A New Henna Thread

So once I henna and Indigo my hair can I get say blondish highlights if I wanted with no ill effect? Also is anyone putting an oil or something on their hair after washing but prior to applying henna to combat dryness or just towel drying slightly and applying henna mix will suffice? Also, if doing a 2 step, does the Indigo need to be rinsed out with condish as well or is using plain water fine before doing a deep condish?

i did my first henna in a long time day before yesterday and left it in over night. my hair looks and feels amazing. my hair is super fine so i love the fact that henna coats the hair.
my color is vibrant but i want it a darker red so next time i do it i will use straight jamila since that gives a darker color. the one i used this time is nupur 9 herbs which i love because it gives my hair more texture. when i was hennaing on the regular i was wearing naked w&g styles all the time.

Is henna+yogurt a bad combo? I bought some greek yogurt (nonfat) by mistake and want to get rid of it.

tropical-punch said:

Is henna+yogurt a bad combo? I bought some greek yogurt (nonfat) by mistake and want to get rid of it.

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It might end up being protein overload since henna *acts* like a protein. I would use it separately.

tropical-punch said:

Is henna+yogurt a bad combo? I bought some greek yogurt (nonfat) by mistake and want to get rid of it.

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I've been meaning to come in here and post about this. I just used yogurt in my henna for the first time, and it was my BEST henna ever, by far.

I use Lush Caca Rouge as my henna. This time, I added some full-fat plain Greek yogurt, and I also used nettle tea in place of water for the very first time. I left my mixture in for 3 hours, and used my heat cap for one of those hours.

The yogurt made an incredible difference! My hair felt SO soft, smooth, moisturized, and strong when I rinsed it out, and in the days to follow. Henna usually dries out my hair, and I have to wait about 7-10 days for my hair to return to normal before I BKT...but this time, I really didn't have to wait at all. My hairdresser noticed the difference in my hair immediately, and commented on how soft it was, and how easy it was to comb through.

I always do a good moisture DC before and after I henna, and I actually added yogurt and buttermilk to my DCs this time as well. I have no words for how AWESOME yogurt is for type 4 hair. It eliminates tangles and knots, moisturizes brilliantly, stretches the curl pattern to make my hair easier to work with, and gives me a soft and smooth feeling. I feel that yogurt increases the moisturizing aspect of my DC and my henna, by about 50%. I have continued to use yogurt and/or buttermilk in my conditioners, and the results have been fantastic. I highly recommend it.



ETA: I experienced NO protein overload. For some reason, the lactic acid in the yogurt and buttermilk is highly moisturizing to my hair, even though both of those foods are high in protein. The yogurt actually negated the overly drying, protein-like effects of the henna, but my hair still received all of henna's strengthening benefits.

I also noticed that lactic acid is an ingredient in most formulas of Roux Fermodyl leave-in, which is a staple of mine. I now suspect that the lactic acid provides much of Fermodyl's conditioning benefits, and yogurt appears to be cheaper, more convenient, and more effective than Fermodyl.

mstar said:

I've been meaning to come in here and post about this. I just used yogurt in my henna for the first time, and it was my BEST henna ever, by far.

I use Lush Caca Rouge as my henna. This time, I added some full-fat plain Greek yogurt, and I also used nettle tea in place of water for the very first time. I left my mixture in for 3 hours, and used my heat cap for one of those hours.

The yogurt made an incredible difference! My hair felt SO soft, smooth, moisturized, and strong when I rinsed it out, and in the days to follow. Henna usually dries out my hair, and I have to wait about 7-10 days for my hair to return to normal before I BKT...but this time, I really didn't have to wait at all. My hairdresser noticed the difference in my hair immediately, and commented on how soft it was, and how easy it was to comb through.

I always do a good moisture DC before and after I henna, and I actually added yogurt and buttermilk to my DCs this time as well. I have no words for how AWESOME yogurt is for type 4 hair. It eliminates tangles and knots, moisturizes brilliantly, stretches the curl pattern to make my hair easier to work with, and gives me a soft and smooth feeling. I feel that yogurt increases the moisturizing aspect of my DC and my henna, by about 50%. I have continued to use yogurt and/or buttermilk in my conditioners, and the results have been fantastic. I highly recommend it.



ETA: I experienced NO protein overload. For some reason, the lactic acid in the yogurt and buttermilk is highly moisturizing to my hair, even though both of those foods are high in protein. The yogurt actually negated the overly drying, protein-like effects of the henna, but my hair still received all of henna's strengthening benefits.

I also noticed that lactic acid is an ingredient in most formulas of Roux Fermodyl leave-in, which is a staple of mine. I now suspect that the lactic acid provides much of Fermodyl's conditioning benefits, and yogurt appears to be cheaper, more convenient, and more effective than Fermodyl.

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Hmm, I just picked up some full fat yogurt yesterday. I'll have to try this for my next henna

So I henna indigo-ed yesterday...

It totally relaxed my curl

I'm not sure how I feel yet.

Actually, I do know how I feel, I'm really cheesed off because my hair doesn't hold my signature twist. It's all poofy and the twists keep unraveling. It currently looks like this

I must say it's very black, though. I just don't know what to wear in my hair to tame it a little. Any ideas???

Foxglove said:

Hmm, I just picked up some full fat yogurt yesterday. I'll have to try this for my next henna

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Try it in your DC, too. I swear I saw an incredible difference right away.

I think full-fat yogurt is best. tropical-punch mentioned having nonfat yogurt, but I don't know if that would work as well. Mine has 20g of fat per serving.

mstar said:

I've been meaning to come in here and post about this. I just used yogurt in my henna for the first time, and it was my BEST henna ever, by far.

I use Lush Caca Rouge as my henna. This time, I added some full-fat plain Greek yogurt, and I also used nettle tea in place of water for the very first time. I left my mixture in for 3 hours, and used my heat cap for one of those hours.

The yogurt made an incredible difference! My hair felt SO soft, smooth, moisturized, and strong when I rinsed it out, and in the days to follow. Henna usually dries out my hair, and I have to wait about 7-10 days for my hair to return to normal before I BKT...but this time, I really didn't have to wait at all. My hairdresser noticed the difference in my hair immediately, and commented on how soft it was, and how easy it was to comb through.

I always do a good moisture DC before and after I henna, and I actually added yogurt and buttermilk to my DCs this time as well. I have no words for how AWESOME yogurt is for type 4 hair. It eliminates tangles and knots, moisturizes brilliantly, stretches the curl pattern to make my hair easier to work with, and gives me a soft and smooth feeling. I feel that yogurt increases the moisturizing aspect of my DC and my henna, by about 50%. I have continued to use yogurt and/or buttermilk in my conditioners, and the results have been fantastic. I highly recommend it.



ETA: I experienced NO protein overload. For some reason, the lactic acid in the yogurt and buttermilk is highly moisturizing to my hair, even though both of those foods are high in protein. The yogurt actually negated the overly drying, protein-like effects of the henna, but my hair still received all of henna's strengthening benefits.

I also noticed that lactic acid is an ingredient in most formulas of Roux Fermodyl leave-in, which is a staple of mine. I now suspect that the lactic acid provides much of Fermodyl's conditioning benefits, and yogurt appears to be cheaper, more convenient, and more effective than Fermodyl.

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I may have to try this! Thanks for posting your experience. I wonder if sour cream can do the same thing...

Is ayurnaturalbeauty.com's Indigo good i.e. no PPD etc..?

can someone tell me what is indigo? I know it's a color, but is it a dye or what and where do i find it? I've been using henna (Reshma brand) on dry hair about every 3 months. I mix it with alma oil, hot water and whatever conditioner i have on hand. I apply it to damp hair and sit under the dryer for about 45mins. It stops my shedding, but my hair is still soooo dry and I've noticed several grays that i want to nip in the bud! I'm too young to go gray! Any suggestions?

I have a quick question. I froze some leftover henna a few months ago. Friday I defrosted it. But I haven't used it yet, so I put it in the refridgerator. Can I still use it after two days in the fridge?

Also, I'm told that using yogurt with Henna will affect the color uptake. I primarily use henna to cover my grays naturally, can anyone confirm either way if yogurt has any effect on the color absorption or lack there of?

Love my Henna! I use Amla and soon to use Indigo...

Everytime I DC I use:

2 tablespoon Amla
1 Vitamin E capsule
2 Omega3 capsules
1 tablespoon oil (some times Sunflower, Grapeseed, or Olive)
1 egg
1 cup conditioner or treatment
1/4 cup tea (some times Jasmine, Rosemary, or Green tea)

This still adds color to my hair while deep conditioning at the same time and the mix is easy to rinse out.

nemi95 said:

can someone tell me what is indigo? I know it's a color, but is it a dye or what and where do i find it? I've been using henna (Reshma brand) on dry hair about every 3 months. I mix it with alma oil, hot water and whatever conditioner i have on hand. I apply it to damp hair and sit under the dryer for about 45mins. It stops my shedding, but my hair is still soooo dry and I've noticed several grays that i want to nip in the bud! I'm too young to go gray! Any suggestions?

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nemi95
Indigo is a plant. It's used to dye hair black. I use indigo on DH's hair using the two-step process. I henna his hair 1st. Rinse it out. Then mix indigo with water and a tbsp of sea salt. Apply it to his hair for 2 hours and rinse. He gets perfect, black hair every time.

To combat the dryness, you MUST DC afterwards. I use wither KBB hair mask, Hairveda's Sitrinillah, Afroveda's Ashlii Amala Red Raspberry Deep Conditioning Mask or Darcy's Botanicals Pumpkin Seed Curl Moisturizing Conditioner. I also add meadowfoam, pequi or pumpkin seed oils to these conditioners. When I 1st started hennaing some time ago, I would DC overnight with these conditioners to restore moisture to my hair. But since I bought a steamer over 18 mos. ago, I no longer have to DC overnight. I steam for approximately 1 hr. after hennaing. And my hair is moisturized and soft every time.

HTH

Majestye said:

I have a quick question. I froze some leftover henna a few months ago. Friday I defrosted it. But I haven't used it yet, so I put it in the refridgerator. Can I still use it after two days in the fridge?

Also, I'm told that using yogurt with Henna will affect the color uptake. I primarily use henna to cover my grays naturally, can anyone confirm either way if yogurt has any effect on the color absorption or lack there of?

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Majestye

@ the bolded - Yes, you can. I've done it before. It didn't sour or spoil.

Majestye, you can still use it but the color may have been affected. What type of henna powder was it? The name of it?

Yoghurt will dilute the color as well, as will any heavy liquids when added to the henna paste. Warm water would be best for the first time use or ACV, or herbal tea brew.

Khadija.D.Carryl said:

Majestye, you can still use it but the color may have been affected. What type of henna powder was it? The name of it?

Yoghurt will dilute the color as well, as will any heavy liquids when added to the henna paste. Warm water would be best for the first time use or ACV, or herbal tea brew.

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@ the bolded

@Khadija.D.Carryl
Thank you for this. I read so many questions by 1st time henna users who are confused by all of these different recipes.

Before I ever hennaed, I read this thread and another henna thread and was thoroughly confused. So for the 1st henna and the next 5 or 6, I just used water and henna. Once I got used to doing henna treatments, I started experimenting to both maximize its effectiveness and color my hair brown. (I hate red hair).

So just using henna, water ACV a herbal tea is great advice for 1st time users.

Welcome. There are a lot of recipes out there. Which is great but it's better to keep it simple at first, and then adjust as needed. The various recipes also can vary amongst hair types so it's easier to get direct advice from a henna professional.

It's a journey but every bit worth it

Khadija.D.Carryl said:

Majestye, you can still use it but the color may have been affected. What type of henna powder was it? The name of it?

Yoghurt will dilute the color as well, as will any heavy liquids when added to the henna paste. Warm water would be best for the first time use or ACV, or herbal tea brew.

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That's what I had been told. I normally use tea with vinegar and lemon juice. I would like to get some benefit of yogurt...can I use it in-between henna applications without removing color? I've been using Ancient Sunrise Cinnamon kit with buxus & Henna from Mehandi. I've been wanting to purchase henna someplace less expensive, any suggestions?

I'm not allowed to place advertisements on the forums Not from myself directly. Sorry!

Yes absolutely all heavier ingredients such as yoghurt, honey, conditioners can be done as in between or treatments at a later time so as to not interfere with your hair coloring treatment with the herbs.

I just love when I mix my henna and you wait the time you are suppose to wait and it starts bleeding the color. I mean it really looks like it is bleeding.

has anyone used Bought Godrej Nupur Mehendi Powder 9 Herbs Blend ????? do u use it in addition to henna or is it henna?????

tajaun

I use Nupur henna and I LOVE it! To answer your question, yes it is henna. The "9" in the product name represents several different herbs that have been added to strengthen and fortify the hair. You do not have to use additional henna with it.

I say if you're considering trying it, go for it! It doesn't disappoint.

HTH

I'm wearing tree braids but I plan to henna after I take them out in a few weeks. I love Nupur but I will probably purchase some indigo soon.


Sent from my iPhone using LHCF

I will be using Karishma henna on clean damp hair this coming weekend and indigo from ayurnaturalbeauty.com. The indigo there is a little expensive but it works really well on my hair. I mean my hair gets really black especially since I started using it on damp hair.

I found that when I apply the indigo on freshly henna'ed hair, washed out with just plain water (no conditioner added), it works better at coloring my hair, even my gray hair. It's like the indigo goes straight through the cuticle because there is no barrier created by the conditioner. I would use a conditioner AFTER washing out the indigo.

This is what I do - I clarify my hair first, then henna, then indigo all on damp hair, then use a conditioner if I want the indigo to color my gray hairs properly. I would end by deep conditioning overnight most times or for an hour under my hair steamer to get it all soft and supple.

I'm trying to decide the best way to color my hair. I'm getting a good bit of gray in the front now. I think henna and indigo would ultimately be the healthiest way to go. It's a little more labor intensive however, especially since my natural hair is getting longer.

I've been waiting on a good henna sale for a while so I can stock up. I have about an inch of white hair, but most of all I miss how awesome my hair felt right after henna.

I love henna too ladies! i found this website that has 2011 jamila henna on sale with code" jamila25%" my friend old me about it and i just go 7 boxes! the website is www.naturalmollire.com i hope this helpls! i been using henna for about a year now and my hair is so much better i tell everyone about henna, so happy i found a place where you guys like henna as much as i do

^^


nikkibrown you must love that site A LOT. of all your 8 posts since joining this month, most of them drive back to that same place.

interesting...

nzeee said:

^^ interesting...

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nzeee

Saw that, too. Sneaky, sneaky!

tajaun said:

has anyone used Bought Godrej Nupur Mehendi Powder 9 Herbs Blend ????? do u use it in addition to henna or is it henna?????

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tajaun ok lady (and everyone else), here's the breakdown. Nupur is SICK. it's awesome and i love it and it's the only henna i'll ever use cuz it works for me much better than henna only (even jamila which i've tried). i've experienced the 'amazing curl loosening' powers of henna and it's not fun. i've also experienced the awesome dryness of henna, and that is equally (if not less) fun. so with Nupur i stay.

I broke my 9mth henna hiatus with it last week and it was amazing. rinseout was easy (as ever, i've used it before) and the feel of my hair was so... it was soft, felt 'strong' and hung longer w/out making the not so tightly curly parts of my hair unsightly and limp. i'm totally inlove and have 8 packs left. i'll be doing weekly treatments until they're done so they won't remain for too long. it was 2.99CAD at my local indian shoppe so no biggie in terms of price. anyhoo, onto the meat of the matter:

Nupur is 100% natural mehendi, or henna. the primary difference between this and the premium or BAQ henna is that since Nupur is for hair only it's likely not the primo henna that is used to make it. nor is it likely to be as fresh as the other stuff. my pack says it was packaged january '11 and will last until december '13.

The Ingredients (in order listed on pack):
Henna
Aloe Vera leaf for moisture and softness
Neem fights scalp infection and prevents dandruf
Brahmi to provide not only stronger roots, but also thicker hair and relief from itchy scalps. promotes hair growth.
Bhringraj used for treating hair loss, improving hair texture, and to stop premature balding and graying and various skin allergies
Amla provides added strength to hair roots, brings luster to hair, encourages hair growth, and addresses premature greying (combined with henna it darkens colour and preserves curl)
Shikakai has anti-dandruff properties and is known to aid with detangling of hair. will also promote a healthy scalp and stronger roots.
Jatamansi prevents graying of hair

hope this helps