Experiences with Amla

Fleurzty · 03-03-2009, 08:59 AM

It's been 4 days since my Amla treatment and my hair is still very soft and shiny. Plus, I am shedding a lot less hair. I'll be using it again this weekend and post results. Maybe we can start a Amla lovers group

afrikurl · 03-03-2009, 01:30 PM

Start it! Start it! I am very intrigued by amla. I want to try it so bad but I haven't heard much about it. If you experienced curlies could let us know the good the bad and the ugly we'll all be hooked on henna amla and every other natural plant for our tresses.

Kitathena · 03-03-2009, 02:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fleurzty

It's been 4 days since my Amla treatment and my hair is still very soft and shiny. Plus, I am shedding a lot less hair. I'll be using it again this weekend and post results. Maybe we can start a Amla lovers group

Where did you order yours from?

Fleurzty · 03-03-2009, 02:39 PM

I bought mine locally, but I noticed that From Nature with Love carries it. Check to see if you can find a local Indian grocer who has it in store because it is a lot cheaper.

mariag002 · 03-03-2009, 03:04 PM

Ooh add me to your challenge! I love Amla. Oh and thank you for the one you're sending me!

Frizzcurls427 · 03-03-2009, 03:47 PM

I just bought Amla powder from a local Indian market along with Henna and amla oil...I can't wait to try it! Fleurtzy, how are you supposed to store the amla powder?...I haven't opened any of the boxes yet and don't plan to until I decide to use it this weekend.

hippychic · 03-03-2009, 04:04 PM

I bought some from FNWL. I haven't done anything with it yet though

I was thinking once I get my condish chronicles sorted out, I'd mix it with that

eyesthatlie · 03-03-2009, 04:13 PM

Could you ladies post your alma recipes/regimens? Do you use the oil or the powder? It's used with henna, right?

Fleurzty · 03-03-2009, 08:12 PM

Alright ladies, here's what I found so fat. Not a whole lot of information on Amla out there. The most useful info came from LHCF. There is a thread on there from 2005 on the use of Amla to thicken, defrizz, curl, tone down the red in henna, etc. Here's the link to it http://www.longhaircareforum.com/for...ht=Amla&page=5

Frizzculrs, I have my henna in the hair closet with all my other goodies. The one I bought said to mix it the night before applying it to my hair, but I didn't follow the directions.

Eyesthatlie, from what I'm reading, you can steep it and use the tea to rinse your hair or make a paste with it, which is what I did. I prepared it pretty much the same way I would henna and let it sit for about 1 hour. Over the weekend, I'll let it sit longer, maybe even overnight and see if that makes it even better. I'm using the powder. I used the oil from Dabur in the past but the results were decent, not at all comparable to using the oil.

If you can find a local market, then buy it from them and try it before making a large financial investment on FNWL. Catherine at hennaforhair.com recommends its use for enhanhing curls and added a shine to them

kayasmommy · 03-03-2009, 09:31 PM

So far, I like amla too. I've been intrigued by ayurveda for the past couple of months. And with some good helpful advice and encouragement from others, combined with a little reading on a couple of other forums I'm really getting to know more about these Indian powders, and am looking forward to using them for a time to come.

I'm still sporting my TWA, and do a cowash/wash and go most days of the week. Right now, I'm infusing amla into a mixture of castor/coconut/olive oils, and sleeping with it under plastic cap 2-3x weekly. I've also made a tea rinse of amla and brahmi powders and rinse with it 2-3x weekly too. My hair seems to hold its coils better (no matter how much I find my fingers a-twirling) and it feels softer too. I haven't used amla alone as a paste-type treatment (like henna or cassia) yet, maybe I'll do that next. I have tried cassia and also another mix of powders called Kalpi Tone, which has amla in it. I liked it, it was hard to get all the grit out, but I'd definitely do it again. I've done this for about a solid week now, and will do so for at least a month before I make any further evaluations.

I purchased all my stuff at a local Indian store, with the exception of the cassia.

So far so good...

Storm_N _Mom · 03-03-2009, 09:57 PM

I have Hesh Amla that I purchased from a local Indain grocer on hand with another box packaged by another company. I paid $1.99 for each box. I haven't used it as like others, I did not find much on how to use the powder, but did find a YouTube video, but the natural sister only explained why she used amla and not how to use the powder. IIRC, the young woman's mother is East Indian.

I'll give the amla a whirl tomorrow afternoon, and post how my hair reacts. Oh, count me in the amla challenge.

I love the burgandy tint I get from henna, and hope amla won't darken my hair too much.

Fleurzty · 03-06-2009, 11:15 AM

Alright ladies, I did treatment 2 last night, just because I won't have time this weekend. I figured better early than late

So, it wasn't a fluke. My hair is so loving me right now.

nikkidanniell · 03-06-2009, 01:24 PM

Okay now I'm wanting to do this! Fleurzty your hair looks great! I know you made a paste with the Amla, but how much powder did u use? And how much water? hot water ? tea? I hear people saying it's hard to rinse out.. so should I add oil to help this?

Thanks!

Fleurzty · 03-06-2009, 04:53 PM

The first time I used one box, but this time I used two. It helped coat my hair better. I also mixed it with a little olive oil. I'm not sure how much water exactly I used but I allowed it to form a thick paste. Now, I had some leftover and I used it today to make a tea that I will used by this weekend to rinse my hair. I made the tea with the Amla, hibiscus flowers (that I honestly love) and nettles. I'll keep the tea in the fridge overnight. I planned on doing the rinse today but I'm wearing a puff that I think is too cute to disturb LOL. Really I walked in the bathroom and walked back out thinking, "no way, I'm going to mess with this hair". It's big, full and fluffy and I love my hair looking big, so I am ver happy right now

CurlyChick77 · 03-07-2009, 09:11 AM

hmmmm I add Amla to my henna....maybe I will try it alone....

Ur hair is beautiful missy!

Kinks74 · 03-07-2009, 11:19 AM

Very pretty! Did you say full, big, fluffy hair? Sign me up!

jamaican_curly · 03-07-2009, 11:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Storm_N _Mom

I have Hesh Amla that I purchased from a local Indain grocer on hand with another box packaged by another company. I paid $1.99 for each box. I haven't used it as like others, I did not find much on how to use the powder, but did find a YouTube video, but the natural sister only explained why she used amla and not how to use the powder. IIRC, the young woman's mother is East Indian.

I'll give the amla a whirl tomorrow afternoon, and post how my hair reacts. Oh, count me in the amla challenge.

I love the burgandy tint I get from henna, and hope amla won't darken my hair too much.

She has recently put up a video of how she makes the paste

DeeMarie · 03-07-2009, 02:01 PM

I'm so confused about Amla. I initially became interested b/c they say it helps tone down the red in henna. But from what I've read on other forums (e.g. hennaforhair.com...), many have also said that it's very drying to the hair.

But sounds like you've experienced just the opposite effect--and without added oils or condish.

jeamaria · 03-07-2009, 05:44 PM

I was very disappointed with amla.

When I used it, I mixed a little under 100g with chamomile tea and some honey and applied it to my hair. It was very gritty, but I loved the way my hair looked while it was in; when I use henna it weighs my hair frizzy straight, but with amla I had cute miniature but deep waves all over like someone had went through my hair with a crimper.

I was only gonna leave it on for a 1/2 hour, but I ended up leaving it on for almost 2 hours, IIRC, which was probably too long in hindsight. When I rinsed (which I didn't find too difficult despite the grit) my hair felt STRIPPED. It was also mad droopy. It felt a little stronger when I pulled it but not by much.

I made a thread about it on here and a lot of posters were like "You shouldn't use amla on its own!", unlike with henna. But prior and subsequent to that it seemed that that was exactly the way most people were using it on other sites. I put it down to the fact that my hair doesn't take well to very acidic products and it seems amla was no exception to that rule.

In the weeks that followed, I noticed I had a lot more split ends and I think this could be very likely down to the amla.

OTOH, it is the SUPREME exfoliator. I'm just not sure I would ever put it in my hair again, except as part of a tea or an oil infusion.

BTW, I used the Hesh kind.

BrownBrows · 03-21-2009, 09:13 AM

Does anyone know if it's ok to add Dabur Amla Oil to my henna? If so, at what point.

Also many thread stated it contains mineral oil but I don't see it on the label which reads:

Paraffinum liquidum, Canola Oil, Palm Glycerides, Amla (Emblica Officinalis) Extract in Canola Oil, Fragance, t-Butyl Hydroquinone (Anti-oxidant).

Colors are D&C Yellow #10, Green #6, Red #17