Aritha (Reetha) Side Effects: Dryness, Tangles and Eye Sting, and How to Avoid Them

The short answer: the side effects people notice with Aritha are hair that feels dry, rough or tangled, fine powder left in the hair, strong stinging if the wash gets in your eyes, and an itchy or irritated scalp in some people. Most come from a wash that's too strong, left on too long or not rinsed out: more water, less powder, 3–5 minutes and a thorough rinse usually fix them.

Does Aritha have any side effects?

• Dry, rough or squeaky hair. Aritha is a strong cleanser. Too much powder, too little water, too long on your hair or washing too often can take off more oil than your lengths can spare.
• Tangles. Rubbing the wash through your lengths, or a wash that's too strong for curly, porous or bleached hair, makes strands catch on each other.
• Grit or a dull film. The powder spreads through the water rather than dissolving, so a thick mix or a rushed rinse leaves particles behind.
• Eye sting. The same saponins that clean your scalp sting the eyes strongly.
• An itchy, tight or irritated scalp. This can come from a strong mix, leftover powder, washing too often, or a reaction to Aritha or to something you mixed with it.
• Faster color fading. Strong, frequent washing can fade some hair colors sooner.

What are the disadvantages of using Aritha for hair?

Next to a bottled shampoo, it takes more mixing and rinsing, the lather varies, it can leave fine powder behind and it stings the eyes. A strong wash can also leave dry hair rough. All of these can be managed with the method below.

If Aritha gets in your eyes

1. Rinse your eyes straight away with plenty of clean water.
2. Don't rub them. Take out contact lenses if that's easy to do.
3. Next time, tilt your head back to rinse, apply the wash in sections at your scalp and keep it away from your forehead.

Does Aritha cause hair thinning or hair fall?

What people notice can be one of three things. Hairs that had already shed get caught in the hair and come out on wash day. A harsh wash leaves hair rough and tangled, so strands snap when you comb it. And with oil and coating washed off, strands can clump differently and look less full until your hair is conditioned, dry and styled. Look at what you're finding: short broken pieces point to breakage; full-length hairs are shed hair. If hair comes out suddenly, in patches, with a sore scalp, or more and more over time, stop using Aritha.

How to avoid problems next time

• Patch test 24–48 hours before first use, on a small patch of clean, unbroken skin. Don't go ahead if the skin burns, swells, blisters or turns red, or if it itches and the itch doesn't settle. A patch test can't rule out a reaction later.
• Make it thin: less powder and more water, like thin cream, not a paste.
• Keep it to your scalp and let the runoff clean your lengths.
• Keep to 3–5 minutes, and never let it dry on your hair.
• Rinse until no grit is left, then condition your lengths.
• Wash up to twice a week, not daily.
• Add one new ingredient at a time, so if something irritates, you know what it was.

The full method is in how to wash hair with Aritha powder, and yes, Aritha does remove oil from hair: clearing oil and product build-up covers stronger washes for oily roots.

When to stop and get help

Rinse it off straight away and stop using Aritha if your scalp burns, swells, blisters or comes up in a rash, or if itching keeps coming back after washing with it. Call 911 if your face, lips or eyes swell or you have trouble breathing; see a doctor or pharmacist if an eye still hurts, stays red or your vision is blurred after rinsing, or if hair loss is sudden or patchy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Aritha cause hair fall?

A harsh wash can leave hair tangled enough to snap when you comb it, and hairs that had already shed come out on wash day, so you may see more hair in the sink. Hair loss also has many causes of its own, so look at the pattern: if it's sudden, patchy, painful or keeps increasing, stop using Aritha.

Does Aritha cause dry hair?

It can, if the wash is too strong, used too often, left on too long or spread through dry lengths. Use more water and less powder, keep it to your scalp and condition afterwards.

Does Aritha reduce hair fall?

No. It's a cleanser and doesn't act on hair falling from the root. The Aritha page explains what it does.

Can Aritha irritate the scalp?

It can, in a sensitive scalp or when the wash is too strong or not rinsed out. If your scalp just feels itchy or tight, rinse again and make the next wash simpler: Aritha and water only, thinner and shorter. If it burns, swells, blisters or comes up in a rash, or the itch keeps coming back, stop using it.