Henna

So I finally decided I wanted to color my hair and after some research learned that henna was the best route to go. If you're interested in henna, there are two reliable sources I went to (besides the wonderful owner of Non Toxic Chic): CurlyNikki and Henna For Hair.

Now there are few benefits to using henna that convinced me this was the best route to go, then attempting any other type of  "natural" dye. First, henna is a plant that has been used for centuries (most notably the Egyptians) for dyeing hair. Second, henna has been used to keep hair healthy. Third, henna CAN NOT lighten your hair. In fact, over time, it may actually darken it. 

So why am I using it, if my purpose is to lighten my hair? Well, I'm glad you asked.

First, the henna dye can penetrate the hair shaft and bind with the keratin in the hair. What is keratin? Well, keratin is a  type of structural protein found in skin, hair and nails. Henna essentially makes the keratin stronger. 

Second, henna doesn't block moisture. 

Third, it may not turn my hair bright red, but it does expose the natural color in the hair, especially red and especially in the sun. Henna, by the way, only comes in red. But henna hair dye applications are sometimes mixed with color enhancing herbs like indigo and there are a few natural tricks (like using honey or lemon juice) that can create some color effects. All of this of course depends on the color of hair you already have on your head. 

So, I decided to undergo my first henna treatment and with any success. I will probably be keeping this up. 

Below is my step by step process, but first, the ingredients:

1. 2 cups of distilled water
2. 4 bags of 100% natural green tea
3. a box of henna (Light Mountain Natural is the brand I chose after a visit to my new favorite organic beauty store, Non Toxic Chic. The color I picked was auburn, which was as bright as she had in stock. Also, the henna should be "body art quality".)
4. Vaseline or petroleum jelly (I know, I hate this stuff, but you DO NOT want to get henna all over your skin)
5. 2 tablespoons of 100% honey
6. plastic cap
7. plastic gloves (both the cap and gloves come in the box, but like with most hair coloring applications, both of these sucked. It's best to use your own cap and latex gloves.)
8. plastic bowl or container and plastic spoon
9.Deep Treatment conditioner and possibly olive oil.
10. Newspaper or paper bags to cover your floor.

Now the first step is to bowl the distilled water. You don't want it to be too boiling hot, but the moment you notice steam and bubbles, go ahead and take it off the stove and ....

... place aside in a bowl (I used this easy measuring cup to get the water in and out of the pan) and steep your four tea bags. Meanwhile...

Add your henna mix into your plastic bowl. Once the green tea is ready and not too hot, put on your gloves and...

... slowly pour the tea in with the henna mix and stir. Here I'll mention the importance of using gloves. Most people are familiar with henna for body art, i.e. tattoos that over time will come off. Henna does stain the skin and unless you're an art student, you really don't want to get this on your skin while trying to color your hair.
The consistency of your mix should be between mashed potatoes and beaten eggs.

Seal your henna. Now according to the application, the henna should sit for about three hours to get the desired consistency. I allowed my henna to sit overnight, partially because it was getting too late in the evening for me to go through with this and partially because I had started late due to watching a nail biting MSU v. Northwestern football game. I instead used the time to perform a small strand test, which I failed miserably at and will not discuss any further.

Meanwhile, while the henna is sitting (depending on how long you want it to) at some point you should Co-wash (I used HE Hello Hydration) and detangle your hair as usual. I DID NOT do my traditional ACV (apple cider vinegar) rinse to clarify, simply because I was unsure what effect, if any, it would have on my henna process.

After co-washing and detangling, I rinsed water from my hair and only barely towel dried. You want your hair to be dripping, but not wet.
I then proceeded to mix 2 tablespoons of honey into the henna, until I got a thick pudding mix. Now why add honey, besides being a conditioner unto itself, honey also works to lighten the hair. (Note, that for darker hair or a different color, there are tons of other things like indigo, coffee beans, etc... that can be mixed with the henna to achieve a color effect.)

After adding the honey, I then covered the bathroom area around the floor of my sink with large brown paper bags and covered my sink with a towel (I didn't mind getting dirty). There will be splatter. I also proceeded to rub Vaseline around the edges of my hair, ears and neck, since I don't want those areas dyed.

I parted my hair into sections, using clips to keep them up, and then applied the henna mixture to each parted section.


I actually used more than one set of gloves, just to avoid making an even bigger mess while attempting to place the shower cap. I also "double baggy'd" to also avoid making a mess.

By 2 p.m. Sunday, I had finished. There was some dye on my skin, notably on my arms and ears. I just used a wet paper towel to carefully wipe the dye off.

The next step, which is awfully tedious, was sitting under a dryer to allow the heat to warm and distribute the henna throughout my hair.

I decided to sit under the dryer for about 4.5 hours. Note, that a lot of people complain about the smell of henna. But to me, it smelled like collard greens cooking on the stove... a smell I love. Anyway, I filled up my kitchen sink and dunked my head in the water a few times. Using gloves, I carefully rinsed the henna from my head. Here it comes in handy to have a cheap conditioner on hand to help wash the stuff out. I went through about 75% of a brand new bottle of Suave Coconut conditioner and it still didn't get out all of the little henna particles.

The next step is VERY IMPORTANT and should always follow a henna treatment. I then proceeded to put my hair through a DEEP TREATMENT. I was advised not to use a deep conditioner with a lot of protein, so I couldn't use my "Yes to Carrots Mud Mask" and unfortunately I hadn't ordered a new bottle of Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose (despite calling 8 different natural/organic stores in my area. I learned they were all sold out). Instead, I tried something new and purchased a bottle of Aussie Moist and mixed it with EVOO.
After applying the deep condish, I recapped my head (note that I went through three pairs of gloves and four shower caps) and returned under the dryer for 1.45 hours.

After my deep treatment, I rinsed my hair and continued styling like any other day.

So how did it turn out????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

Yep, that's right. NO COLOR! Not a single ounce of red or brown or dark brown. NOTHING. There are two things to note here... 1. This has not deterred me from using henna again and 2. I'm really leaning on the hope that multiple henna treatments over the upcoming months continue to strengthen my hair and maybe lighten it.

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