4 Month Ayurveda "Newbie" Challenge 2010

im about to use an ayurvedic blend with my DC: shikakai, amla, neem, heena, methi, brahmi, lemon, tulsi and fo-ti root. I hope I will like it. This is my first time using it.


ETA: I really liked using the powders. I will use them once a week and see how my hair improves.
 
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I would like to join. I have used ayurveda powders since August but would love to learn more. I have maka, neem, shikakai, amla, brahmi, kalpi tone and kapoor kalchi. I also have anoop oil and a couple of other oils. I will add the names of any additional powders or oil I have this weekend.
 
I just prepooed with Alma and vatika oil and have a few questions before doing the tea rinse tomorrow. I hoped they haven't been asked before.

1. Are tea rinses the same as shampooing or will I still need to shampoo?
2. How long do I leave the tea rinse on?
3. Is pouring the tea rinse over your hair once sufficient enough to clean the scalp or do I need to do it multiple times?
4. Can the powders be used like a paste like indicated on the box? Is it more difficult to wash out?

TIA
 
Nappygirl,
I just prepooed with Alma and vatika oil and have a few questions before doing the tea rinse tomorrow. I hoped they haven't been asked before.

1. Are tea rinses the same as shampooing or will I still need to shampoo? I usually don't shampoo after using a tea rinse, I run my hair under water for a while then I use conditioner to to help wash it out
2. How long do I leave the tea rinse on? I leave mine for 30 mins to 1hr (It might differ from person to person)
3. Is pouring the tea rinse over your hair once sufficient enough to clean the scalp or do I need to do it multiple times? I usually have a container that I use to pour the tea over my hear and one under my hair to catch the remaining liquid and repeat this two or three times
4. Can the powders be used like a paste like indicated on the box? Is it more difficult to wash out? I mostly did the pastes and in my opinion it is harder to wash out and uses more powder than the rinses because of the thickness of my hair (unless u mix it in a conditioner then you don't use that much)

hope those helped
 
I just oiled my scalp with shikakai oil and then my hair with amla oil. After shampooing once (only because my hair has been really oily and my face broke out last week - I usually just use the ayurveda rinse), I rinsed my hair with a concoction of water, shikakai powder, amla powder and coconut oil. I'm deep conditioning now.
 
One more thing - - I have been using shikakai powder/oil and amla powder/oil. I have dry hair. Are there other ayurvedic oils or powders that I may want to consider using or is amla best for this problem? I've heard that shikakai can be drying so I use very limited amounts of it.
 
3. Is pouring the tea rinse over your hair once sufficient enough to clean the scalp or do I need to do it multiple times? I usually have a container that I use to pour the tea over my hear and one under my hair to catch the remaining liquid and repeat this two or three times

Sorry to be so slow, but I just want to make sure I'm getting this right . . . so do you bend forward over the sink and catch the water that way instead of doing it in the shower?
 
One more thing - - I have been using shikakai powder/oil and amla powder/oil. I have dry hair. Are there other ayurvedic oils or powders that I may want to consider using or is amla best for this problem? I've heard that shikakai can be drying so I use very limited amounts of it.

Sweet Almond Oil works wonders for dry hair. Give it a try!
 
Coming out of lurkdom to post. Sign me up for this challenge. I need to do something about this itchy scalp. One question: Can you apply ayurveda powders while in twists? Will it wash out?

Now off to read the other ayurveda threads . . .

I would not apply the powders directly because they are very good at staying in the hair. Instead I would use a spritz or tea. HTH!
 
Sorry to be so slow, but I just want to make sure I'm getting this right . . . so do you bend forward over the sink and catch the water that way instead of doing it in the shower?
yea I know lots of ppl do it in the shower but it's more convenient for me this way just make sure you keep your hair in one direction.
 
I would not apply the powders directly because they are very good at staying in the hair. Instead I would use a spritz or tea. HTH!
I agree w/ this, the powders are hard to wash out with loose hair I imagine it would be a pain w/ twists you might still have pieces of herbs left behind that you know nothing of :ohwell:
 
Thanks so much ladies! I did the rinse over the sink, caught the drippings in a glass bowl and re-used the water twice. It seemed to work out well. I will try the applicator bottle next time and see which one I like best.
 
I find it easier to use an applicator bottle. Just pour the tea in the bottle and then apply to scalp and then hair, that way you are sure you are reaching all of your hair. HTH!
Yea thats a good thing. I put mines in a spray bottle and just put the sprayer on my scalp and do it that way, and then I spray the hair.
 
BUMPING, cause Im bored.
I think I am going to add my powders to my DC nxt week, I hope that goes well with no herbs left in my hair. Or I just may add some of the tea rinse to the DC, have any of you ladies every done that?
 
Okay I know I haven't posted, but I just got my powders and oils earlier this week and Wednesday was the first day I had free to try them. Well anyways here goes what I've done and what I think I'm going to continue to do. Okay so first I prepoo-ed with coconut oil mixed with a little amla oil (not sure of the exact measurements). Then I brewed a tea consisting of 1 teaspoon Amla, Bhringraj, Shikakai and 1/8 teaspoon of hibiscus and rinsed my hair with it using an old water bottle after straining the powders from the tea. I covered my head with a shower cap and let sit for 45 minutes. I was supposed to only leave it in for 30 minutes, but got caught in a very interesting conversation.

When I rinsed my hair it felt like I had done a bentonite clay treatment, nice and velvety soft, moisturized, and clean. I then DC with my normal mix of Tresseme Flawless Curls, Cholesterol Mango Shea Butter, Tea Tree oil, Peppermint essential oil, and this time I added what was left over from the coconut and amla oil prepoo. I let this mixture sit over night and rinsed in the morning my hair stayed extremely moisturized all day Thursday. This morning was the first time that I actually felt the need to moisturize and seal my ends, but to be honest I think I was just doing it out of habit. I moisturized with a tea spritz made of bhringraj, amla, and hibiscus and to seal I used a mix of coconut oil with a few drops of amla and tea tree oil. I really can't stop touching my hair. Its so soft and silky and I haven't added any extra products outside of what I've already mentioned.

I'm in :love3:
 
I am a little confused still?? Do you guys wash your hair w/ shampoo before applying the rinse or after? Also after applying the rinse do you guys squeeze the excess out of your hair and then let it sit in your hair???
 
I am a little confused still?? Do you guys wash your hair w/ shampoo before applying the rinse or after? Also after applying the rinse do you guys squeeze the excess out of your hair and then let it sit in your hair???

No there is really no need to shampoo your hair if you are doing the rinses especially if you are using Shikakai or Aritha powders. These powders are cleansers. I only shampoo once a month to clarify/chelate and when I do shampoo I don't use the powders. Some people pour the rinse on their hair and only leave it on for a couple of minutes before rinsing it out in the shower. I like to leave mine on for at least 30 minutes with a plastic cap and then I will proceed to rinse, cowash, and dc after wards.

What powders are you using?
 
I am a little confused still?? Do you guys wash your hair w/ shampoo before applying the rinse or after? Also after applying the rinse do you guys squeeze the excess out of your hair and then let it sit in your hair???
I wash my hair before I apply the rinse cause I dont use cleansing powders. Yes I squeeze out the rest and then shower and then rinse when I am done. HTH....
 
No there is really no need to shampoo your hair if you are doing the rinses especially if you are using Shikakai or Aritha powders. These powders are cleansers. I only shampoo once a month to clarify/chelate and when I do shampoo I don't use the powders. Some people pour the rinse on their hair and only leave it on for a couple of minutes before rinsing it out in the shower. I like to leave mine on for at least 30 minutes with a plastic cap and then I will proceed to rinse, cowash, and dc after wards.

What powders are you using?

Lol...what am I not using?

Alma, Shikakai, Neem, Aritha, and Brahami. Are you guys using empty tea bags to strain??
 
I let my aritha, neem and amla steep in a cast iron bowl last night and this afternoon used it after working out. The cast iron reacted with the Vitamin C in the amla and turned the liquid black. It also seemed to cause the powders to more completely dissolve. (When I steep in a glass jar, the liquid is earth brown and about an inch of grainy residue remains at the bottom of the jar.)
 
I'm falling off. I need to use my powders more. I have been faithfully using my tea spritz, but I have only used my alma and brahmi powders to dc once. I might try mixing some powders and coconut oil in my cowash conditioner, as an overnight DC on dry hair, to cut down on the amount of time I spend on my hair on wash day.

I would appreciate any thoughts or advice.

Sticking with this is going to be challenging for me, because I'm usually a cowash and leave in my deep conditioner type of girl. Or dc overnight, cowash and go.
 
I am DCing right now and I sprayed some of my tea rinse on top of the DC. Hope it turns out fine.....
 
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