*What are your personal Pro's and Con's when it comes to Ayurvedic treatments?
Pro's:
-Relatively cheap
-subtle color change
-makes my grey hairs blend in nicely
-much needed strengthening
-infuses the treatment into the hair shaft
-minimizes my tangles and knots by sealing the cuticle (for this reason, good for high porosity hair)
-helps to stretch my relaxers by temporarily altering (smoothing) my NG
-thicker, darker hair
*Which are your favorite?
Henna is my main squeeze. I have always added a little hibiscus and a few tbsps of DC. This gives a dark cherry reddish tint instead of the more orange-y color. Its not like a demi, semi or permanent color at all. It is very subtle. Without the sunlight or direct indoor light, my hair just appears darker.
One time I added hibiscus AND organic cocoa powder from B-n-B... @
MileHighDiva is right; it did come out really nice. I like the idea of color but I really use henna for the conditioning properties.
Have used cassia mixed into my DCs. This is really nice. I mix the powder with warm water first then add DC and whatever else you like.
A few others that provide similar strengthening affects:
Cassia
Zizyphus Spina Christi (Sedr) Powder
Kapur Kachri Powder
*Have you seen a drastic change in your hair?
Yes, my hair is finally retaining length. See APL 2014 challenge for comparison pics. I used to flat iron every week so I have some permanent damage to the cuticle. Henna does not reverse damage but I helps to prevent the frustration from tangles and knots that might cause me to big chop
My hair is very fine so the thickness and strength are pretty drastic to me.
ETA: Forgot the CON's: Messy, time consuming, can be drying if you don't keep the protein/moisture balance, some people think they no longer need protein
I used to think that I needed to wait a week or two after henna to use protein but I was wrong. One day after rinsing the henna, I cowashed with VO5 Freesia (I believe it has keratin). My hair was singing the protein praises.
Also, I LUV Vatika Oil