DisclaimersA) The topic Henna is clouded by volumes of misinformation, and B) I'm no expert.
BackgroundI have been on a quest to go 100% "all natural" (in all aspects) for a decade, and hair color just happens to be my last chem standing. I have been DIYing bathroom and kitchen stuff for inside and outside the body for a very long time... but specifically within the last 4 years I have been doing so to manage- and hopefully remedy- two conditions I have developed, one recently, one a long time ago: psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. I have tried gluten free, grain free, vegetarian, sobriety, urban farming... I have made DIY lotions, washes, cleaners, salves... and because I believe others could benefit from what I've studied, I have been writing along the way (arthritis, DIY, gluten free, grain-free, psoriasis, see list on page's bottom left for more).
Topic
So after a month's worth of extensive research on Henna, here's what I've found. The reason I am finally making the switch from chemical dyes, is that I recently realized my psoriatic arthritis showed up shortly after I started dying my hair to cover the gray. Coincidence? We'll see.
Research
Where I started my research was at www.HennaSooq.com because these girls care deeply about their clients and their products, are thorough in explanation and research, and committed to buying, using, and selling only 100% natural and organic Henna that is from a fresh crop of the plant. They have dozens of great testimonials, an informative blog, monthly discounts and specials, and each product page in their store has an extensive description of how to work with that blend of Henna. What I also love about HennaSooq is due to their dedication to whole health, they are donating products to women battling breast cancer through the Breast Cancer Awareness Month of October. Super awesome.
But I have been to a dozen other websites, and I have learned more about Henna that I ever cared to, although I'm glad I did.
Henna, also known as Mehndi, is an all natural flowering plant that it strengthens and fortifies the hair, and despite being green in color, dyes both the skin and hair red. It has been used for thousands of years, so its a trusted, reliable and valued beauty product in nearly every country across the globe. It is native to semi-arid climates of Africa and Asia, and Henna's coloring properties are due to lawsone, a burgundy organic compound that has an affinity for bonding with protein.
Misinformation
The "misinformation" that I started with was that Henna is difficult to work with, it's messy, lumpy, didn't always work, isn't really "all natural," is an all-day or overnight process, isn't permanent and dyes your hair orange. While none of this is true, the immediate myth worth dispelling is the naturalness of Henna. Pre-formulated Henna in a box - even from the healthfood stores- isn't 100% natural, that IS a fact. It's likely old, and therefore won't dye right or at all, and it still has some additives that aren't natural, and will counteract with whatever you already have on your hair (such as metallic or acid additives that will turn your hair green)(1). So as with anything, when you decide to go all natural, know your ingredients, use as few as possible, and mix it yourself. HennaSooq only gets their Henna straight from India, made from recent crops only, and vacuum sealed for freshness.
As for the rest of the myths, if it's messy or lumpy, you aren't mixing it right. If it dyes your hair orange, it isn't natural or you have totally white hair and you haven't blended it with the appropriate herbs to adjust the color. As for timing, you can either make it an all day process or use faster activating Henna if you're too busy to. And last, Henna is relatively permanent, but after three applications, it's locked in for good.
History
More on Henna's history, it is a staple in Ayurvedic hair care. Even if you don't want to dye your hair, the Cassia Obovada, Amla, Brahmi and Bhringraj plants are amazing strengthening and supplementing herbs for the hair and scalp. Brahmi is even used for psoriasis and eczema. For tones, all Henna stores sell several varieties of Henna for reds: organic Jamila Henna from Pakistan is lighter, Rajesthani Henna from India is darker burgundy, Yemeni Henna from Sana for deep reds that cover gray very well, or Moroccan Henna. You add Cassia for more copper tones, Indigo, Katam and even walnuts for brown tones, and a two step Indigo process, also with and coffee beans or teas for blacks. Many people also add chamomile, cinnamon, paprika, and other herbs to the process for health and tones, and essential oils for health and aroma as Henna is known to have an earthy smell to it.
As you may know, Henna is not only used on the hair, and many know it for its impermanent skin art history. But Henna's properties are so holistic that it has been used historically on the body to help treat wounds, soothe burns, remove fungus, improve the nails, purify the blood, loosen the muscles, relieve backache, repel insects, and plenty more. It can be used as a poultice, a rinse, and a salve, but it should never be ingested.
Hair Dying with Henna
A big plus for hair dying is that Henna, specifically the all-natural organic kind, is all-covering, IE it will blend well over previous chemical treatments, blends existing colors and roots, and covers gray well. Everywhere I've researched, all reports tout these benefits. However the reverse is not applicable - if you try to chemically treat your hair after applying Henna, the dyes will not take (which I found interesting).
Switching to the process of Henna comes with only one foreseeable drawback to me: It is unquestionably a longer process.
1. The Henna must be premixed and left to activate and release its dye either for several hours, even overnight. This process can be quickened with low heat (for instance if you left it on the radiator), but it's still going to take a few hours.
2. Then your hair needs to be prepped (you can apply it dry, but it's better if it's been washed, not conditioned, and trimmed).
3. The Henna is then applied, another lengthy process that can take up to an hour, and the head is then wrapped with plastic and left to continue to activate for up to eight hours (I've found that many users just wrap it very well and sleep on it). I've read conflicted reports about application, most state that they start with a strand at the crown chakra and build a bun clockwise to the hairline, applying piece by piece. One report I read said that this bun action can cause the hair to be pulled, so for some who have delicate follicles, this can cause slightly more hair loss just after the process.
4. Last, the removal is no easy process either. Users discuss many ways to rinse, either with whole bottles of conditioner and gallons of water, swishing endlessly in the tub, or standing for 30 minutes under running water. Either way, it requires a lot of water.
5. You don't want to wash the Henna'd hair for 3 days, but the color you're left with upon rinsing will be much brighter than the color that settles into your hair be the end of the week, and during that time, you will likely have bleeding.
Keep reading Part 2...
References:
www.hennasooq.com
www.mehandi.com
www.hennacaravan.com
http://m.wisegeek.com/what-
http://hennablogspot.com
http://www.hennapage.com/
http://www.naturallycurly.com/
http://forums.
Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
BackgroundI have been on a quest to go 100% "all natural" (in all aspects) for a decade, and hair color just happens to be my last chem standing. I have been DIYing bathroom and kitchen stuff for inside and outside the body for a very long time... but specifically within the last 4 years I have been doing so to manage- and hopefully remedy- two conditions I have developed, one recently, one a long time ago: psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. I have tried gluten free, grain free, vegetarian, sobriety, urban farming... I have made DIY lotions, washes, cleaners, salves... and because I believe others could benefit from what I've studied, I have been writing along the way (arthritis, DIY, gluten free, grain-free, psoriasis, see list on page's bottom left for more).
Topic
So after a month's worth of extensive research on Henna, here's what I've found. The reason I am finally making the switch from chemical dyes, is that I recently realized my psoriatic arthritis showed up shortly after I started dying my hair to cover the gray. Coincidence? We'll see.
 |
| Henna powder |
Research
Where I started my research was at www.HennaSooq.com because these girls care deeply about their clients and their products, are thorough in explanation and research, and committed to buying, using, and selling only 100% natural and organic Henna that is from a fresh crop of the plant. They have dozens of great testimonials, an informative blog, monthly discounts and specials, and each product page in their store has an extensive description of how to work with that blend of Henna. What I also love about HennaSooq is due to their dedication to whole health, they are donating products to women battling breast cancer through the Breast Cancer Awareness Month of October. Super awesome.
But I have been to a dozen other websites, and I have learned more about Henna that I ever cared to, although I'm glad I did.
Henna, also known as Mehndi, is an all natural flowering plant that it strengthens and fortifies the hair, and despite being green in color, dyes both the skin and hair red. It has been used for thousands of years, so its a trusted, reliable and valued beauty product in nearly every country across the globe. It is native to semi-arid climates of Africa and Asia, and Henna's coloring properties are due to lawsone, a burgundy organic compound that has an affinity for bonding with protein.
_in_Hyderabad,_AP_W2_IMG_0524.jpg) |
| Henna plant |
Misinformation
The "misinformation" that I started with was that Henna is difficult to work with, it's messy, lumpy, didn't always work, isn't really "all natural," is an all-day or overnight process, isn't permanent and dyes your hair orange. While none of this is true, the immediate myth worth dispelling is the naturalness of Henna. Pre-formulated Henna in a box - even from the healthfood stores- isn't 100% natural, that IS a fact. It's likely old, and therefore won't dye right or at all, and it still has some additives that aren't natural, and will counteract with whatever you already have on your hair (such as metallic or acid additives that will turn your hair green)(1). So as with anything, when you decide to go all natural, know your ingredients, use as few as possible, and mix it yourself. HennaSooq only gets their Henna straight from India, made from recent crops only, and vacuum sealed for freshness.
As for the rest of the myths, if it's messy or lumpy, you aren't mixing it right. If it dyes your hair orange, it isn't natural or you have totally white hair and you haven't blended it with the appropriate herbs to adjust the color. As for timing, you can either make it an all day process or use faster activating Henna if you're too busy to. And last, Henna is relatively permanent, but after three applications, it's locked in for good.
History
More on Henna's history, it is a staple in Ayurvedic hair care. Even if you don't want to dye your hair, the Cassia Obovada, Amla, Brahmi and Bhringraj plants are amazing strengthening and supplementing herbs for the hair and scalp. Brahmi is even used for psoriasis and eczema. For tones, all Henna stores sell several varieties of Henna for reds: organic Jamila Henna from Pakistan is lighter, Rajesthani Henna from India is darker burgundy, Yemeni Henna from Sana for deep reds that cover gray very well, or Moroccan Henna. You add Cassia for more copper tones, Indigo, Katam and even walnuts for brown tones, and a two step Indigo process, also with and coffee beans or teas for blacks. Many people also add chamomile, cinnamon, paprika, and other herbs to the process for health and tones, and essential oils for health and aroma as Henna is known to have an earthy smell to it.
As you may know, Henna is not only used on the hair, and many know it for its impermanent skin art history. But Henna's properties are so holistic that it has been used historically on the body to help treat wounds, soothe burns, remove fungus, improve the nails, purify the blood, loosen the muscles, relieve backache, repel insects, and plenty more. It can be used as a poultice, a rinse, and a salve, but it should never be ingested.
Hair Dying with Henna
A big plus for hair dying is that Henna, specifically the all-natural organic kind, is all-covering, IE it will blend well over previous chemical treatments, blends existing colors and roots, and covers gray well. Everywhere I've researched, all reports tout these benefits. However the reverse is not applicable - if you try to chemically treat your hair after applying Henna, the dyes will not take (which I found interesting).
Switching to the process of Henna comes with only one foreseeable drawback to me: It is unquestionably a longer process.
1. The Henna must be premixed and left to activate and release its dye either for several hours, even overnight. This process can be quickened with low heat (for instance if you left it on the radiator), but it's still going to take a few hours.
2. Then your hair needs to be prepped (you can apply it dry, but it's better if it's been washed, not conditioned, and trimmed).
3. The Henna is then applied, another lengthy process that can take up to an hour, and the head is then wrapped with plastic and left to continue to activate for up to eight hours (I've found that many users just wrap it very well and sleep on it). I've read conflicted reports about application, most state that they start with a strand at the crown chakra and build a bun clockwise to the hairline, applying piece by piece. One report I read said that this bun action can cause the hair to be pulled, so for some who have delicate follicles, this can cause slightly more hair loss just after the process.
4. Last, the removal is no easy process either. Users discuss many ways to rinse, either with whole bottles of conditioner and gallons of water, swishing endlessly in the tub, or standing for 30 minutes under running water. Either way, it requires a lot of water.
5. You don't want to wash the Henna'd hair for 3 days, but the color you're left with upon rinsing will be much brighter than the color that settles into your hair be the end of the week, and during that time, you will likely have bleeding.
Keep reading Part 2...
References:
www.hennasooq.com
www.mehandi.com
www.hennacaravan.com
http://m.wisegeek.com/what-
http://hennablogspot.com
http://www.hennapage.com/
http://www.naturallycurly.com/
http://forums.
Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
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