Acacia concinna
Senegalia rugata, commonly known in India by the Tamil-derived name Shikakai, is a spiny climbing shrub native to China and tropical Asia, common in the warm plains of central and south India. It is renowned as a raw material for shampoo, and the leaves and young shoots are often eaten. Archaeobotanical evidence shows its use for hair care in the pre-Harrapan levels of Banawali, some 4500–4300 years ago.
It is an herb especially used for controlling hair fall and dandruff. Shikakai can be used alone or in combination with reetha and amla as a shampoo to help manage hair fall and prevent dandruff due to its cleansing and antifungal properties. It provides shine to the hair as well as prevents its greying
Uses
Shikakai in hair care
Senegalia rugata has been used traditionally for hair care in the Indian Subcontinent since ancient times. It is one of the Ayurvedic medicinal plants. It is traditionally used as a shampoo and it is also added in synthetic Ayurvedic shampoos. It is widely known as shikakai, from Tamil சிகைக்காய் cikaikkāy (cikai ‘hair’+kāy ‘fruit’). In order to prepare it, the fruit pods, leaves and bark of the plant are dried, ground into a powder, then made into a paste. While this traditional shampoo does not produce the normal amount of lather that a sulfate-containing shampoo would, it is considered a good cleanser. It is mild, having a naturally low pH, and does not strip hair of natural oils. An infusion of the leaves has been used in anti-dandruff preparations.
Senagalia rugata extracts are used in natural shampoos or hair powders and the tree is now grown commercially in India and Far East Asia. The plant parts used for the dry powder or the extract are the bark, leaves or pods. The bark contains high levels of saponins, which are foaming agents found in several other plant species used as shampoos or soaps. Saponin-containing plants have a long history of use as mild cleaning agents. Saponins from the plant’s pods have been traditionally used as a detergent, and in Bengal for poisoning fish; they are documented to be potent marine toxins.
Food, medicine, and other uses
This species is used in a variety of ways in Cambodia. The young leaves are included in salads. The fruit is used for washing hair and in local medicine. To treat abscesses, eczema and leprosy the fruit can also be used externally or as a laxative when they are taken internally. The pulp of the fruit, without the seeds, is used as a diuretic and emetic, while the seeds are reputed to make delivery in childbirth easier.
Traditional healers of Nakhon Nayok Province, Thailand, use the leaves of this species to treat irregular menstruation.
Amongst the Karen people of Chiang Mai Province, Thailand, the plant is one of the most widely used legumes. They use the fruit in a cold infusion both as soap and shampoo, and as a medicine for food poisoning. The dried fruit is used in holy water for the rituals to pay respect to elderly people and to evict wickedness.
Investigating plant use amongst both Karen and Lawa people living in Pang Hin Fon district (Chiang Mai), S. rugata was one of the plants that provided both food and health-products.The young shoots and leaves are cooked in a soup, the fruit are eaten raw or cooked, while the bark was chewed and kept as a quid in the mouth to counter-act toothache, and a decoction of the fruit was used as shampoo.
An infusion of the leaves of Senagalia rugata has also been used for therapy of jaundice in the traditional Indian medicine. In Nepal, the plant is one of many that are processed and sold in the medicinal products industry. In 2004, an estimated 2,459 kilograms (5,421 lb) of material was purchased nationwide by the industry at an average price of 80 Nepalese rupees. Central wholesalers provided the raw material.
The leaves have an acidic taste and are used in chutneys.
Traditional Benefits Of Shikakai For Hair
- Imparts Shine and Softness To Hair: …
- Removes Hair Lice and Dandruff: …
- Provides Stronger and Thicker Hair: …
- Heals Infections: …
- Slows Down Greying: …
- Soothes Scalp. …
- Restrains Hair Loss. …
- Nourishes Hair Follicles.
Kerala Naturals shikakai powder is 100% pure and natural. Regular use of this powder helps to reduce dandruff and maintains scalps pH balance. Thus acts as a natural cleanser without eliminating natural oils from scalp.
