Shikakai

Origin: Acacia concinna is a climbing bush local to Asia, regular in the warm fields of focal and south India. 

Acacia concinna has been utilized customarily for hair care in the Indian Subcontinent since the bygone era. It is one of the Ayurvedic therapeutic plants. In order to use it, the natural product cases, leaves, and bark of the plant are dried, ground into a powder, at that point made into glue. While this conventional cleanser does not deliver the ordinary measure of foam that a sulfate-containing cleanser would, it is viewed as a decent chemical. It is mellow, having a normally low pH, and doesn't strip hair of characteristic oils. 

Shikakai is a characteristic homegrown powder obtained from the product of the Acacia Concinna tree. It has been utilized for a considerable length of time as a hair chemical. As a result of its advantages for the hair, the name Shikakai truly signifies "natural product for the hair. It is a magnificent characteristic hair chemical and astringent and furthermore goes about as a characteristic detangler. Utilized as a hair wash in lieu of cleansers and shampoos, it advances glossy hair development, evacuates dandruff and fortifies hair roots. Shikakai separate is utilized in various hair shampoos and other hair items. 

Shikakhi is a customary Indian hair care item prevalent as a characteristic option in contrast to different cleansers and shampoos. The word shikakai made an interpretation of truly into English as "natural product for hair," and is considered by around a superior way to deal with hair care than the synthetic substances in numerous shampoos for both ecological and individual wellbeing reasons. This item is likewise frequently publicized as a remedy for dandruff or for advancing hair development. 

A. concinna removes are utilized in characteristic shampoos or hair powders and the tree is presently developed industrially in India and Far East Asia.

Scientifically: When the Acacia concinna plant is hydrolyzed it yields lupeol, spinasterol, acacic corrosive, lactone, and the normal sugars glucose, arabinose, and rhamnose. It additionally contains hexacosanol, spinasterone, oxalic corrosive, tartaric corrosive, citrus extract, succinic corrosive, ascorbic corrosive, and the alkaloids calyctomine and nicotine. 

Shikakai is rich in vitamin C and contains essential numerous phytonutrients that nourish the hair follicles and promote hair growth.
The plant parts utilized for the dry powder or the concentrate are the bark, leaves or units. The bark contains abnormal amounts of saponins, which are frothing operators found in a few other plant-animal types utilized as shampoos or cleansers. Saponin-containing plants have a long history of utilization as mellow cleaning specialists.

Saponins from the plant's units have been customarily utilized as a cleanser, and in Bengal for harming fish; they are reported to be strong marine poisons. 

Implantation of the leaves of A. concinna has likewise been utilized for the treatment of jaundice in the conventional Indian medicine. It has detangling properties, so no extra items are required. Being normally gentle, it is especially valuable for individuals with delicate skin. Ashikakai cleanser blends different things, for example, henna or characteristic oils in a similar container. A premixed item is progressively advantageous and less muddled, yet it gives the shopper a diminished capacity to tailor his or her hair care. 

The herb Shikakaia usually utilized herb that has numerous healing characteristics. It is prevalently alluded as "organic product for the hair" as it has a normally mellow pH that delicately cleans the hair without stripping it of characteristic oils.

Usage:  The leaves have an acidic taste and are utilized in chutneys. Regular use of shikakai makes hair lustrous and stops hair fall. Shikakai is utilized to control dandruff, advancing hair development and reinforcing hair roots. Its leaves are utilized in malarial fever, a decoction of the units are utilized to soothe biliousness and goes about as a laxative. This powder can be blended with water and can be put straightforwardly on hair.

Below are some DIY Shikakai hair and skin remedies: 

- In a bowl put,1 tablespoon each of fenugreek powder, shikakai, amla powder, argan/olive oil and a cup of curd. Let the mixture rest for 2-3 hours and apply it on your scalp working towards the ends. After 30 minutes, rinse your hair with cold water.

- Take some coarse ground shikakai and add some water to form a paste. Use this as a scrub and remove all the dead skin.

- Take a teaspoon of shikakai paste and add a pinch of turmeric to it. Mix and apply on the face for 5 minutes. Rinse as usual. This helps in soothing skin inflammations and also helps in achieving smooth skin.

- Add some shikakai paste to yogurt and apply on the hair for 45 minutes. Shampoo as usual. This makes hair strong and healthy.