Hair&Body bar Shikakai&Rice

What is Shikakai?

Senegalia rugata, commonly known as Shikakai, is a climbing shrub native to China and tropical Asia and widely found across India and other parts of South and Southeast Asia.

Shikakai has a long history of traditional use in hair care. The name comes from the Tamil cikaikkāy, meaning approximately “hair fruit.”

Shikakai in hair care

For centuries, Shikakai has been traditionally used as a natural hair cleanser in India. The pods, leaves and bark of the plant are dried and ground into a powder, which is then mixed with water to create a cleansing paste.

Shikakai is naturally rich in saponins — plant compounds with cleansing properties that help remove dirt and excess oils from the hair and scalp. Because of this, Shikakai has traditionally been used as a botanical alternative to conventional shampoos.

Traditional Shikakai preparations produce less lather than conventional shampoos, but are valued for their gentle cleansing action and their long history in natural hair care.

Rice in cosmetics

Rice-derived ingredients have also been used traditionally in skin care. Rice starch has been studied for its potential to support the recovery of impaired skin barrier function.

In a clinical study, rice-starch-containing bath water was shown to improve the recovery of experimentally damaged skin, while beneficial effects were also observed in people with atopic dermatitis.

This makes rice starch an interesting ingredient for cosmetic formulations designed to care for dry, sensitive and delicate skin.

Why we combined Shikakai and Rice

Our Shikakai & Rice Hair & Body Bar combines Shikakai and rice-derived ingredients with gentle cleansing agents, prebiotics and fermented plant extracts.

The formulation is designed to gently cleanse the hair, scalp and body while helping to maintain the skin’s natural protective barrier.

Shikakai brings its traditional botanical cleansing properties, while rice-derived ingredients contribute to the care and conditioning of dry and sensitive skin.

The result is a solid, travel-friendly cleansing bar designed for simple, effective everyday care of the hair, scalp and body.

The essential oil blend

We created a carefully balanced blend of essential oils to give the bar its distinctive natural fragrance.

Lavender brings a soft, calming aroma and is traditionally valued in skin care for its soothing properties.

Sweet orange adds a fresh, bright citrus note and an uplifting character to the fragrance.

Bergamot contributes an elegant, fresh citrus note that beautifully complements the sweetness of orange. The bergamot oil used in this formulation is bergapten-free.

Vetiver adds depth with its distinctive earthy, woody aroma and acts as a sophisticated base note.

Sweet marjoram completes the blend with a warm, gentle herbal note.

Together, these essential oils create a fragrance that is fresh, warm and naturally sophisticated — designed to make the everyday ritual of cleansing feel as good as it is simple.

Instructions for use

Moisten hair, scalp and body. Wet the bar and rub it between your palms to create a gentle lather, or apply the bar directly to the hair, scalp and body until a lather forms.

Use the lather as you would a regular shampoo or shower gel. Rinse thoroughly with water and repeat if necessary, particularly for long hair.

After use, rinse the bar with water, allow it to air-dry and store it in a dry place until next use.

Precautions: For external use only. Avoid contact with eyes.