A good on-line friend of mine who has a group of her own on yahoo, did the following henna guide. I don't think she would mind me re-posting it here.
Shiraz's Henna Guide
Posted by: "Shiraz"
[email protected] cocoa_afro
Mon Nov 6, 2006 7:47 pm (PST)
MY HENNA GUIDE
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I have used henna for a long time, along with many of my family
members. Because of this, I have also had many suggestions for
people who are new to using henna or may have a question about
something. Please read this to get the best henna application and
color.
WHEN BUYING HENNA...
Don't get anything labeled "Black Henna". This has a PPD dye that
will seriously damage your hair and scalp. Also, make sure your
henna is 100% PURE. NOTHING should be added. Take a look at the
package and look for an ingredients list. If it has one, and it has
anything other than henna powder, it is NOT PURE. Many companies
choose to add salts and other junk that isn't necessary and can give
you disappointing results. Some brands that are easily found yet NOT
good quality henna are:
-Hennalucent
-Placenta Henna 'n' Placenta
The best henna will probably be imported from North Africa, Middle
East or Southern Asia. International shops (which include Arab,
Indian, and Pakistani) will include these. If you want a
recommendation, ask the people who work there. They may use a
certain brand or have some prior experience.
BEFORE YOU START...
Before beginning henna, make sure you know where you will be
applying it. It should be a place where you have a relatively good
amount of space and you should be comfortable. It should also be
easy to clean up. Places I would recommend are:
-Your bathroom: put some paper towels/newspapers on the floor to
block any henna that drops on the floor. That way, you can clean it
up easily by just throwing away the paper. Also put it around your
sink and counter.
-Your bathtub: this is probably the BEST place to apply the henna.
You won't need any paper towels or newspapers because you can simply
rinse any dropped henna down the drain.
-Hardwood floor room: any room with a hardwood floor can be used
just like the bathroom.
THE MIX...
Use this chart to determine what to add to your mix.
~Regular red/orange- lukewarm water
~More noticeable/lighter red- lemon juice (or vinegar), lukewarm
water
~Deep auburn- lemon juice, black tea, lukewarm water
~Deep red/brown- lemon juice, black tea, coffee powder, cinnamon,
lukewarm water
~Regular brown- coffee powder, lukewarm water
~Blackish red- indigo, lukewarm water
I would recommend that in each of your mixes, add lemon juice or
vinegar, unless you don't want a noticeable color. The lemon
juice/vinegar releases a lot more of the dye.
To make the mix more moisturizing, add olive oil. If you don't have
any, add another good hair oil like corn oil, sesame oil, coconut
oil, or vegetable oil.
To give your hair some strength, add a little egg. (wisk it and only
add a couple of tablespoons) The protein will give your hair a good
amount of strength, and the egg's texture also keeps the mix
together.
Henna works well with a sticky and sugary ingredient because that
keeps the mix together and gives it a better hold on your hair. Add
honey to do this. The honey will also seal in moisture.
In my own mix, I add lemon juice, black tea, coffee powder,
cinnamon, lukewarm water, olive oil, egg, and honey. I end up
getting a nice reddish-brown color. I would recommend that you do
the same because it gives great results.
THE TEXTURE OF THE MIX...
When your mix is ready for application, it should look smooth, like
a yogurt paste. It should be thoroughly mixed. Do not make it too
thick. Just think of yogurt, because that texture will make it
easier to apply and distribute throughout your hair.
WHEN YOU ARE READY TO APPLY...
Get some vaseline and put it on your hands, neck, upper forehead,
and around your ears. This will keep the henna from dying your skin.
(Henna is also a skin tattoo that can turn the skin orangish-brown.
It is NOT harmful in anyway to the skin) Get some plastic gloves on
too. Have a shower cap or plastic wrap ready to put on after you
have applied henna. If you are going to use a shower cap, make sure
you wash it thoroughly after using it or throw it away.
Then apply!
WHILE APPLYING...
Don't worry about combing through your henna. That will keep it from
sticking in one place. Instead, grab some in your hands and glop it
through your hair, piece by piece. I would recommend you start in
the back of your hair, grab a regular sized piece of hair and smooth
through that piece, making sure it gets every part. Then get another
piece, moving to the front of your hair, until it is all covered in
henna. Do not miss places like the hair above your ear and the very
front pieces. Also, do not miss the very back pieces of your hair.
Look into the mirror and make sure your entire head of hair is
hennaed.
WHEN DONE APPLYING...
Plop up your longer pieces of hair on top of your head. (don't leave
it dangling down) Then wrap your plastic wrap all around your hair.
Do so by beginning in the front, and going around until it is all
covered in plastic wrap. Make sure the wrap is secure.
OR-- cover your hennaed hair with your shower cap.
HOW LONG SHOULD I LEAVE IT IN?...
Leave your henna in for as long as you can stand. The best time
would be 2 hours or longer. However I would recommend any time
between 1 hour - 6 hours or longer. The longer your leave it in, the
better the results!
WHEN READY TO WASH IT OFF...
Don't wash it off with shampoo because you won't get a lot of color
to show up. Instead, rinse it THOROUGHLY with water. If you want,
condition the hair afterwards with your favorite conditioner, the
natural dairy conditioner or the moisturizing post-henna conditioner
(recipes below). This will leave the hair softer, although henna is
an excellent conditioner.
MY INTERACTIVE GUIDE...
For an interactive view of how to apply henna, please visit my
henna guide on Fotki:
http://public. fotki.com/ chocolatecappucc ino/hair_ styling_instru/ shiraz
s_interactive/
NATURAL DAIRY CONDITIONER
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This conditioner is used like any other hair conditioner, after
shampooing. It is especially recommended if you use henna with
Hibiscus flower powder, because the hisbiscus can dry out the hair
and this conditioner can give back moisture. You can also use this
conditioner after using plain henna or need it because your shampoo
is drying out your hair.
NOTE: This doesn't necessarily clean hair like normal conditioners.
(especially if you like using no-poo formula). It is recommended that
shampoo or a normal conditioner is used before.
============ =
Ingredients:
1/4 (or 1/3 is hair is very long/thick) cup of plain yogurt
1 egg
3 tbsp olive oil/coconut oil
2 tbsp real mayonnaise
Instructions:
Wisk the egg before adding anything. Stir yogurt and mayonnaise
together, then add oil. After all three ingredients are stirred
together, add the wisked egg and mix. [if the mixture is too little,
add more yogurt] Wash hair with shampoo, rinse, and add dairy
conditioner. Massage through scalp, comb through hair and leave in
for about 10 minutes. You may also add your favorite post-shampoo
conditioner to the mixture if necessary. After left in, rinse through
a lot. Dry your hair off with a towel and style as normal.
**this conditioner shouldn't be used every time you shampoo. you can
probably use it every 1-2 months or more**
MOISTURIZING POST-HENNA CONDITIONER
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This conditioner is pretty good for using after henna to keep the
hair moisturized and soft. Even though henna is an excellent
conditioner, some of the mixes tend to dry the hair out, or it isn't
enough. This recipe OR the natural dairy conditioner can take care of
that.
Ingredients:
Pantene Pro-V Color Revival Conditioner
Olive Oil
