Hair TLC with Amla Powder

Recently I have neglected some of the good practices which keep my hair healthy. Over the last 3 weeks I noticed more tangles in my hair. Perhaps as a result of this I've also experienced more hair breakage than usual. So action needed to be taken to remedy these unwanted hair problems.

DIY Hair Trim 

I can not remember the last time I trimmed my hair. It has been at least six months. When my hair needs a trim its end tend to tangle a lot more. I decided therefore that a trim was the first step to take. Although I would have liked to go to a natural hair dresser to have my ends trimmed, I do not know one in my area :( . Therefore I did it myself. This time I trimmed my hair dry, having done some research on how best to trim natural Afro hair. Hopefully this will do the trick to minimise tangles.


Deep Conditioning with Amla Powder
I used Amla powder as a deep conditioner. Amla is a type of Indian gooseberry. It is known and used in Ayurveda tradition for its many benefits for health and beauty. The berries are dried and converted into a powder.The benefits of Amla include:

• Promots hair growth
• Controls hair loss
• Cures scalp infection 
• Controls greying of hair

Due to the above benefits I decided to give Amla a second try. I used it once before and was a little disappointed with it because it made my hair straighter (loosened the curl pattern quite a bit, I love my curls and did not want then altered). Also my hair felt quite dry following the treatment.  However,as my hair needed some TLC and I had half a packet of Amla Powder in my cupboard I put it to good use. 

In order to avoid the dryness I experienced the first time, I used my intuition and come up with a deep conditioning mix to infuse moisture to my hair. Here's may recipe: 

• 50gs of Amla powder
• 4 tbsp of runny honey
• 2 tsp of sweet almond oil
• 2 tsp of olive oil
• coconut milk (or water)

Place the powder in a bowl add a little coconut milk and start mixing it with the powder. Add a little bit more and continue mixing. Then add the honey and the oils. Mix some more until the powder is fully dissolved with the other ingredients. The consistency should be akin to chocolate mousse before it sets. You do not want it too runny to avoid it running off your hair into your face and neck. 

You should apply this paste to dry hair and leave it between 30 and 45 minutes. I used a plastic hair cup for the duration of the application to help retain heat on the hair. Then I washed my hair as usual. 

The result was much better than the first time. My hair feels shiny, soft and somewhat silky. The honey and oils worked well as I did not experience dryness post wash. Although Amla worked well to condition my hair, it did alter the curl pattern. I like my curls as they are naturally and for this reason I will avoid using it in the future. However, if you would like your curls to loosen a bit this is a great 100% natural product to achieve it.  

I found Amla powder at my local Indian shop for £1.09 for 100g. If you do not have access to a local shop you can get it on-line here.

Marisa X