This ayurvedic amla shikakai hair mask will make your hair grow stronger, faster, healthier and shinier! This hair pack also gently cleanses the scalp and deeply conditions your hair!
Loaded with essential vitamins, minerals, amino acids and phytonutrients, this amla shikakai hair pack nourishes your hair from within and prevents hair fall and dreadful split ends.
Contents
I’m gonna give you two options on how to prepare this hair mask, however, I’m only going in-depth with one of them because that’s my favourite way (it’s the easy & hassle-free way, of course).
With that being said, let’s have a closer look at the ingredients and their benefits!
Ingredients
- amla powder
- shikakai powder
- water (or coconut oil)
- lavender essential oil (optional)
Where to buy?
Affiliate Disclaimer: This article contains affiliate links. That means I may earn a small commission, if you purchase the linked product, at no extra cost for you.
I bought my amla and shikakai powders online and I made sure to buy organic! You may be able to get these ingredients in a health/organic shop or a chemist where they also sell natural remedies.
Buy amla powder here on amazon or iherb.
Buy shikakai powder here on amazon.
Water or Oil?
As I said, I give you two options. One is a water-based paste hair pack, the other is an oil that you can apply to your scalp and the roots of your hair.
I’ll talk about this when we learn about how to use the mask. You can use the “jump to” menu (jump to “instructions”) above to navigate if you like.
Lavender Essential Oil
Well, lavender is just my all-time favourite essential oil because it’s got so many uses and doesn’t require a carrier oil for dilution (unless you’re sensitive! Please patch-test, if unsure)!
Lavender is great for our hair in so many ways: it helps with hair growth, soothes an irritated scalp and helps fight and prevent dandruff. Its calming fragrance may also relax you while you apply this amla shikakai hair mask!
Amla Benefits for Hair
- promotes hair growth
- prevents hair loss
- natural conditioner
- extremely nourishing
- helps with a dry, itchy scalp
- helps fight & prevent dandruff
- prevents premature greying
Amla is rich in vitamin C, minerals, amino acids and phytonutrients making it a real “superfood” for your hair!
And yes, you can absolutely consume amla powder as well to help with faster hair growth and prevent premature greying from within, providing your body with essential nutrients!
Shikakai Benefits for Hair
- improves the overall health of hair and scalp
- natural mild cleanser
- keeps hair conditioned
- smooths and detangles hair
- makes hair stronger, thicker, softer and shinier
- prevents & helps with dry, itchy scalp
- decreases hair fall
- increases volume of hair
- delays greying
Shikakai contains saponins and various micronutrients that help to improve the overall health of your hair and scalp.
Shikakai can be used as a mild shampoo. It gently cleanses the hair without stripping away the natural oils from it, leaving you with soft, shiny and detangled hair!
Instructions
There are two ways how to make this amla shikakai hair mask. I will explain to you the version (a water-based paste) that I have been using because it’s simple and much more user/beginner-friendly.
So, if you just wanna do that, skip down to the 'how-tos'! If you’d like to learn about the oil version, continue reading!
Amla Skikakai Hair Mask – Oil Version
The reason why I’m not going in-depth with this oil version is that you kinda need to know how to cook/prepare spices/herbs. Knowing when to turn off the heat and prevent burning them, for example.
It’s not really beginner-friendly plus it involves a couple more steps to prepare. Also, I find that although the heating process is traditional, it’ll kill at least some of the nutrients, making the mask less beneficial.
Another reason is that I simply don’t like to put oil on my hair because it just doesn’t like it and it’s always a pain in the … neck to get it out without washing it 3 times in one day!
How to make this Oil Amla Shikakai Hair Mask
But anyway, in case you do wanna try:
- You heat some oil (traditionally: coconut or sesame oil) and amla and shikakai powder in a pan. Heating it, while frequently stirring, until it turns brown.
- Strain the oil through a piece of fabric/cheesecloth/nut milk bag to filter put the powders.
- Apply cooled, warm (not hot!) oil to the scalp and roots of your hair.
- Leave it in for 15 minutes, then wash your hair with warm water and a mild shampoo.
How to make this Amla Shikakai Hair Mask?
Okay, let’s begin with the quantities! Because that’s totally up to you. Whether you want to use more amla or more shikakai… your choice!
I just use it half/half (2 tablespoons each) or a bit more of one of them (3 tbsp amla, 1 tbsp shikakai, for example). It’s all about trial and error—as with every new product you make/use!
The hair pack in the pictures was made with 3 tablespoons of shikakai and 1 tablespoon of amla because that’s what I started with. However, I’ve changed that now as my hair doesn’t cope with that much shikakai (it gets greasy quicker than usual).
Once you know what you wanna do, you simply mix amla and shikakai powders. Then, slowly add water to form a wet, spreadable paste. Add 1 drop of lavender essential oil (optional) and mix it in.
I highly recommend adding one tablespoon of water at a time until you’ve reached the perfect consistency. I usually use around 3-4 tablespoons.
How to use this Amla Shikakai Hair Mask?
- Wet your hair by quickly rinsing it or, that’s what I do, spray it with some water (or use this rosemary hair water or chamomile tea!). Your hair needs to be wet (and should be kept wet when the mask’s applied).
- Apply this Amla Shikakai Hair Mask to your scalp and the root of your hair. I do this part for part over my whole head.
- Once applied, gently massage your scalp with your fingertips for a few minutes. This will increase the blood flow, hence improving the absorption of the nutrients!
- Leave the mask on for 15 minutes. Remember, keep your hair wet. After 5-8 minutes, I just spray water all over my head again to prevent the mask from drying on my hair!
- Afterwards, wash your hair with cold/warm water and mild shampoo (if needed!).
How often can I use this Amla Shikakai Hair Mask?
You can use this amla shikakai hair mask as often as you wish. BUT, big, fat BUT!! Especially shikakai can cause allergic reactions when over-used (read more in “safety & warnings”)!!!
I use it about once a week, i.e. every second time I wash my hair. The other time, I either use my aloe vera hair mask or my banana avocado hair mask!
Storage
Keep leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container to prevent drying out. In the fridge, it keeps for 1-2 weeks.
I recommend only making as much as you need, once you’ve figured that out… Unless you’re using 2-3 batches within a week. In that case, it might be less time-consuming to make more at a time.
Safety & Warnings
Amla and shikakai can both cause contact dermatitis and worse allergic reactions. If unsure, please make a patch test before using this hair mask.
That means, make up a tiny batch of this amla shikakai hair mask and apply it to a small part of your skin (the inside of your elbow, for example). If it starts to itch, or your skin reacts to it (like a rash), do NOT use this hair pack! Wait at least 24 hours for any reaction!
Over-use of shikakai can lead to skin irritations and may leave your hair oily! If any of this happens to you, please stop the use of it immediately!
Whereas amla can be used internally, shikakai is strictly for topical use only even if some websites tell you that you can! Just don’t!!
📖 Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp organic amla powder
- 2 tbsp organic shikakai powder
- 3-4 tbsp water or more if needed
- 1 drop lavender essential oil optional
Instructions
How to make this Hair Mask
- M ix amla and shikakai powders. Then, slowly add water to form a wet,spreadable paste. Add 1 drop of lavender essential oil (optional) and mix it in. You may need to add more water.
How to use this Hair Mask
- Wet your hair by quickly rinsing it or spraying it with some water. Your hair needs to be wet (and should be kept wet when the mask's applied).
- Apply the hair mask to your scalp and the root of your hair. Gently massage your scalp with your fingertips for a few minutes.This will increase the blood flow, hence improving the absorption of the nutrients!
- Leave the mask on for 15 minutes.
- Afterwards, wash your hair with cold/warm water and mild shampoo (if needed!).
Notes
- How often can I use this Amla Shikakai Hair Mask? You can use this amla shikakai hair mask as often as you wish. BUT, big, fat BUT!! Especially shikakai can cause allergic reactions when over-used (read more in “safety & warnings”)!!!
- Storage: Keep leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container to prevent drying out. In the fridge, it keeps for 1-2 weeks.
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