What if we say, “People use Amla for hair’s good health, seeing its green color”? No, we have NOT lost it, read why. You feel ecstatic and positive when the traffic light’s signal turns green, isn’t it? That’s because psychologists say that color green is symbolic of safety, growth, reliability and of course, healthiness. If you want the same impact of color green on your hair too, then you should use Indian Gooseberry on it. BECAUSE, Green color fruits and vegetables have a wide variety of nutrients. Don’t believe us? Then tell us why you are being asked to eat ‘green leafy vegetables’ huh?
Amla belongs to Malacca Tree and is considered as a “superfood” due to its multiple benefits for health, hair and beauty. Amla is rich in Vitamin C, various antioxidants, minerals, iron and other nutrition.
Benefits of Amla for Hair
Amla is one ingredient that is used in various Ayurveda hair care products. Amla’s benefits for hair are known from years, and that’s why amla got extensive use in hair products. Here is the list of benefits of amla for your hair:
1) Controlling Hair Loss & Hair Fall
One of the common reasons behind hair fall is iron deficiency. This is why women are usually diagnosed with anemia. The irony is; it’s only the women who complain about hair break, the most!
Amla does have iron in it and it is also full of Vitamin C that is essential for absorbing iron into the body.
2) Stimulating Hair Growth
Vitamin C of Amla produces collagen protein. This helps in stimulating hair growth, both length and volume wise. Collagens replace the dead cells of hair follicles with new hair cells.
No tree/plant have ever grown without seeds. Hair follicles are like the seeds of our hair. It then gives rise to our hair roots, hair shaft, hair tip and its other parts.
It is said that no plant/tree can grow if its seeds are unproductive. Even a well-watered plant may even die if termites eat its roots. Hence, for looking after the underground hair follicles and hair roots, Alma’s Vitamin C can be of use. That’s because Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that gets quickly absorbed by the body.
3) Hair Strengthening
Vitamin C of Amla helps in avoiding hair thinning, baldness, and hair weakness. A fit hair is the one that has the strength to fight all the hair problems. Hence, hair strengthening is a way to get an ‘ideal hair’.
No king has ever won a war without his army troops. The same way, Vitamin C is assisted by various minerals, nutrients, amino acids, and antioxidants, etc. That helps Amla in fighting against all the hair weakening factors.
4) Removing Dandruff from Scalp
It‘s a well-known fact that Vitamin C is found in lemon and other citrus fruits. Though lemons are commonly pictured on the bottle covers of various Anti-Dandruff Shampoos, but we think Amla surpasses lemon when it comes to ‘overall’ hair care.
Amla’s Vitamin C, its anti-inflammatory plus its anti-bacterial properties can stop dandruff and also the itching caused by it, on the scalp.
5) Regulating Head’s Blood Circulation
Besides using Amla for Hair Growth, scalp massaging with Amla oil also help us in sleeping well. Head’s blood circulation can only be improved with hair massages, at regular intervals.
Vitamin C is made of up to 54.50 percent, oxygen. After all, a good blood circulation system in a body means the proper supply of oxygen to different body parts.
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6) Conditioning Hair
One Amla fruit contains up to 81.2 percent of moisture content in it. Those with dry hair, now you know what to do. And if you have a sticky hair, then Amla Powder will effortlessly soak in all the excess oil present on your scalp, along with conditioning it.
7) Adding Shine to Hair
Do you know how hair glows? Mirror shines when it reflects light. The same way, your hair cuticles are the mirrors of your hair. Their nature is like the mouth of a fish, which keeps on opening and closing.
Cuticles of hair look similar to roof shingles and your hair are surrounded by them. Closed cuticles are the flat cuticles that make your hair shiny. While opened cuticles make your hair look dull.
You can get closed cuticles by giving moisture to your hair. Moisture acts as an adhesive that keeps the cuticles, down and closed. Didn’t we tell you that high level of moisture is present on Amla fruit?
If they get opened along with getting dull hair, your hair’s inner layers (i.e. medulla and cortex) would also get prone to damages.
8) Prevention of Hair Greying
Amla powder for white hair coloring isn’t the only option left now. You can use Amla in various forms like in oil, juice, pickle and even in candy form to give back your hair, its ‘young color’. In addition to this Amla for gray hair a.k.a. Lightening hair can be used for darkening it. Okay, but have you ever wondered WHY we are saying so!
Just like skin, even our hair has three layers. The first layer of hair is that of ‘Hair Cuticles’, about which we have gossiped a lot above. Hair Cuticle is the ‘protective’ outermost layer of hair. BUT WAIT, to whom is it providing its protection, anyways?
Hair Cuticles mainly protects ‘Cortex’ of our hair. In Cortex layer of our hair, our hair’s melanins are present. Melanin, the mighty coloring pigment, can change our hair color from black to gray and even to white if it desires!
Cortex is also the place where all our hair’s moisture is stored.
So how our hair’s moisture has an effect on our hair color?
Reducing melanin results in greying and whitening of hair. Moisture determines the porosity (i.e. absorption capacity) of our hair cells. Hair moisture makes it capable of holding melanin pigments.
A plant starts turning brown if it’s not watered. Same is the case with hair. Our hair starts looking brown, especially when we don’t oil it properly.
Those suffering from premature hair greying, we hope you have carefully read our words. Your hair needs moisture.
The same rule applies to those whose hair is whitening /graying due to biologically natural aging. You also need moisture, as then only your hair will be able to hold the color of hair dyes, mehndi, and henna, etc. for a long time.
The third layer is ‘Medulla’ whose function and importance is still a mystery. It is mainly found in old and coarse hair, and we are sure, it also serves a purpose towards our hair.
9) Destroying Split-Ends
We have just told you above the cuticles keep on opening and closing like a fish’s mouth.
Split ends are a result of peeling of opened cuticles. Amla has enough moisture in it that can prevent cuticles from wearing off. This way, your split ends problem can also be solved.
10) Banishing Hair Odor and Germs
All rotting things have an odor. Guess that’s why garbage dumping grounds’ smell is unbearable! Anyways, at times when we don’t get to wash our hair timely, it starts smelling funny, right? As all the sweat, sebum, dirt and dust form a team on our scalp.
Amla and its anti-microbial properties, will not just banish hair odor but it will also remove the germs sticking on your hair. A regular shampoo might probably make your hair fragrant, but how would you know if germs causing that smell are gone too?
11) Prevention of Hair Damages
The antioxidants present in Amla, shields our hair from various hair damages, caused due to it by dust, pollution, smoke, and hair styling tools , etc.
Antioxidants are more like hair vaccines to prevent hair damages. At the same time, they serve as an antibiotic of hair, to heal the hair damages that have already taken place.
How to Use Amla for Hair?
After discussing its benefits, now we will tell you 12 different ways of how to use/apply amla for different hair problem.
1) Amla with Shikakai
Best for: Hair Growth, Anti Dandruff, Treating Hair Loss, Coloring Hair Naturally
Things you will need: Amla Powder + Shikakai Powder
Ratio= 2:1
How to use:
- Soak Shikakai and Amla powder in lukewarm water, for an hour or two. Mix all the ingredients as per the proportion above. Mix them until it turns into a smooth paste.
- Then apply it on from top to bottom of your hair.
- Keep it unwashed for half an hour. Soon as the time completes, use a mild shampoo to wash the mixture.
To Repeat: Use this once in a week.
2) Amla with Egg
Best for: Silky Hair, Hair Nourishing, Hair Growth, Soft Touching Hair
Things you will need: Amla Powder + Egg
Ratio= 2:1
How to Use it:
- Whisk egg and Alma powder well. See that no lumps and air bubbles are formed. Whisk it until you see the froth.
- If needed, add water to form a thick paste. Since egg whites are gelly in nature, you might want to use a hair brush for its proper application.
- After applying the pack, wait for 1-2 hours until it dries on hair.
- Use shampoo to wash your hair. If the smell of egg would persist, then take 1 cup of lemon juice and half a cup of water. And wash your hair with it for getting rid of the egg’s smell.
To Repeat: Once in a week, would suffice.
3) Amla Oil
Best for: Deriving all the advantages mentioned under Amla’s benefits section, above.
Things you will need: Amla Pieces + Coconut/Olive Oil
Ratio= 2:1
How to use it:
- Use sun-dried and de-seeded Amla pieces.
- Grind the dry pieces a bit. Then pour it into a pan filled with Coconut/Olive Oil.
- Boil the mixture in medium flame for up 15-20 minutes.
- If you start seeing smoke, then switch off the gas. It’s an indication that the oil is overheating or burning and you don’t want that to happen.
- Strain the oil mixture and use it to massage your head scalp. Don’t forget to apply the oil on your hair strands too.
To Repeat: Oil your hair daily with it but use less amount of oil on non-shampoo days. Use excess oil to massage your head, on a night just before shampooing. And store it nicely, in an air-tight container.
4) Amla and Henna
Best for: Enhancing Hair Color, Hair Growth, Hair Nourish, Hair Loss, Hair Volume
Things you will need: Amla Powder + Henna Powder + Water
Ratio= 1: ½ : 1
How to Use it:
- Mix the ingredients aforementioned. See that you don’t add water much or else the hair pack would turn watery.
- Use can use hair color applicator brush, for using it on hair.
- Leave the mixture for 2-3 hours and then wash it with shampoo.
To Repeat: Once a week.
5) Amla and Lemon Juice
Best for: Dandruff Treatment, Oily Hair, Dirt-free scalp
Things you will need: Amla Juice + Lemon Juice + Water
Ratio= 1 : ½ : ½
How to use it:
- If you don’t have a ready bottle of Amla Juice with you, then deseed Amla. And then using a blender, blend Amla pieces with water.
- Strain out the sediments of the juice. Then mix Amla Juice, Lemon Juice together by mixing very little water.
- Since you will be using lemon juice, don’t rub hard your scalp. That’s because lemon is a strong natural bleaching agent, it can even lighten hair color.
- So Massage with light hands, in other words, move your fingertips lazily. Massage for up to 5 minutes and leave it overnight. Next, day wash your hair with shampoo.
To Repeat: You can use it 2 nights in a week.
6) Amla and Curry Leaves
Best for: Hair Breaks, Hair Color Protection, Hair Growth, Hair Damage Repair
Things you will need: Amla Pieces + Curry Leaves + Coconut Oil
Ratio= 2 : ½ : 1
How to Use it:
- Wash curry leaves, let it dry. Then drop them in coconut oil.
- Use dried Amla pieces, without seeds. Add them too, inside the oil.
- Heat the mixture on medium flame, until the green leaves turn brown.
- When it does, strain the sediments and use the hair tonic to massage your hair.
- After 30 minutes, you can wash it off with a mild shampoo.
To Repeat: You can use this tonic, whenever you plan to wash your hair.
7) Amla cum Fenugreek
Best for: Dark Hair, Hair Fall Control, Hair Growth, Dry Hair, Dandruff
Things you will need: Amla Powder + Fenugreek Paste
Ratio= 1 : 2
How to Use it:
- For fresh fenugreek (methi seeds) paste at home, Soak the methi seeds in warm water, for around 15-30 minutes.
- Strain the water, but don’t throw it away. Keep it aside in another bowl.
- Then grind the seeds to make its paste.
- After this add Amla powder to the paste. Add meethi’s water, slowly-slowly into the bowl to ready the hair pack.
- Massage your hair with it and leave it for 20-30 minutes. Then rinse with shampoo.
To Repeat: Practice this once or twice a week.
8) Amla cum Coconut Oil
Best for: Hair Nourishing, Hair Follicles Protection, Darkening Gray Hair, White Hair
Things you will need: Amla Powder + Coconut Oil
Ratio= 1 : 2
How to use it:
- Mix in all the ingredients. Then apply the paste on scalp and hair.
- While applying, keep on massaging your hair a bit.
- Leave the hair mask alone for 2-3 hours.
- Then wash it off with a shampoo.
To Repeat: Use this hair mask, twice of three a month. Month okay, not a week.
9) Amla Powder
Best for: Deriving all the advantages mentioned under Amla’s benefits section, above.
Things you will need: Amla Powder + Warm Water
Ratio= 1 : 2
How to use it:
- If you want you to make Amla powder for hair at home, then remove the seed of Amla. Cut it into pieces and sun-dry it until its color turns brown. This may take approximately three-four days.
- Grind the sun-dried Amla pieces into a grinder. Use a sieve to get finely powdered Amla powder.
- Add warm water to the powder to form a paste. Then apply it on your hair and scalp.
- Leave your hair alone for up to 40-50 minutes. Then wash it using, a mild shampoo.
To Repeat: Use the Powder once a week, before shampooing.
10) Amla with Almond Oil
Best for: Hair Growth, Hair Conditioning , Prevents untimely Hair Greying
Things you will need: Amla Juice + Almond Oil
Ratio= 2 : 1
How to Use it:
- If you don’t have a ready bottle of Amla Juice with you, then deseed Amla. And then using a blender, blend Amla pieces with water.
- Strain out the sediments of the juice. Then mix equal proportion of Amla Juice with Almond Oil.
- Massage your scalp with it and leave overnight.
- To prevent your pillow from getting stained, use an old pillow cover.
- Next morning, wash your hair with a mild shampoo.
To repeat: Use this solution twice or thrice a week.
11) Amla with Basil
Best for: Hair Fall Control, Prevention of Premature Hair Greying, Anti-dandruff
Things you will need: Basil Paste + Gooseberry(Amla) Powder + Water
Ratio= ½ : 1 : ½
How to Use it:
- Take mortar& pestle (imam dasta), drop 10-15 tulsi leaves on it. Then add some water to make its paste.
- Mix the paste in a bowl, containing gooseberry powder and then pour in some water.
- Remember you need to make its ‘paste’ and not ‘syrup’. So, add water little by little.
- Apply the solution properly all over your scalp and then massage.
- Then leave it for 10-15 minutes and rinse with water.
To Repeat: Every time before shampooing hair.
12) Amla with Honey & Yogurt
Best for: Hair Conditioning, Hair Growth, Hair Nourishing , Slippery Hair
Things you will need: Amla Powder + Honey + Yogurt
Ratio= 2 : ½ : ½
How to Use it:
- Add the ingredients above in a bowl, mix well.
- Apply the mixture from roots to tips.
- Then massage scalp with light hands, for 5 minutes.
- Leave for half an hour. Soon as the mixture dries, wash it off with a mild shampoo.
To Repeat: Use this mixture twice or thrice a week, before you shampoo.
Amla is a fruit of a nutritious herbal tree that you can use to foster your hair, no matter what type. This single ingredient is a pack of all hair solutions for all your hair problems. So have you given green signal to Amla, for your hair or not?
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So , having read all the above benefits of Amla , what would be the best formula for me? I have thinning , pre-mature greying hair. Thanks