Shikakai Homemade Shampoo

Result after washing with Shikakai mix, then deep conditioning with my usual commercial-brand deep conditioner and applying a pureed mix of shea butter and gel:

Shikakai Shampoo Mix

Ingredients:

1.5 -2 cups water

1.5-2 tspns whole flaxseeds

1 tspn amla powder

¼ cup shikakai powder

½ tspn brahmi (gotu kola) powder

¼ tspn amla oil

½ tspn jojoba oil

1 tspn honey

¼ tspn neem oil (optional)

Fragrance oil (optional) (I used a Brown Sugar fragrance oil and it kind of cut the woody shikakai powder smell)

Note: The jojoba and amla oils are optional if your scalp tends to be oily. Mine is always dry and because I know the shikakai can be drying, the oils are a must for me.

Instructions:
Note: I have only used this recipe on hair that has been oiled overnight.  If I know I'm going to shampoo the next day, I apply my pre-shampoo hot oil treatment (see recipe here) the night before.  Then on the day of, I apply any oil that can be absorbed into hair (usually coconut oil, sometimes olive oil).  I don't recommend applying to hair that has not been pre-oiled even if you tend to have oily scalp but adjust recipe as needed.


Bring water to boil in a clean pot, once boiling, add flaxseeds.  Let boil 3-4 minutes then reduce heat to simmer.  Add amla powder and let simmer another 10 minutes.  After 10 minutes add shikakai powder and bring to boil again.  As soon as mixture begins to boil shut off heat and let cool for 4 hours or overnight.


When ready for use, bring mixture to boil again, and as soon as mixture begins to boil, add brahmi powder, stir and immediately shut off heat.  Cover and let mixture cool.  Once mixture is warm, strain mixture and discard solids (I strain twice to ensure all solids are removed).  Add the following remaining ingredients to the remaining liquid: amla oil, jojoba oil, neem oil (optional) and honey.  You may add a drop or two of tea tree or cajeput oil in place of neem oil for antibacterial properties. Mix well. Pour mixture into bottle or other sealable container.  This recipe will make enough for at least two uses depending on the length of your hair. Use and refrigerate the rest. Make sure to shake well before each use.

To use on hair:
Hair should be dry or mildly damp (except for pre-poo oils). Part hair into small sections and apply directly to scalp making sure to saturate scalp.  If hair is long, apply some directly to hair to coat as well.  Use as little as possible to saturate. Massage gently into scalp and let sit for about 5-10 minutes (I put on a shower cap to prevent dripping). After this time, gently massage scalp before rinsing the shikakai mix out of hair.  Rinse well to make sure there is no residue left in your hair. Apply conditioner.  If your hair tends to be dry, be sure to deep condition.
Warning: this treatment is messy! Be prepared to have a messy towel and possibly messy clothes, like I did. Next time I will use in the shower. :)
 The pics below might help:

Strain mixture

Strained solid and liquid portions

Mix in remaining ingredients

Pour liquid mixture into sealable container

Note soapy consistency after shaking

Ayurvedic Series to Come

Additions to my current regimen: Oiling my scalp once, sometimes twice a day with a mixture of these oils:
Hemp Seed Oil
Jojoba Oil
Black Castor Oil
Olive Oil (I think, I can't remember)
And a few drops of spearmint essential oil because the hemp seed oil mixed with the castor oil has an overwhelmingly nutty scent to me.

Anyway, on to the point of this post: I've come to appreciate that the quality of the hair I grow will depend on how healthy my scalp is.  So I thought, what if I upped what I'm doing for my scalp, optimize my scalp cleansing and moisturizing regimen with time tested ayurvedic oils and treatments?  Would it affect the growth of my hair?  Would I see an increase in growth rate or notice healthier, thicker new growth?

We all know fine, brittle hair is prone to breakage.
But did you know that hair does not only become fine and brittle as a result of chemical treatments or harsh products or lack of moisture?
It can grow out of our heads that way!
Yes, the quality of the hair we grow at different points in time, also depends on our diet, hydration, stress levels and how healthy (balanced) our scalps are.

So with this news, I am going to start a regimen series - I will call it the Ayurvedic Series because I am tapping into the centuries-old, tried and true techniques from places like Asia, India and Africa  and applying them to my hair care process.  I will also be treating my scalp as gently as I treat the skin on my face which I am very discerning about - I mean, its my face!
You know sometimes we don't treat our scalps as well as we should.  We scratch it with combs to get rid of  'flakes;' we scrub it with our nails....  I mean how ironic is it that we baby the hair that grows out of our scalps but treat the source of the hair, our scalps, like we would the bottom of our feet?  (Not sure about my analogy but you get my drift...)

And don't worry I will share my treatments, instructions on how I did it - everything.

The treatments will center around  including the use of extracts (in the form of oils, powders) from the following plants in my haircare regimen:

• Amla - historically used to strengthen and condition hair

• Henna - historically used to strengthen hair

• Ginseng - historically known to improve hair growth

• Brahmi - historically known to improve hair growth

• Shikakai - historically used to cleanse scalp

• Tamanu - historically used and known for its regenerative properties

• Neem - historically used and known for its antimicrobial properties

• And some great oils I can't remember too much of right now but will list in the treatments I will use them in.

I will continue to post on this topic.