Botanical name: Acacia Concinna

Shikakai (English name: soap pod) is the best traditional herb used to promote hair growth, control dandruff, relieve skin problems, etc.

Vernacular names (names in other languages): Shikakai, Sikakai, Chikakhai, Sheekay

Medicinal properties:

Rasa (taste): Tiktha (bitter)
Virya (potency): Shita (cold)
Vipaka (taste after digestion): Katu (pungent)
Guna (quality): Laghu (light to digest)
Effect on on the Doshas: Vatala (increases Vata dosha), balances Pitta and Kapha doshas

Benefits:

• In India shikakai fruits are used to cleanse the hair and clothes. The saponin content in its fruits and bark act as foaming agent and forms the foam.
• Powder of bark, leaves or pods is used as hair conditioner. It cleanses the hair, removes excess oil and dirt, makes hair soft and detangle it. It strengthens the hair roots and promotes hair growth, also relieves scaling, itching, dryness. It also works against dandruff and helps to get rid of hair lice. It is used as an ingredient in many herbal shampoos.
• Traditionally sikakai is used as remedy to treat jaundice, constipation and skin problems.
• In skin diseases, the extract of grounded shikakai pod is used.
• The leaves and pods are used treat cuts, wounds and oral diseases due to its astringent property. Shikakai infusion used to wash wounds can help to reduce swelling, exudation, inflammation, itching, burning sensation and helps in healing the wound.
• The decoction of shikakai pods acts as purgative and used to treat constipation, abdominal pain, indigestion and flatulence, it is also a liver stimulant.
• Infusion of pods is used to treat chronic respiratory diseases. It reduces muscles constrictions in the airways of the lungs
• The saponin content of the bark have spermicidal effect that destroys sperms.
• Shikai leaves are used to treat malarial fever.
• Shikakai bark powder can be used as the bath powder along with other ingredients such as neem, turmeric, green gram powder etc. It removes the dirt, bad odour, relieves itching, dryness, scaling of skin etc.
• Can help to treat low appetite and tastelessness, blood related diseases, abdominal distention or abdominal tumor, piles, ascites, intestinal worm infestation, herpes, blisters

Direction:

To use it as a shampoo or body wash, soak it in water.

Pack Size:

50g-1kg. Available whole and powdered.

Storage:

Store in a cool dry place.

Gomata’s Products with Skikakai:

• Ayurvedic Hair Cleanser “Keshraj”
• Natural Cowdung Soap “Goratn”