Ways to refresh your hair with DIY shikakai masks

New Delhi: Herbal care is one of the fool proof methods to protect hairs natural texture and sheen. While a plethora of homegrown ingredients and herbs are available to make your mane lustrous, one specific herb that has been passed on from generation to generation is Shikakai.

Shikakai is rich in antioxidants and numerous vitamins that helps keep hair healthy and nourished especially when blended together with few other Indian ayurvedic ingredients. Venkatesh, Brand Manager - Meera and Gayathri from Karthika share with us insights on four hair masks that can be curated at home to protect and nourish your hair.

Shikakai and amla powder: Breakage and split ends are an everyday concern. Thanks to the stress and pollution that our hectic work schedule exposes us to. 

These harsh damages make one's hair lifeless and dull. A go to solution to protect your hair from root to end is a blend of ayurveda's two best ingredients - shikakai and amla. While both the ingredients are rich in anti-oxidants, amla helps keep hair healthy by fighting off the damage.

Blend together half a cup of shikakai and amla powder with luke warm water to make a paste. Let the paste sit on your hair for 30 minutes and wash it off with cold water. This when repeated every alternate day helps improve overall health of the hair and is an excellent remedy for dry hair.

Shikakai and dahi: Curd is truly a miracle potion when it comes to hair care. Curd helps protect your hair and soothes your scalp against not one but many problems - common one being, dandruff and itchy scalp. 

But it simply cannot do the trick in isolation. Curd when blended together with a variety of powerful ingredients like fenugreek, shikakai, amla and olive/argan oil makes the perfect mask to fight against dandruff.

Curd contains healthy bacteria that helps fight dandruff causing yeast. Mix together 1 tablespoon of fenugreek powder, 1 tablespoon of shikakai, 1 tablespoon of amla powder, 1 tablespoon of argan/olive oil with 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. Continue this mask routine on a weekly basis to restore your scalp health.

Shikakai and coconut oil: Who wouldn't love a hot oil massage followed by refreshing hair wash? While the sounds of it is soothing and relaxing, there are plenty of health benefits that oil bath has. 

However, most of us tend to skip the routine owing to paucity of time. A quick DIY solution to this is indeed a coconut oil shikakai hair mask that can instantly replenish your hair.

Mix together one tablespoon each of shikakai powder and amla powder along with two tablespoons of heated coconut oil and leave the mixture for 3 hours. 

Post warming the mixture, strain the oil and massage it directly onto your scalp and leave it for 30 minutes before rinsing it with normal water. The mask routine can be followed on a weekly basis to maintain the health of scalp and texture of your hair.

Wholesome shikakai mask: We all love a little bit of sugar, spice and everything nice when it comes to hair and skin care. Herbal hair care is all about blending a balance of ingredients that addresses specific concerns while also protecting your hair from future damage. 

One such culmination of ayurveda's handpicked ingredients for an overall protection is the wholesome shikakai mask infused with Tulsi, neem powder, shikakai powder, rose petal powder, fenugreek powder, olive oil and curd. 
Tulsi, a vital and central herb in Ayurveda helps stimulate scalp circulation owing to its antioxidant properties.

On the other hand, neem is a great detoxifier that speeds up the removal of toxins from scalp. To prepare this wholesome shikakai mask, mix together a tablespoon of shikakai, half a table spoon of each neem powder, tulsi powder, rose petal powder, fenugreek powder along with one cup of curd and a tablespoon of olive oil. 

Allow the mixture to sit for 30 minutes and apply the mask onto your scalp. Post a 30 minutes rest, wash your hair with normal water and shikakai powder.