Shikakai Benefits

Lustrous, beautiful soft hair is what everyone wishes for, and on what everyone spends a lot of time and money. Our appearance depends a great deal on the health and structure of our hair. Beautiful hair complete any appearance, on the other hand, shabby and poorly maintained hair can ruin the way we look. One of the natural elements that can help protect our hair and provide it the desired bounce is shikakai. Acacia Concinna, popularly known as shikakai, is a native shrub of the warm plains of central and South India. It is a traditional shampoo that has been in use since many years and has been able to provide effective results to people. For centuries now, people who have access to the plant have used the pods of the plant to clean their hair. Shikakai is now commercially available and is used by people suffering from various hair related problems. The natural low pH in shikakai makes it a mild substance which when applied on hair works smoothly and gently towards providing healthy and bouncy hair. Go through the following article to get educated on some vital benefits of shikakai.

 

The leaves, barks, fruit pods of shikakai can all be dried, powdered and made into a paste at home. This paste will not produce the normal amount of lather like that produced by a regular shampoo, but can still be used as an effective cleanser. Shikakai contains natural low pH, which makes it a mild substance that, if used on hair, will not strip off the hair of natural oils, like other regular shampoos are capable of. There is no need to use any conditioner along with the shikakai paste because shikakai also contains the property that will detangle your hair and will leave them soft and shiny after a wash. Shikakai can be used in its different forms to strengthen hair roots. Regular use of shikakai will strengthen your hair strands and reduce hair fall, even providing volume to your hair. It is also effective in dealing with dandruff and other scalp problems. It can both be ground into a powder or a paste and can just be applied on hair. Shikakai powder can act as a natural shampoo to provide that soft and shiny look without any damage. Shikakai can also be soaked and left for a night and can be subsequently boiled and cooled to use for washing your hair.
 

Shikakai as a natural herb is also used as a medicine to make use of its hair strengthening and conditioning properties. In order to get the most out of shikakai, it can be mixed with amla, reetha and henna and then applied to your hair. This mixture is also free from chemicals and is a very efficient natural way of hair conditioning, cleaning, hair growth and dandruff prevention. This natural herb is also used by manufacturers in anti-dandruff preparations. The extracts from the ground pods of shikakai can also prove out to be useful in treating various skin related issues.

Shikakai is one of the main ingredients of IHT 9. IHT 9 is herbal hair shampoo that curbs hair loss and promotes hair growth. This shampoo actually contains the chemical free mixture of shikakai, amla, reetha and henna that gives it a great cleansing and conditioning property.

Shikakai is completely a natural product, which does not adversely impact the environment in any form. It is a renewable primary product that is chemical free and provides efficiency to any product it is used with, for cleaning purposes. The Shikakai tree also converts carbon-dioxide into oxygen and in no ways leads to pollution of the environment.

Shikakai is a great cleanser for our hair. A wash with water in which the nuts and pods of shikakai has been soaked will help remove dirt and extra oil from your hair, providing immunity from any kind of fungal infection and lice problems, thereby giving your hair maximum body.
 

Using Shikakai in the summers will keep your body cool and the scalp moist. Shikakai is also known to act as a natural control against greying. It can be mixed along with henna and amla powder and applied on hair 2 hrs before rinsing. It is far better than any other artificial colour or conditioner available in the market. It acts as a natural astringent for the hair, giving it necessary mass and bounce.

The acrid property of the leaves of Shikakai is also helpful in the preparation of certain chutneys used in the treatment of dandruff problems, skin related diseases and as a guard against the ill-effects of all types of pollution. It can also be used as an anti-aging component which will help you keep wrinkles at bay. You can soak the pods of Shikakai in water and wash your face every morning with the decoction to look fresh and young always.

The bark of shikakai plant contains saponin which has spermicidal activity against human semen. It also appears to possess a hormonal effect which leads to its usage for contraceptive purposes.

The decoction of shikakai mixed along with reetha in water can and has always been used to wash clothes made out of special and delicate fibres like cashmere, silk and pure cotton. It helps in providing long life to these fibres and cleans off all the stains without causing any damage to the fragile cloth.