Henna

For the record, none of this is copied from another site. This is my stream-of-consciousness take on henna :)

Here are some popular online Henna resources:

The Henna Page
Mehandi.com
Henna for Hair
Henna Sooq

What is henna? 

Henna is a plant (lawsonia inermis). The plant is finely ground into a powder, and when mixed with an acid, after for allowing for the appropriate amount of time, the dye releases. It stains skin temporarily and stains hair permanently. Lawsone, the dye molecule, has an affinity for protein in skin and hair.

Why use henna? 

There are many reasons why people use henna on their hair. Henna is a very effective dye, and people looking for a beautiful shade of red can achieve it with henna, so long as their hair is light enough in color (Lucille Ball was known to bleach her hair and then henna over it to achieve her famous red shade). Henna can effectively cover gray hair. If you have just a few grays, here and there, henna can turn them into beautiful highlights. I think it is especially pretty on people with naturally dark hair and a few grays. Henna can have "conditioning" type effects. I use quotations because some scientists argue that henna is not a "conditioner" in technical terms. Lastly, henna eradicates scalp conditions. My mother and I both have hereditary scalp psoriasis (hers is much worse than mine, but she previously used harsh sulfate shampoos that were heavily fragranced). Henna has completely removed any trace of psoriasis, redness, itchiness, flaking etc.

Here are the "conditioning" effects henna has on my hair:

henna binds to the keratin in hair, essentially coating the hair and adding bulk - my hair is naturally very thin - henna makes my hair appear thicker.

henna loosens my curl pattern - due to the same reason as above - more weight on the hair shaft produces an elongated curl.

henna makes my hair shiny, and it always feels smoother after a treatment. I think this is because the shaft is coated, cracks are filled in, and also because the curl, after being elongated and less kinky, reflects light better (not 100% on this one!)

What if I don't want red hair? 

Some will argue with me, but I think in order to get the full benefits of henna, you are going to have to be willing to put up with a bit of a red tint. No, you don't need to become a redhead. Indigo (a dark blue dye, also a plant) and Cassia (another plant that has a slightly staining yellow effect) can be mixed with henna to create a desired haircolor. Usually, people will henna before indigo or add an indigo mix to henna after the dye has released. It is not usually recommended to indigo first, as indigo has no conditioning benefits for hair. Cassia can be prepared with henna.

I usually use a henna mix of 1/3 cup Cassia and 1/2 cup henna to avoid the super dark hair that can result from overzealous henna-ing. See my henna ritual, below.

What henna should I buy? 

Always buy body art quality (BAQ) henna for use on hair. Do not buy "henna hair dyes" as they usually contain metallic salts and are not pure henna. Henna only comes in one shade: red. If you see "black henna" or "blond henna" it is not henna. It could be an indigo/henna or a cassia/henna mix, but there is no way to be sure. Don't buy it.

Where can I get BAQ Henna? 

When I lived in Chicago, I bought my henna on Devon Avenue, in an area of town affectionately called "little India." It has the largest South Asian concentrated population in the United States. Patel Brothers is reliable if you know what you are looking for, as is Seasons.

I now order from Henna Sooq. I have always been happy with their henna, and I buy my cassia from Henna Sooq as well. I suggest buying on Fridays, as they often have specials. I haven't bought from Mehandi.com, but they are also known to be incredibly reliable.

BAQ henna will usually be:

- light green in color
- packaged in a sealed foil pouch or plastic bag
- come in a box with the sealed bag inside
- have an expiration date
- not say anything about hair dye on the box. the Jamila and Dulhan that I usually get in the store say nothing on them except "henna powder"

My Henna Ritual:

I do a pretty standard henna preparation.

- I use about 50g of henna and 25-30g of Cassia.

- I use about 1/2 to 3/4 cup (or 8 oz) of hot tea. I usually use a fruit tea that has hibiscus in it (currently I have Celestial Seasonings Raspberry Zinger). Any acidic tea will work.

- I also use the juice of 1/4 a lemon, if I have it on hand. If you add in lemon juice to any henna mix, the dye will release faster, due to the high acidic content.

1. I combine the henna and tea in a bowl.
2. I whisk until my mixture resembles cake batter.
3. I seal the container. I have been using Glad Press n' Seal, but saran wrap works the same way.
4. I wait 4-12 hours (the current batch I am using has a fast dye release, so it's usually around 4 hours. If you are using Jamila, Dulhan, or any store bought henna, wait 12 hours for dye release).
5. I  oil my ends heavily with coconut oil before applying the henna because henna can be drying on its own, and lemon juice can be especially drying.
6. I apply the henna to my entire head, making sure to fully saturate the roots, then saran wrap my hair. I put a plastic bag over the saran wrap as well.
7. I apply oil to areas of my hair that may come in contact with air (nape of neck, around my ears and hairline) as the henna can dry out and get crusty.
8. I leave the henna in my hair for at least 2 hours but always less than 4 hours.
9. I rinse/co-wash with a silicone free conditioner as many times as needed. Afterwards, I lightly shampoo my scalp and condition my hair normally.

I have previously experimented with other acids in the past. My first few henna treatments were done with coconut milk as the acid. I know other women have had success with it, but I never got the great result that I have gotten using teas. My experience with warm water was the same.

Footnote: Henna is messy. Make sure you have plastic gloves and saran wrap. I also keep baby wipes at hand to easily remove henna when it touches areas that are hard to get to or hard to remove.

I hope this is helpful!


Other, related things:

Indigo: Here is info on dying hair with indigo from the henna for hair page.
I've never used indigo, as I didn't want to darken my hair. I just ordered some from henna sooq, so this status may change. A few things to note about indigo is that it is VERY permanent, it is VERY hard to dye over, and it has no benefits for hair like henna does. I think its best for those with dark brown hair who have grey and do not want red tones from henna.

Amla: Here is a post from blackgirllonghair.com where they ask the Beauty Brains about Amla.
I used it recently and it seemed to tone down the redness a bit. My was just purchased from a local grocery store, so I can't speak to its quality.

Buxus: Here is an article about katam (buxus) and indigo from renaissance henna.
I haven't been able to find it. I'd like to try it. It seems it mainly comes from Yemen and there is an embargo.

Methi: a.k.a fenugreek. Here is post from the Black Hair Diary where a hair mask is made of ground methi powder.
I never had luck with the powder. I mixed it with my henna once. I didn't feel like it did much. Again, I bought it from a local grocer. I do like using the non ground up methi (just the seeds). I soak them in coconut oil and use that oil on my ends nightly and after showers. I think it smells nice. I'm not sure if it does anything :)