Herbal hair wash powder is a tried and tested recipe used for centuries by women in several Asian countries. Using this is not only healthy and natural but also one of the best ways to care for your scalp and hair.
Want lustrous, healthy, and gorgeous locks? Want shiny hair? Want to grow your hair longer? Want a dandruff-free scalp? Want to bid farewell to hair fall, hair damage, and hair thinning? The answer to these questions and more is this humble and natural recipe you can prepare at home.
Nowadays, you can buy this homemade hair wash powder from herbal stores, and some brands have also made a paste of this recipe to make it easy. Even so, fresh and homemade herbal hair wash powder trumps it any day.
This is a very versatile recipe and can be tweaked according to your requirement and preference. First, let’s look at the recipe and then move on to more about the ingredients, tweaks, and other information.
Ingredients
- Shikakai (Acacia Concinna) – 4 Parts
- Soapnut – 1 Part
- Arappu (Albizia Amara) – 2 Parts
- Fenugreek Seeds – 2 Part
- Neem Leaves – 2 Part
- Hibiscus Flowers – 2 Part
- Green Gram – 2 Parts
- Holy Basil Leaves – 1 Handful
- Babchi Seeds – 1/10 th Part
- Tanner’s Cassia – 1/10th Part
- Spanish Cherry – 1/10 th Part
- Henna Leaves – Handful
- Curry Leaves – Handful
- False Daisy – Handful
- Dried Gooseberry – 1/10th Part
- Khus – few pieces
Instructions
- Nothing special – buy powders for all the above ingredients.
- Then, add them to a large mixing bowl and mix well.
- Store in an airtight container and use as needed.
Tips to Tweak the Recipe
The base ingredients for the recipe are Shikakai, Soapnut, and Arappu. Everything else is optional and can be moved up and down or entirely skipped in the recipe.
You can also add a handful of Rose Petals to this recipe.
This recipe is prepared in large quantities and stored for a while – sometimes, just the base recipe and the other ingredients are added as needed. I have given the recipe in ratio terms so you can choose the quantity you want to make DIY herbal hair wash powder.
This is a low-foaming recipe, but you can add more Soapnuts and Arappu for lather.
You can start with the base ingredients and work through the other components according to their availability and preference. For example, the base ingredients can also be used for body wash.
Moong gram or Green gram is also an excellent addition to the base ingredients and can be used for both hair and body. In addition, it doesn’t dry your skin or scalp.
Fenugreek seeds are another essential ingredient, especially for a hair wash. Please don’t skip it. It gives you lustrous, shiny, and soft hair. However, if you’re worried about catching a cold or prone to sinusitis, you can reduce it if you have any adverse reactions or skip it altogether. Adding a few drops of Eucalyptus oil to the mixture combats cold and flu-related issues, but check how it works.
Indian women love to use frankincense after a hair shower, which combats cold and flu, is a good disinfectant, and conditions hair. The resin is lit up with charcoal for smoking it.
Nowadays, you get it in cup form, which makes lighting it up more accessible and more practical. If you find that in a herbal store close to you, give it a shot.
Hibiscus leaves can also be added to this recipe.
I have mentioned a handful of the herbs used here – when using fresh herbs. If you’re using powders, use 1/10th of the shikakai quantity.
Turkey Tangle Frogfruit leaves can be added to combat dandruff.
You can also add Rosemary Leaves powder to this recipe.
Dry lemon or orange peel is a mainstay in this recipe. You can add 1/10th of the shikakai quantity.
You can also add Indian Pennywort to this recipe.
How to Use the Herbal Hair Wash Powder?
Take enough hair powder wash to make a paste – enough to apply on your hair and scalp.
Add water to make a smooth paste – it shouldn’t be runny and shouldn’t be too thick. On the other hand, the consistency should be slightly watery, so it’s easier to apply.
Apply on your hair and scalp and massage gently.
Wait for 3 – 5 minutes before washing off.
Since we are using powders, it takes a bit of time and more water before you can get it all out – but trust me, it’s not that difficult, and even if some remains, it’s not an issue. When you comb through after air drying your hair, they fall off.
Keeping the consistency on the runny side makes it easier to wash off.
You can use rose water as a final rinse to soften your hair.
You can use rice water along with water or use rice water to make a paste. This makes hair softer and prevents drying.
You can also use curd or buttermilk instead of water to soften and nourish your hair.
Usually, women do a hot oil massage as a deep conditioning hair mask and wait for about 25 – 30 minutes before washing their hair with this hair wash powder. You can also try it and see how lustrous your hair looks and how refreshed you feel afterward.
Shelf Life
You can prepare large batches and store them. This keeps well for a year or more. First, however, prepare a small set and try out what combination works for you and prepare a larger batch of your preferred variation of this recipe.
Who Can Use this Recipe?
Absolutely anyone can use this recipe. Just tweak it a bit to suit your preferences and requirements, and avoid any ingredient you’re allergic to. It’s just a natural homemade mild clarifying shampoo for healthier hair and scalp in powder form.
Why These Ingredients?
Now that we’ve cleared that up, let’s learn more about the ingredients.
You might use shampoo when in a rush, when you don’t have options, or when you don’t have time for DIY. But trust me, try preparing a batch and use it whenever you have time. The results of your hair wash significantly will amaze you.
Shikakai
It translates to fruit for hair and is often referred to as hair fruit. The name itself shows us how vital this herb is for our locks. This has been used for centuries by women and men worldwide for hair and scalp care.
You can also use shikakai hair wash powder as a body wash with soap nut, moong gram, and arappu. If you don’t want lather, you can skip soap nuts. It’s a rich antioxidant, a perfect cleanser, and rich in Vitamins K, D, A & C. It also nourishes your hair, cleanses your scalp, and makes your hair perfectly healthy, stronger, and shinier.
It’s also pocket-friendly when you make your home shampoo or hair wash powder. What more can you ask for?
Soap Nut
Rich in saponins, it’s also called soap berries or washing nuts. It is antimicrobial, combats scalp infections, and its insecticidal properties can combat lice. In addition, it works up a lather and keeps your hair shiny, lustrous, and clear scalp.
Arappu
The tree leaves are dried, ground, and used for hair and skin care. It is a cleanser conditioner and naturally softens your hair. It also gives a good lather when applying.
Fenugreek Seeds
Rich in proteins and nicotinic acid makes your hair stronger and healthier and curbs hair fall. It’s one of the best remedies for hair fall. It’s a natural coolant, makes your hair softer, and combats issues like dryness, itchy scalp, dry or frizzy hair, hair thinning, and baldness.
Neem Leaves
Anti-fungal and antibacterial, it’s used to treat several scalp and skin issues, including dandruff and itchy scalp. It also combats lice and makes hair and scalp healthier.
Hibiscus Flowers
Rich in keratin and amino acids, hibiscus flowers nourish, strengthen and soften hair. It makes hair shinier, more manageable, and healthier. It is an excellent deep conditioner. It strengthens hair follicles and promotes better hair growth, and combats balding.
Green Gram
Rich in minerals and nutrients, it nourishes hair. It gets rid of excess oil and cleanses your hair and scalp gently. It is often substituted in body wash in place of gram flour as gram flour leaves skin dry and can lighten hair color.
On the other hand, green gram doesn’t leave your hair or skin high and dry. Instead, it is a coolant and makes your hair stronger.
Holy Basil Leaves
Basil is known to fight dandruff, prevent and combat scalp issues like itching or dryness, promote hair growth, and give this hair wash powder an excellent fragrance.
Babchi Seeds
Rich in plant nutrients, it is said to strengthen hair follicles, promote hair growth, reduce hair fall and even prevent premature greying. It makes your hair stronger, thicker, and softer.
Tanner’s Cassia
It is perfect when you want to rejuvenate your hair, promote healthy growth, and curb hair fall.
Spanish Cherry
It is rich in antioxidants and nutrients that make hair stronger, softer, shinier, and healthier. In addition, it promotes hair growth, curbs hair fall, unclogs hair follicles, and hydrates your hair.
Henna Leaves
Henna helps hair in numerous ways and is widely used in hair care. However, if you have lighter hair, it might stain your hair. So skip it from your recipe.
Otherwise, it promotes hair growth, curbs hair fall, repairs split ends, combats itchy scalp, is a natural dye, and strengthens your hair. It doesn’t necessarily stain when you wash your hair and hardly have it for a few minutes – but do a patch test.
Curry Leaves
Rich in vitamins, amino acids, and nutrients, it strengthens follicles, promotes hair growth, and moisturizes your scalp. It also combats dandruff by removing dead follicles and strengthening your hair. It also fights premature greying.
False Daisy
Widely used in hair care to promote hair growth and prevent premature greying, it also combats dandruff and makes hair stronger.
Dried Gooseberry
Rich in nutrients, it strengthens hair follicles, curbs hair fall, promotes hair growth, reduces frizz, restores the scalp’s natural sebum levels, combats dandruff, and prevents premature greying.
Khus
It is antibacterial and anti-inflammatory, giving this hair wash powder a pleasant woodsy, and smoky fragrance.
This is milder than shampoos out there, so try this at least once before deciding whether or not it works for you. The preparation process is relatively simple since you get these items in powdered form in herbal stores.
Earlier, we used to buy the items separately, collect a few things like the flowers and herbs from the garden or close by and then dry them and give them for grinding in a mill.
But nowadays, it’s easier to buy them as powders and mix them to prepare this herbal powder homemade shampoo for hair and scalp care. Don’t have time for DIY recipes? We have you covered with a range of products from Vitamins Revive. Check out Vitamins Revive Store to see what they offer.
As always, tweak the recipe and see what suits you best. Feel free to write back to us with questions, comments, requests, or feedback.
