Shikakai Plant – Acacia Concinna

Shikakai Plant – Acacia Concinna
Acacia concinna is a climbing shrub native to Asia, common in the warm plains of central and south asia. The tree is food for the larve of the butterfly Pantoporia hordonia. Alkaloids are found in the tree’s fruit.
Uses
Acacia concinna has been used traditionally for the care of hairs in the Indian subcontinent since ancient times. It is one of the Ayurvedic medicinal plant. The fruit is known in India as shikakai “fruit for hair” in its use as a traditional shampoo. In order to prepare it the fruit.   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 oflather that a sulfate-containing shampoo would, it is considered a good cleanser. It is mild, having a naturally low pH, and doesn’t strip hair of natural oils. Usually no conditioner is needed, for shikakai also acts as a detangler. An infusion of the leaves has been used in anti-dandruff preparations.