Organic Amla is a New Love

Amla hair mask in my hair

A few weeks ago I stopped by Essence of Life in Kensington Market to pick up some organic amla. It did not come in oil form, but in powder form for $6.99. I have tried it three times now and wanted to share the details of this amazing Ayurvedic natural product because I absolutely adore it.

 

Amla Powder as a  Deep Conditioning Hair Masque:

* Left my hair feeling extremely soft, moisturized and detangled

* Easy to prepare (less than 5 minutes): simply mix 1/4 cup of amla powder and mix with distilled water into a thin paste and apply to damp hair. Leave on for 1-2 hours, or as desired

*Slightly difficult to rinse out. I tried to rinse it out and followed up with conditioner, then rinsed that out–but the next day found I had some dry amla powder flakes in my hair!

Vitamin C, which is found in high concentrations in amla powder, helps to maintain healthy collagen, a connective tissue that strengthens your hair follicles. Vitamin C is also a potent antioxidant, which means it can help neutralize cell damaging free radicals. The living tissue responsible for hair growth lies within the hair follicle. Because the hair follicle is the only portion of your hair that contains living cells, vitamin C rich amla powder protects and strengthens these cells while promoting hair growth. So, while amla can’t repair hair follicles that are already damaged, washing your hair with an amla powder and hot water tonic strengthens newly growing strands, which gradually strengthens your hair and helps to prevent hair loss.

I completely love everything about this Ayurvedic powder, made of Indian gooseberries. I love the way it smells, the way it makes my hair so curly and soft. It just feels so healthy afterwards. I feel secure knowing it is just raw organic amla with no preservatives or harmful chemicals added, and it is safe for use. I even used it as a face masque which left me with glowing (slightly tingly) skin!