Mix Sidr leaf powder with warm water into a loose paste, let it stand for ten minutes, work it into damp hair and scalp, leave it for five to ten minutes, then rinse thoroughly. That is the whole method — the rest is getting the amount right for your hair and knowing what to expect the first time.
The traditional instruction of two to three tablespoons suits shoulder-length hair of average thickness. Short hair needs less; long, thick hair needs considerably more. Set yours below.
Before you start
- Check the powder. It should be finely ground leaf of Ziziphus spina-christi — the botanical name on the packet is the reliable sign. Coarse powder rinses out slowly.
- Patch test. Put a little paste on the inside of your forearm and wait a day. It is a plant preparation, and plants cause reactions in some people.
- Use a glass or ceramic bowl and a towel you do not mind marking green.
Step by step
- Put the powder in the bowl and add warm — not hot — water a little at a time, stirring until it is the texture of thin yoghurt.
- Leave it to stand for about ten minutes. The paste thickens slightly as the leaf absorbs water.
- Wet your hair thoroughly and squeeze out the excess.
- Work the paste into the scalp first with your fingertips, then down the lengths. Expect very little lather.
- Leave it for five to ten minutes. Longer does not clean better; it only makes rinsing harder.
- Rinse with plenty of warm water until no green flecks remain — usually longer than you would rinse a shampoo.
What to expect the first time
Hair washed with Sidr tends to feel very clean and slightly squeaky, and on the first wash it can feel drier than you are used to, because Sidr cleans without adding anything back. Many people follow it with a few drops of oil or their usual conditioner on the ends.
The smell is green and faintly hay-like, and it does not linger. If you find small flecks once your hair is dry, the paste was too thick or the rinse too short — both are easy to fix next time.
How often to use it
People who use Sidr regularly tend to use it once or twice a week, often alternating with their usual wash. It is gentle, but it is a cleanser, and hair that is washed every day with anything will eventually feel it.
The mistakes that spoil a first try
- A paste too thick to spread, which never reaches the scalp.
- Applying it to dry hair, which drinks the water out of the paste.
- Leaving it on for an hour in the hope of 'more' — it is a wash, not a treatment.
- Rinsing too briefly, which leaves the green flecks people then blame on the powder.
- Letting it run into the eyes. Rinse with clean water straight away if it does.
The same tree gives the honey
The leaf you wash with and the blossom bees work for Sidr honey come from the same thorny, drought-hardy tree. In Yemen's valleys it is worked for both, which is one reason the old trees are still standing.
Taste what the blossom makes: three Yemeni Sidr honeys in one tasting set →
Common questions
How long should I leave Sidr powder in my hair?
Five to ten minutes after applying it, having let the paste stand for about ten minutes first. Leaving it longer does not clean better and makes it harder to rinse out.
How much Sidr powder do I need for my hair?
About two and a half tablespoons for shoulder-length hair of average thickness, mixed with about 95 ml of warm water. Short or fine hair needs less; long or thick hair can need five tablespoons or more.
Can I use Sidr powder every day?
Most people who use it regularly use it once or twice a week. It is a gentle cleanser, but washing every day with any cleanser tends to dry hair out.
Does Sidr powder colour hair like henna?
No. Sidr is a wash, not a dye. It contains no colourant; any green you see is leaf residue, which rinses out.
Is Sidr powder the same as Sidr leaves?
Yes — Sidr powder is the dried leaves of the Sidr tree, Ziziphus spina-christi, ground fine. Whole dried leaves can be crushed and soaked instead, but powder mixes far more easily.