Amla and Shikakai hair mask

When it comes to hair care I am very sensitive (actually when it comes to skin care as well) and over time I have learned that natural does not necessarily mean good. I have fine, thin hair which is prone to breakage, gets dandruff easily if I use the wrong shampoo and it gets greasy quiet fast. Recently I have been trying out amla an shikakai hair mask and I must say that for my hair it does a really good job. Amla and shikakai are considered a form of henna, in India women even use this mixture instead of shampoo, I think you can get away without shampooing after using this hair mask. Well this mask has it's ups and downs: I find that it does give my hair more volume, shine and lives it more manageable and it strengthens it over time. It doesn't get greasy that fast even do I use a hair oil mask before, which is a major plus for this mask, I can was my hair every 4 days now. I find that it does darken it a bit and it will probably get even darker, but for me that is a plus because I like how it looks when it's darker, that depends on how you want your hair to look, but it is not a major difference so you'l probably be fine with it.

The down side is that it is very messy and I find it quite difficult to wash it out of my hair, I have to rinse a lot more. You also have to be careful how you prepare it and apply it. You are not allowed to use any metal, be very careful not to forget this. I use a cereal bowl and a wooden spoon to prepare and apply it. How to prepare: use 50% amla and 50% shikakai, how much in total depends on your hair length, to which you add hot water, it can even be boiled. It says that you are supposed to add 70% water to the powder but I find that a bit to much so I suggest adding as much as you need to make it in to a paste that you think you can add quite easy to your hair. After applying you can leave it in your hair for 10 min-30 min or even more if you have the time, but try not to over do it and leave it for a whole day. I also suggest covering your hair with a plastic bag, even do it is not a must, but the mask will have a better effect and there is no danger of getting everything dirty around the house. You can buy the powders online or at natural shops.