Before shampoo there was this: gooseberry for strength, soapnut for cleansing, shikakai for shine. Three fruits of the same dry plains, and three generations of Pakistani women who never needed anything else. Laraib steeps them whole into a light carrier oil until it turns the colour of strong tea, then filters it bright and bottles it in Multan.
What it is traditionally used for
- Massaged into the scalp to strengthen the roots and slow hair fall
- Long used to leave the hair silky soft and noticeably thicker
- Applied to clear scalp dryness and the flaking of dandruff
- Used to bring shine back to dull, brittle, over-washed hair
- A traditional choice for keeping hair dark and encouraging length
- Suitable for the whole family, women and men alike
How it is made
Whole dried amla, reetha pods and shikakai pods are broken and steeped in a light base oil, then drawn on very low heat until the fruit gives up its colour and its saponins — the slow method, never a solvent extract. The oil is settled for days, filtered bright and bottled. No mineral oil, no artificial fragrance, no added colour.
How to take it
Warm a little between your palms and work it into the scalp in small circles for about five minutes, then draw what is left down the lengths. Leave it for at least an hour — overnight is better — and wash out with a mild shampoo. Twice a week is plenty.
Good to know
- 60 ml bottle; Laraib also makes the same three herbs as a wash powder
- For external use on the hair and scalp only
- 100% natural — no mineral oil, silicone or synthetic fragrance
- Made in Multan by Laraib Herbal Pharma, established 1998
Mahnoor Butt (verified owner) –
Three of us use it — me, my sister and my mother. Warm it slightly first and it goes much further. Hair is shinier and holds a braid better. I have already ordered the third bottle.
Sana Sattar (verified owner) –
My barber in Sargodha told me to oil the scalp properly instead of buying serums. This is light enough to leave overnight without ruining the pillow. Six weeks and the front is filling in a little.
Mahnoor Gillani (verified owner) –
Lovely oil, does exactly what it says, and my hair is much softer. The 60 ml bottle is small though — with hair down to my waist I finish it in three weeks. Please make a bigger size.
Asif Sheikh (verified owner) –
Bought it for the dandruff more than anything. Two applications a week and the flaking stopped inside a month. Smells like proper amla, not perfume. I am from Multan and this is what the local shops sell anyway.
Nazia Dar (verified owner) –
I have been oiling my hair with this for eight months. There is genuinely less hair in the shower drain and it feels thicker at the crown. It washes out with one shampoo, which matters to me.