Shikaki Powder.........how am I to use it???

[tatje]

I did a search for this already and didn't get any responses. I was thinking of washing my hair with Shikaki Powder but don't know how to use it. Do I just mix it with water?

After I wash with this could I still use my dominican conditioners or is it something that would be to heavy for the hair?

Any advise is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

 

[LoveLiLi]

Well, I just bought a box of shikaki powder a couple of days ago, but I have yet to use it. The directions say to add enough water to make a paste and let it sit for 15 minutes. Then massage it into your scalp/hair, leave it in for two minutes, then rinse.

I'll be trying it this evening.

 

[tatje]

Okay, thank you. I haven't bought it yet but wanted to know how to use it as a wash. Thanks. Let me know how it goes.

 

[nisha2004]

Oh wow i just used this yesterday! I did 2 tbsp shikakai powder to 2 cups boiling water, then let it cool. I washed twice with it, then DC w/ nacidit DC. Applied a leave in and rollerset. Loved it!!! I might be saying bye bye to shampoo

 

[tatje]

Oh wow i just used this yesterday! I did 2 tbsp shikakai powder to 2 cups boiling water, then let it cool. I washed twice with it, then DC w/ nacidit DC. Applied a leave in and rollerset. Loved it!!! I might be saying bye bye to shampoo

Wow. This is perfect. Just what I was hoping to hear. So I'm glad it works well with dominican conditioners. Thanks.

 

[Jas123]

I mix mine w/henna..makes for very strong hair..I will be trying the washing method next

 

[kiesha8185]

Hi! I think it's pointless to say that the search function does whatever it wants But I was able to find some stuff for you.

These are the directions on my box of Shikakai powder:
1. Take required quantity of Powder, Add a little water, mix well and make a thick paste.
2. Gently massage rotating the fingers.
3. Wait for 2 to 5 minutes.
4. Wash thoroughly with water.
I haven't used it yet, but here is a thread where Candy_C explains how she uses it to wash her hair (Post #2):

http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=167723&highlight=shikakai

http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=164969

And here is how others have used it:

http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=140851&highlight=shikakai

I will be trying it this weekend, but an indian woman told me to mix Aritha, Amla, and Shaikakai with water, so I'll give my review this weekend. HTH! And remember, the paste can make your hair quite hard, so don't try and "lather" as you would with shampoo or conditioner. Just leave it in the hair; the shakakai will do all the work!

 

[tatje]

This is great. Thanks. Let me know how it goes please.

 

[LABETT]

I use Elucence Conditioner and Jamaican Black Castor Oil along with Shikaki powder and water.
I get great results with this combo.
I plan to mix Alma powder,Neem and Shikaki to see what results I get.

 

[carameldiva]

I take One or two tablespoons of Shikakai powder, Aritha powder, neem powder or tulsi powder and amla powder. Put this in the plastic strainer in my coffee pot. Add 6 cups of water and turn the coffee pot on. After the herbal tea/wash is made. I put it in a large shampoo bottle. Put it in the refrigerator and use it the next morning cold as shampoo. This amount usually lasts me at least 2 washes. It cleanses my hair and scalp and make my hair feel nice and soft. I love it. I do this at least once a week.

 

[LoveLiLi]

So, I tried washing my hair with shikaki powder instead of regular shampoo last night. I mixed the shikaki powder with enough water to make a smooth paste - let it sit for ~15 minutes and then applied it to my scalp. I let it sit on my scalp for a couple of minutes and then gently massaged before rinsing it out of my hair.

I could feel the little grains cleansing my scalp, but it wasn't an uncomfortable feeling. My hair felt clean and soft - no tangles and I didn't have any reside from the paste left in my hair. I'll be doing this from now on, but I'll try mixing other powders along with shikaki since they're so cheap.

 

[Wildchild453]

I make a strong 'tea' out of mine. I take about 1 tsp of shikakai powder and 1 tsp of aritha powder and let it steep in boiling water for an hr or 2. I put it in a bottle then jump in the shower and work in through my hair. It gets my hair refreshingly clean.

I tried in the paste way and could not get all the little grains out of my hair so I prefer it this way now

 

[tatje]

Thank you for the replies. I think I will be purchasing this. I was looking to use a natural product to keep my hair clean while still using my dominican conditioners.

 

[BrooklynSouth]

Last week made a shaken mixture of shikaki powder with avocado oil-used it daily to seal, {my ends were great}...wonderful. Last night made a paste of shikaki with Parachute coconut oil-put into my hair for a pre-poo for an hour with 'gold' cap-rinsed out{thought it would be grainy and hard to rinse-wasn't-tub was another story} then I applied Capilo milk/honey conditioner for 30 minutes..RESULTS=smooth, soft, well behaved hair with slip. I love the clean, breathable feel of my scalp this morning and my hair looks great in a single braid. Shikaki is surely a good thing.

 

[the_UnPrettiest_pretty]

Question about this ladies: how exactly are you all applying these mixtures/pastes to the hair? Are you separating the hair into sections and applying it with an application brush or what? I'm new to this ayurvedic system and I'm looking for ways to use some of the products I just purchased. I'm having a hard time visualizing the application process though.

 

[JustKiya]

I did a paste last night - I think I will do a tea going forward though.

I just glop it onto my head when it's in a paste, miss_cherokee - don't even bother with all the parting, etc.

 

[MoMo]

I make a strong 'tea' out of mine. I take about 1 tsp of shikakai powder and 1 tsp of aritha powder and let it steep in boiling water for an hr or 2. I put it in a bottle then jump in the shower and work in through my hair. It gets my hair refreshingly clean.

I tried in the paste way and could not get all the little grains out of my hair so I prefer it this way now

I do mine this way too and it is truly refreshing when I rinse. My hair feels really clean and strong. I follow with a deep condition of Silicon Mix for about 20 minutes.

 

[the_UnPrettiest_pretty]

I did a paste last night - I think I will do a tea going forward though.

I just glop it onto my head when it's in a paste, miss_cherokee - don't even bother with all the parting, etc.

Thanks nappywomyn! Is it hard to rinse out? Also, how much powder to how much water are you using?

 

[Monigirl]

I use my indian powders like this:

My #1 Fav Mix:

2 Tbspn Amla Powder
1 Tbspn Aritha Powder
1 Tbspn Brihma Powder
Add that to 1 cup very hot water
Mixed very well
Add 1/2 cup cold water
Pour over head in sink or shower
Let sit for 5 mins in hair
Rinse
DC with conditoner of choice
------------------------------
My #2 Fav Mix:

2Tbspn Amla Powder
1 Tbspn Skikakai Powder
1 Tbspn Coconut Oil
Add to 1 cup very hot water
Mix very well
Add 1/2 cup cold water
Pour over head in sinl or shower
Let sit in hair for 5 to 10 mins
Rinse
DC with conditioner of choice

-I got these mixes from CandyC. And I learned some more ways from this thread.

 

[*Muffin*]

*Thread Resurrector at Work* . I haven't tried Shikakai powder, but I'm using Aritha. They sell it at my local Indian Store. I believe they also sell Shikakai. Might have to check that out in the future. Anyway, I like Aritha powder. Gets the hair clean. I like using it in tea form because the grainy bits take a while to rinse from my hair. I think it's a good recommendation to let the powders steep in the hot water until they cool. I tried using it when it only steeped for a couple of minutes, and it didn't clean my hair as well.

Looking forward to trying some of the recipes mentioned .

 

[JustKiya]

Thanks nappywomyn! Is it hard to rinse out? Also, how much powder to how much water are you using?

Totally missed this - I'd say I was using about 3-4 tablespoons of powder, and enough water to make it into a slightly runny paste.

I just mix a tablespoon straight into my DC, now.

 

[flowinlocks]

For me Shikakai proved to be too gritty and hard to rinse out, even when mixed with cond. I think the tea works best for me. I usually mix about 2 teaspoons of Shikakai to 3 teaspoons of Amla and let it steep for about 20 mins. then I pour it in a gallon pitcher and fill it the rest of the way with cool water to cool it down and dilute it. I plug my kitchen sink and rinse this mixture through my hair about 5 or 6 times. I gently wring out my hair and wrap it in a towel. I have been loving what the double tea rinse has been doing for my hair. So I have another batch steeping with my moisturizing herbs like Brahmi, Bhringraj, Fenugreek, sometimes Hibiscus, Horsetail and Nettle. I rinse the Shikakai mixture out of my hair throughly after 10 to 15 minutes. Then I proceed to repeat the process with my second batch of herbs. I know it takes a little more time and a lot of people think it's too much work, but I have my routine down pact After I rinse the second tea through my hair, I don't rinse it out. I again gently wring out my hair, blot out the excess moisture with a towel so it wont drip and slather on a moisturizing cond. like Aussie Moist. (I prefer not to do a protein cond. after tea rinsing.) I usually let this sit for at least an hour with or without steam. When I rinse my hair it's silky, strong and soft. The benefit for me of doing the double tea rinse is, instead of mixing the cleansing with the moisturizing herbs, I get more bang from each one. Just as if you pooed and cond. separately. A few of the girls in the last Ayurveda challenge tried it and love it. Sorry for this being so long.