Ayurvedic Hair HORROR!

[YankeeCandle]

I told myself and told myself that I would not be one of those people I've read about in countless old threads who had hair catastrophes because they misused powders.

I decided to avoid Shikakai on my first go-round and did the following:

1. liberally oiled my hair (scalp and four plaits) with Dabur Amla oil and let it sit for a few hours under a baggie.

2. mixed 2 parts Amla powder and 1 part Neem powder in coconut oil and a little water to make it easier to spread. Applied this to the top of my head/scalp and down the length of the plaits and the ends.

I was planning on leaving this on an hour or so. But...

Within 1-2 minutes of application, the powder-steeped oil mixture began hardening like a mask until it was like henna that's been caked on your head for hours!

Alarmed (I have many years of experience with henna and this was much harder and more helmet-like than that), I slathered on coconut oil to try to soften it up so I could wash it out.

While rinsing, using a moisturizing shampoo mixed w/ oilve oil, and then slathering on a DC, my hair itself was HARD. There's no other way to describe it. The hair felt as though each strand (normally quite fine-textured) was made of plastic or wood. It actually hurt my fingers when I tied to finger-detangle.

Detangling is always traumatic for me, but this time, combined with the helmet-hard hair, it was catastrophic.



My bathroom was a horror show. Just replace blood with hair, and it looked like a slasher B-movie.

Instead of my usual leave-ins (like S-Curl, etc), I loaded up my hair with heavy moisturizing conditioners and put it in two big plaits.

It's been a few days now (hair still in the plaits) and the hair seems to be softening up again, and looks suspiciously shinier than normal.

But I shall not be tempted by the shine.

Clearly, I do not know how to use powders, and I am too traumatized to have another go at it.

 

[MsBoinglicious]

AWWWhhhhhhh!!! i never used those powders. Just henna and Bentonite Clay. Do you think maybe it was the brand/quality of the powder or your application that did this or both?

ETA: I have some Amla power...still in the bag...i am scarred to touch it now!

 

[curlicarib]

I think your mistake was letting it dry. Next time just cover it with a plastic cnditioner cap. But remember neem is serious stuff. It can really dry your hair out.

 

[SelfStyled]

Aww YC, so sorry that happened to you. I don't use the powders so no help to offer, just wanted to say sorry. Were the powders old? Do not be tempted by the shine, girl, do not be tempted.

 

[I Am So Blessed]

wow, sorry this happend. and the part about the hair horror scene, oh nooo. i hope your hair comes out alright when you take the plaits out. im glad it softend up.

 

[flowinlocks]

I told myself and told myself that I would not be one of those people I've read about in countless old threads who had hair catastrophes because they misused powders.

I decided to avoid Shikakai on my first go-round and did the following:

1. liberally oiled my hair (scalp and four plaits) with Dabur Amla oil and let it sit for a few hours under a baggie.

2. mixed 2 parts Amla powder and 1 part Neem powder in coconut oil and a little water to make it easier to spread. Applied this to the top of my head/scalp and down the length of the plaits and the ends.

I was planning on leaving this on an hour or so. But...

Within 1-2 minutes of application, the powder-steeped oil mixture began hardening like a mask until it was like henna that's been caked on your head for hours!

Alarmed (I have many years of experience with henna and this was much harder and more helmet-like than that), I slathered on coconut oil to try to soften it up so I could wash it out.

While rinsing, using a moisturizing shampoo mixed w/ oilve oil, and then slathering on a DC, my hair itself was HARD. There's no other way to describe it. The hair felt as though each strand (normally quite fine-textured) was made of plastic or wood. It actually hurt my fingers when I tied to finger-detangle.

Detangling is always traumatic for me, but this time, combined with the helmet-hard hair, it was catastrophic.



My bathroom was a horror show. Just replace blood with hair, and it looked like a slasher B-movie.

Instead of my usual leave-ins (like S-Curl, etc), I loaded up my hair with heavy moisturizing conditioners and put it in two big plaits.

It's been a few days now (hair still in the plaits) and the hair seems to be softening up again, and looks suspiciously shinier than normal.

But I shall not be tempted by the shine.

Clearly, I do not know how to use powders, and I am too traumatized to have another go at it.

First let me say I'm sorry you had a bad first experience.
I tried mixing oil with the powders and it wasn't pretty. Neem is an antiseptic in Ayurveda primarily used for dandruff and oiliness. Alma is highly acidic, chances are the mixture was too drying for your hair. Especially mixed as a paste.

Mixing the powders with oil turned them into a waxy mess on my hair, this is why you had the plastic/wood feel.

Detangling or any other manipulation should NEVER happen until ALL the powder is out and hair is softened up.

Please don't let this experience stop you from trying it again. I suggest if you haven't done so already, reading up on the Ayurveda threads to kind of get a feel for which herbs do what.

Feel free to pm me if you need help.

 

[YankeeCandle]

Thanks for your support, ladies!

AWWWhhhhhhh!!! i never used those powders. Just henna and Bentonite Clay. Do you think maybe it was the brand/quality of the powder or your application that did this or both?

ETA: I have some Amla power...still in the bag...i am scarred to touch it now!

The brand of the powders was Uttam (Neem) and Hesh (Amla).

It must have been my application. After all, so many people have success with powder and oil pre-poos.

I think your mistake was letting it dry. Next time just cover it with a plastic cnditioner cap. But remember neem is serious stuff. It can really dry your hair out.

But I only left it on one minute before it started to dry and harden up!

I rinsed it out within 4 minutes of applying it to my head. (in the minute or two before that, I was trying to soften it up with oils).

I tried to limit the amount of Neem in relation to the Amla but maybe I should have just put a pinch or two of Neem.

So you think it was the Neem that was the culprit?

Aww YC, so sorry that happened to you. I don't use the powders so no help to offer, just wanted to say sorry. Were the powders old? Do not be tempted by the shine, girl, do not be tempted.

Thank you, dear! The powders were super-super-fresh and had probably been packaged and shelved for sale no earlier than a month or so ago. I've been shopping at Middle Eastern and Indian shops my whole life (since childhood), and have a very good nose and eye for what is fresh and what is on the staler side.

These were spanking-new powders. erplexed

LOL, I won't be tempted if I keep my distance from the Ayurvedic threads.

wow, sorry this happend. and the part about the hair horror scene, oh nooo. i hope your hair comes out alright when you take the plaits out. im glad it softend up.

Thank you! I was really surprised that it softened up,even considering I had loaded it up with good Shescentsit conditioners.

But the ends of the plaits are still quite hard.

 

[YankeeCandle]

First let me say I'm sorry you had a bad first experience.
I tried mixing oil with the powders and it wasn't pretty. Neem is an antiseptic in Ayurveda primarily used for dandruff and oiliness. Alma is highly acidic, chances are the mixture was too drying for your hair. Especially mixed as a paste.

Mixing the powders with oil turned them into a waxy mess on my hair, this is why you had the plastic/wood feel.

Detangling or any other manipulation should NEVER happen until ALL the powder is out and hair is softened up.

Please don't let this experience stop you from trying it again. I suggest if you haven't done so already, reading up on the Ayurveda threads to kind of get a feel for which herbs do what.

Feel free to pm me if you need help.

Thank you so much for your advice.

I spent hours reading old threads last week but I must have not absorbed the wisdom. I wanted Amla because I heard it was conditioning and darkening and some Neem because I've had some flaking of late.

So, you think I should have just loaded up my rinsed-out but un-detangled hair with conditioners and waited a few days before re-wetting and detangling?

How do you (yourself) use powders if you found the oil-mixture to be unsuccessful? Thanks again!

 

[DDTexlaxed]

I only use powders in my conditioner. I figure using it this way won't kill my hair. So far, it has not!

 

[~NanCeBoTwin~]

FlowinLocks is great and has always given great advice when it comes to powders, as well as Aggie.

I've never used Neem, but I use Amla as a staple in my powder regimine. I mix Amla, Brahmi and Maka. I've made mixtures with conditioners and applied it that way, sitting with a plastic cap on my head. But my normal process is to make a tea rinse. I actually just finished a tea rinse and I'm under the dryer DC'ing now.

I used to use the Shikakai powder when I felt I needed a cleanser, but now I use a Shikakai bar, which I've fallen in love with.

I hope your hair returns to it's natural state soon.

Good Luck in the future, I hope this experience doesn't turn you off, I studied for probably 3 months before I took the plunge.

 

[JustKiya]

I always mix my ayurvedic powders with conditioner - it makes them easier to apply, and easier to rinse out.

I can't imagine why it started getting so hard so fast, though!

 

[Eisani]

FlowinLocks is great and has always given great advice when it comes to powders, as well as Aggie.

I've never used Neem, but I use Amla as a staple in my powder regimine. I mix Amla, Brahmi and Maka. I've made mixtures with conditioners and applied it that way, sitting with a plastic cap on my head. But my normal process is to make a tea rinse. I actually just finished a tea rinse and I'm under the dryer DC'ing now.

I used to use the Shikakai powder when I felt I needed a cleanser, but now I use a Shikakai bar, which I've fallen in love with.

I hope your hair returns to it's natural state soon.

Good Luck in the future, I hope this experience doesn't turn you off, I studied for probably 3 months before I took the plunge.

to the bolded. Neem is very drying to my hair, but these three powders used together are great. I mix these three oils together as well for an awesome prepoo; amla, brahmi and bhringeraj (aka maka).

 

[~NanCeBoTwin~]

to the bolded. Neem is very drying to my hair, but these three powders used together are great. I mix these three oils together as well for an awesome prepoo; amla, brahmi and bhringeraj (aka maka).[/QUOTE]

I have the oils in my prepoo mix as well, along with some 100% AVJ.

 

[Eisani]

I always mix my ayurvedic powders with conditioner - it makes them easier to apply, and easier to rinse out.

I can't imagine why it started getting so hard so fast, though!

I'm thinking not enough water was used. She said she only added a little.

 

[flowinlocks]

Thank you so much for your advice.

I spent hours reading old threads last week but I must have not absorbed the wisdom. I wanted Amla because I heard it was conditioning and darkening and some Neem because I've had some flaking of late.

So, you think I should have just loaded up my rinsed-out but un-detangled hair with conditioners and waited a few days before re-wetting and detangling?

How do you (yourself) use powders if you found the oil-mixture to be unsuccessful? Thanks again!

Because Amla acidic it tends to be one of the more drying herbs. The more conditioning/moisturizing herbs are Brahmi, Bhringraj/Maka, Fenugreek, and Hibiscus.

If you were going to do the Amla and the Neem IMO it should have been cut with one of these.

The herbs are very potent especially in paste form. I agree with mixing them with cond. to help keep the hair soft and moist. Even then I still wouldn't leave the drying herbs like Shikakai, Neem, and Amla on for an hour.

I have been on the tea rinse wagon for a while. I personally prefer to rinse with the cleansing herb Shikakai and cut it with Amla first, let it sit about 10 mins. then rinse.

Then rinse with Brahmi, Bhringraj, and Fenugreek.
I don't rinse out the second mixture, I apply a moisturizing cond. right over it then I let this one sit an hour and rinse.

I feel I get more from the herbs by using the separately. However if you choose to do a single rinse just remember to use 1 part cleansing/drying herb. to 2 parts moisturizing herbs.

For my cond. mud pack I'll use 2 or more of the conditioning herbs and my favorite cond.

Because the powders swell when wet I put a teaspoon of each in a bowl then add the cond. till I get a smooth consistency like cake batter then apply.

As someone else pointed out, make sure you wear a plastic cap to keep it moist. Keep in mind the paste with water or cond. will be harder to rinse if you are natural or have a lot of ng.

HTH.

 

[flowinlocks]

I always mix my ayurvedic powders with conditioner - it makes them easier to apply, and easier to rinse out.

I can't imagine why it started getting so hard so fast, though!

When I first started out I used the Candy C method with Shikakai and water. Dried super fast and super hard. This would always tend to happen when I tried one of those watery/paste recipes.

 

[Stella B.]

How much powder did you use??? When I make a tea infusion from the powders, I always put my powders in a tea bag (1 to 2 tspns of herbs, or powders) and steep for 30 minutes in 8 ozs. of very hot water. Then I add another 8 ozs of room temperature distilled water to dilute it more before the tea even touches my hair. I throw the tea bag away.
I learned this from flowinlocks (thanks, FL ) during one of the ayurvedic challenges. I find that when I use the paste made from the powders, it has the potential to be abrasive on my hair strands, and its also harder to rinse out. So I've learned to make teas heavily diluted with water and rinse them thru my hair. This works for me. I so wish I could use the Indian powder pastes, but my hair likes the teas a lot better. Next time try mixing the powders with coconut milk instead of conditioner and a few tsps of your favorite oil. This seems to help the powders disolve a little better.

 

[biancaelyse]

I'm thinking not enough water was used. She said she only added a little.

ITA

What was your ratio of powder to water in your paste?

I add 8 oz of liquid for every 100g of Amla powder I use.

My liquid is a mix of aloe vera juice or gel, rosewater and molasses or honey. These are all humectants and keep it from being too drying.

I also wrap my hair in plastic or go under my steamer to make sure that the paste does not dry out.

 

[likewtr4chklit]

I've always use one tablespoon of a cleansing powder (shikakai) and two tablespoons of a conditioning powder (amla, brahmi) with about 32 ounces of water (shake, shake, shake) pour on hair, massage for two minutes and then rinse, and then co-wash. Don't give up

 

[guudhair]

Sorry this happend to you...I hope this doesn't discourage you from trying them again because they do benefit the hair a lot...the other ladies have already given good advice...I've been using powders since Feb 07...I use shikakai, amla, brahmi and bhringraj regularlly...I only mix three of these per rinse...I use 2 part amla and 1 part of the others with 1 1/2 cups of hot water and let it steep until it's cool/warm enough to put on my prepooed (oil) head...I only use Neem when/if I have dandruff which is every blue moon...I've never done the paste before and have never been interested in doing so but I do put the residue from straining (which is paste I guess) on my eyebrows though.

 

[KinkyGenius]

This is one of the reasons I haven't tried any Ayurvedic products, except Hairveda's Shikaikai oil.

And I know it wasn't meant to be funny, but this line had me laughing so hard: "My bathroom was a horror show. Just replace blood with hair, and it looked like a slasher B-movie." LMAO

Best of luck rebounding from that experience.

 

[YankeeCandle]

ITA

What was your ratio of powder to water in your paste?

I add 8 oz of liquid for every 100g of Amla powder I use..

I definitely didn't use as much as 8 oz of liquids (oil or water).

It was something like:

- 1 and 1/2 to 2 total tablespoons of the powders (both combined)

- approx 4 liquid oz of coconut oil

-- maybe 1 oz or so of water

Thanks so much to everyone for troubleshooting with me.

 

[winnettag]

Sorry YankeeCandle. I hope everything is right with your hair now.
When I was on the ayurvedic wagon I only used tea rinses or added powder to my conditioners because I heard the paste could get hard and was harder to rinse out.
I hope you have more success next time now that you got all of those tips.

 

[Blessed2bless]

I'm sorry this happen to you. However, I believe water is the key.... I use 2 tbsp of alma and 1 tbsp of whatever powder and 2 cups of hot water and then add a little oil ( hair has oil in it already) . Let it cool and pour over my head and let set for 30 minutes w/cap then rinse out with a LOT of moisturizing conditioner until all of the grit is out and then I follow up with a moisturizing DC for 20 minutes under the dryer.

 

[PearlyCurly]

i have only mixed amla w/ a dash of conditioner, green tea, and oils(coconut oil/jojoba oil/EVOO). I also have only used amla with brahmi powder. And i've rinsed with conditioner, then DCed.

 

[sharifeh]

Thanks for this thread OP. It's been a learning experience. I have also read countless looong threads on ayurveda and I'm still clueless which is why I've hardly dabbled in it.

I hope your hair is doing better.

 

[DDTexlaxed]

I find it easier to use already mixed oils. It's too hard for me to use the powders. I hope all is well with you.

 

[s4pphir3]

When I make a tea infusion from the powders, I always put my powders in a tea bag (1 to 2 tspns of herbs, or powders) and steep for 30 minutes in 8 ozs. of very hot water. Then I add another 8 ozs of room temperature distilled water to dilute it more before the tea even touches my hair. I throw the tea bag away..

I do tea rinses using a tea bag also. I follow Candy C's method when it comes to mixing: 1tsp Shikakai, 1 tsp Brahmi, & 2 tsps of Amla. In one of her posts she discouraged using oil, since oil and water don't mix so I never went that route.

I'm sorry you had a bad experience but I'm glad you didn't have severe breakage as result. Don't give up on the powders they really are great. After using them for 2 months, 2x a week my hair has gotten really shiny and soft. I hope you have better luck next time.

 

[Urban]

I always mix my ayurvedic powders with conditioner - it makes them easier to apply, and easier to rinse out.

I can't imagine why it started getting so hard so fast, though!

Did you use EVCO? If you did, I'm wondering whether it could've started solidifying, and made the paste harden faster???