India for thousands of years to clean teeth. Simplicity and sustainability in a stick!

(Thanks Helga)

As you can probably tell by now, I have found the answer to all sorts of problems I constantly battle against... The miracle powder for instant beauty, instant decluttering, instant anti-consumerism, instant traveling light and instant happiness!!!