Long before shampoo arrived in a bottle, Indian households washed their hair with soapnut. Reetha powder for hair is exactly that: dried Sapindus fruit, ground. It is for anyone stepping away from sulphates: curly hair that dries out, colour-treated hair, or a scalp that flakes after every wash. Reetha is naturally rich in saponins, plant compounds that foam and lift dirt gently, at a skin-friendly pH.

We use the fruit pulp, deseeded and milled fine, so it mixes into warm water quickly and rinses out without leaving grit behind. No SLS quietly boosting the lather, no silicone faking softness afterwards, nothing added to keep it. The lather is modest; that is what real soapnut looks like.

Will your hair feel clean without much lather, and can you use reetha every day? Yes, it cleans well even though it foams less than shampoo. Mix two spoons with warm water, massage into the scalp, and rinse thoroughly, two or three times a week. Keep it away from the eyes, as it stings, and combine it with shikakai and amla for softer hair.