In Awe of Awapuhi Shampoo Ginger
If you’re an avid hair and skincare enthusiast looking to find “the next best thing” for that almost effortless hair and skin health, then you may get news and posts on your social media about this said “next best thing.” I’m sure most of us fit under this category, meaning we’ve seen those videos of people squeezing this oddly shaped red cone – and a clear liquid coming out of said cone – to ultimately be rubbed into the person’s hair. You haven’t seen those videos? Then what are you waiting for, go look it up!
Hopefully, you’ve seen it, or if it’s too much work to go find one, we’ll spare you the effort with one of those videos attached here. ;)
But anyway, the water-like substance coming out of these cones is the key to success, and they do more than just provide an exotic, tropical centerpiece for your kitchen table.
What Is Awapuhi?
First off, let’s address how this plant is pronounced – because trust me when I say it has taken me a long time to get the pronunciation down. This red flower is pronounced “ava-p-uhi”. The w is pronounced as a v because the plant’s name derives from its home: Hawaii – and fun fact, in the Hawaiian language, almost all w’s are pronounced as v’s.
Here in Hawaii, awapuhi is grown almost everywhere. Its lengthy green stalks are crowned with red cones filled with clear mucilage that smells similar to bergamot with a hint of berries and a touch of coconut. In our opinion, it’s a close second to Hawaii’s signature scent, which is hibiscus of course. However, while they can be found anywhere in Hawaii, we advise you not to go around squeezing every awapuhi you see, and to leave the plants alone to grow and support the environment.
The Hawaiian people have used Awapuhi for centuries; however, it isn’t native to the islands; it’s one of the plants the Polynesians brought on their ocean voyages as they colonized the Hawaiian islands from approximately 1400 BC to 12 AD.
Awapuhi was one of several plants and animal species that the Polynesians had chosen to grow in their new homes, and it was most likely taken for its cleansing mucilage and medicinal, antiseptic properties. It was used to enhance the flavor of food, pounded into powder, and sliced to be consumed, and the root of the plant was cooked to soothe cavities and toothaches. Now, awapuhi has been crowned as the shampoo ginger.
Your Skin Will Be Awesome
Ok, so awapuhi has a pretty cool history, but what does it do that makes it so awesome? To answer your question, awapuhi works wonders for your skin. It replenishes your skin’s natural moisture, making it soft. Plus, moisturized skin makes you look younger so it also works as an anti-aging ingredient. And after a long, salty and sunbeam-filled day at the beach, we definitely need this replenishment of moisture.
The mucus from awapuhi is a great massage ointment – softening skin and can even lightening dark spots.
Your Hair Will Be In Love
Right then so, it’s a shampoo ginger and it’s awesome for your skin, but how is this shampoo ginger as an actual shampoo? Well, awapuhi works to smooth hair, reduce frizz, and repairs dry, damaged hair. Those with coarse, dry, or damaged hair might benefit more from adding it to their routine, but the most incredible thing about this unique plant is that it doesn’t have any known ingredients that it can’t be used with!
Awapuhi has a natural tendency to provide hair with an intense shine and softness. It’s known for repairing damaged hair and infusing it with hydration, balancing moisture, and protecting and boosting hair growth. It also contains antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties that can prevent and manage dandruff and nourish the scalp.
The best part? It works for all hair types!
Get Your Hands On It ASAP
As we stated previously, awapuhi is a close second to Hawaii’s most authentic scent – that being hibiscus of course – but what better way to encapsulate the islands’ sweet, refreshing smells than by combining the two. Here at Surf Soap, we’ve done just that, and elevated this scent by making it ocean safe, and packed with all the best ingredients for your hair and skin.
This is effortlessly done in our All-In-One bar. Awapuhi extract balances moisture for shiny, manageable, and healthy-looking hair. It has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, allowing it to decrease inflammation and help prevent damage from free radicals. The anti-inflammatory properties could make ginger helpful for soothing inflammatory scalp conditions such as seborrheic dermatitis, or dandruff. When inflammatory scalp conditions improve, hair growth can improve - so our Surf Soap soothes and encourages hair growth with each use.
It thoroughly cleanses all hair types, including color-treated hair, and brightens hair by removing dulling buildup - so you can surf with bright pink, purple, or whatever color of hair without the expense of the oceans’ damage. It even helps prevent moisture loss while special conditioners help improve hair texture and add volume - so you won’t have brittle, straw-like hair after a refreshing swim.
We also source our awapuhi from family farms, and are one of few companies that actually source the mucus rather than the extract.
