Make this shikakai shampoo at home to get soft and shiny hair, naturally

We’d do anything to ensure we have beautiful, strong tresses. From using a variety of shampoos to changing our conditioner every couple of months, we’ve done it all. What we don’t realise is that less is more, when it comes to hair care. In fact, most products available in the market today are laden with chemicals that only harm the hair when used in the long term. 

From stripping our scalp of its natural oils, causing dryness to raising the risk of cancer, the chemicals found in an average bottle of shampoo can wreak havoc not only on our hair, but our overall health. Hence, it is best to avoid overusing anything with too many chemicals. But, that doesn’t mean we need to compromise on the hygiene aspect!

All we have to do is go the natural way! In such a situation, shikakai can be a true saviour, because it is a natural cleanser that has been used for centuries to ensure hair health. What’s more, it has multiple benefits for the tresses, apart from just cleansing:

• It slows down greying of the hair
• It doesn’t strip the scalp of its natural oils
• It has antifungal properties, and helps to treat dandruff
• It helps maintain the pH level of your scalp, and keeps irritation at bay
• It can help your hair become lustrous

Shikakai will ensure that your scalp and hair stays clean, and at the same time, ensures protection from harsh chemicals. Hence, we’re here to tell you how to make this DIY shikakai shampoo at home! If you’re not willing to go off lathering shampoos all at once, try using this cleanser at least once a week, and you’ll be sold after experiencing its multiple benefits.

Here are the things you’ll need:

7 to 8 shikakai pods,
3 to 4 reetha berries,
1 amla
10 to 15 curry leaves (optional),
1 hibiscus flower (optional)
1 to 1 ½ litre water 

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Here’s how you can make this shikakai shampoo:

Step 1: Soak all the ingredients overnight in a bowl of water. This will enrich the water with all the qualities of the ingredients, while also making it easier to use the ingredients to wash our hair.

Step 2: Boil the water with all the ingredients. Begin by heating the mixture on medium flame for 10 to 15 minutes, and let it come to a boil. Lower the flame and let it simmer for 10 minutes.

Step 3: Once the mixture has cooled and is safe to use, you should grind the ingredients. You can do this manually or use a grinder.

Step 4: Wet your hair and scalp. Just like you use a shampoo, apply the cleanser to your scalp, and along the length of your hair. Massage the shikakai shampoo into your tresses gently for three to four minutes , before washing it thoroughly.

For this cleanser, we’ve used additional ingredients like reetha, amla, curry leaves and hibiscus flowers, which are known to treat hair woes, and ensure our tresses stay strong. Reetha is known to treat dandruff, amla is known to eliminate hair fall, curry leaves are known to stimulate hair growth, and hibiscus flowers are known to improve blood circulation. Hence, this cleanser is not just about cleaning, but also prevents hair loss. You can always add other ingredients based on your requirements.

This shikakai shampoo might not produce lather the same way as a chemical shampoo, but is extremely effective to ensure your tresses stay clean!