(Continued from parts 3, 2, 1)
Like clockwork, my hair grows about 1/2 an inch per month, as it has since I started paying attention 20 years ago. So that leaves me with an inch of increasingly gray roots every 2 months, and thus, a much needed regular schedule. With each passing month since my switch to Henna in October, I must say I love the product more and more. And I am pretty sure my key goal - matching momma's truly natural color - has finally been succeeded; something I simply wasn't able to do with chemical dyes. Proof: while down in Florida this past week my mom's college roommate pulls her aside and says, "Wow, Andrea got your red hair!", like she didn't remember that from 15 years ago when I'd seen her last. My mom (and I) chuckled... "Nope, she uses Henna." Personal victory, accomplished.
So what's new in my experience?
Cleansing successWell, I've honed in on the bar I like for my hair. I think if you switch to Henna Sooq's shampoo bars, you'll probably find something different per your scalp, hair, and location variables... but for me, with thick, coarse, dry hair in Colorado, the Argan blend might be my second favorite. The variety in oils and herbs inside the blended bars makes for choosing hard, and in my last post I hadn't tried Argan or Berhempsu yet, and had honed in on Soapnut, which is probably still at the top for me. Berhempsu leaves my hair oily, so for those extra dry types, this one is maybe for you. The Argan bar is also quite oily, and doesn't have a lot of herbs in it. The reason I like Soapnut the best still is for its natural healing qualities and the essential oil blends they put into the recipe. I am still amazed I am still using up these tiny sample bars, months later. So their value is unquestionable. I also love using these bars for shaving as the Henna Sooq girls suggest.
Henna independence
The other news is that I've now gone through my 3rd henna experience (Oct22, Dec20, Feb18), and because I timed it poorly, I had to do so on my own. Teresa was traveling, and so was I, so I had to go it on my own if I wanted to have a fresh 'do before the trip. But it taught me several valuable things - a) I can do it. b) I can just do my roots without worry about any tonal differences. c) I don't need a hair cut every time.
I had watched video upon video before taking the plunge back in October, and yet I still wanted Teresa to do it. And I'll still have her do my whole head every so often because I'm still retaining some darker, purpler ends from the original chem coloring from before the switch, and also because henna is healing- so far I haven't developed any split ends (which in winter is a miracle) so I'd like to keep it that way. But I'm confident in doing the roots on my own now - it saves henna (I only used the frozen remainder of the last mix, which was about 75 grams of a combination of henna, indigo and amla and I only used about half of it), it saves time (it took me about an hour, and I only left it on for four), and it saves my neck - 1/8th the henna means 1/8th the weight. Also, since I used the frozen leftovers, I didn't need to wait for activation, just thawing. And the last, and maybe the best benefit, no dye "bleeding."
Moisturizing
I am primarily still only using a tiny bit of coconut oil on my hair after I shower, and nothing on the days I don't. I do love the smell of the Cocoveda Hair Oil I mentioned in part 3, and use it occasionally, but really don't use it much yet since I'm still working through my tiny sample jar. It does leave my hair oilier, but I did find the Cocoveda helpful in Florida last week however, when frizz was an issue in the humidity. In Colorado, my hair just seems weighed down by it.
All in all I feel liberated to have eliminated the last chemicals in the house, and the clutter in my shower. Traveling with the bars are super easy and minimalist, and I'm still shocked I don't need to use conditioner except once every two weeks or less, and that might just be out of a slowly dying habit.
If you haven't made the switch yet, do!!
For those who don't want to go as bright red as I chose, match your tones here:
http://www.mehandi.com/how_to/index.html
http://www.hennaforhair.com/mixes/index.html
Keep reading - Part 5...
Like clockwork, my hair grows about 1/2 an inch per month, as it has since I started paying attention 20 years ago. So that leaves me with an inch of increasingly gray roots every 2 months, and thus, a much needed regular schedule. With each passing month since my switch to Henna in October, I must say I love the product more and more. And I am pretty sure my key goal - matching momma's truly natural color - has finally been succeeded; something I simply wasn't able to do with chemical dyes. Proof: while down in Florida this past week my mom's college roommate pulls her aside and says, "Wow, Andrea got your red hair!", like she didn't remember that from 15 years ago when I'd seen her last. My mom (and I) chuckled... "Nope, she uses Henna." Personal victory, accomplished.
So what's new in my experience?
Cleansing successWell, I've honed in on the bar I like for my hair. I think if you switch to Henna Sooq's shampoo bars, you'll probably find something different per your scalp, hair, and location variables... but for me, with thick, coarse, dry hair in Colorado, the Argan blend might be my second favorite. The variety in oils and herbs inside the blended bars makes for choosing hard, and in my last post I hadn't tried Argan or Berhempsu yet, and had honed in on Soapnut, which is probably still at the top for me. Berhempsu leaves my hair oily, so for those extra dry types, this one is maybe for you. The Argan bar is also quite oily, and doesn't have a lot of herbs in it. The reason I like Soapnut the best still is for its natural healing qualities and the essential oil blends they put into the recipe. I am still amazed I am still using up these tiny sample bars, months later. So their value is unquestionable. I also love using these bars for shaving as the Henna Sooq girls suggest.
Henna independence
The other news is that I've now gone through my 3rd henna experience (Oct22, Dec20, Feb18), and because I timed it poorly, I had to do so on my own. Teresa was traveling, and so was I, so I had to go it on my own if I wanted to have a fresh 'do before the trip. But it taught me several valuable things - a) I can do it. b) I can just do my roots without worry about any tonal differences. c) I don't need a hair cut every time.
I had watched video upon video before taking the plunge back in October, and yet I still wanted Teresa to do it. And I'll still have her do my whole head every so often because I'm still retaining some darker, purpler ends from the original chem coloring from before the switch, and also because henna is healing- so far I haven't developed any split ends (which in winter is a miracle) so I'd like to keep it that way. But I'm confident in doing the roots on my own now - it saves henna (I only used the frozen remainder of the last mix, which was about 75 grams of a combination of henna, indigo and amla and I only used about half of it), it saves time (it took me about an hour, and I only left it on for four), and it saves my neck - 1/8th the henna means 1/8th the weight. Also, since I used the frozen leftovers, I didn't need to wait for activation, just thawing. And the last, and maybe the best benefit, no dye "bleeding."
Moisturizing
I am primarily still only using a tiny bit of coconut oil on my hair after I shower, and nothing on the days I don't. I do love the smell of the Cocoveda Hair Oil I mentioned in part 3, and use it occasionally, but really don't use it much yet since I'm still working through my tiny sample jar. It does leave my hair oilier, but I did find the Cocoveda helpful in Florida last week however, when frizz was an issue in the humidity. In Colorado, my hair just seems weighed down by it.
All in all I feel liberated to have eliminated the last chemicals in the house, and the clutter in my shower. Traveling with the bars are super easy and minimalist, and I'm still shocked I don't need to use conditioner except once every two weeks or less, and that might just be out of a slowly dying habit.
If you haven't made the switch yet, do!!
For those who don't want to go as bright red as I chose, match your tones here:
http://www.mehandi.com/how_to/index.html
http://www.hennaforhair.com/mixes/index.html
Keep reading - Part 5...
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