Hey lovely people, I hope you all have been doing well. It’s no secret that I love to experiment on new things on my hair. I love the thrill I get when I try something new in the hopes that I won’t lose my hairline or go bald of course.

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So on my last wash day I decided to switch things up and try shikakai powder and stinging nettle powder. From the infamous rice water that took the world by storm, it’s no secret that Asian women have very beautiful hair. So who doesn't want beautiful hair? 

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What is shikakai powder?

Shikakai comes from the Acacia Concinna tree, a climbing shrub native to Asia. However, it is very common in India and traditionally used as a shampoo. The fruit pods, leaves and bark are dried and then ground into powder which is referred to as shikakai powder which translates as “hair fruit”.

Before testing something out I usually do my research because I don’t want a “it will end in tears” scenario. So don’t just try something out because someone’s else tried it, do your research, make sure you’re not allergic to any ingredients you want to try and you can consult your doctor too. It’s never a crime to take precautions.

Shikakai powder is becoming a popular shampoo especially if you love Ayurveda hair care as its low pH levels means it’s gentle on the hair and doesn’t strip away its natural oils.
Shikakai and Stinging Nettle Powder

Fun fact: I love cleansers that don’t leave my hair feeling crispy.

Moreover, Shikakai powder doesn’t contain sulphate which is great if you’ve a sulphate allergy or eczema. Personally I’ve never used sulfates on my hair ever since I became a healthy natural. I didn’t like the way the sulfate shampoos stripped my hair but if you like sulfate shampoos it’s your choice.

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Benefits of Shikakai powder

  • It contains vitamin E which helps to moisturize hair.
  • Its gentle pH doesn’t strip the hair of its natural oils
  • Promotes hair growth and strengthens the hair
  • It’s a natural conditioner and detangler
  • Clears dandruff
  • It has antioxidants that lessen the rate of hair thinning.

So I decided to also add stinging nettle powder too my shikakai powder.


Stinging nettle is an amazing herb because it blocks DHT (Dihydrotestosterone) a hormone which makes your hair fall out faster than it’s meant to. Nettle has a potential to block DHT as high levels of DHT have been linked to both male and female baldness. Some research confirms that nettle extracts have a potential to inhibit 5-alpha-reductase the enzyme that converts testosterone to DHT and therefore block its production.

Moreover, you can use stinging nettle internally by taking it as a tea or supplements and externally on your scalp, in form of tea rinses, infuse it in oils or as a paste.

More benefits:

  • Its astringent nature help get rid of oily scalp and reduce irritation and itchiness (one of the things that was bothering me smh)
  • Its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties keep the scalp in good health
  • The pantothenic acid and silica strengthen the hair
  • It has fatty acids and minerals which nourish the hair follicles to promote new hair growth

Method of preparation:

I used 2 tbsp. of shikakai powder and 2 tbsp. of stinging nettle powder and mixed it with warm water to make a paste.

I left the paste for 15 mins to cool down before applying it to my hair.

After the 15 mins, I applied the mixture on my hair but concentrated mostly on my scalp. I massaged my scalp for 5 mins and left the mixture in my hair for 30 mins before rinsing it out.

Pros
  • The products are natural
  • They’re gentle
  • It’s relatively quick to prepare and use
  • Suitable for all hair and scalp types including very sensitive
  • My hair was shiny afterwards without additional products



Cons
  • It’s a bit messy so if you’re applying the paste outside the shower do it somewhere that you won’t find it hard to clean
  • It didn’t help with my itchiness (what a bummer!)
  • The particles didn’t completely leave my hair after rinsing I had to wash my hair twice that week. But maybe if you have shorter hair the particles will completely come off.

I’ll definitely give this experiment another try. I hope you enjoy this post and if you need you can share it with your family and friends and also share your experiences too if you’ve tried either shikakai powder or stinging nettle. Until next time my loves xoxo.