Amala.... anyone tried it?

Emerwen · October 2010

Amla is a plant: Emblica Officinalis. The dried, powdered fruit has tannins, vitamin C, and is astringent. Amla adds texture,
volume, wave, curl and shine to your hair. It may facilitate uptake of other dyes, but does not itself have a dye. Scrub your face and
body with amla for a glowing, clean complexion. Very few people are allergic to amla, but it can happen! Test first!
Mix and apply Amla for healthy skin and hair:
· Mix amla with water in a ceramic bowl to the consistency of thick soup, and warm it in the microwave until it’s
hot but not boiling. Let it cool.
· Apply warm amla paste to your face and body and leave it 5 - 10 minutes, then scrub it off.
· For curly hair, section your hair, and apply the amla paste, and gradually work it into all of your hair.
· Wrap your hair in plastic, and wrap a towel around that to reduce mess, and increase warmth.
· Leave the paste in your hair for ½ hour for wavy hair, longer for curls. If amla irritates your skin, wash it out
sooner.
· Shampoo the paste out.

I found this while reading up on hennaforhair.com. Has anyone tried it? Does anyone know anything else about it? Some reading I was doing suggested it may promote hair growth as well as being a curl enhancer, but I'm wary about trying something I've not heard anyone talk much about.

smasters467 · October 2010

I have used it several times, and wow. It takes my hair from a mostly solid 3a to a mostly solid 3b. The effects are temporary, usually they last anywhere from 2-3 weeks. I mix a small amount in a bowl with hot water, then I wet my hair and coat it in coconut oil. Then I apply the paste, I leave it on for 15-30 minutes. Amla itself doesn't have a dye molecule, but it can stain hair, I notice after I use it my hair looks darker for a week or two. So far, it's the best curl enhancer I've used. HTH

Emerwen · October 2010

Hmm. I don't really need to go darker, but that sounds amazing....

I was trying - and failing - to find out if it could be mixed with Cassia or not. Do you know if that would work or not?

Why do you apply the coconut oil first? Does that help absorption?

ETA: Also, have you tried Zizyphys Spina Christi? If so, what was your experience with it?

smasters467 · October 2010

As far as I know there's no problem mixing Cassia and Amla, although I'd double check over at hennaforhair.com. Since cassia dyes yellow, and amla can darken hair temporarily I'd be a little concerned about ending up with a strange color. I don't think it would affect the benefits of the two, but I don't want green hair, no matter how awesome my curls may look. I apply coconut oil first because amla, and henna, or pretty much any ayurvedic herb that your turning into a paste and coating your hair with, can be drying to your hair. Essentially your apply mud to your hair, and my hair is already dry, so I try to counteract that with coconut oil.

No, I haven't tried Zizyphys. Try searching the forums for it, I'm sure someone here has used it. HTH

Emerwen · October 2010

Hmm. That would not be good, no. I don't need another funky color in my hair.

Note to self: find coconut oil.

Thanks! You've been really helpful!

One last (I think) question: How long do you leave them on for? I know what the site says, but is it bad if you leave it on longer or shorter?

napster · October 2010

I use amla in my henna to keep my curls and I also coat my hair first with oil so my hair is not as dry after application, but now that I know how to infuse the amla powder, I use it as a oil so I don't have to use the paste and wash a million times to remove it from my hair. I use the amla oil twice a week especially on my weak edges.

Emerwen · October 2010

napster wrote: »

I use amla in my henna to keep my curls and I also coat my hair first with oil so my hair is not as dry after application, but now that I know how to infuse the amla powder, I use it as a oil so I don't have to use the paste and wash a million times to remove it from my hair. I use the amla oil twice a week especially on my weak edges.

Infuse the powder? What do you mean?

What benefits have you noticed from using amala?

multicultcurly · October 2010

You should also ask this on the 4a section. A lot of the ladies that mainly post in this section have used amla, cassia and henna.

smasters467 · October 2010

I usually leave it on anywhere from 15-45 minutes. I don't think there any negative side effects of leaving it on longer than recommended, unless you let it dry in your hair. If a paste dries in your hair it'll be a pain to get out. I try to put it in shortly before I shower, but I have a 4 year old and often get distracted and end up with it in my hair longer than I thought I would.

HTH

Amala.... anyone tried it?

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