Catherine Cartwright-Jones
Henna for Hair c 2004

Emblica Officinalis, Amla powder, is tan, with an acidic astringent smell like a combination of raw cranberries and oak tree bark.   The paste makes hair glossy and silky, enhances waves and curl, and leaves a clean, healthy scalp. Amla can make henna and indigo dye your hair a cooler brunette.  When you scrub your face with the paste, your skin feels firm and tight. 

Use for Hair: 

Click HERE or on the image above to download complete instructions for dying your hair brunette with henna, indigo and amla

For cooler brunette tones:

Mix amla powder with henna powder to make a cooler brunette color when dying hair brown with henna and indigo .

For a great facial: 

Mix a spoonful of amla into 1/4 cup water water and microwave it for 30 seconds (just as you would microwave oatmeal) and let it cool to a comfortable temperature.  Massage the amla porridge into your skin and rinse it away in 3 - 5 minutes.  

For fluffy hair:

Mix amla powder with enough hot water to make a paste the consistency of yogurt, and allow to stand for 15 minutes.  Then, section your hair and stroke the porridge through your hair.  After a few minutes, rinse it all out. 

Use for Skin:

Amla paste is an excellent exfoliating, anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial astringent scrub for your face, without the alcohol or chemicals found in commercial products. Amla has high levels of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) which break up the top layer of dead skin cells, and bits of amla seed, which gently exfoliate the skin. Mix a spoonful of amla powder and enough hot water to make a paste about the consistency of yogurt.  Let that sit for 15 minutes.  Scrub your skin with the paste, and wash the paste off after a minute.