Henna
~by Jenteel, BGLH Resident Hair Expert
J’s hair after a henna application
WHAT IS HENNA?
henna, lawsonia inermis, is a plant found in the middle east, africa and india
• pure b.a.q. henna turns the hair red so if you have gray they too will turn red which makes for pretty highlights; the rest of the hair will be lightly tinted red depending on your natural color (if you have a lot of gray or may not want so much red see “boosting henna” section below for more ideas)
• known for decorating the skin and depositing color onto the hair
• the dye molecule lawsone is found within the leaves and must be mixed with a mildly acidic liquid for the lawsone to be released
• henna is dried and ground into a powder for most effective use
• you can use henna for an hour or so for short term conditioning or long term color deposit
• best results with body art quality henna (b.a.q.)
you can find baq henna in indian grocery stores or online
a reputable site is mehandi.com which formulated a henna bundle for african hair
• future henna applications will deepen the color
HENNA PROS AND CONS
Pros
• strengthens the hair
• conditions the hair
• fuller hair
• defines the natural curl
• adds shine
Cons
• can be drying: some people experience dryness after henna processing due to it’s strengthening abilities
this can be avoided by mixing the henna with some orange juice instead of lemon, adding yogurt or by adding some nourishing oils to the mix.
• time consuming: the henna mix must rest for 6 to 12 hours so that the henna leaf cellulose is dissolved before application; then after application it has to set in your hair for several hours to oxidize
• messy: wrap henna-ed hair tight with saran wrap and dark towels and cover your bed/pillow if processing your hair overnight
• it is difficult to lighten hair from a dark henna coloring
• does not react well with store bought peroxide-based hair color that needs to be mixed with an activator, especially if it is not b.a.q henna
many fotki ladies i know use henna to color their hair
lina40 who has a great henna tutorial and sells henna in her online store: afiba naturals
BOOSTING HENNA
• use indigo over the initial henna application to darken your henna results
• add espresso type brewed coffee to your henna mix (i tried this on my mother’s hair with good results )
• add spices like cinnamon, paprika to the water (see info on “herbal teas”)
• add essential oils of tea tree, eucalyptus or lavender
• avoid chlorinated water when henna-ing, this can alter results
HENNA BOX BLENDS
some companies sell premixed henna with additives – this is not 100% pure/b.a.q. henna
colora henna creme and rainbow henna can be found in your local beauty supply/health food store
