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DIY Hair Care DIY Nail Care DIY Makeup DIY Fashion DIY Home Skin Cosmetics Makeup Hair Henna No Poo Trimming/Cutting Style Capsule Wardrobe Thrifted Upcycled Minimalism My Sweet Home Decor Declutter Travel Money Inspirations Health Foods Fitness Environmentalism Plastic Free Store Home Beauty Hair Henna For Hair 101 Henna For Hair 101Posted on February 10, 2012 by Dawn Michelle in Hair I talk about henna often on Minimalist Beauty for healthy, strong, and shiny hai r. I wanted to break down my henna process step by step from choosing body art quality henna, mixing and applying henna, rinsing henna, and styling my hair aft erwards. For all those new to henna, this article is especially for you. For t hose who have been doing henna for years like myself, I hope that you will enjoy the article and maybe even add a few tips of your own. The process of using he nna for hair can seem tedious at first, and almost too much work than it is wort h, but believe me that it gets easier the more you do it, and is definitely wort h the time that it takes. Choosing HennaIt is so important to pick a henna that is body art quality. Pur e henna comes in one color red. Although henna can be mixed with other natural i ngredients to create other natural colors, it cannot lighten your hair. When yo u see henna that has color modifications make sure that it is only mixed with cass ia, indigo, or other natural ingredients such as coffee, hibiscus petal powder, amla etc. Otherwise it is possible that the henna is mixed with chemcial hair d yes or even worse metallic salts. You are best off going with henna specifically for body art because it is chemic al free and safe for both skin and hair. Body art quality henna is also finely milled which makes the application to hair as well as rinsing the henna out very easy. You will get the best color results from body art quality henna. I ve tried a few different brands of henna. I have noticed that because henna is a plant, depending on the crop, where it is grown, and how fresh the henna is ca n all be factors to determine the color of dye release as well as if the henna p rocess is enjoyable. When I first began using henna I started with Karishma hen na. Karishma henna is premixed with some amazing Ayurvedic herbs for hair stren gthening and conditioning. My new favorite is Nupur 9 henna which has nine Ayur

vedic herbs. Next are some brief descriptions of a few body art quality hennas. Jamila henna sold in a shiny box with the date of the summer crop on the bottom of the box is body art quality henna. This henna gives a rich burgundy color re lease especially when adding hibiscus petal powder to it. The other Jamilla hen na sold in a matte colored box is simply henna for hair without the dramatic col or results and not as finely shifted. Jamilla Henna For Hair still provides goo d conditioning results just not equal color results. This popular henna from Pak istan yields a wonderfully dark color for both hair and in body art. ~ayurnatura lbeauty.com Nupur 9 is my favorite body art quality henna made from 100% pure Rajasthani Hen na and containing nine Ayurvedic herbs. Shikakai Leaves hair clean & shining Aloe Vera Moisturises hair & makes it silky Methi (Fenugreek) Conditions, nourishes and revitalizes hair Bhringraj Makes hair luxuriant Amla Darkens hair colour, adds shine & luster Neem Fights scalp infection and prevents dandruff Hibiscus Rejuvenates hair, making it silky and shiny Jatamansi Prevents graying of hair Brahmi Promotes hair growth Karishma contains pure henna, amla, shikakai, aritha, bhringraj, and selected her bs as described in century old Indian Vedas. Regular use of Karishma Herbal Hen na darkens hair, acts as natural hair conditioner, controls dandruff and prevent s hair loss. Due to natural cooling effect of the herbs used it improves eyesig ht and gives sound sleep. Karishma henna gives a warm red brown color release. ~ayurnaturalbeauty.com Reshma henna naturally produces a dark brown color with hints of dark red. I fo und Reshma henna at my local Indian grocer and felt pretty good with the conditi oning and color results. Rajasthani is 100% pure henna, grown in Sojat, Rajasthan, an Indian region though t by many to be the source of the world s best henna Expect bright copper red hues w hen used on light hair. Darker hair will experience varying tones from reddish b rown to deep coppery tones depending on the usage. ~ayurnaturalbeauty.com I ve only use Rajasthani henna in the Nupur 9, yet believe it will also give amazi ng results expected from quality BAQ henna. Dulhan is another great option for hair color and conditioning properties. Dulh an is probably the most reasonably priced henna I ve ever seen with a golden coppe ry red color release. I was suprised how finely milled this henna was for the p rice. It has more coppery tones than any other henna that I ve used. My Henna Mix150g Nupur 9 Henna 1 can of coconut milk 1/4 cup of hemp oil or natural oil mix (optional for dry hair only) Preparing HennaI mix about 100-150 grams of body art quality henna with a full c an of coconut milk. Any oil of your choice can be added for more conditioning after the dye has been released from the henna. I allow the henna and coconut m ilk to sit overnight or for about 8 hours adding 1/4 cup of the oil to the henna before applying to my hair. Using coconut milk with henna creates a thick cond itioner consistency for easy application and rinse out. It will not feel heavy

or dry hard on your hair. Applying HennaI used to cleanse my hair prior to applying henna, yet now I apply henna to dry hair in four sections. This works well for me especially since al l of my hair products are 100% natural or literally made in my kitchen. The hen na does not have to penetrate silicones or other heavy chemicals. After applying henna to all of my hair, I cover my hair with a plastic condition ing cap or plastic wrap. (I know that using plastic isn t eco-friendly, but I hav en t figured out a more earth friendly solution when using henna. Suggestions ple ase!) I also cover my hair with an old or dark colored stretch fabric and/or an old or dark colored beanie. This increases body heat and better henna penetrat ion into the hair strands. I leave henna in my hair for 3-6 hours or even overnight for intense color and c onditioning. If I plan to keep henna in overnight I make sure to cover my pil low with a towel. Leave henna in for only one hour for conditioning and less co lor application. Rinsing HennaTo rinse out henna I simply run my hair under running water in the tub. Henna is unable to dry hard on hair when mixed with coconut milk which mak es it extremely easy to wash out. After my hair feels well rinsed I use a condi tioner to co-wash hair. At one point I was using the DIY Green Tea Cleansing Ha ir Rinse with marshmallow root extract to cleanse my hair after henna which also works well. I sometimes leave conditioner in hair for about 10-15 minutes for more conditioning, then rinse again and style as usual. My latest hair styling methods are a mix of the Curly Girl Method and the Tightl y Curly Method. I am still no poo just a bit different. You can read more about it here and here. Henna Use Tips1. Remember to always use gloves to apply and rinse out. Henna wi ll dye your hands and nails otherwise! 2. You can use cassia, neutral henna, for those who do not want to color their h air, yet desire an amazing conditioning and strengthening treatment. Cassia giv es the hair golden highlights over time especially for light colored hair. Even alternate henna and cassia if you like. 3. When the dye has released in henna the top layer of your henna mix will be br own and underneath a nice green color. I doesn t always take up to 8 hours, but t hat is the average dye release time. 4. If you are using a henna that does not have extra Ayurvedic herbs, you can al ways add amla or brahmi powder for extra conditioning and hair strengthening. 5. Plain yogurt is another great option if you can t get your hands on coconut mil k. I would then use about 16 oz of plain yogurt.

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