Am la or Gooseberry – the magical remedy for hair and skin problems

Amla or the Indian gooseberry is a wonderful beauty ingredient especially for your hair. Drinking amla juice or making a paste of it or simply eating amla fruit can give you long, lustrous locks and also make your hair and skin healthy. Here are a few ways you can use this green wonder.
 
A fix for dandruff
Amla is well-known as a hair conditioner but it also has valuable anti-dandruff properties. Mix a little amla powder into water and apply this to the scalp; leave on for about half-an-hour and wash with water. You could also dry amla and store. When necessary, grind with a little water, mix in two teaspoons of lime juice and apply to the scalp and wash off with shikakai.

Amla can also be used in combination with tulsi or basil for action against dandruff. Make a paste of amla powder in water. Grind 10 tulsi leaves with a little water and mix this paste into the amla paste and apply on the scalp. Leave on for about 30 minutes and then wash with water. 

Gives a natural shine
Amla can be added to your home-made paste to cover grey hair. By itself, amla does not have the ability to dye hair; however, it can help tone down the red or brown colour of a henna-indigo hair colour. Along with this, amla also helps give a natural shine to the hair after you have washed off the dye. When mixing in amla powder, it is important to add it last into the paste, just before you apply the paste to your hair.

Nourishes hair from root to tip
A fruit that is best known for its high vitamin C levels, the Indian gooseberry is great for hair, adding lustre and softness and doing away with dryness of the scalp. It is also a rich source of essential fatty acids that serve to keep the hair follicles strong and nourish the hair from the roots. 

Mix a little amla powder with water and keep overnight; the next day, apply this paste to your hair, leave on for a few hours and wash with a mild shampoo. Boil amla with a little shikakai and soapnut (reetha) in an iron vessel, steep overnight and next day, use the strained liquid to shampoo. Make your own amla oil by soaking a few dried fruits in coconut or sesame oil for a few days; then filter and use. 

Reduces hair fall
A natural ingredient that can reduce hair fall is amla. You can eat it or apply it on your scalp. The fruit yields oil that has been used for ages for treating hair and scalp. It is said to penetrate the scalp and strengthen roots. Crush the amla fruit to extract a juice or buy the amla powder available at an herbal store. Add 2 teaspoons of the juice or the powder into an equal quantity of the juice freshly squeezed from a lime. Mix well, apply to the scalp and leave it to dry; then rinse using warm water.

Prevents skin ageing
The extract of amla is rich in Vitamin A. This vitamin is essential in collagen production, a compound that keeps the skin looking young and elastic. Amla when consumed on an empty stomach has properties that slow down the degradation of collagen and helps the body produce more. You can buy amla juice from the supermarket which can be stored in the refrigerator and drink it every morning.

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