This post is the result of almost a year of experimenting, learning, photographing, and above all using my hair wash powder to figure out how it works–for my hair, for my schedule, even for my bathroom! I’d love to hear if my formula has worked for you, or what tweaks you’ve made. Send a note or leave a comment–even if it’s just to ask for a sample of the powder, which I’ll happily mail to you if I can.
Update, June 2021: In response to several comments and inquiries generated by this post, I’ve tweaked the ingredient list a bit and created a somewhat simplified recipe. New and improved! Do check it out!
Most Indians I know will have grown up washing their hair with shikai or shikakai powder (made from the dried seed pods of the Acacia concinna tree) at some stage. Thankfully, these practices haven’t been completely lost to the incursions of commercial liquid shampoos, and remain part of the lore of the land, so to speak: that sort of nostalgia for the “older times” and grandmotherly habits that underscore most especially a reliance on foraging, growing, and other practices of attunement to nature and body care that are increasingly lost to urbanization, globalization, and so many other shifts that come with the desire for progress and advancement.
But more in urban India than elsewhere in the urbanized world are still these older ingredients and practices that manage to thrive no matter how many Colgates or Patanjalis incorporate cloves into toothpaste and hibiscus into shampoo. We still “take oil baths” on weekends, which is to say that we massage our hair liberally with coconut oil (sesame in the cooler months), always in the morning as oil is known to be cooling, and wash hair afterwards. A meal follows at lunchtime, and a nap is inevitable after. In this way, hair care is not just about hair, it’s part of a total way of living, caring for the body, resting, and eating.
Beloved though these practices are, most of us gave up long ago on frequent uses of hair powders simply because of “convenience” — which strikes me now as much more a commercial ruse to push shampoo sales upwards than an accurate description of anything. Easier to squirt shampoo into hair than to massage a paste in after an already-elaborate oil massage. Easier to trust the shampoo than to wonder if the shikakai will get the oil completely out. Easier to believe the big company with modern promises than your grandmother with nostalgic wishes. Or so the story goes, full of ironies.
I returned to the powders through my search for no-plastic alternatives to most skin and body-care products, which led me to a lot of DIY recipes–as the powders, when you can source the right ones, are all over-packaged in plastic. Much as it happened with the Marjoram and Rose Face Scrub, I found I could pretty easily combine ingredients and make my own dry powder shampoo, and use a paste made from the powder pretty much daily without spending either more water or more time washing my hair. In fact, while I’m at it, here’re a few myths we might as well just debunk, for starters:
Myth #1: Commercial shampoos are easier to use.
Umm, they’re easier to buy, certainly. They come in all sorts of attractive packaging and they appear to have endless shelf-lives (a fact that should give you pause rather than reassurance).
On the other hand, the right powder recipe can be customized to your hair care needs, scented with rose and tulsi or an essential oil if you wish. There’s barely any extra prep-time: you mix water in your powder and you’re good to go. A thicker paste allows you a longer massage. A thinner one can just be poured on and washed off with minimal fuss. None of it needs to take much longer than a regular shampoo wash. And you will know all the constituent ingredients, as well as the specific value of their use in hair care, which is quite tremendous.
[I should clarify here that my hair wash powder isn’t an alternative to using water in the first place. There are all these aerosol and “brush-on” dry shampoo alternatives around these days which claim to assist with your fast life by releasing you from the shower. If that’s your poison, stop reading right now as I’m not offering an alternative to a wash, but an alternative and dry form of shampoo, which very much requires water and showering.]
Myth #2: Using dry-poos is messier than regular shampoo.
A little, yes. But a lot depends on where you see the mess as happening. If it’s the powder/paste that splatters over your shower area, a hand-held spray washes it off right quick. If you’re concerned about drain clogging, your shampoo is likely doing much more damage there than any of these herbal concoctions.
Myth #3: Hair powders don’t lather.
Well, that depends on what your hair powder is made of. Shikakai lathers, so does soapnut (berries of the Sapindus mukorossi tree), and most of all arappu (பச்சை அரப்பு தூள், the ground leaves of the “krishna siris” or Albizia amara tree, which is a mimosa relative). A combination of arappu and hibiscus, which is a great natural conditioner, produces very much the experience of a regular shampoo. Just the right level of “கொழ-கொழ” or “kozha-kozha,” as a friend once described it in a way all Tamil speakers would understand is impossible to translate accurately (as then it would start to mean something like slimy, which it’s most certainly not).
Myth #4: Natural ingredients do not strip hair of natural oils.
A lot of “natural” products are sold on this sort of nature-is-gentler logic, but this claim is not necessarily true at all. Too much shikakai in a shampoo can very much dry out your hair, especially if you don’t have a regular practice of oiling it. Too much soapnut can be harsh. We tend to use green gram for its de-greasing effects (I hear of others using rice flour or oatmeal into hair powders, but have never used these). As with all things, you need the right balance of ingredients to achieve the right effects.
Natural products are not “chemical-free,” but they are free of synthetic chemicals that do cause a lot of damage to your hair and to the environment. Besides, “herbal” ingredients tend to have other, more nurturing properties that synthetic chemicals just don’t, such as acting as fungicides or preventing dandruff (that’s neem and fenugreek for you). And far fewer scary side-effects.
Myth #5: There are natural ingredients in commercial shampoos, too!
Maybe. But by the time they’ve been incorporated and shelf-stabilized, they’ve also been reduced to their active ingredients, at best–whereas we’re learning over and over that the presence of an active ingredient alone does not at all guarantee the same effects on the body. It takes an ecosystem of different interactions to really make something produce its total effect. So, turmeric as curcumin in a pill supplement just won’t have the same effects as turmeric mixed in hot milk, or fried in oil in the company of chilli powder and so on and so on. Besides, although shampoos come with all sorts of dreamy promises, in my humble experience, they deliver very little in terms of actual benefits to human hair or scalp health. One little counter-example: shikakai is known to control hair fall, and I’ve seen a palpable effect on how much I “shed” when I’m using it regularly. I realize this evidence is anecdotal, but I don’t have any similar anecdotal support for any commercial product I’ve used making comparable claims.
All this said, here’s the ingredient list for you to pick from, and rough proportions which you can adjust to suit your needs (see notes below):
- Shikakai (4 parts): the dried seed pods of the Acacia concinna tree. Cleansing, restores shine to hair, promotes hair growth, strengthens hair roots and dramatically reduces hair-fall.
- Soapnut or soapberries, रीठा or reetha (1 part): dried “berries” of the Sapindus mukorossi tree. Primarily cleansing; contains natural saponins, which cause lathering. Note: can burn the eyes, so take care to restrict contact to scalp.
- Amla, Indian gooseberry (1 part): fruit of the Phyllanthus emblica tree. Strengthens hair follicles, promotes scalp health, restores natural oils, reduces frizziness, improves dark hair pigmentation, and prevents pre-mature greying.
- Arappu thool (பச்சை அரப்பு தூள்), or Arappu powder, also known as chiguraakku in Telugu (4 parts): the young leaves of the ‘Krishna siris’ or Albizia amara tree, dried and ground. Naturally conditioning, softening, lathering, and cleansing.
- Hibiscus leaves and flowers (4 parts): Deep conditioning, prevents hair fall and split-ends, restores softness and shine.
- Curry leaves, dried leaves of the Murraya koenigii tree (1 part): Widely used in Indian cookery, these are a rich source vitamins, minerals, and some amino acids which increase hair growth, strengthen follicles, and moisturize the scalp. Also help to remove dead follicles, thus reducing dandruff.
- Green gram or whole mung (1 part): De-greasing, cleansing; contains minerals which maintain scalp health.
- Methi or fenugreek (1 part): Prevents dandruff, restores vitamins and minerals to the scalp, helps strengthen hair and prevent breakage.
- Vettiver, roots of the fragrant Khus grass, known botanically as
Vetiveria zizanoides (1 bunch): Imparts nurturing oils to hair, along with a smoky, woody fragrance (that pairs well with many other scents like sandalwood and ylang ylang); anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory. - Brahmi or gotu kola, the Asiatic Pennywort, Centella asiatica (not to be substituted for Bacopa monnieri which is also known as Brahmi) (1 part): known as a “brain food” (when internally consumed), brahmi is soothing, provides nutrients to hair follicles, and promotes better hair growth.
- Neem, Azadirachta indica (1 part): dried leaves of the neem tree, known widely for anti-fungal, anti-bacterial properties; promotes scalp health and reduces lice.
- Tulasi, holi basil, Ocimum tenuiflorum (1 part): promotes growth, reduces scalp itchiness and prevents dandruff, adds fragrance.
- Paneer
or “damask”Rose (1 part): controls excess oil, stabilizes pH balance, reduces frizziness, adds fragrance.
Correction 05/30/2021: Paneer rose is most likely Gruß an Teplitz and not damask at all. See this post from @nic_in_the_garden to know more: Gruß an Teplitz is “a creation of the Austrian-Hungarian rose breeder Rudolf Geschwind (1829-1910), [this variety is a] complex cross of China, Bourbon, and hybrid tea roses … named for the Bohemian spa town of Teplice,” and cultivated widely in India
Here are just the measurements:
- Shikakai: 4 parts (up to 5 parts for oily hair types).
- Soapnut or soapberries: 1 part
- Dried Amla (Indian gooseberry): 1 part
- Arappu powder: 4 parts
- Hibiscus leaves and flowers: 4-5 parts (more for deeper conditioning)
- Curry leaves: 1 part
- Green gram or whole mung: 1 part
- Methi or fenugreek: 1 part
- Vettiver: 1 bunch
- Brahmi or Asiatic pennywort: 1 part
- Dried Neem leaves: 1 part
- Dried tulasi or holi basil: 1 part
- Paneer or fragrant Gruß an Teplitz rose: 1 part
You’ll want to make sure that ALL ingredients are perfectly sun-dried to a crisp. This can be tricky with the soapnut, which takes longer to dry and more easily returns to a leathery hard-to-grind state. You could solve that problem by just buying soapnut powder, of course. Then grind all the ingredients separately, multiple times if you have to, to get a fine blend, and mix together. (Or send them of to the mill to be ground fine for you).
Note that I’ve ordered these ingredients by level of importance:
- 1-3 are essential for cleaning;
- 4-8 are very good to have for conditioning, lathering, and nourishing; and
- 9-13 are excellent additions, but you can get a good shampoo without them, too.
- Note: 1-5, or a shikai-soapnut-amla + arappu-hibiscus combination gives you the best of both washing + conditioning worlds, with 6-8 and 9-13 adding lots of vital micro-nutrients.
You can also reduce quantities on all except the first three: shikakai, soapnut, and amla. Some Indian hair wash powders are made with just these three ingredients, so they’re the baseline minimum. Bear in mind, however, that the proportions above have been calibrated roughly in relation to each other. Using just shikai, soapnut, and amla will leave you with a very different sort of hair wash, and you may have to play with proportions so as not to dry your hair out and use hair serums or a regular light hair oiling practice in between washes.
For a fabulous home-made hair oil infusion, Radhika over at Just Homemade has a beautiful recipe–which, you’ll see, uses a lot of the same ingredients that go into the hair powder, but in fresh form. I’ve my own version, crafted to nourish and slightly darken (ie make your hair look richer) which you can find here.
NOTE ON GRINDING DRY INGREDIENTS
When you have all dry ingredients ready, you may need to process them on high speed in a “mixie” or blender jar until they are all combined into a fine powder. As with the Marjoram and Rose face scrub, I found that this took some time, and was aided by the addition of already-powdered ingredients (if using arappu powder, for example, add and grind again). Otherwise, just allow your blender to cool, and grind again until fine.
This powder recipe makes enough powder to fill a 20 cup container, and lasts me about 6-8 months with continuous use.
MIXING GROUND POWDERS IS LIKE CREATING NEW EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL LANDSCAPES
NOTES ON USE
Just before showering, I put a few tablespoons into a bowl (4 or more if I’ve oiled my hair, 2 or less if it’s a regular wash), add water enough to make a paste, mix well to aid the lathering — and that’s it.
Then you wet your hair, and either massage the paste into your scalp (if it’s thick), making sure to apply it down the length of your hair. If it’s a thinner paste, pour it over your hair and then massage and rinse as you would a regular shampoo. More water addition helps the lathering. Ideally, you leave this in for a few minutes and then rinse off.
It does take some getting used to, and your hair may feel a little tangly at first. But I learned that just applying the paste the right way can reduce the tangles, and aid in a speedier and more efficient rinse. It’s about not taking any step of the process for granted, really. And once you’ve got the hang of it, it gets easier still with each use.
You’ll see your hair falling a whole lot less, and scented in this earthy-smoky-floral sort of way–which, to me, beats any commercial or even essential oil fragrance out there by a long shot.
PICTORIAL GUIDE TO THE INGREDIENTS
This is a beautiful post—thank you for sharing what you’ve learned. I’ve shared it with friends here. We probably take commercial shampoos too much for granted, & now I don’t even know what my ancestors would have used for hair care!
Yes, we do take commercial shampoos much too much for granted & it’s a shame to lose touch with older ways of doing things, isn’t it? We are lucky, in many ways, for the cliche that India lives in several centuries all at once, because those threads can more easily be reconstructed. Lovely that you stopped by, Celia!
And thanks for sharing the post!
Namaskaram Shanti Shanti…. Thank you so much for this lost old world recipe collection, one is near tears of happiness to see a herbal ratio from the ancestors.
I wish I could say with confidence that this recipe is from our ancestors — maybe some elements are. The rest is the result of my recombinations and experimentations in my little kitchen. I hope it’s useful to you in the modern world!
Can you please post herbal bath powder.. just now I came across your post. It is very useful and I am going to prepare this.. thanks for the post. Expecting ubtan powder making from you..
Hi Agasthya, I don’t have a herbal bath powder yet, but I do have a face scrub that is ok to use on the body as well. You can find the recipe here: https://www.paticheri.com/2018/02/15/marjoram-rose-face-scrub/
If I develop a body scrub, you’ll be sure to hear about it! Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts.
Here you go: https://www.paticheri.com/2021/04/02/avaaram-vettiver-daily-use-body-scrub/
Woww… You remembered comment from 4 years ago and replied:) you are adorable Deepa 🫰🏻
My first thought is: was I really FOUR years late replying?? I guess I lose track of time (LOL).
Do you make these hair cleansers n sell?
If so can you make one for me?
I don’t make to sell, unfortunately. If you’re ever in Pondicherry you could write me — if I have some in my own supply, you’re welcome to a sample!
Such a beautiful post!! Thank you for sharing..! I love taking care of hair and can’t wait to try your recipe. Are all of these available on amazon.com?
Thank you for the kind words 🙂 but I’d actually suggest getting the ingredients together from a local “vaidyar” or traditional medicine shop. Dabba Chetty in Chennai is an example, and I’m sure there are others elsewhere, too. It’ll be a good thing to find them as they can be treasure-troves and need our support to stay alive! Amazon products have been on a shelf for a while, come from unknown and unverifiable sources–and if you’re looking to go plastic-free (as I was), or just reduce ecological footprint, amazon is horrible. Do try to find local sources, and let me know what you come up with — it’ll be good to compile a list for others in your position.
Hi Deepa,
Your website is beautiful. Very informative. I love the stories on greens 🙂 I made your face scrub and it is amazing.
Can you tell me how to grind vetiver for the hair wash powder? I dried the roots in the shade and tried to powder in the mixie after cutting it into small pieces but it’s coarse. What would you suggest?
Thanks.
Hi Priya, Vettiver is a tough one. I get mine ground at the local mill—where I have to coax the guys into doing my grinding! If you don’t have such resources or such patience (and I’d hardly blame you if you didn’t!!), then you could try blending a few times & sieving the resulting mix to get out the coarse bits. I find it easier to grind along with a bit of the finer powders mixed in — and sieving when I can grind no more. I’ve also sometimes also just lived with the coarser bits being in my hair. They fall off right quick once my hair is dry! Even if they do look like dandruff—yikes! Hope this helps you out a bit. Good luck!
Do not have a website as I have not done enough trial and error as you have. I must say it was one of my better reads on natural herbs powders from India. I find most websites provide way too much info or way too little. Your site gave me a good taste of what I would like to try and I want to thank you for that.
My grandfather’s first Nations so I grew up with some home remedies that I still use today. My father’s side is all Irish I had red hair which turn to a brownish auburn color as I aged along with a few grays. As a result I started using henna 4 to 5 years ago as the chemicals in the hair products of the giant beauty industry started to make my hair fall . It was also a pretty near impossible to find out which ones were doing what exactly I have thick coarse dry curly hair. I use amla powder along with Indigo in my henna to get the color I want. Where I have problems is keeping the color last and making my hair soft shiny all while keeping a bounce to my curls.
If you could please suggest what to use for conditioner as I have the ingredients for the shampoo. It would greatly be appreciated . I’m very excited to see what you come up with so I can try a few suggestions and let you know how they worked. Thanks again for your approach to keeping hair healthy along with the environment….
Hooked in a good way ♥️👍Brenda 🦊
PS do you have info on ashwagandha
PS: so glad that you made and liked the face scrub! The hair powder is a tougher one to make, use, love, but it’s an adventure & well worth it once you find the right combo for you. I very much appreciate your kind words! Thank you.
I immediately fell in love with you as I read the first paraagraph. I was slightly annoyed at the precision of your language thinking it to be pretentious. Man, are you awesome! I like your thought, your simplicity(even with great vocabulary).You introduced me to Aalu Andey (Beyghairat Band). I love you. I checked your research work, your links, your ingredient photographs, your comments. I really really love you. You have a fan in me.
Shashikala, thank you for that overflowing praise, and the laughter it brought me. Do I sound pretentious still? Is the academic in me, for which I make no apologies, I’m afraid! Maybe I’m growing crotchety in my old age, in love with language as many these days just aren’t or refuse to be .. in any case, thank you for the candour and the warmth. It means a lot to me.
I obviously don’t find you pretentious, just to clarify. I’d be recommending your site to everyone of my friends. Apologies for the overwhelm. Thank you for responding. Will watch this space for more from you.
I know that! And no need to apoogise at all — “overwhelm” can be a wonderful thing, you know. An overflowing. How often does one get that?? Do stay in touch.
Hi, I have been hunting for natural hair wash alternatives since almost a year and I stumbled upon this. This is like a dream come true. I loved the way you have collated everything so well. Amazing write up. I’ve had a wonderful thick lustrous hair since childhood. But somehow I got a lot of gray hair and twice got alopecia patch which is treated now. Since then, hairfall has been haunting me every moment of my life. I am in pain literally when I see my old pictures. Being a mother and working full-time, it’s not possible for me to make such hair powder. I have already tried 2 brands which I am not at all satisfied with. They turned my hair into scrubber and tangled like you’ve described in your post. But will have to find a time maybe some extended weekend. The hardest part is to collect all these Godly ingredients. Thanks anyway, sweetheart. I really want to try this out.
Apologies for my late reply — I’m happy to know you see possibility in this recipe, and hope you’re able to find the ingredients to make it! It’s not a sure-fire hair fall cure (it works better for me when I’m not stressed in the first place, for example), but it has potential. The tangling: happens with this also, it depends on how finely the ingredients are ground. I have learned to apply it a certain way, and then use mugs of water (or sit under a tap — ha ha ha) rather than a milder shower spray to wash it off. So like that you may have to find ways… Good luck!
Thank you for this beautiful article. I’ve managed to get hold of most ingredients (except Arappu and Vetiver), but all I have are in dried, powder form. Will the quantity of each ingredient still be more or less the same? I can imagine flowers, like hibiscus, make less powder then the soap nuts, so I am not sure if I can use the same amounts as in your recipe. Thank you for your help!
Gwenneth, how wonderful that you’re trying this out—it’s an adventure, for sure. Perhaps try this by weight (“parts” in the recipe roughly correspond), and start with the key ingredients, which are also given separately in the recipe. If you don’t have arappu, that’s fine; replace with shikakai. Vettiver also is ok to leave out. You lost something of its smoky fragrance but overall it still works out. Generally keep in mind that the main ingredients are cleansing, but also drying. Depending on your hair type, you may want to balance that with more hibiscus, for example, for a deeper conditioning. If you can get a hold of bhringraj—add in a part. It promotes hair growth, and will also balance out the drying. I couldn’t find it naturally where I am, so I left it out, but I do use a bhringraj hair oil. Good luck! And please do let me know how it goes.
Thank you for your fast reply!
Do you mean I should add 4 extra parts of Shikakai to replace Arrapu, on top of the 4 parts which are already in the recipe?
Perhaps I can add some Vetiver essential oil (which I do have), last minute for the scent and properties.
I will need some more conditioning and have bhringraj powder, I will try that. It’s exciting! As I am oiling my hair regularly, I’m looking forward to be able to wash it with these beautiful herbs. Feels more appropiate. I’ll let you know how it goes.
4 extra parts shikakai sounds about right, assuming you have all the other ingredients (save Vettiver). To be conservative, you could start also with 2-3, and add the rest later, if needed. Just to play safe—though of course using just shikai is common practice, so you can’t go too terribly wrong with more. Vettiver essential oil sounds like a nice addition! If your batch is big, perhaps separate it in to smaller containers, and add the essential oil only to the batch you’re going to use immediately. Great that you’ve got bhringraj! And yes, it’s wonderful using all these natural ingredients. I love what they do to my hair, and the way they make me feel. Tell me how it all goes!
Hi!
I wanted to say thank you for this article and share a bit of my experience with this.
After years of unsuccessfully trying to find the right store bought shampoo I think I’m on the right track now! Most the shampoos I used seemed fine at first, but after a while left sticky residue and my hair was always hard to untangle.
It is hard to find these ingredients where I live and I had to make do with what I could find.
Currently for each shampoo I’m using a mix of 1 tsp shikakai powder and 1/4 tsp each of amla, soapnut, hibiscus (flowers only, I couldn’t find leaves) and tulsi.
The first time I made a paste and I spent half an hour under the shower head getting the powder out of my hair with a comb! But after that my hair was really clean, shiny, soft and amazingly easy to untangle, even on the following days.
I had read from several other sources that you could soak and boil whole shikakai and soapnuts and use the water as a shampoo, so I tried making a tea instead of a paste (putting the loose powder in a cup with hot water and then filtering with a teabag seems to work better than enclosing the powder in the teabag from the start). It doesn’t seem to remove oil from my hair as well as the paste did, but once my hair dries it still looks clean. Now I’m wonder if that’s not actually better if the shampoo leaves some of my natural oils in the hair.
I’ve been using this recipe twice a week for 2 weeks now and I love it! The best part for me is that somehow when my hair starts getting greasy again after a couple days, my hair still somehow looks and feels much cleaner than it used to! And it’s always easy to untangle which is a blessing as there is a lot of wind where I live.
I have a question too: the soapnuts I got were whole, including the seed. I removed the seeds before grinding, was that a good thing to do? Does the seed provide any benefit to the hair?
Thanks again for this very informative article. I’ve kept it my bookmarks for future reference.
Thanks so much for taking the time to write with that detailed feedback, Lydie! Interesting that the tea approach worked for you — when I am rushing, I often make a very watery “paste” of the powder, and pour it over my hair. How hard it is to get out of your hair depends, I’m realizing, on water quality as well as on how old the powders are & if you’re not gathering them close to source, it can be hard to tell age. i sometimes just resign myself to having a bit of the powder residue in my hair, but I know that can’t work for everyone! & yes, it’s always better when a shampoo doesn’t strip hair dry, and leaves some oils in (natural oils or the oils used for hair, either way). On soapnut seed: not sure there’s any saponin content there, so not much use for hair. We always de-seed or buy de-seeded, as removing the seeds (as I’m sure you discovered, too) is a painfully laborious process! PS: for even better detangling, you could well use just the hibiscus flower tea. It’s not as good as using fresh leaves + flowers– you really see the mucilaginous quality of the flowers/leaves which are great for conditioning hair — but I have boiled and stored just the liquid & it’s really not bad for a quick conditioning. My hair feels wonderful, even if I’ve not used any washing/soaping elements beforehand. Thanks again for sharing your experiences; super helpful!
Update!
I’ve been using almost the same recipe but I’ve stopped filtering the tea and it works better. I’ve also doubled the recipe and upped the hibiscus flowers a bit. It’s only flowers as it’s the only thing we can find here. That’s 2tsp shikakai powder, 3/4 tsp hibiscus flowers, 1/2tsp each of soapnuts, amla and tulsi. I add boiling water to make a liquid-y mixture which I put in a soft sauce bottle to help apply it to my hair evenly. I leave it in while I wash my body, then I scrub my scalp and rinse it all out.
I don’t have that much of a problem getting the powder out now, but I’m not sure what I’m doing differently!
I haven’t seen much of an improvement in terms of hair loss, but what I did notice is my hair getting greasy way slower. I can shampoo once a week now without my hair looking disgusting or my scalp getting itchy!
Last week my partner ran out of shampoo so she used my mixture instead, and she’s sold now. It makes her hair much softer and shiny than using her regular shampoo with conditioner.
I have found brahmi powder in a shop, but it’s the wrong kind of brahmi. It’s still marketed as being good for your hair. Do you think it would be a useful addition still?
That’s all lovely to hear, Lydie, thanks for writing back in. Love the soft sauce bottle dispensing idea; I might try that myself. Hair loss can have multiple causes, so one never knows if the shampoo can address those or if something else might be going on (quality of water used in bathing, salt contents etc. all also can affect that, in addition to thyroid and other physical conditions). Brahmi: I didn’t know that actual brahmi is good for hair. I suppose there’s no crying harm in trying it out, but it could also be just careless marketing. As long as it’s “herbal” lots of people claim it’s good for everything, which is of course ridiculous. I’d have to look that one up to say for sure, but given it’s a small quantity being used, you might try and see if it has any palpable effects. Good luck!
Another update! I bought the brahmi (bacopa monnieri) and tried it. I added 1/2 teaspoon of it to my regular shampoo recipe listed above, and it did improve my hair! When rinsing In the shower already I felt that the texture of my hair was smooth in a different way than with just hibiscus flowers. Once dry it is even softer and shinier (I didn’t think that was possible) than without it and virtually tangle free. I tried it 2 days ago and this morning running my fingers through my hair for 10 seconds was all it took to untangle it. The most notable results were on my wife’s hair. She bleached her hair a couple years ago, so now she has mostly natural hair with very damaged bleached ends. The damaged ends were a nightmare to detangle, but with this addition, not anymore! When running fingers through her hair you could clearly feel the difference between the smooth natural hair and the tangled rough bleached hair, but now it’s all smooth throughout. I’ll definitely keep using it.
PS: if you ever do use the paste approach again, play with making it thinner but also play with applying it straight down the length of your hair rather than applying on top and scrubbing as we often do with regular shampoos. I’ve done that as well, and find it much easier to rinse off because a shower head just lets all the residue run straight down. Good luck!
Deepa, I only use teas for my hair up to now. The teas don’t keep well (like a week or two outside the fridge) so I store extra in the fridge or freezer.
But I am going to try this as a paste application, but JUST as a scalp scrub rather than running it all through my hair, that will minimize stuff getting stuck in your hair. I also use a shower brush – round thing with stubby silicon “fingers” – to scrub my scalp. Not the hard plastic kind, those hurt my scalp and rip the heck out of my hair. The ones with silicon fingers are way gentler. I’ve seen them on amazon.in. That way you can still get your scalp well cleaned without getting all the powder stuck in your hair. Probably once or twice a week to scrub the scalp and the tea for washing just the hair.
Try it and see how it works for you, you might do it more or less than me.
I know you’ve touched on how long the powder lasts in the fridge, but do you have an idea of how long the tea should last in the fridge?
Hi Matthew, I wouldn’t count in it for longer than a week, at most!
OOPS I meant to address that to Lydie, not Deepa who wrote the article, SORRY! LOL!
Love your recipe for hair wash. Came across it while searching on the web for herbal hair wash. Really like the fact that you have explained what and why all the things are added. And I think yours is the only recipe which suits my frizzy slightly curly hair. Also love your writing style. Many thanks for sharing your recipe.
I’ve been meaning to write you back for months! thanks so much for those kind words. I’m SO glad you found the recipe helpful — and it’s really good to know that it’s good for frizzy curly hair!
Hi, thanks for such a wonderful and informative post. I am looking to switch to natural hair wash and your post came as boon. Only thing is I already bought a bunch of these ingredients in powdered form for trying out before I came across this post. It would be great if you can help out with the quantity, for eg. When you mentioned 4 parts Shikakai and 1 part Reetha, can i use say 4 tbsp shikakai powder, 1 tbsp reetha powder etc? Or the qty for powder form change?
Thanks,
Vaibhavi, sure I think you can switch out my “parts” for whole ingredients, to the same in powder form — so, as you say, treat 1 part as 1 tablespoon and go from there. Let me know how it works out for you!
hey, i just bought bringhraj powder instead of brahmi, is that okay to mix with these to use as a shampoo?
Bhringraj is also excellent — not the same value as brahmi, but perfectly good to add!
Nicely presented, you have put ample time to make this presentation, kudos for the hard work, keep it up.
thank you!
My apologies if you have already shared this info – I am looking for a good reliable source for ordering these ingredients. I am trying to support small businesses more and like to avoid large retailers like Amazon. Thanks for your guidance!
Kelly, if you are in the US (or probably most anywhere much outside of India) Amazon is likely going to be your only source for at least some of these herbs.
In India there is flipkart and Amazon.in if you can’t find them in a local shop.
In the US there is Amazon and some places like Mountain Rose Herbs have at least some of these ingredients.
If buying on Amazon I have had good luck with Terrasoul for amla powder (but you can usually find that in an Indian grocery if there is one near you) and MB for nearly everything else except tulsi, arappu powder and vetiver. MB may actually sell amla but I already had the Terrasoul so I’ve not checked with MB for that. Plus I can get it locally anyway.
Vetiver is usually most easily found in the US as an essential oil but I have seen the root on Amazon, can’t vouch for suppliers other than Terrasoul or MB though, and I’m pretty sure neither of them have it.
There are currently only two suppliers of arappu on Amazon in the US and one of them is crazy expensive. The other is FoodHerbs I think. I can’t vouch for the quality as I’ve never bought anything from them yet but … very limited choices if you want the arappu.
You can find amla, methi (fenugreek), and green gram flour pretty much all the time at most Indian groceries in the US.
You can often get fresh curry leaf there as well. Incidentally I don’t recommend drying that but instead make a tea of it to moisten the paste or just add 15 or 20 fresh leaves when you make the wash as a tea because it keeps so poorly when dried. If you can’t find fresh curry leaf locally, try iShopIndia. I’ve bought fresh curry leaves in the past from them, probably not the best idea to ship that at the height of summer though. There are shipping costs involved but if needs must …
I have found tulsi powder only once at one Indian grocery. I will say it is very hard to get really good tulsi in any form in the USA because it has a lot of volatile components that you lose quickly. Not nearly as bad as curry leaf but not great either. You CAN grow it if you garden at all, it isn’t hard to grow as an annual. If you have to buy it try Organic India first (packed loose, not individual tea bags) or Worldwide Botanicals if you can’t find the Organic India. I think Mountain Rose Herbs does stock tulsi sometimes but – no knowledge of the quality. Probably other herb shops might have it as well for online purchase.
I see soapnuts (WHOLE) from time to time at different Indian groceries but they have always been pretty expensive.
I have never seen any of the other ingredients in an Indian grocery in the US but it doesn’t hurt to look there first.
Kelly, so sorry my response is late. Unless you can go find some of these at your local Indian grocers (or ask them to source for you) Amazon might indeed be your best choice — assuming you live in the US?? If you have Indian friends, you could well beg them to bring some packets over for you!
This is the best hairwashpowder I have ever used! Though I missed few ingredients…this powder gives hair the best nourishment. Thanks for sharing the post! It’s very useful!
I’m so glad you found this useful and that the powder worked well for you! There’s so much variability in people’s hair and habits, it’s hard to come up with a 1-size-fits-all formula so all the more your experience is gratifying. thanks for the comment!
Hi Deepa,
whether this herbal powder requires soaking at night to use at morning?
No — ideally it’s used fresh. You’ll see the lathering because of the soapnut; that won’t last forever so, again, best used more-or-less immediately.
I wudAny presevetivs? like to keep this powder mix up to 3 years..what should I do?
Freeze it. In a deep freezer. In a fridge freezer, maybe 3 or 4 months maximum (the powder not any of the fresh ingredients).
There’s no way any of these ingredients will last 3 years without freezing. You might get 8 months to a year if refrigerated and well-sealed. Otherwise 6 months is about the limit (if you have AC) and that might be pushing it. I get the powders and they sometimes have “USE BY” dates that are 2 or even 3 years out but there is ALWAYS a noticeable drop in quality even if you haven’t opened them once they hit the 1 year mark, and once they’ve been opened, oxidation waits for no man. They start losing strength faster once you open them and will still lose strength even if they stay sealed, just not as fast. Having to live in a hot environment saps them even faster than that. So if room temp is much over 75 count on the rate of degradation to increase exponentially with the temp.
BTW you might notice that I actually give you LESS time in the fridge freezer than the fridge. That’s because of freeze/thaw cycles. Automatic defrost cycles in a freezer can ruin something like a powder that would have been fine at relatively stable temps in your fridge. The limiting factor is the curry leaf. If you leave it out and use fresh curry leaf made into a tea to moisten the paste as I recommend elsewhere, the remaining powder may very well last longer in the freezer, but probably not much longer than it would last in the fridge in a well-sealed container.
But in any case you’re not getting 3 years out of this unless you freeze it in a deep freezer where it is not exposed to temperature cycling for defrosting (so don’t store it near the walls even in a deep freezer).
Hi Suranga, sorry my reply is late — I would not recommend the use of any preservatives. You could if you wish refrigerate or freeze — that will extend the life of the powder (as much as it does with our masalas etc. that we store that way, right?) but I don’t know about 3 years. I’d still say it’s going to be best if used within 1 year.
Hello! Am looking forward to make this powder and store for 6 months. Please let me how much measurement does 1 part mean?
Also, please share how to store the powder for long term.
Preethi, “1 part” is whatever measurement you want to make it, and then “4 parts” would be 4 times that amount, “3 parts” 3 times, etc.
if you decide 1 part = 1 tsp, then everywhere it says 1 part you use 1 tsp and “4 parts” would be 4 tsp.
1 part could also be 1 Tablespoon or 100 ml or whatever you decide, it depends on how much you want to end up with.
I’m assuming the author is going by volume measurements and not weight. I think volume measurements are fine for this, it doesn’t need precision.
As for storage, if you store it in a cool dry place most of the ingredients should be OK for 6 months. Fridge might be best but it must be sealed well so it stays dry and doesn’t absorb humidity or odors. That goes for storing it on your counter too, if you want to keep it for more than a couple of weeks.
If you don’t have air conditioning and are keeping it outside your fridge, it won’t last as long. And the curry leaf, in my opinion, should not be dried and ground at all but instead make a tea of fresh curry leaf and use that to moisten your powder. Dried curry leaf just doesn’t keep.
Hope that helps.
Preethi, thanks for writing in and sorry my response is late. 1 part is 1 cup of whatever size you are using — that could be a kitchen katori, or something larger. But once you fix on that, use that as a measure for everything else in this recipe. It becomes your standard. To store for 6 months under reasonable Indian conditions, I’d say this can stay outside in a cool place protected from direct sunlight. You could refrigerate if you like, to extend shelf-life. I’ve stored mine for 1 year or so, just on a bathroom shelf. I hope this helps!
I’m allergic to coconut, babassu (close relative of the coconut) and probably palm as well, and EVERYTHING in the personal care line uses one or more of these ingredients these days – and you can’t always tell because there are a lot of ingredient that are derived from coconut/palm that don’t say a thing about either, like stearyl alcohol. Coconut/palm products are even to be found in toilet paper and “feminine care” products here!
So I’ve been trying to use Indian herbs instead of conventional commercial products and have had an AWFUL time because most of the information about it that I can find NEVER gives you quantities. I’ve been guessing and basically end up just using a 1:1 or close to it ratio of whatever I’m currently trying.
As another poster mentioned, I most often use teas instead of the traditional powder forms. Getting powder stuck in my hair is one reason but the other is I don’t want to clog up my plumbing! The teas don’t keep very long so I refrigerate or freeze what I don’t need right away. I use fenugreek gel if I want to thicken something (like soapnut/shikakai hair wash, as opposed to an amla/hibiscus conditioning rinse) to keep it in my hair longer.
If the tea version of this isn’t thick enough to keep it in my hair (until I’m ready to rinse it out), I will just make some fenugreek gel and add it, and next time I’ll increase fenugreek content for a tea wash. It shouldn’t make a lot of difference when used as a scalp scrub. I use a shower brush – round thing with stubby silicon teeth that you can use to scrub your scalp. The cheap versions have hard plastic teeth, you don’t want those, you want squishy silicone teeth on it. The hard plastic ones hurt your scalp and may rip your hair out, the silicon versions are way gentler.
I don’t have arappu yet, I am trying to get some from Amazon. I am in the US and most of this stuff doesn’t grow here, or at least not where I live so I rely on powders mostly from Amazon. Even the Indian groceries don’t carry a lot of this stuff anymore, just Indian versions of the same commercial products we get here made with the same industrial practices and ingredients. I can find methi (fenugreek) there all the time, tulsi only sometimes, soapnuts only whole and very expensive. Green gram, obviously they have all the time. For the rest, NEVER.
I can’t say what quality of arappu I might end up with from Amazon, there are only 2 suppliers and one of them is CRAZY CRAZY expensive. Seeing the price they charge gives me palpitations, contemplating that price in Rs would probably give people in India a heart attack, LOL! So I have no idea of the quality of the one source I know is available to me (NOT the crazy expensive one). But I will try it and see.
One thing I would change in your recipe is the curry leaves. Curry leaves lose all their goodness when they are dried. They are basically just dust after drying. I think if you can grab a handful fresh and dry them on your windowsill and use them up right away, maybe not so bad. But buying powdered curry leaf in a package (especially outside India) is a waste of time and money. Might as well sweep some stuff up off the floor and add it.
Instead use fresh curry leaves to make a tea and use that to moisten your powder, or if you’re making a tea-wash just throw a handful in there (like 20 or s0 in a cup of water, just barely simmer for “long enough” which I’m not sure of a value for so I kind of wing it every time).
Fresh curry leaves are available here but they’re usually pretty expensive compared to there. A small packet is usually in the area of $2 – I think that’s like 150Rs at the current exchange rate. The biggest package I’ve ever gotten for that amount is no more than a couple handfuls, and sometimes you don’t even get a handful for that price. I think people who don’t find it growing in their backyards will probably do better to make the tea than try to use dried, especially if somebody is trying to sell it to you predried and preground. It won’t keep long once ground and dried, even when you grind fresh leaves yourself.
BTW I have found the best way to store curry leaves is to FREEZE them right away, and then use them STRAIGHT out of the freezer and into the poppu or boiling water or wherever you need them. If you let them thaw – GROSS. But straight from freezer to where you need them, fine. Except podis, frozen curry leaves are no good for podi. But anything where you cook them they will be fine if you don’t let them thaw first.
In a freezer attached to your fridge they will keep for 2 or 3 weeks (freeze thaw cycle kills them eventually) for sure, sometimes twice that long. They will keep almost forever in a deep freezer. I use ziploc freezer bags so you need something like that to store them in or they get freezer burned and ruined.
I doubt this is a very useful tip in India where you can easily get them all the time but for those of us who have to rely on expensive and perhaps sporadic availability, it might be helpful.
After grinding, do you have an idea of how that amount of vettiver stacks up to the rest? Like 1 part or 4 parts or whatever?
I don’t have the vettiver or the arappu at the moment but I’m going to go ahead and make it with the rest today and try it first as a scalp scrub (not for washing my hair but just scrubbing my scalp) and then I will make it as a tea for hair wash, and see how that is. I will double the amount of shikakai to make up for the missing arappu as you suggested.
I also have some bhringraj powder, how much of that do you think might be good to try? I won’t add it this time (I’m in too much of a hurry!) but maybe next time. Like everything else in the way of herbal hair stuff, I know what it IS but have never seen it actually USED. Even when I was young (which I haven’t been for quite awhile) herbal hair concoctions were considered old fashioned and/or “unsophisticated” things that only “country” people used. Yeah, you’re not so dismissive when you need something “country” people grew, like your FOOD, LOL! Comes as a shock when “country” people turn out to know more than you do, doesn’t it? LOL! (That’s a generic “you”, not a YOU “you”, LOL!)
Knowing the ingredients but not knowing how much to use has been frustrating. Thank you for this article. I am passing it around to my friends who are looking for herbal hair washes and rinses.
Thanks for all your detailed comments on this post and to all the others who have written in. Sounds like you have an article or two you might want to write, too 😉 Not sure I will be able to respond to everything here, but a few points.
Arappu: you can do without. It’s good for cleansing and that shampoo feel, but if it’s pricey, leave it out & possibly increase the shikakai (not soapnut) content proportionately.
Bhringraj: I’d go with 1 part, added to the mix. Increase after you’ve tested it out.
Vettiver: some folks I know use the essential oil for fragrance, since they can’t find the root itself. Try that. There’s more to vettiver than fragrance, but this at least gives you the feel of having it in there. After grinding vettiver is about 1/2 to 3/4 part.
Curry leaves: if you can use fresh, then great — that’s actually true for hibiscus and tulsi as well. (heck if you can grind this mix fresh daily nothing like that either!!) Hibiscus fresh made into a hair conditioner is way, way more effective than the dried-powdered. But we work with what we have, and if dry is all there is, it’s better than nothing & easier for a lot of us. Not quite fair to say that curry leaves are useless dry or that they’re just “dust”. We use them in cooking dried all the time; they’re specifically dried and used in making chutney podis etc. so I doubt very much they lose all efficacy unless they’re fresh.
Glad you found the information helpful; appreciate your detailed inputs again.
Can hibiscus cause hair loss? I’ve been experiencing an increase in hair loss after using hibiscus hair oil for a month. And perhaps I’d used too much oil as well and I oiled my hair everyday. I’ve resorted to hair wash powder the past 2 months in hopes that it will stop the hair fall, nothing’s really changed so far. It’s not so bad that I’m getting bald patches, but the amount of hair I lose each day is double compared to my pre-hairoiling days. It’s really depressing 🙁
Hi, if you think oiling is the culprit — pause and see if it makes a difference. But I would be surprised to know that hibiscus oil is the culprit, or at least the hibiscus quotient in the oil. So stop the oiling and see if your hair growth improves. There are hair oils meant to promote hair growth — bhringraj, for one. After you go oil-free for some time to see if that’s really the source of the problem, you could try bhringraj. Also other ingredients like methi, curry leaves etc. are good for promoting growth. You could use a powder of those, too, maybe along with shikakai. But — first try stopping the oiling & after a month or so then try these other methods. Hair loss might also have to do with thyroid function and other physical realities, so it might be something to check with a physician about, too. Good luck, and do share feedback if you can later.
By the way, can mung gram be replaced with besan gram flour instead? I also can’t find Arappu at my Indian grocer, so I used 1 more part of reetha instead. Fingers-crossed that I will see good results especially with my hair fall soon. It’s a shame how using natural ingredients cost more than buying commercial shampoos, maybe it’s where I live, I wonder if it’s the same in India?
Yes, that’s an acceptable replacement since the function of each is primarily cleansing. Skip the arappu since you can’t find it, but substitute with shikakai instead of soapnut/reetha if you can. The expense of these things for you might be a function of where you are and how foreign “exotic” esoteric 🙂 these ingredients are. Here natural ingredients are locally available so they’re pretty cheap. Once businesses pick them up and start marketing products the price skyrockets, but we are lucky in being able to still pretty easily go back to constituent ingredients and roots…
I’m so happy to see your reply! And relieved to hear that green gram can be replaced with gram flour. Since gram flour is much easily available and already in powder form 😛 By the way, from your pictures, I noticed that the Hibiscus you’re using is probably China rose/ Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, while the hibiscus powder I bought is Roselle/ Hibiscus sabdariffa. I hope that’s not too big of a problem. And I agree with you that Hibiscus is probably not the cause of my increase hair fall, but more likly me over-oiling plus my sudden change in diet to a diary-rich one for calcium intake. I’m still practicing the best way to use powder shampoo ’cause like you’ve mentioned, the paste can feel sticky and I certainly cannot run my hands through my hair with it like a regular shampoo. So I do it bit by bit, starting from my hairline towards the middle. When I treat my hair gently, I lose less hair during and after washing I noticed. Perhaps you can share your method with us too! Thank you once again for taking the time to reply to comments, you’ve been a great help! If I ever get to visit India, I can imagine my souvenirs will all be local herbs 😀
You have mentioned the parts to be used in the powder..
can you please help me with exact grams to be used? i am planning to make the powder to use for my hair.
I am planning to mix Areetha, Shikhakai, Amla, Hibiscus powder and methi powder. I am not sure what should be the measurement for each ingredients.
Appreciate your help
Thank you.
Hi Jigna, I’m not sure if your question was meant for Deepa or me, but I’m happy to share what worked for me. If I’m making a small batch, then I’ll use 20grams as 1 part, 80grams will be 4 parts etc, regardless of which ingredient. So 80grams for 4 parts of shikakai, 20grams for 1 part of amla etc.
Hi Deepa. Thankyou for sharing such a wonderful recipe. Can I order these powders from herbskart? It is chennai based company. Kindly let me know. Amazon has so many sellers and I doubt their quality. Also, I live in north India so there are very less local shops selling these powders. Kindly guide me😊
I am facing a lot of hair fall to the point I have a receding hair line or bald spot in forehead whatever you call it
I begged my mother to get me a natural shampoo and my mother made a out of shikakai + green gram (payaru she said not aware of it’s english name;) + Fenugreek seeds
All these were crushed and made as a powder
I used it but it did not remove oil
Your opinion please
Hi. Thanks for the post. It was of great help. I had bought powdered form of a bunch of the herbs mentioned above before I came across your post. Just that how can I use the quantity you mentioned in powdered form? For eg you mention 4 part shikakai, can i use, say 4 tbsp shikakai?
Simple answer is yes! And that’s the reason the measures are given in parts & not grams!
Hello dear..
You have mentioned the parts to be used in the powder..
But can you kindly mention in grams for all the ingredients..
Waiting for your reply..
Thank you so much! I was looking to switch out to a traditional powdered shampoo (in fact started by just using the one I use for my face), then I found this post. Have tried the recipe – it rocks. My hair texture feels almost 10 years younger just after two washes! I have a question – in your experience how frequently would you shampoo with this? Would every other day be too often? Or every two days?
Hi,
This is the most comprehensive guide I have found on the internet! Thank you so much for researching and sharing. I started using henna indigo and Amla… it did absolute wonders for my asian hair. More body And volume! I started using shampoo soap bars years ago but found they stripped my hair and scalp way too much. I am so glad I came across your blog. Messaging from Australia here.
I am wondering though is Albizia bark powder the same as arappu?
Love henna and indigo and amla especially as my hair ages! And also don’t care for soap bars. Thank you for the kind words! Arappu is a lead powder — not bark. Leaves of Albizia Amara to be precise. So, no, it’s not a substitute! I’d just skip that if you can’t find. It’s a nice shampooey feeling but there are other cleansers in the mix. Good luck!
Instead of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, I only managed to find Hibiscus sabdariffa powder. I hope that’s alright as well?
No no it’s not a substitute! Hibiscus sabdariffa Is the wild hibiscus or roselle—what you have as powder is not the flower but the calyces, which are great to make desserts and teas and jams (there’s a recipe on this blog somewhere). But it can’t be used with the same effect on hair! Skip it — but no substitutes on this one.
Hi Deepa. Thankyou for sharing such a wonderful recipe. Can I order these powders from herbskart? It is chennai based company. Kindly let me know. Amazon has so many sellers and I doubt their quality. Also, I live in north India so there are very less local shops selling these powders. Kindly guide me😊
Hi Shikha, I’ve no idea about herbskart I’m afraid! You’re quite right about amazon sellers and variable quality, but it’s hit or miss with most online sources I’m afraid — a lot depends on how they are sourcing ingredients, and how long those are sitting on shelves etc. Try it out; the worst that can happen is that you’ll have to try again!
Hi Deepa,
Wow! I came across your blog and got excited to find the recipe for hair wash.
I want to check with you whether I can use readymade powders to make this recipe, as finding the whole ingredients and then drying them would be difficult in the place where I live.
Also, will this powder be used on curly hair as curly hair is naturally very dry. So was wondering if anything in this recipe can be tweaked to suit curly hair?
One more thing I want to ask you is whether this powder can be used on children?
Awaiting your reply.
Thanks and regards,
Ishani
Hello Ishani, you can use powders but be prepared for variability — one just doesn’t know how long those have been sitting around, or the quality of the source ingredients. But this recipe is all about tweaks and playing with proportions, so go for it! For drier hair, use less shikai, soapnut, maybe skip the arappu or use much less of it. It’ll feel less shampooey, but also won’t strip your hair of natural oils. And get into a regular oiling regimen! Use more hibiscus & maybe also separately to condition (ie not as part of the hairwash mix). Just all things I would try!
Hi Guys !!
This guide by Deepa is one most awesome guides I have come across on the internet.
This shampoo is by far the best among the others I have tried in my whole life. I just wanted to share a few tips with you all.
1. If your hair is too dry you can few more ingredients to this recipe like AvaaramPoo and Aloe vera powder which are great for conditioning hair
2.You can even add Karboga Arisi(I don’t know what they call in English) which helps in reducing body heat.
Most importantly, If you are switching from Chemical shampoo to this natural herbal shampoo, You will face hair-fall and not so smooth hair for few weeks( it took me over 8 weeks to adjust to it) and you will have a little tangly feel like Depa said.
But if are patient enough to see the results after 10 to 12 weeks this is the best shampoo ever
Okay, I am taking so much I think.
Bye fellas.
Have an awesome year and Hair too !!!!
Sorry to be responding so late — but thank you, both for the tips as for the kind words! Aloe poweder, eh? I’d never have thought of it. Of course you can buy anything I suppose, but I’ve tried to stick only to ingredients I can make or source locally. Karpoga arisi is babchi — Psoralea corylifolia. I knew of its use for skin, but not hair. I’m working on tweaking this recipe, too, when the weather is drier. I’ll update it soon!
Hi Deepa,
My mother and I tried different remedies and we didn’t see any difference in our hair growth. But now we have hope that this remedy is going to work wonders. Thank You!
My mother is 41 yrs old and has Rheumatoid Arthritis and blood pressure. This powder contains fenugreek, which cannot be utilized by people with arthritis according to the elders in Sri lanka due to its cold potency so I wanted to know if she can use this herbal hair wash powder.
Hello Zainab, I assume that the proscription about fenugreek use applies to internal consumption rather than external application? I would think that the cooling effects of methi are more if ingested, and far less for topical use. If that’s correct, using methi seeds topically–and that, in small quantities as part of this hair powder, should be ok. You might want to test it out with care, just to be safe. Also, I make no claims about it producing wonders for hair growth! As I say in this post, these things work the way people say if they’re part of a whole suite of practices, and of course there’s the quality of ingredients and shelf-life also to consider…
I would like to thank for your wonderful herbal hair wash powder remedy. I’m having a severe hair fall problem during this pandemic lockdown. My food and sleep cycle had disturbed in this period. I’ve stopped using shampoo from Oct 1and started to prepare your herbal powder from Oct 1-19 and I’m using from oct20-dec20. My hair fall reduced a lot. Thanks. And I’m having dandruff problem. Please help me to get rid of from dandruff in natural way.
HI Karthi, sorry to be replying late — I’m really glad to hear my personal experimental recipe has been of use to you! Although hair fall can be caused by a number of factors, including stress and thyroid issues (among others), so do get yourself checked out if you think any of that applies. For dandruff, I’m not sure I have a specific remedy though washing your hair with neem and curry leaf water, or just making a separate batch of the powder with a larger quotient of dried neem and curry leaves would be what I would try. If you try that, do let me know how it goes. Happy new year!
If I put too much of fenugreek and other ingredients, only 4 parts of shikakai, 1 part of aritha and 1 part of amla, can I increase aritha and amla to 2 parts each to compensate? My hair is usually oily and I use oiling method before washing my hair. I only have this for now until I am able to go to the store.
Not sure I fully understand. Your recipe is 4 parts shikai, 1 part soapnut, 1 part amla + other ingredients? Or do you not have the other ingredients and are wanting to adjust? If that’s the case, I would actually leave it at 4:1:1 all the more since you say your hair is oily. But use only as much as you need to get the oil out and for you to feel your hair clean. In other words: with the full recipe, I would use more powder for the same cleaning effect, because a lot of other ingredients are included. But if it’s only shikai-soapnut-amla, I would use less. I hope that makes sense! Good luck & let me know how it goes.
I simply used 2 parts of fenugreek and couple of other ingredients as in proportion to shikakai, amla and aritha. If to work with 4:1:1:1:1 and so on proportions, how to adjust from 4:2:2:1:2:2 to 4:1:1:1:1 ?
Already worked beautifully for my hair. Thank you for the recipe. I am part Romani and my hair is similar to structure of hair of Indian women so this recipe is God send. So much thank you.
I’m glad to hear that! truly! And if it’s working for you, don’t worry about the math of the proportions too much. These are rough measures anyway, and some folks use only shikai, amla and reetha as I think I mentioned in the post. (Although 4:2:2:1:2:2 should become more like 2:1:1:1/2:1:1 if you halve it… )
Hello!
Thank you so much for such an informative article.
May I ask you if the amla in this recipe would darkener my daughter’s light colour hair? Is there a substitute?
Also, should I use different percentages for the use of this recipe on kids? I am not sure that this is a child- friendly formula, but since I consider my daughter old enough, besides being very careful, I am thinking of trying it on her.
Once again congratulations for your knowledge and for letting it available to us all.
Cheers.
Dayane, Amla doesn’t act as a hair dye so its impact should really be minimal, color wise, and it has other virtues besides–so keep it in, and treat it as something that will likely make your hair richer looking, even as ageing/whitening happens (this presumes years of regular use though!). As for kid-friendly-ness — the key cleansing ingredients, shikai and soapnut, can burn eyes like any other shampoo save Johnson’s baby perhaps. If they do, I flush out with clear cool water and I’m fine in a moment — but I would not leave this to very young children to handle. When my (grown) sons use this, I do remind them to be careful not to get it in their eyes. When they were younger, I used to apply it on their wet hair, massage, and then send them off to shower asking them to keep their heads back so the powders etc. flow backwards and away. Then again, we did the same for regular commercial shampoos! It’s up to you to decide whether to call it child-friendly or not 🙂 Glad you found the information here useful!
Hello.
I am glad you answered. I will keep the amla in, then. I will wash my daughter’s hair every time, so for me will be no chance in the routine. I live in Portugal so I cant find all the ingredients here (except the hibiscus flower powder 🙂 When I do manage to make the powders mix, I will let you know how it went. Thank you for caring.
Cheers.
Please read: no change in my routine, instead.
If you’re in Portugal you might well just find hibiscus flower tea — which is the same thing, as long as there are no added ingredients. But it’s an optional ingredient, honestly. More for conditioning in dry form than anything else. If you do ever find fresh flowers and leaves though, you could just use your hands to tear them repeatedly in water; the process releases their “gooeyness” which is what feels shampoo-like on hair and is conditioning. That you can apply directly after washing with the powders etc. It’s wonderful!
Amazon.com has all the ingredients on their website and they are shipped directly from India. I was able to order almost all of them. They are more expensive but they are there.
Oh wow — all the way from India! Appreciate your willingness to get them and make this hairwash powder, but are there no closer sources, at least for the main ingredients? I’d also be curious to know about other, more traditional herbs/methods used to wash hair prior to the commercial shampoo revolution… in case you ever come across that type of information and are inclined to share!
Its really awesome article. I am 30 year old female and facing hair fall problem since last 6-7 years. It has gone worst now :(. I fear I will loose all my hair.
I would really love to try this natural hair wash solution. I will try and find the ingredients in local store.
However, by any chance -Do you take orders for this ?
Hello Sumedha, I’m sorry to hear of your hair fall issue. Have you consulted a doctor about it? Sometimes hairfall can be caused by other issues (such as thyroid deficiencies, stress) that need to be addressed medically and/or by changing diet & not just by changing body care products. Assuming you’ve done that already, I’ll add here that you would have to source good ingredients for these herbal wash powders to do their best work — I made it one year and had excellent results, but the next year it was not nearly as effective. So be sure to get the freshest ingredients, and make a fine powder. You can honestly also try just using shikai for washing, and hibiscus for conditioning. Both are really good for hair and you’d not need to worry too much about the other ingredients for this specific issue. Orders: I’m always happy to share a sample if I have some, but my latest batch isn’t the best, so it won’t be until I make another batch. That aside, I don’t commercially produce any of what I put on this blog. It’s a whole other story, and I know it doesn’t give you the quick supply you’re seeking, but commerce kills the joy of what I do. If you follow this thread or email me privately, I’ll try to remember to send you a sample, the next time I make a batch.
Hi Deepa,
Thanks for this wonderful hairwash powder. I have procured all the ingredients, sun dried them. But I couldn’t get them grinded at the mill. Hence I used my mixie. Couldn’t get it too fine. What is the issue if it is a bit coarse?
Also does the final powder color after mixing all the ingredients looks Olive green? Because it doesn’t look brown in the end, I dont know if my proportions are not right.
Hi Geetha, the issue with it being coarse is only that it won’t be so easy to use in the bath. Coarser powders might cause tangling in your hair & make it harder to wash out. The finer the powder the more the penetration to your scalp, too. So you might try to sieve the powder a few times & grind the coarser parts until they’re as fine as you can make them. Perhaps you’ve done that Already! As for color — there’s a lot of natural variation depending on your ingredients. If they’re fresher, you might well get a nice rich olive green! Good for you! It all might also brown with age, and that’s ok also. Proportions matter but variations there are also ok—see how you feel after using it a few times & make adjustments (usually only to hibiscus for conditioning, maybe shikai but don’t add more arappu) only after. Let me know how it goes! So happy you found the ingredients & dried them etc instead of ordering through Amazon!!
[…] this is also an informative webpage (and FINALLY, a page tells me what I was actually searching for this whole time, which is: can you […]
Hi,
Love your site.
I have been using herbal powders to clean my hair for years and love it.
Have you ever had problems with the herbs clogging your drain?
I recently noticed that the drain in our bath tub was getting clogged and was wondering if it was because of the herbal powders.
Thank you so much!
Apologies for my late response — but no, the herbal powders really should not be clogging anything. They wouldn’t be the ones to cause any sort of goop build-up, although if there’s some already then the physical “bulk” of the herbal material might just add to that. I’d say clear the block, and you shouldn’t face any more or less clogging than usual (usual being what you’d face with just regular soaps and shampoos). In my case I almost want to say things got better, plumbing wise! I use a strainer at the drain, and it was easy enough to clean that out periodically. Nothing more.
Hi, thank you for this recipe and the beautiful explanations. I was wondering if sweet basil can be used instead of holi basil?
It can be, I suppose… no harm in it certainly. But it’s also ok to skip the tulsi/basil entirely, too. It’s nice to have, but not absolutely essential for cleansing.
Thanks Deepa!
Hey, as it is difficult to find every ingredients with best quality can you share brands which sell good quality hair wash powder with above all ingredients,
It would be great hearing these from you
Thankyou
Such a beautifully researched and written post❤Been using this religiously for 2 months now instead of shampoos, and can see visible changes in my hair fall. I also added moringa powder and flax seeds powdered to this. Great Great work, Deepa🙏I have two queries, would be grateful if you can address.
1. Can I use this as a hair mask and wash with a mild shampoo ( my sister mildly cribbed that her hair still felt sticky after the hair wash and oil remained in the scalp)?
2. My mom got severe cold once she used this as a hair wash. I couldn’t figure out what could have caused it, is it fenugreek? She wants me to check because she absolutely loved the way her hair felt after the wash and wants to continue using it.
Thanks once again for the generosity in sharing such valuable information!
Hi Minu! I’m always happy to see comments such as your own, and offer my ideas in response. To (1): yes absolutely I’ve used this as a hair mask myself, on occasion, and if my hair has felt oily still, just a drop of shampoo to get it out works. But you can also try increasing the quantity of the powder you use at each go. Unfortunately depending on the age of the powder and the quality of ingredients, this doesn’t remain exact each time, but for my long hair, oiled, 4 tablespoons always does the trick. To (2): indeed, fenugreek is cooling, but honestly I doubt that anything in the hair wash itself caused the cold 🙂 It’s much more likely a coincidence, or just the cooling caused by prior oiling and then washing hair etc. To be more careful in next rounds, some ideas: sesame oil instead of coconut when oiling, don’t leave the oil for too, too long, especially in winters & certainly not overnight, and also use tepid water (just warm enough to balance the cooling of the oil etc.) while bathing so you keep temperatures even keel — avoid the big ups and downs that come from using very hot water which isn’t great for hair anyway. I hope some of these strategies work!
Yaay! Excited to see your response to my doubts. This time I got more adventurous and added moringa powder, flax seeds and coconut milk powder to this hair wash. Loved it. Hope I haven’t used any conflicting ingredients in here. Please let me know 🙏
Will ask my sister to try out the hair mask on for longer time. Keep up the amazzzing job❤
Hi mam, it’s really very much helpful for me. My hair is falling since I used shikakkai hair shampoo. Quite so longtime, I just referred your website I want to try your recipe for my hair. But how to calculate the parts into grams can guide?
Thank you mam
Hi mam, it’s really very much helpful for me. My hair is falling since I used shikakai hair shampoo. Quite so longtime, I just referred your website I want to try your recipe for my hair. But how to calculate the parts into grams can guide?
Thank you mam
I have a new recipe coming soon that gives the weights — please stay tuned for that. In the meantime, 1 part can be 1 cup (or 1 bucket!), regardless of the weight. It’s a formula by volume rather than by weight. But as I say stay tuned for more.
[…] though I suppose we all preferred shampoo back then & I didn’t return to hair powders until later in life–a trajectory I’m working to radically compress with my own […]
Hi Deepa,
Just curious, where do you get the ingredients from?? Are they available locally at them nattu vaithyam shops? Do you buy online?? Please help!!
Ps: I live in Chennai.
Hi Aaron, I don’t buy online if I can help it. I get most of what I need from the local market, the naattu vaidyar kadai—and some things like neem, hibiscus etc straight from daily collections in the garden though flower market vendors might have them also. In chennai, the mylapore market area might be a good source, and Dabba Chetty! Good luck 😊
Hello,
thank you for this great recipe. I would like to make my own hair wash powder but I have dark blonde hair.
I researched a lot about the herbal hair powders. I read that Amla and Shikakai can make the hair darker.
Can I avoid them in the recipe?
I have the following ingredients at home:
Reetha
Hibiscus
Methi
Brahmi
Baheda
Kapoor Kachli
Ashwagandha
Kachur Sughandi
Moringa
Ziziphus spina Christi (Sidr)
Marsh mallow root
Chamomile
Rosemary
Horse chestnuts
Soapwort root (saponaria officinalis)
Can I make a powder with Reetha powder as the main cleanser? I already used it on my hair and it worked.
I’m sorry if I spelled anything wrong.
Greetings from Germany!
Eliza, Well you’re not going to need all those ingredients, in fact it’s likely best not to add many of them, even if you do decide to leave out some from my recipe 🙂 Two basic points. First, that amla+shikai are the heart of this recipe, so if you leave them out — then I’m not sure what the value is of this herbal hair wash any more. You can concoct your own, based on your local and native ingredients, but that would be another story. (That said, if you have access to arappu, that perhaps can act as a substitute for shikai alone, so that’s an option, but I don’t see it on your list.) Second, although it is true that amla (not sure about shikai) can be hair darkening, it’s not like they’re going to turn blonde hair black with prolonged use. The effects are slight and subtle & I think what people often refer to as “darkening” esp. with reference to amla is that they make your hair look richer — greater sheen etc. — which is associated with darkening for us with black hair. Connected to this, I’m yet to confirm it myself, but if anything shikai strips hair color (I use a combo of henna and indigo from time to time, and if I use shikai washes, I feel like I’ve to repear that dyeing process much more frequently. But as I say, that’s an informal observation). So in my experience, shikai is *lightening rather than the reverse. To your question about whether you can do a hairwash with reetha — yes you most certainly can. But remember that reetha is soapnut and we use it for everything from dishwashing to laundry, so it’s just cleansing, and a little harshly so for hair use, so the process would be to boil and use the water, not the powder as you’d end up using a lot more than needed. Bottom line: it’s not the same thing. Good luck to you & let me know if you have any other questions. Greetings from a town called Pondicherry!
Hi Deepa. Thanks for a wonderful and visually appealing post. My hair is extremely frizzy and has also turned grey- white since I’ve stopped coloring it. I was wondering if I could add indigo powder to this shampoo to darken the hair. Also i thought of not using the soap nuts to avoid further dryness. Would that be ok? What do you think?
Sangeeta, well to control the frizziness I’d say take out the arappu more than reduce the soapnuts, although you could try removing one and then the other (or making a mix without either — separate small portions — add arappu to one, soapnuts to the other and see which you like better before finalizing the larger mix.. if that makes sense). In my experience (I actually have another recipe coming in the next days), arappu is more drying than soapnuts.
For hair coloring — no, I’d not recommend adding indigo here, honestly because indigo almost counteracts a lot of the other ingredients. It’s great on top of henna as a colorant, but it doesn’t make hair feel good & needs a lot more time to work its own color magic anyway. I’d say keep them apart. Henna+ lime juice left to set for several hours and applied for several more hours (I do overnight) + indigo then applied as a paste separately for about 2 hours — two step process, a little messy, but is the hands-down best way to get your coloring done at home with natural ingredients.
I hope this helps!
[…] post is a follow-up to my prior recipe for a hair wash powder with really one primary goal: to make the process of producing this powder at home a little […]
If suppose I get all in Powder form then shikakai 200g means I have to take arappu powder also 200g?
Hank you for sharing g such a great herbal shampoo recipe. I’ve been washing my hair with only the three top ingredients plus fenugreek, all powdered. I ordered most of the other ingredients which I wasn’t aware of their benefits, can’t wait to add to my basic shampoo! Question, would it help to add aloe Vera powder? I have wavy, frizzy hair. Thank you
Hi, Posting my comment here again because it was added a reply to a comment and not as a reply to the post. Here it goes
Hi, I have been hunting for natural hair wash alternatives since almost a year and I stumbled upon this. This is like a dream come true. I loved the way you have collated everything so well. Amazing write up. I’ve had a wonderful thick lustrous hair since childhood. But somehow I got a lot of gray hair and twice got alopecia patch which is treated now. Since then, hairfall has been haunting me every moment of my life. I am in pain literally when I see my old pictures. Being a mother and working full-time, it’s not possible for me to make such hair powder. I have already tried 2 brands which I am not at all satisfied with. They turned my hair into scrubber and tangled like you’ve described in your post. But will have to find a time maybe some extended weekend. The hardest part is to collect all these Godly ingredients. Thanks anyway, sweetheart. I really want to try this out.
No problem! I guess I added to that reply thread 😀
Am so so very glad i came to this page.. i jus started to use herbal powders instead of shampoos and I’m complete novice. This post really helped me to learn a lot more about herbal shampoos.
I can literally see my scalp, thats how bad my hairfal is!..
Hope i get back my old healthy hair.
Kudos
I’m glad & hope the move to herbal products for hair care helps restore your scalp and hair health. I know it has helped mine a lot!
This post is really useful, Thank you for sharing such a nice post..!!
Happy you found it of value!
Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe!! 🙂
I wanted to ask if I could use 4 parts of only hibiscus leaves when short of flowers
Absolutely. Hibiscus is more for conditioning than cleansing. Just keep that in mind!
Thank you!!
Actually I was thinking about putting hibiscus leaves to the overnight soaked shikakai, amla and reetha. I wanted to start with a herbal shampoo with only few ingredients than adding everything altogether..
So you’re working with whole shikai, amla, soapnut — not powder? That’s fine of course, and the liquid distilled will keep for some days in fridge (but not as long as the powder of course). To that you’re adding hibiscus leaves — fresh or powder? I mean, anything will work, it’s just a question of how effectively. I’d say if you’re working with powders, stay with them. If you’re doing whole ingredients soaked overnight, my suspicion is that the better combo then is fresh hibiscus, which you can blend quickly with the liquid and use that as a shampoo. That should work well.
Thank you Deepa for replying.
Actually, I was first thinking about making powder but with the climate I couldn’t dry them in the sun and it got really hard to grind it into fine powder.. I have a hibiscus plant at home so I am going to use fresh leaves and flowers..
If you could tell me what quantity I should use reetha, amla, shikakai and hibiscus.. it will be really helpful as the quantity in powdered form is easy to understand but not when they are in their original form..should I add anything more to it or is it fine with only these ingredients?
Got it. I would actually use roughly similar proportions for the whole-boiled-in-liquid process. Go with the most shikai (say, 2 generous handfuls), then about 1/2 that of soapnut and amla each. Boil that really well (might need to keep on simmer for a half hour or more), and strain the liquid out to store. When you’re ready to use it, I would blend in the fresh hibiscus leaves/flowers — a handful or about 10-15 goes a long way. You could use a bit of the shikai water + the leaves and make a paste. I think you’d get the best results if you 1, wash your hair with the liquid and then 2, follow by washing/conditioning with the hibiscus paste — it feels like a shampoo. But if a 2-step process is not your thing, then just make the hibiscus paste, dilute with the shikai liquid and use that (aim for a large mug size for long hair — mine comes to just above my waist). You actually get better conditioning this way, but you’ll have to tell me what the wash is like. I’ve done similar things, but used the powder for cleansing, and the hibiscus fresh for conditioning. So you’ll have to test and let me know how it goes. Does this help? Any other questions, do ask!
Thank you so much Divya.. you really cleared all my doubts.. I would definitely try this and the hibiscus and shikakai water paste for conditioning too.. I will surely let you know when I try this out.. thank you again!! 🙂
*Deepa..Sorry for the mistake
No problem! 😀 Good luck!
Hey Deepa, I did it. I washed my hair. The scalp looks clean but I don’t know about the hair. It looks and feel waxy and limp. The top of the head more than the rest of the hair. I mean to the point that they are taking shape of the braide and not in a good kind of way but more of like locks?? I guess.. I hope you are getting what I am trying to say..
Tanya, sorry my response is late. I suspect this is an issue of quantity — using the liquid forms may mean you have to use more because, unlike the powder-made-int0-paste, the liquid won’t sit on your hair to cleanse it quickly enough. It sounds like the oil didn’t wash off. You can try increasing the concentration of the liquid (boil it down more), increase the soapnut-shikai proportions a bit, or even try cooking and blending into a paste. I’ve not done any of this myself. It’s just stuff I’d try if I couldn’t dry & make a powder myself. Good luck!
Hello Deepa, actually I couldn’t get the concentration right so I bought the powdered form from store and it actually made the difference from the previous one.. my hair doesn’t feel that waxy anymore.. but I wanted to ask you is it normal that now when I am combing my hair, my comb is getting stained a little
Stained? Shouldn’t be, no! Unless the mix you bought had some henna in it??
No, not that I know of. It happened with the over-night soaked liquid shampoo too.. could it be residue?
Hey Deepa, I have been using this recipe for quite some time now. It was great at first but now it’s causing build-up. My scalp is gressy all the time and my ends are dry. I am not using any other products on my hair. Can you please suggest me something for it?
Hi Medha, here are a few things I would try: 1, oil and shampoo your hair once and see if that helps. You can return to using the powder after that. 2, use only shikakai a few times & see if that helps & then return to the full powder. 3, use MORE of the powder made into a paste, make sure you rub it in or leave it in for a bit longer and see if that helps. Actually, I’d do this in reverse order — try 3, then 2, then 1! If you have dry ends, try oiling (actually I’m assuming you’re oiling regularly, too?) or a different oil — bhringraj works well for me & I’ve a post up on making your own if you’re interested. Hair health can be affected by all sorts of other things, including diet and stress, but I hope one or other of the above solutions produces some good effects!
Can i use this remedy after oiling my hair? And i Didn’t understand what the meaning for 1 part 2 part 3.4.5 parts in this remedy
yes, you can use this after oiling your hair. As for the parts, 1 part can be taken as 1 cup, for example. Perhaps this updated post will help you out some: https://www.paticheri.com/2021/06/03/how-make-your-own-herbal-hair-wash-powder-new-improved/
If you have 40 to 50 percent grey and your hair is naturally dark is 3 hours the recommended time? Looks like additional applications my not take as long?
Thanks for sharing the information with us, it was very informative
Glad you found it helpful!
The best herbal shampoo recipe! Makes my hair look sooo healthy, shiny and voluminous!
Never going back to commercial shampoo.
Question: Do you measure parts by weight or volume of the powdered herbs?
So happy to hear it, Ritika. On measurements, honestly I strike a balance between weight and volume — assuming it’s easier to measure leafy ingredients at least by volume than by weight. My volumetric measures are in proportion to other ingredients, so there’s a rough weight accounting built into this recipe. If you’ve seen my updated version of the recipe https://www.paticheri.com/2021/06/03/how-make-your-own-herbal-hair-wash-powder-new-improved/ — then that may help answer some of your questions as well.
I have not done enough trial and error as you have. I must say it was one of my better reads on natural herbs from India. I find most websites provide way too much info or way too little. Your site gave me a good taste of what I would like to try and I want to thank you for that.
My grandfather’s first Nations so I grew up with some home remedies that I still use today. My father’s side is all Irish I had red hair which turn to a brownish auburn color as I aged along with a few grays. As a result I started using henna 4 to 5 years ago as the chemicals in the hair products from the giant beauty industry started to make my hair fall . It was also a pretty near impossible to find out which ones were doing what exactly .I have thick coarse dry curly hair. I use amla powder along with Indigo in my henna to get the color I want. Where I have problems is keeping the color last and making my hair soft shiny all the while keeping a bounce to my curls.
If you could please suggest what to use for conditioner as I have the ingredients for the shampoo. It would greatly be appreciated . I’m very excited to see what you come up with so I can try a few suggestions and let you know how they worked. Thanks again for your approach to keeping hair healthy along with the environment….Deepa
Hooked in a good way ♥️👍Brenda 🦊
PS do you have info on ashwagandha
Hello Brenda, I’m so glad you found the post helpful. It’s wonderful you’re searching out these natural products and solutions. I’m not sure I have answers for your concern about keeping color, but for conditioning henna by itself is really and truly excellent. Some will mix henna and yogurt, too. Maybe do that more often than you add indigo, or just do henna as a separate step and leave it in overnight (yes, overnight, with a shower cap on!). Make the indigo application a separate one altogether. Another alternative is hibiscus, flowers and leaves. Grind them fresh, strain the liquid or just use the whole thing like a paste. The third solution is to regularly give yourself oil massages. Use argan oil if you must, though a sesame or coconut oil works just fine. That alone keeps hair soft, shiny, healthy, but you can do that AND use henna and/or hibiscus. Good luck! (and no, nothing on ashwagandha just now…)
I am facing a lot of hair fall to the point I have a receding hair line or bald spot in forehead whatever you call it
I begged my mother to get me a natural shampoo and my mother made a out of shikakai + green gram (payaru she said not aware of it’s english name;) + Fenugreek seeds
All these were crushed and made as a powder
I used it but it did not remove oil
Your opinion please
Hmm. Shikai and green gram (yes that’s the payaru) should have been oil-removing by themselves, but I don’t know the mixing proportions & it’s possible you used too little or the oil was strong (castor, for eg., will take more more powder and time to remove). One simple solution would be just to try again and use more powder or use it a second time. Next, try mixing in some soapnut — you can get whole soapnut and soak in water or boil in water for some time, and use that to hydrate your powder. Arappu is another possible solution, but use as little as possible there or it’ll dry your hair out. Bear in mind that we’re just talking about oil-removal here, not the sort of nourishing for hair-fall which it sounds like you were originally trying to address. For that, you’ll want to make sure you add other things like amala, curry leaves, even neem etc. & you already have methi in there… Finally, perhaps a medical check will be insightful — hair fall can have a lot to do with other issues such as thyroid deficiencies and so on. Hope this helps!
thanks for sharing the information with us
You’re very welcome!
[…] combination with shikai and/or arappu, kuppaimeni and poolaan kizhangu could also go into a robust hair-wash powder, their main value being for scalp cleaning (though poolaan kizhangu also adds a wonderful […]
[…] add them in dried form to my face scrubs, body scrubs, hair wash powder, and hair oils (nourishing here and scalp-cleansing here)–they’re invaluable for skin […]
Hello Deepa,
I’d first like to say how thorough your article and recipe is. I’ve been looking to make my own shampoo for awhile now and to have you share your knowledge about what each of the ingredients is used for has made the world of difference for me, so thank you! My question is this – if I wanted to make a liquid version of this using dried ingredients instead of powders, would the ratios still work? I know I would need to remove the green mung altogether, however I’ve only been able to find arappu powder online instead of dried. Would avarampoo be an ok substitute or do those two have different properties or could I just leave out the arappu? Conversely, can you make a liquid version using powders? I’ve seen some videos and have wondered if soaking/cooking the powders can be done instead of using dried ingredients.
Any suggestions/information you can provide would be wonderful. Thank you again for such a great article.
Christine 🙂
Hello Christine, I’m glad you found this information helpful. First, I’d just leave out the arappu. It’s not at all the same as aavaaram in its use in body care generally, plus my more refined version of this hair wash powder recipe eliminates arappu completely (it’s more drying than I like), so you can leave it out safely. For the making of a liquid shampoo… yes, the proportions should still work. I’ve seen boiled versions, but the truth is they all have more limited shelf-lives compared to the powders which can be stored for a year. If you’re keen on having a liquid available, then there are two ways that come to mind. 1, make the powder as specified (including mung), then prepare the liquid once a week just by soaking the requisite amount of powder in a generous amount of water (eg. a few spoons of powder to 1 litre of water), and strain it after some hours — refrigerate the liquid and use. 2, pare it down to just soapnut, shikai, amla & simmer those for a while. Refrigerate the liquid which becomes your shampoo. (some folks do things similar for natural liquid laundry soap) 3, in combination with (2) you could also make a “decoction” out of all the green leafy ingredients, esp. the hibiscus and use that as a second rinse/conditioner liquid of sorts. But keep in mind that all these liquids will take refrigeration & it may not be so much fun to have a cold shampoo. … there may be other ways, I’ll keep thinking, but this is what jumps to mind just now. Good luck with your trials, and do let me know how it all goes!
Thank you for your thorough answer Deepa. I was aware that the liquid version would have a shorter lifespan and need to be kept in the fridge, but am happy to hear that the proportions would still be valid. I’m going to play around with both powder and liquid versions to see which I prefer. I tend towards a mostly pitta constitution so cool/cold liquid shampoo may be a treat for my scalp! I’m excited to try these options out and again, wanted to pass along my thanks for your guidance. I’m hoping to make your face wash soon as well to see how that feels on my skin.
With lots of love and gratitude,
Christine 🙂
How many times should I apply this in a week ?
Use it as you would a regular shampoo. Daily is fine, too!
Hi,
I will be Pondicherry next week around 1 December 2022 until 25 December 2022, it would be great if I could purchase this shampoo from you.
Thanks,
Hello Adi, I do not make any of the powders documented on this blog for sale. The recipe, however, is open and available should you wish to try to make it yourself–and I’m here to help answer questions, if you have any. Enjoy your time in my town!
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Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe. Before my hair was so rough and hairfall so much.after using this my hair looks so shiny and hairfall reduced.before i done 4 times straighting.but now I see results without any hair treatments.thanks alot.suggest me for hair volume.
thank you, Deepti, I’m glad this recipe produced good results for you. It should also help you with hair volume since many of the ingredients are for nourishing the scalp — and when your scalp is nourished, there will be better growth and volume. I also suggest regularly using a good hair oil. Here is one recipe (ingredients easier to get): https://www.paticheri.com/2021/04/24/make-your-own-nourishing-herbal-hair-oil/ and here is one more (better for your scalp, ingredients harder to get): https://www.paticheri.com/2021/04/24/make-your-own-nourishing-herbal-hair-oil/
Good luck!
i want to ask you something personally…if you able to give your contact mam.
I am from sivagangai and I finished my PG(MBA).
TRADTIONALLY HOW WERE THE INGREDIENTS POWDERED (NOT MIXIE BUT?)?
I’m going to guess they were stone-ground! I still do that kind of grinding for small batches.
Hello
Hi Deepa, want to thank you for this informative article!!! Came across it after an Indian lady mentioned this shampoo by her mother when she was a young girl.
Now, she mentions mixing the powders and heating in water. Is this the correct way to go?
You could I suppose, but it’s not needed at all and might destroy some of the additives in this recipe of mine.
Tnx!
Hi! I love how you found this recipe looking for zero waste alternatives! I love in Bangalore and unable to find half the ingredients you’ve mentioned unless they come in plastic packaging. Anywhere I can get them loose?
I have relatives in Chennai I could source them as well i think
Also what are the measurements to make an 8 month batch?
So sorry to be replying so late — first, if you follow my slightly updated recipe here — https://www.paticheri.com/2021/06/03/how-make-your-own-herbal-hair-wash-powder-new-improved/ — then that makes me a supply that lasts about a year, give or take, depending on frequency of use (for me, that’s about 2 times a week washing). Bangalore should have just about all the fresh ingredients in local markets; I’d be surprised if you didn’t find them! But you would have to go hunting a bit. Otherwise, really any city with a local wet market would have them all — I go with a dabba, and get all the different dry ingredients filled into it, and bring them home to sun-dry while the leaves etc. are drying. If you sent the measurements to relatives, you could ask them to just send you the mixed bag and take it on from there. Sorry I don’t have any more specific ideas about sources in Bangalore!
Hi Deepa,
Fantastic info. I’ve noticed a comment that said that shikakai can strip some of hair dye colour. I use henna and indigo and I do notice this. Do you have any advice of using a substitute for shikakai for hair cleaning? I also have dry hair.
Thank you very much
Hi Linda, I use that henna+indigo combination as well and have always felt like the color lasted a bit longer if I was only using shampoo, and a bit less time if I use shikai powders. But the difference isn’t that much, and if you’re not washing your hair daily with shikai, it shouldn’t matter so much really. I stick with the powders, all the more because alternatives are hard to come. Some swear by just using hibiscus, but you’d need fresh leaves and that’s never really worked for me, and I believe that to be more conditioning than cleansing anyway. For dry hair — always oil your hair before using this shikai mixture, use a little hair serum or very light oil after washing (like argan oil maybe), and try to find a balance of just how much shikai powder is enough to get your hair feeling clean — 4 spoons? 3? — use that and not more. Those are my techniques anyway. I hope this helps you out!
Hi Deepa,
Thank you for wonderful advice and taking the time to reply. Much appreciated. Just one quick question: I sometimes use Brahmi as a cleanser as it does foam up a little. Do you know much about the use of Brahmi for hair cleaning?
Thank you
Well, it’s an ingredient in my hair wash powder, but (taken both internally and applied externally) it’s more brain/scalp food than anything else. I can’t imagine it foaming up any more than hibiscus leaves… and I’ve never seen or heard it being used locally as a shampoo!
Hi Deepa,
I know you’ve already mentioned this in one your posts but now can’t find it. I ordered Hibiscus and didn’t realise I ordered Hibiscus sabdariffa, which I think you said is not the Hibiscus to use for hair. Is this correct? Can I make use of this Hibiscus or should u return it and get the other type, (the name escapes me at the moment). Thank you
H. Sabdariffa is what they call flor de jamaica, roselles. That makes an excellent tea or even a jelly/jam, but you’re right you can’t use it on hair — all the more because what you have are likely the flower sepals, not the leaves which you need here. Hibiscus rosa-sinensis is what you need — preferably a mix of leaves and flowers, though I suppose either will be ok (though leaves are preferable if you had to choose). Does one get those online? I’m not sure. Good luck!
Thanks Deepa for that info about Hibiscus. How do you use the leaves for conditioning the hair? What are the ways you can prepare Hibiscus for seperate conditioning to the hair cleanser?
Fresh leaves for conditioning — grind with water, apply to hair after shampooing. Leave for a few mins, rinse off. I recommend straining and using just the liquid though, as the leaf-matter otherwise won’t go down drains easily & is a pain to clean off. You could perhaps keep this strained and ready in fridge for maybe a week, not more. But it’s not pleasant to use a cold conditioner, be warned!
Hi, I want to make myself a natural shampoo that cleanses properly but also leaves my hair hydrated and stimulates hair growth (I really need it) but I don’t have access to all of these herbs, the ones I do have access to I put in the formulation below.
I want to make a water based shampoo, not a dry one tho, so I was wondering if you could let me know if my formulation is ok herb-wise in these concentrations if at all possible.
Thank you so much!
SHAMPOO FORMULA:
20% Glycerite extract (lavender/honeysuckle/burdock/horsetail)
47.9% Rose Hydrosol
(30.5% powders):
5% Shikakai
1.2% Reetha
1.2% Amla
5% Hibiscus
1.2% Brahmi
1.2% Tulsi
1.2% Brihgaraj
1.2% Jujube
1.2% Kapoor kachli
1.2% Tulsi
1% Nettle
1% Iris
1% Royal jelly powder (first to disperse in glycerite)
1.2% Lotus
1.2% Ashwagandha
1% Ghassoul/Montmorillonite clay
0.5% Aloe vera powder (first to dissolve in hydrosol)
1% Rice starch (in hydrosol)
1% Xanthan Gum
0.6% Fragard (broad spectrum preservative)
Andreea, I’m impressed that you’ve come up with such a specific formulation 🙂 But I don’t know if i can be much help. I’ve not thought shampoos through in these terms at all. My one thought was that you may have too little of too much in there — marginal quantities of too many ingredients. Of the Indian ingredients listed, I’m not familiar with the use of jujube in hair care products, nor ashwagandha — and bringraj would be a darkener, just FYI. My own approach would be to try to make a basic cleaning shampoo, and a second one that focuses on a smaller subset of carefully chosen micronutrients & use them alternatingly. As for hair growth stimulation — that can be achieved also with the right yougasanas, massages, and regular oilings. The shampoo, wet or dry, would be the least effective method, even when some of the ingredients included have follicle nourishing value. Good luck!
where can i get authentic arappu from?
can you allow us to print this page it says we are not allowed to print that way i can
save the pictures for reference please allow printing!
You emailed me I think? I’ve replied there. Arappu sources are the local khadi shop (which sells herbs and other traditional items) or the country medicine shops. You are right it is harsh, which is why I’ve stopped using it now (see the second post on making hair wash powder, linked from the top). You can print to PDF from the page, you just cannot use right-click options to copy and save content. Sorry!