Shikakai vs Reetha: What Is the Difference?

They are two different plants

The most common confusion is treating these as two names for roughly the same thing. They are not. Shikakai comes from a climbing shrub, Acacia concinna, and it is the pod that is dried and ground. Reetha is the soapnut — the fruit of trees in the Sapindus genus.

Because the plant part differs, so does the powder. Shikakai powder is slightly gritty; reetha is denser.

Only reetha foams

If you are expecting lather, reetha is the one that will give you any. The shell of the soapnut contains natural saponins, which is exactly why it acquired the name. Shikakai does not lather in the way a modern surfactant shampoo does.

This is worth knowing before the first wash, because the absence of foam is often mistaken for the powder not working. It is simply a different mechanism.

How each is prepared

The preparation is broadly the same for both: mix the powder with water into a smooth paste, apply to wet hair and scalp, and rinse thoroughly. What varies is how much water each powder takes before it reaches a workable consistency.

• Shikakai — mix with water to a smooth paste, apply to wet hair and scalp, rinse thoroughly.
• Reetha — mix with water to prepare a paste or cleansing preparation. Avoid contact with the eyes.

Which one should you start with?

Shikakai is the more widely used of the two and the easiest starting point. Reetha is frequently used alongside it rather than instead of it.

There is no need to buy both at once. One 100 g pack is enough to find out whether a traditional wash suits your hair before you extend the shelf.