Shikakai

Shikakai is a traditional hair wash made from the dried fruit pods of Acacia concinna, a thorny climbing shrub from tropical Asia. Milled into a fine powder and mixed with warm water, it cleans the scalp with natural saponins and very little lather, and many people find their hair feels softer and easier to detangle than after a stronger wash. Spierb Shikakai Powder is one ingredient, the dried pods, finely ground and triple sifted, with nothing added.

What is Shikakai called in English, and what are its other names?

There's no everyday English word that has replaced it, so it's usually just called Shikakai. "Soap pod" or "soap-pod acacia" turn up as English names, and the word Shikakai is often translated as "fruit for hair". You'll also see Sikakai, Shikekai and Seeyakai, and in Ayurveda it's Saptala or Satala.

Botanists call it Acacia concinna, the name on the Spierb pouch; newer references may list the same plant as Senegalia rugata. It isn't soapnut: soapnut is Aritha (Reetha), a different plant that's often used alongside it. Spierb's Shikakai comes from India.

Why does Shikakai make so little lather?

Shikakai pods contain saponins, natural compounds that act as mild cleansers in water: they help lift oil and residue off your scalp so the rinse carries them away. The wash foams lightly, if at all, and much less than a bottled shampoo or Aritha. How much you see depends on how much powder and water you use, how oily your hair is, how hard your water is and how much you massage. Little lather doesn't mean it isn't cleaning: judge the wash by whether your roots feel clean and your scalp comfortable.

The powder doesn't dissolve either. It hydrates into a thin brown wash with fine particles, which is why a thorough rinse matters.

Does Shikakai remove oil from hair?

Yes, everyday scalp oil, light styling product and a modest amount of oil put on before washing. Very heavy oiling or a lot of styling product may need a second short wash, a blend with Aritha or a conventional shampoo. If you oil your hair before washing, wash the oil out afterwards with a Shikakai wash, mixed with water as usual; how to use Shikakai powder has the method.

What are the benefits of Shikakai powder?

Its job is washing, with a gentler feel than a stronger, soapnut-led wash. A well-made Shikakai wash usually leaves:

• roots that feel clean and light, and a scalp that feels fresh
• hair that's easier to finger-detangle, and less squeaky than after a stronger wash
• lengths that feel softer once dry, often with more shine

You use it as a thin wash: about 10–15 g for short hair, 20–25 g for shoulder-length and around 30 g or more for very long or thick hair, mixed with warm water, left to stand 5–10 minutes, massaged into wet scalp for 60–90 seconds, left 3–5 minutes and rinsed thoroughly, up to twice a week. It also mixes well: 1 tablespoon each with Aritha for a stronger clean, or with Amla, Bhringraj, Brahmi or Aloe Vera Powder, or in the four-powder hair wash. Spierb Shikakai Powder has no added fragrance, colour or preservative.

Wondering which shampoo is 100% natural? There's no agreed standard for that; switching to Shikakai covers what to check instead, and what the first washes feel like.

What to expect, and what it won't do

Gentle doesn't mean you can't overdo it. Too much powder, too little water or too long on your hair can still leave it dry, rough or tangled; Shikakai side effects has the fixes. Dry, curly, porous or bleached hair usually does best with a thinner wash, mainly on the scalp, and conditioner afterwards.

Shikakai is a cleanser. It doesn't make hair grow or regrow, and it isn't a treatment for hair loss or dandruff. As a wash, it rinses away loose flakes on the scalp along with oil and residue. If you're seeing more hair after washing, hair fall after Shikakai explains the difference between breakage and shedding.

Before you use it: patch test, eyes and who should wait

Patch test 24–48 hours before first use on a small patch of clean, unbroken skin. Don't go ahead if the skin burns, swells, blisters or turns red, or if it itches and the itch doesn't settle. A patch test can't rule out a reaction later. Wait until a broken, sore or irritated scalp has settled, and if your scalp burns, swells, itches or comes up in a rash while the wash is on, rinse it out and stop using it.

Keep the wash and rinse water out of your eyes, because it stings. If any gets in, rinse them straight away with plenty of clean water and don't rub them. If an eye still hurts, stays red or your vision is blurred after rinsing, see a doctor or pharmacist straight away; if your face, lips or eyes swell or you have trouble breathing, call 911. Shikakai is for external use on hair and scalp only: don't eat or drink it, and keep it out of reach of children.