Hair New Era

Showing posts with label Henna. Show all posts

The Henna Diaries: 2

Author: lilisokey

I mentioned in my last henna post that I was trying to henna my hair red. After rinsing out the first henna treatment my hair wasn't red but it was SUPER soft. If you didn't know, henna is a great conditioner for hair of f all types. I noticed there was a slight tint but nothing extremely noticeable unless the sun was shining on strands.

With that said, I wanted more color! I did some research and ordered some henna from Henna for Hair. I have heard amazing things about the company and their henna is supposed to be very fresh and great in quality. The henna I purchased is specifically for people trying to tint their hair red. I figured it was perfect for me! The kit I bought came in the mail over the weekend and I wanted to try it so I mixed it up with some yummy ingredients.

The ingredient I used for Red Henna:

100 grams of Hennna

1/2 cup of Hibiscus Powder

2 cups of steeped tea (I used Tazo's Passion Tea)

1/3 cup of lemon juice (recommended by Henna for Hair)

*The acidity of the lemon juice brings out the red color*

2 tablespoons of Agave Nectar

1 tablespoon glycerin

8 drops of Argan Oil

I mixed the ingredients until they were the consistency of thick Greek yogurt, then I wrapped the mixture in saran wrap and let sit overnight. The next day the henna was ready to be used. I apply henna like I'm getting a relaxer touch up, LOL, that's the best way to describe the application process.

As far as my result go, see the very first pic of this post. You can't see much red but my tips are fairly lighter. In the sun though, BOY OH BOY, you can definitely tell that my strands are burgundy. Also, after leaving the henna on for 12 hours and rinsing with warm water, my curls were amazing. Super coily and defined, along with being beyond soft. Henna is definitely my friend. My next treatment will be in about 2 weeks!

Do you henna? If so, how does it work for you?

xoxo,

Alex

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The Henna Diaries: 1

Author: lilisokey

I forgot how much my hair loved henna. It's been months since I've tried it and I think from now on I will do my best in being consistent with my henna treatments. Now, my main goal for doing henna this time around was to tint my hair red. As many of you know, my fragile strands cannot take dyes so I decided to try other options to tint/color my hair. I left my mix on for about 8 hours, I was hoping that the color pay off would be greater than it was but it wasn't. I will probably have to henna a few more times to see the red I want. I was left with some auburn/red highlights, I like them, a lot! I also have some grey hairs so the henna did a good job at covering those bad boys. Oh, and my hair may not have been red after rinsing but it sure was soft! My coils were poppin'. I forgot to take a picture of my hair afterwards. I'll be sure to do that next time.

For this henna recipe I used:

Nupur Henna (1/2 the pack)

Conditioner (You can used w/e type you like)

Raw Honey (melt down for 30 seconds)

Vatika Oil (1/2 cup)

Bhringaraj Oil (1/4 cup)

Cinnamon (1 teaspoon)

Paprika (1 teaspoon)

Passion Fruit Tea (Instead of water, about 2 1/2 cups)

I love the way the henna sits on my hair and weighs my curls down. The only downside about henna is the mess it can leave in your bathroom, so used caution and GLOVES!

Henna Fun Fact: There are many types of henna! Neutral henna, a green powder that smells like freshly cut grass, is neither henna nor neutral. It is Cassia obovata. Cassia obovata contains anthraquinones, particularly Chrysophanic acid, a remarkable anti-fungal, anti-microbial and anti-bacterial. Cassia obovata has a golden dye molecule that will stain dull blonde and gray hair yellow. It will help damaged hair, make hair full, glossy, healthy. (source)

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Wash Day-Henna #2

Author: lilisokey

It's been a whole week since I've washed my hair and since my last henna treatment. I have never been able to go this long without washing my hair. Yesterday, I knew I couldn't go much longer because my hair was getting FRIZZY, DRY and KNOTTED. So, I made today my wash day and I applied my second henna treatment. I wanted to try something a little different today with my henna mix. The recipe I used is below.

Alex's Henna Mix:

1 box of Jamila Henna

1 Rosemary and Candula Tea Bag

2 cups of warm water (steep the tea bag for 10 minutes)

2 oz of HairVeda's Vatika Oil

1/2 cup of Hello Hydration Conditioner

I mixed the above ingredients until it was creamy and smooth in consistency then I covered the mix for about 15 minutes. Before I applied the henna I spritzed my hair with Green Tea and rinsed with warm water then I towel dried and applied the henna in sections. Once my hair was completely saturated with henna I covered my hair with 2 shower caps (I have too much hair now to use just one, LOL) and my satin bonnet. I plan on letting the henna stay on my hair for about 6 hours. I am in major need of a good DC and since I am off work today, why not make it an all day hair affair?

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Hooray for HENNA!

Author: lilisokey

I LOVE henna, last night's experience was awesome. My hair has never felt this amazing, soft, fluffy or strong EVER. I am not sure why I am just now getting hip to henna but I am so glad that I finally bit the bullet and tried it. I recall giving a henna a try once before, sometime last year, and I never really got the hang of it. Maybe I didn't use it right because this time, it's did wonders for my curls. Now I see why Curly Nikki and TMTM always rave about it.

(Texture shot on dry hair after henna, I need a trim...lol)

I left my henna on for a few hours, ran some errands and was ready to rinse. I hopped in the shower and let warm water run over my head for a good 3 minutes. After that I slathered on a cheap conditioner and co-washed a few times until the water ran clear. My curls instantly popped and spiraled out of control, I was amazed. Lately, during and after washing, my hair has been lifeless. My curls have been frizzy and dull. The henna was like a hair re-birth, LOL, I know that may sound dramatic BUT I am so serious. Not to mention my hair was SUPER shiny, which was a great thing. I did notice that my scalp started itching terribly while I was rinsing the henna out, it eventually subsided but I found that kind of strange. Anyone experience this?

De tangling my hair was a breeze. I parted it in sections and gave my self about 10 flat twist going in alternating directions.I wanted the wild, funky look today. I twisted with Oyin's Hair Dew and Koils by Nature's Hair Butter. I like these products because they are all natural and leave my hair with definition and moisture. Once I was all twisted, I applied MTG to my scalp (I am still using this as a growth aide) and spritzed with Oyin's Frank Juice. Taking down my hair this morning was a breeze, I HAD NO FRIZZ or OUT OF CONTROL ends like I normally do. Henna got the job done and will be a new staple in my regimen forever. I plan on henna'ing every 2 weeks. My next henna date is the 24th. I am excited about that, I plan on getting my hair re-braided in the up-do PS that I wore over the holiday. I am very serious about reaching APL by my 2nd year natural hair anniversary. :)