Wash Day-Henna #2

It's been a whole week since I've washed my hair and since my last henna treatment. I have never been able to go this long without washing my hair. Yesterday, I knew I couldn't go much longer because my hair was getting FRIZZY, DRY and KNOTTED. So, I made today my wash day and I applied my second henna treatment. I wanted to try something a little different today with my henna mix. The recipe I used is below.

Alex's Henna Mix:

1 box of Jamila Henna

1 Rosemary and Candula Tea Bag

2 cups of warm water (steep the tea bag for 10 minutes)

2 oz of HairVeda's Vatika Oil

1/2 cup of Hello Hydration Conditioner

I mixed the above ingredients until it was creamy and smooth in consistency then I covered the mix for about 15 minutes. Before I applied the henna I spritzed my hair with Green Tea and rinsed with warm water then I towel dried and applied the henna in sections. Once my hair was completely saturated with henna I covered my hair with 2 shower caps (I have too much hair now to use just one, LOL) and my satin bonnet. I plan on letting the henna stay on my hair for about 6 hours. I am in major need of a good DC and since I am off work today, why not make it an all day hair affair? 

Hooray for HENNA!

I LOVE henna, last night's experience was awesome. My hair has never felt this amazing, soft, fluffy or strong EVER. I am not sure why I am just now getting hip to henna but I am so glad that I finally bit the bullet and tried it.  I recall giving a henna a try once before, sometime last year, and I never really got the hang of it. Maybe I didn't use it right because this time, it's did wonders for my curls. Now I see why Curly Nikki and TMTM always rave about it.

(Texture shot on dry hair after henna, I need a trim...lol)

I left my henna on for a few hours, ran some errands and was ready to rinse. I hopped in the shower and let warm water run over my head for a good 3 minutes. After that I slathered on a cheap conditioner and co-washed a few times until the water ran clear. My curls instantly popped and spiraled out of control, I was amazed. Lately, during and after washing, my hair has been lifeless. My curls have been frizzy and dull. The henna was like a hair re-birth, LOL, I know that may sound dramatic BUT I am so serious. Not to mention my hair was SUPER shiny, which was a great thing. I did notice that my scalp started itching terribly  while I was rinsing the henna out, it eventually subsided but I found that kind of strange. Anyone experience this?

De tangling my hair was a breeze. I parted it in sections and gave my self about 10 flat twist going in alternating directions.I wanted the wild, funky look today. I twisted with Oyin's Hair Dew and Koils by Nature's Hair Butter. I like these products because they are all natural and leave my hair with definition and moisture. Once I was all twisted, I applied MTG to my scalp (I am still using this as a growth aide) and spritzed with Oyin's Frank Juice. Taking down my hair this morning was a breeze, I HAD NO FRIZZ or OUT OF CONTROL ends like I normally do. Henna got the job done and will be a new staple in my regimen forever. I plan on henna'ing every 2 weeks. My next henna date is the 24th. I am excited about that, I plan on getting my hair re-braided in the up-do PS that I wore over the holiday. I am very serious about reaching APL by my 2nd year natural hair anniversary. :)

More pics under the jump...

How do you like henna? 

Share your thoughts,tips and tricks in the comment box. 

Henna-Take Two

This weekend I decided to skip the Amla and dive right into my henna treatment. I mentioned last week that I went to a local Indian grocer and found some Dulhan henna. I bought 200 grams and on Friday night made a mix to use on Saturday.

The last time I did henna was months and months ago. Part of the reason that I have not done it again is because I ordered the henna from the internet. I HATE ordering things from the internet because I am impatient and like the instant gratification of picking up something from the store. So, I was glad to find some henna so close by and I think I will be doing treatments more often as a result.

To prep my henna mix, I followed this video by the lovely Mop Top Maven.

I used the following:

~ 1/2c Herbal Essences Hello Hydration Conditioner

~1c Lustrasilk Organic Cholesterol

~2c hot water

~A few squirts of Vatika Coconut Oil before applying

After mixing all my ingredients I covered the henna with plastic wrap and left in the fridge overnight so the dye would release. It was a green sludge when I put it in and a brown sludge with orange-ish droplets on the surface when I pulled it out the next day. I mixed in the Vatika oil right before I applied the henna to my hair.

After mixing in the Vatika, I proceeded to the bathroom where I covered the floor and counter with a dark towel (this stuff gets everywhere so please cover any surface that you don't want ruined!). I parted my hair in 4 sections and started applying it with my gloved hands to the back right section. My hair was dry and had not been washed for a few days. I did no prep to it whatsoever.

Here you can see where I rolled the right side into a bun and am working on the left back portion.

After the henna was totally covering all sections, I smoothed it all together and piled it on top of my head, covering with a few shower caps and then one of the towels. I left the henna on for about 3 hours total. The application process was much easier than the first time I henna'ed because of the conditioners I added.

I made sure to clean off all of the skin around my face and my ears so they would not be stained orange! Clean-up was tricky because henna manages to end up in places you would not even imagine. If it is your first time, you may want to put down extra towels or newspaper. Gloves are NOT an option!

After a few hours passed, I rinsed my head in the tub, using the pressure of the water to loosen the paste from my strands. I gently finger-combed and separated my hair to rinse all the henna out. It took about 10 minutes to rinse clean. Then I followed up with Aussie 3 Minute Miracle DEEEEP conditioner, covering it with a plastic cap. I would have deep treated with heat but my table-top dryer broke the day before... :-(

My hair after rinsing out the henna..curls were definitely defined!

A few strands near the front...

After rinsing the conditioner out, I braided my hair in sections using my CocoShea mix (half shea, half coconut oil) and IC Fantasia gel. You can see where I had a grey hair and it turned orange-ish copper from the henna.

I let them dry overnight then took them down this morning and separated with my fingers. They were not completely dry so I lost some definition but that is ok. I re-twisted tonight with some shealoe mix and hopefully I will have a nice twist-out in the morning.

So there you have it! I plan to henna more now that I know where to get it locally. I am hoping to have stronger hair as a result. What have your henna experiences been like?