Shikakai
Common Name: Soap Pod
Botanical Name: Acacia concinna
Active Agents: Saponins, alkaloids
Uses of Shikakai
Hair Wash: Take equal quantities of shikakai pods, green gram, dried amla, dried curry leaves, dried lime peels, and fenugreek seeds. Dry and powder. Mix with water and use as shampoo.
Skin Ailments: Mix shikakai powder and freshly ground turmeric into milk and use as a body wash to cure skin ailments like scabies.
Boils: Make a paste with a teaspoon of shikakai powder and a teaspoon of neem powder in cold water. Apply on minor cuts and summer boils to help them heal.
Anti-aging Skin Scrub: Mix half a teaspoon of shikakai powder with a tablespoon each of cream, almond powder and turmeric. Add two tablespoons of honey and use it as a scrub.