6 Month Ayurveda Challenge

[Ltown]

Normally I put a few spoons of whatever powder in a bowl and mix with cond. till it turns creamy and smooth, kinda like a thick cake batter. And it doesn't run.

Flowin, you use few spoons of several powders? I have a canister with box of amla/maka/brahmi/hibiscus and just use one spoon ful which a little of each. I thinking maybe it not strong enough now?

 

[flowinlocks]

What is Maka? .. forgot to ask this..

Another name for Bhringraj.
Maka is a creeping and moisture-loving herb; it has a short, flat or round stem and small white flowers on a long stalk. It grows 3" tall; the leaves are opposite and lance shaped. Its scientific name is eclipta alba and is also called Bhringaraj, Bhringraj, Babri, Galagara, Gunta-kalagara, Kesharaji, Kesuri, or Mochkand. It is found throughout India and the southwestern U.S.

Maka is the main herb for the hair and cirrhosis in Ayurveda. It is believed to prevent aging, maintains and rejuvenates hair, teeth, bones, memory, sight, and hearing. It also rejuvenates the kidneys and liver. As oil, it removes graying, balding, makes the hair darker, and promotes deep sleep. It also improves complexion. The root powder is used in Ayurveda for hepatitis, enlarged spleen and skin disorders. Mixed with salt, it relieves burning urine. Mixed with a little oil and applied to the head, it relieves headache.

Most interestingly is that Maka has been shown to be better at rejuvenating hair than Minoxidil. There is a scientific study that has examined this finding. The abstract can be found here:
Hair growth promoting activity of Eclipta alba in male albino rats.

 

[flowinlocks]

Flowin, you use few spoons of several powders? I have a canister with box of amla/maka/brahmi/hibiscus and just use one spoon ful which a little of each. I thinking maybe it not strong enough now?

It's ok to have them premixed. It's easy and it saves time. As a matter of fact when I started I mixed a canister with Neem, Shikakai, and Amla for cleansing. And another one with Bhrami, Bhringraj, and Amla. I don't really use the first batch since discovering the Shikakai bar, but the second batch I have almost used up. Your mixture is strong enough, you might want to try using more than one spoon.

 

[Ltown]

It's ok to have them premixed. It's easy and it saves time. As a matter of fact when I started I mixed a canister with Neem, Shikakai, and Amla for cleansing. And Another one with Bhrami, Bhringraj, and Amla. I don't really use the first batch since discovering the Shikakai bar, but the second batch I have almost used up. You mixture is strong enough, you might want to try using more than one spoon.

I thought so too but for some reason I never ask until someone mention it. Thanks as usual you are always helpful Flowinlocks!

 

[Aggie]

I never get this, I know Suave is not as thick as my other conds., but I never had this issue in the past. I'm new to Kalpi Tone and Hibiscus. I'm kinda thinking it was the Kalpi tone, because I made batch the other night and it didn't separate. I used Hibiscus, Bhrami, Bhringraj, ORS, and cheapie conds. mixed in. Granted the cond. itself was thicker, but still. And the weird part also was the fact that it turned from creamy to runny before my eyes. Like some sort of weird reaction. I don't know, but I just rinsed my cond. out and my hair is really soft. Maybe I'll use these as teas. Aggie where are you?

Right here honey. I have been MIA all day, I know and I'm sorry for that. I never mixed kalpi tone with conditioners so I never had this reaction before. I always made teas with them or used them in my henna treatments so cn't really comment on what happened here. The kalpi tone must be very light in consistency and more so than the other powders but as to why? I couldn't say for sure.

I will continue to use it as a rinse now that I know you have had this experience using it with a conditioner. I may try it as a cowash, the same way I do my other ayurveda cowash and see what happens to it. I'll report after I've tried it but not sure when that will be though.

 

[flowinlocks]

Right here honey. I have been MIA all day, I know and I'm sorry for that. I never mixed kalpi tone with conditioners so I never had this reaction before. I always made teas with them or used them in my henna treatments so cn't really comment on what happened here. The kalpi tone must be very light in consistency and more so than the other powders but as to why? I couldn't say for sure.

I will continue to use it as a rinse now that I know you have had this experience using it with a conditioner. I may try it as a cowash, the same way I do my other ayurveda cowash and see what happens to it. I'll report after I've tried it but not sure when that will be though.

I think I'll use it as a paste or tea the next time, I will say that my hair came out very soft after it dried.

 

[Nice & Wavy]

For all the ladies who are using these powders for the first time....BE CAREFUL AND DON'T LET IT GET INTO THE EYES...ESPECIALLY THE SHIKATAKI (SP) IT WILL BURN LIKE CRAZY!!!

My hair is behaving nicely to everything I'm doing, which is pretty simple.

 

[flowinlocks]

For all the ladies who are using these powders for the first time....BE CAREFUL AND DON'T LET IT GET INTO THE EYES...ESPECIALLY THE SHIKATAKI (SP) IT WILL BURN LIKE CRAZY!!!

My hair is behaving nicely to everything I'm doing, which is pretty simple.

Thanks, I already know about that Shikakai, I got the soap in my eye and it burns!!! I can only imagine what the powder feels like.

 

[charmtreese]

Since I have fallen in love with henna...I would like to join this challenge. I plan on using Karishma henna (which contains different ayurveda powders) weekly as a gloss and every 3 weeks as a full henna treatment and herbal scalp oil (which also contains a mixture of ayurveda oils, including: Hibiscus Rosa Sinensis, Amla (Phylianthus Emblica), Brahmi (Centela Asiatica), Maka (Eclipta Alba), Bawachi (Psoralea Corylifolia), Kachur Sugandhi (Kaempferia Galanga) Neem (Melia Azadirachta) and Coconut oil.

 

[Ozma]

I cleansed today with shikakai soap, applied a henna/conditioner gloss, tea rinse, leave-in +HairVeda Whipped Ends cream and CoCasta oil, twisted and baggied for the night

 

[Ms_CoCo37]

Cassandra & Ronnie,

Thank you both for posting those links for me.

I was able to find a really cool Indian grocery store not far from where I live. I OD'd on all kinds of products. I have a bag full of Ayurveda supplies. Not quite sure yet how to use them, but I have been using the Vatika oil...very nice!

 

[Cassandra1975]

Cassandra & Ronnie,

Thank you both for posting those links for me.

I was able to find a really cool Indian grocery store not far from where I live. I OD'd on all kinds of products. I have a bag full of Ayurveda supplies. Not quite sure yet how to use them, but I have been using the Vatika oil...very nice!

Yay! I'm glad you found a store in your area.

 

[Ms_CoCo37]

I think I have everything but I'm not quite sure where to start. I've been trying to look through threads to get an idea. I'd like to try one of the powders this evening. erplexed

 

[Cassandra1975]

I think I have everything but I'm not quite sure where to start. I've been trying to look through threads to get an idea. I'd like to try one of the powders this evening. erplexed

Hmmm...do you feel like your hair needs moisture right now, or more strength? That might help you narrow down the recipes. What all did you get? Or is it too much to list here? I know I went crazy the first time I went Ayurveda shopping.

 

[Ms_CoCo37]

I'm in!

I have totally fallen in love with the powders.Have been using for about a month already.Next texlax in December.
Had to figure out how to use them as a tea with my braids....

I take a large glass measuring cup(the one that is safe for baking)
Put one coffee filter inside.
Spoon in a few teaspoons of whatever powder.
Boil my water and pour on top.
Pour slow to make sure the filter doesn't collapse on itself.
Stir slightly and let it sit to cool a little.
Once warm or cool, slowly lift out the filter and gather the filter edges together, forming a little pouch.
After the tea has dripped out, squeeze the last water out of the filter.(it will be soggy and full of the powders,like a wet tea bag.
Throw the filter away and all you have left is tea.
I pour the tea in one of those plastic bottles and squeeze all over my braids, then rinse.

Hope this helps someone.

Thank you!!! I can actually do this! I was just trying to figure out how this powder stuff works. I have a ton of it.

 

[Ms_CoCo37]

Hmmm...do you feel like your hair needs moisture right now, or more strength? That might help you narrow down the recipes. What all did you get? Or is it too much to list here? I know I went crazy the first time I went Ayurveda shopping.

Cassandra...I bout lost my mind in that market! I can't begin to tell you everything I bought. I'll try to wing it:

Vatika Oil
Coconut Oil
Amla Oil
Brahmi Oil
Almond Oil

Powders:
Amla
Shikaki (sp?)
Aritha (sp?)
Henna
Fenugreek (sp?)
something called Napur (still have no clue what it is but it looked good)
Mustard Powder
(a couple of other powders that escape me right now)

Shikaki Soap Bar
Chandrika Soap Bar (my face loves this)
A Mud treatment for my face
And some other treatment for my face

Where on earth do I begin????

 

[Cassandra1975]

Cassandra...I bout lost my mind in that market! I can't begin to tell you everything I bought. I'll try to wing it:

Vatika Oil
Coconut Oil
Amla Oil
Brahmi Oil
Almond Oil

Powders:
Amla
Shikaki (sp?)
Aritha (sp?)
Henna
Fenugreek (sp?)
something called Napur (still have no clue what it is but it looked good)
Mustard Powder
(a couple of other powders that escape me right now)

Shikaki Soap Bar
Chandrika Soap Bar (my face loves this)
A Mud treatment for my face
And some other treatment for my face

Where on earth do I begin????

I like Chandrika and MediMix...I just need to be more consistent with them. WHen I don't use them, I can tell!

Let's see...shikakai and aritha are both cleansing, but can be dry. I wouldn't use both at the same time. I have used a mixture of shikakai, amla and fenugreek to cleanse my hair. I want to say I left it on for 30 minutes. I know some people have a lower tolerance for shikakai, so you'll have to try it and see. I mix mine up into a paste, and apply to hair and scalp that have already been oiled. The shikakai should help with strength as well as cleansing.

Aggie posted a good recipe earlier, but it had brahmi and kalpi tone powders, in addition to amla and shikakai.

Our resident ayurveda experts should be chiming in shortly with some more suggestions. You have a really good stash going! You should be able to get a lot done with what you got on this first trip.

 

[Aspire]

Cassandra...I bout lost my mind in that market! I can't begin to tell you everything I bought. I'll try to wing it:

Vatika Oil
Coconut Oil
Amla Oil
Brahmi Oil
Almond Oil

Powders:
Amla
Shikaki (sp?)
Aritha (sp?)
Henna
Fenugreek (sp?)
something called Napur (still have no clue what it is but it looked good)
Mustard Powder
(a couple of other powders that escape me right now)

Shikaki Soap Bar
Chandrika Soap Bar (my face loves this)
A Mud treatment for my face
And some other treatment for my face

Where on earth do I begin????

You have a lot of stuff. All are good items, it just depends on what your hair likes the most. My suggestions:

Oils
- Vatika/Coconut oils: interchangeable. Vitika is coconut oil w/amla and some other herbs added.
- Your oils can be mixed together as well. Just keep in mind the powder properties and you have your oil properties as well. I use Shikakai to pre-poo because it is more cleansing. I think it builds up when I use it as a hair oil. However, Amla is more conditioning for my hair. I can use it at anytime and I love it for baggying.
- I use almond sometimes to seal because it is fairly light versus my normal JBCO
- I have not tried brahmi oil yet, but I can imagine that it too is conditioning.

Powders
- I would strongly suggest using the powders one at a time to see which your hair likes. Then mix your own concoctions.
- Beware of Aritha. It is VERY clensing and can strip your hair if not careful. I use this only for clarifying and the I use only a little in a tea and leave it on for less than 10 minutes. This is the only way it works for my hair. But I love it for my skin.
- Never heard of Napur and I only use mustard powder when I cook.

Good luck - You probably saved a fortune buying from the store versus online.

 

[MissMusic]

Yesterday I did wash #1 in my regimen and styled my hair in a twist-out, pics on my blog.

 

[HERicane10]

Still co-washing with my amla and HE Replenishing con. Lurves it! Did 2.5hr henna & egg on Saturday. I'm really loving how an egg kicks my Reshma up a notch! I've opted to incorporate an herbal paste of some kind with every wash, 3x per wk. Either straight amla, henna & egg, or my herbal blend. My hair is NOTICEABLY thicker after adding the egg to my regimen.

 

[zenith]

I had left over neem and henna paste so i mixed them together with my garnier condish and applied. I started running after being on for 30 minutes.
I rinsed it after 45 mins and then did a hot oil treament.

i then braided small braids after finger detangling with my ors carrot oil mixed with coconut and olive oil. let just say i started at around 5pm and finished at 1am. The only hair that came out was shed hair only!! I was soo happy, so i'm thinking of using my fingers from now on instead of the denman brush.

today, i'm only vatika oiling and tomorrow i will make a light paste and apply to the scalp,then cowash since i plan to keep the braids for a week.

 

[Ms_CoCo37]

You have a lot of stuff. All are good items, it just depends on what your hair likes the most. My suggestions:

Oils
- Vatika/Coconut oils: interchangeable. Vitika is coconut oil w/amla and some other herbs added.
- Your oils can be mixed together as well. Just keep in mind the powder properties and you have your oil properties as well. I use Shikakai to pre-poo because it is more cleansing. I think it builds up when I use it as a hair oil. However, Amla is more conditioning for my hair. I can use it at anytime and I love it for baggying.
- I use almond sometimes to seal because it is fairly light versus my normal JBCO
- I have not tried brahmi oil yet, but I can imagine that it too is conditioning.

Powders
- I would strongly suggest using the powders one at a time to see which your hair likes. Then mix your own concoctions.
- Beware of Aritha. It is VERY clensing and can strip your hair if not careful. I use this only for clarifying and the I use only a little in a tea and leave it on for less than 10 minutes. This is the only way it works for my hair. But I love it for my skin.
- Never heard of Napur and I only use mustard powder when I cook.

Good luck - You probably saved a fortune buying from the store versus online.

Thank you for the tips Aspire!
I think I did pretty good at the store. All of my powders were in the $1-2.00 range the oils weren't too bad either...I guess ($3-4.00 range). I was expecting everything to be a lot more. I can't wait to try everything!

 

[Ms_CoCo37]

Still co-washing with my amla and HE Replenishing con. Lurves it! Did 2.5hr henna & egg on Saturday. I'm really loving how an egg kicks my Reshma up a notch! I've opted to incorporate an herbal paste of some kind with every wash, 3x per wk. Either straight amla, henna & egg, or my herbal blend. My hair is NOTICEABLY thicker after adding the egg to my regimen.

How do you do the henna and egg treatment?

 

[nikz24]

Can I join? I just bcd and I have a twa. I'll be using amla and vatika oil and amla and shikakai powders. I will be doing oil rinses and powder tonics 1- 2x a week and pree-pooing with one of the oils. Oh by the way I just joined the site today I'll be back with my starting pic.


Forgot to add I'll be doing henna mixed with amla 2x a month.

ETA: starting pic is my siggy

 

[MissMusic]

Can I join? I just bcd and I have a twa. I'll be using amla and vatika oil and amla and shikakai powders. I will be doing oil rinses and powder tonics 1- 2x a week and pree-pooing with one of the oils. Oh by the way I just joined the site today I'll be back with my starting pic.


Forgot to add I'll be doing henna mixed with amla 2x a month.

ETA: starting pic is my siggy

Welcome to the Boards!

 

[Ozma]

I am applying my 3rd full henna treatment with amla oil and paprika. I am applying as often as my hair can stand it for the first month, then I will cut back to 1x/month. My hair is loving it. My curls hang better, my hair is shiny, the red highlights are pretty, and most importantly, my hair feels STRONG!


I have a question: Do any of you use ayurvedic in conjunction with Dominican products? Which ones do you use? What do you use them for?
TIA

 

[MissMusic]

Today I did a wash with a mix of hibiscus, fenugreek and brahmi powders mixed in lekair cholesterol. I applied it to my hair, left it in my hair for 45 minutes and washed it out, just a co-wash. Loved how my hair felt. I am going to incoporate this into my regimen.

 

[beans4reezy]

I cowashed my twists last night with HE LTR with amla powder mixed in with the conditoner. I am headed out to my local Indian spot today. I am hoping I could find brahmi powder and mustard oil.

 

[flowinlocks]

Today I did a wash with a mix of hibiscus, fenugreek and brahmi powders mixed in lekair cholesterol. I applied it to my hair, left it in my hair for 45 minutes and washed it out, just a co-wash. Loved how my hair felt. I am going to incoporate this into my regimen.

Did your mix turn runny from the Hibiscus? I'm starting to think it was this instead of The Kalpi tone. I mixed Motions CPR, Bhrami, bhringraj, and Hibiscus last night. It came out soupy. I never get this, especially with a thick cond.

 

[Imoan]

Last night I pre-poo w/mahabhringraj tail oil & amla oil, then today I made a paste with Kalpi Tone & organic coconut oil by the way it smelled really good, let it sit for 1hr, rinsed, than deep condish w/shescentit Banana Brulee 1hr, rinse applied alba leave-n conditioner and style with KBB Hair Milk & creme.. my hair was singing Hallejuuuuuahhhhh