As I mentioned in my last post, I need to color my hair. However, just as I no longer shampoo my hair, I also don't use conventional commercial color in my hair. Nor do I go to a salon. I've done both those things in the past, but for several years now, I've exclusively used henna to color my hair.
Henna is a plant that stains your hair and skin a bright orangey red. It's been used, on hair and body (for non-permanent tattooing) since ancient times, and it's completely safe for your hair. However, you need to make sure that you're using the right stuff, because a lot of what's sold in beauty supply shops as henna is NOT actually henna. You need to make sure that the henna you're using is labeled as "body quality", i.e. the kind that's used in henna tattoos or Mehndi. A good source is HERE.
What I use is LUSH henna blocks. It's body quality henna mixed with other stuff that is all good for your hair. The henna blocks come in four different shades (red, brown, maroon, and black) that will have different results depending on the natural shade of your hair, how much you use, if you mix the different blocks together, and so on. I play around a lot with the shades, personally.
The great thing about good quality henna, and (IMO) Lush's henna in particular, is that it's GOOD for your hair. Henna gives a very lush, shiny color, and it also protects your hair. The additional ingredients in Lush's henna blocks (mostly cocoa butter, but read the ingredients, they're awesome), add to the shine and conditioning qualities.
Here's how you do it:
- Take a couple of blocks (they come in packages of 6 blocks, you may need from 1 to 3 depending on length/thickness of hair) and break them up. I usually use a box grater, but you can smash them with a hammer or whatever you want. Some people don't break them at all but melt them. Whatever works. Put in a non-metal bowl.
- Pour very hot water (as hot as you'd use to make tea) over the henna. You need to eyeball this. You're looking for the consistency of yogurt, so what you can do is pour some over, let it sit a couple minutes, stir it (wooden or plastic spoon, no metal), then pour more in if needed. You can actually use tea if you want, or really hot coffee, or hot water with vinegar in it...you can add some honey and herbs, you can basically go crazy. But you want that yogurt or batter consistency.
- Work it into your hair from back to front, paying special attention to the hairline. I would suggest a friend and some rubber gloves for this. I get my poor, long-suffering husband to do it (I've done it myself in the past, but it's a lot harder without someone who can see your whole head). You don't want to rub it into your scalp, but unlike conventional hair dye, it's not going to EAT your scalp. When you're done, you might want to run some face cream, Vaseline, or whatever around the edges of your hairline to stop drips and "save" your skin (I will note that I don't have any problems with the henna staining, but your mileage may vary).
- If you want a more vibrant red color (for everything but the black), wrap your hair in plastic wrap. This also helps stop drips.
- Top with a warm towel or turban, and let this stuff (aptly named "caca") sit on your head for AT LEAST three hours. In the meantime, indulge yourself. Take a bubble bath, do your nails, whatever. I like to make my henna days a spa day. If you invite a friend over, you can indulge together. Eat chocolate. Drink wine. Watch Pride and Prejudice. Mmmmm.
- Here's the part I do that's a bit different. At the end of three hours (or more, if you want to take more time, but three hours is sufficient), take a half cup (you can eyeball it) of real, full-fat mayonnaise (homemade is best, but Hellman's works) and warm it in the microwave for a few seconds. Unwrap your hair and rinse it in warm water. You don't have to get all the henna out, but try to get any major clumps. Towel dry (you will either want to wash this towel IMMEDIATELY or just accept that it's going to be stained). Then don your rubber gloves, glop the mayo onto your hair, and rub it in. Try not to think about what it looks like. Wrap your hair up in plastic wrap again, and leave it for an additional 20 minutes. This would be a great time to finish up your "spa day" with a nice face masque.
- Wash the henna out of your hair. You can use shampoo, no-poo, just water, whatever feels the best to you and will get the gloop out of your hair. The mayo will help lift out the henna but will also add oil, so it's up to you.
- Even if you normally wash your hair every day, try not to wash it again for a couple of days after this, three days if you can manage it. Henna takes up to three days to fully "develop" its color, and it's best that you don't disturb it. You can always tie it up for a couple of days. Don't decide you love it or hate it in the meantime. Seriously. Let it do its thing.
- Realize, a few days later, that your hair looks better than it ever has before. It's soft! It's shiny! The color is gorgeous! Annoying as this process is, you will never, ever want to go back to using conventional hair dye again.
Henna is a plant that stains your hair and skin a bright orangey red. It's been used, on hair and body (for non-permanent tattooing) since ancient times, and it's completely safe for your hair. However, you need to make sure that you're using the right stuff, because a lot of what's sold in beauty supply shops as henna is NOT actually henna. You need to make sure that the henna you're using is labeled as "body quality", i.e. the kind that's used in henna tattoos or Mehndi. A good source is HERE.
What I use is LUSH henna blocks. It's body quality henna mixed with other stuff that is all good for your hair. The henna blocks come in four different shades (red, brown, maroon, and black) that will have different results depending on the natural shade of your hair, how much you use, if you mix the different blocks together, and so on. I play around a lot with the shades, personally.
The great thing about good quality henna, and (IMO) Lush's henna in particular, is that it's GOOD for your hair. Henna gives a very lush, shiny color, and it also protects your hair. The additional ingredients in Lush's henna blocks (mostly cocoa butter, but read the ingredients, they're awesome), add to the shine and conditioning qualities.
Here's how you do it:
- Take a couple of blocks (they come in packages of 6 blocks, you may need from 1 to 3 depending on length/thickness of hair) and break them up. I usually use a box grater, but you can smash them with a hammer or whatever you want. Some people don't break them at all but melt them. Whatever works. Put in a non-metal bowl.
- Pour very hot water (as hot as you'd use to make tea) over the henna. You need to eyeball this. You're looking for the consistency of yogurt, so what you can do is pour some over, let it sit a couple minutes, stir it (wooden or plastic spoon, no metal), then pour more in if needed. You can actually use tea if you want, or really hot coffee, or hot water with vinegar in it...you can add some honey and herbs, you can basically go crazy. But you want that yogurt or batter consistency.
- Work it into your hair from back to front, paying special attention to the hairline. I would suggest a friend and some rubber gloves for this. I get my poor, long-suffering husband to do it (I've done it myself in the past, but it's a lot harder without someone who can see your whole head). You don't want to rub it into your scalp, but unlike conventional hair dye, it's not going to EAT your scalp. When you're done, you might want to run some face cream, Vaseline, or whatever around the edges of your hairline to stop drips and "save" your skin (I will note that I don't have any problems with the henna staining, but your mileage may vary).
- If you want a more vibrant red color (for everything but the black), wrap your hair in plastic wrap. This also helps stop drips.
- Top with a warm towel or turban, and let this stuff (aptly named "caca") sit on your head for AT LEAST three hours. In the meantime, indulge yourself. Take a bubble bath, do your nails, whatever. I like to make my henna days a spa day. If you invite a friend over, you can indulge together. Eat chocolate. Drink wine. Watch Pride and Prejudice. Mmmmm.
- Here's the part I do that's a bit different. At the end of three hours (or more, if you want to take more time, but three hours is sufficient), take a half cup (you can eyeball it) of real, full-fat mayonnaise (homemade is best, but Hellman's works) and warm it in the microwave for a few seconds. Unwrap your hair and rinse it in warm water. You don't have to get all the henna out, but try to get any major clumps. Towel dry (you will either want to wash this towel IMMEDIATELY or just accept that it's going to be stained). Then don your rubber gloves, glop the mayo onto your hair, and rub it in. Try not to think about what it looks like. Wrap your hair up in plastic wrap again, and leave it for an additional 20 minutes. This would be a great time to finish up your "spa day" with a nice face masque.
- Wash the henna out of your hair. You can use shampoo, no-poo, just water, whatever feels the best to you and will get the gloop out of your hair. The mayo will help lift out the henna but will also add oil, so it's up to you.
- Even if you normally wash your hair every day, try not to wash it again for a couple of days after this, three days if you can manage it. Henna takes up to three days to fully "develop" its color, and it's best that you don't disturb it. You can always tie it up for a couple of days. Don't decide you love it or hate it in the meantime. Seriously. Let it do its thing.
- Realize, a few days later, that your hair looks better than it ever has before. It's soft! It's shiny! The color is gorgeous! Annoying as this process is, you will never, ever want to go back to using conventional hair dye again.
Another take on how to use LUSH's henna blocks is HERE.
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