so i just made my henna mix!

[c*c*chic*]

Ok all week I've been on a quest for some indigo to go with my henna (the top half of my hair was lightened a yr a go and I was scared of the brightening effects of the henna) but after 5 stores in central nj I found nothing! I actually think this one store had it but the he%%as didn't want to give it to me! If I had an indian friend I sure would've sent them in! Lol anyway, I've been dying to do the henna so I mixed it today. Here's the mix:

Reshma henna
Arnica or anica oil- its a mix of shikaki oil & amla oil
Vo5 moisture milk co
Herbal pomegranate cranberry green tea (for the red color)
Vatika oil

I just made it and I'm letting it sit for 3 or 4 hrs. Pray for me! I just don't want to look like carrot top lol.

Do u guys think there's something I should've left out or added? And how is ur experience with reshma henna? Hhg!!!

 

[kooskoos]

I have absolutely no experience with reshma henna, but I do henna my hair and usually when I add conditioner and oils and stuff, I don't get a strong color payout. But that's just me! I hope you get the color you want

 

[jamaraa]

OK...in NJ depending on where you are, you can easily find it. Many times it's labeled "Black Henna", but don't run yet....look for either "Zarqa" (green box) or "Sadaf" (in a bag) brands. They are legit indigo. If you do your henna today and buy the indigo in the next few days...maybe 2, you can still do a great 2 step w/o having to henna again.

Arnica oil? Are you sure it's not arnica itself? If this oil actually has anrica plant in it, I'd NOT use it on my hair.

You have to sit for much longer than that....try 10-12 hrs UNLESS you only want conditioning and no color.

How long do you plan to leave it on?

BTW, Reshma is a great brand, so no worries there!

 

[zenith]

I have used henna several times... my hair is jet black and i have never turned red or orange. When i stand outside in the sun, i can see a light burgundy.

Let the henna stay overnight. Apply it tomorrow for about 2hours then rinse it out real good and DC.

 

[poookie]

your result will not be very red at all, because of all the oils & conditioner. oils make henna easier to rinse out, but the oils will partially coat the hair shaft, and the color deposit will not be as strong. so don't worry about coming out as a carrot top you will have a very easy time rinsing everything out though.

at this point, since it's already mixed, there isn't too much you can do. but if you want a darker result, you can always mix up henna and use reeeealy strong brewed black coffee instead of tea.

my last henna mix, i used:

reshma henna
a cup of green tea brewed with 6 green tea bags
a teaspoon of cardamom (to make my hair smell spicy and earthy after rinsing)
a tablespoon each of ginger & cloves
some apple cider vinegar

i left the mix on overnight (12 hours)

i ended up indigo-ing on top of that in the back, but before i did so, my result was really deep & red. if your goal is color deposit, the simpler your mix, the better

also, the longer you leave henna in, the softer your hair will be. 2 hours will probably not be long enough to really penetrate your hair, especially if it's thick.

 

[jamaraa]

I have used henna several times... my hair is jet black and i have never turned red or orange. When i stand outside in the sun, i can see a light burgundy.

Let the henna stay overnight. Apply it tomorrow for about 2hours then rinse it out real good and DC.

She said her hair's been previously bleached. She will get much more dye uptake if she lets it dye release 24+ hrs and it will turn redder than she seems to want.

 

[jamaraa]

your result will not be very red at all, because of all the oils & conditioner. oils make henna easier to rinse out, but the oils will partially coat the hair shaft, and the color deposit will not be as strong. so don't worry about coming out as a carrot top you will have a very easy time rinsing everything out though.

at this point, since it's already mixed, there isn't too much you can do. but if you want a darker result, you can always mix up henna and use reeeealy strong brewed black coffee instead of tea.

my last henna mix, i used:

reshma henna
a cup of green tea brewed with 6 green tea bags
a teaspoon of cardamom (to make my hair smell spicy and earthy after rinsing)
a tablespoon each of ginger & cloves
some apple cider vinegar

i left the mix on overnight (12 hours)

i ended up indigo-ing on top of that in the back, but before i did so, my result was really deep & red. if your goal is color deposit, the simpler your mix, the better

also, the longer you leave henna in, the softer your hair will be. 2 hours will probably not be long enough to really penetrate your hair, especially if it's thick.

I get TONS of uptake when I mix it w/ conditioner/even a spot of oil and my hair's completely virgin. Given that she's got bleached hair, it's quite porous and will uptake more color. I do my relaxed mother w/ my brew and she gets serious coverage.

In the OP's case, less is the way to go here.

 

[c*c*chic*]

Jamaraa: its arnica special hair oil with shikaki oil and amla oil. I tried finding the ingredients but nothing came up. Is it going to cause a problem? Its supposed to be a hair growth oil.

I'm in central nj. Where do u suggest I go?

Thanks for the tips ladies!

 

[jamaraa]

Back to the stores where you came from...you probably walked right past it. I am not in NJ, but I have a friend that lives in Morris Plains....are you close to there? She says they have a little strip mall full of nothing but Indian businesses. She found cassia on the shelf. I've never heard of that one. LOL

Well, I don't think it'll hurt much, but I surely wished I knew what was all in that oil.

How long do you plan to keep the henna on?

 

[c*c*chic*]

Morris plains is kind of far but I might have to make that trip! Lol I plan to leave it on for a few hours so I can get the red coloring - hoping its burgundy. It takes 3 days for the final color to surface right?
OT~ POOOKIE, I love your hair!!!

 

[vkb247]

I know that many ladies mix their henna with their tea or whatever liquid and then after it has developed they apply the other ingredients. This sounds like the best way to me. What type of oil is in that mix? Coconut is absorbed by the hair so it won't stop dye uptake of henna or conventional dye - I use it on my hair whenever I am doing anything to it because it prevents damage in many ways. But an oil that just coats the hair might not work as well.

Please test your henna for dye development. It only takes about 4 hours or even less for any henna I have used. I just put a little on my palm, leave it for about a minute, if you wipe it away and there is an orange stain then the henna is ready. My orange stain turns burgundy after several hours.

 

[c*c*chic*]

Vkb247- I added the oils and the co for an Easy wash out and to combat dryness. I've read that a lot of ladies have a hard time getting the henna out.

So how long should I let it sit and how long should I keep it on my head?

 

[IrrationalThoughts]

Jamaraa: its arnica special hair oil with shikaki oil and amla oil. I tried finding the ingredients but nothing came up. Is it going to cause a problem? Its supposed to be a hair growth oil.

I'm in central nj. Where do u suggest I go?

Thanks for the tips ladies!

What brand is your oil?

 

[venusd]

Jamaraa: its arnica special hair oil with shikaki oil and amla oil. I tried finding the ingredients but nothing came up. Is it going to cause a problem? Its supposed to be a hair growth oil.

I'm in central nj. Where do u suggest I go?

Thanks for the tips ladies!

If you are in Central Jersey then check out Edison or South Plainfield, they have tons of stores there. In Morris Plains, it's actually Parsippany so it will be far for you. HTH

 

[vkb247]

Vkb247- I added the oils and the co for an Easy wash out and to combat dryness. I've read that a lot of ladies have a hard time getting the henna out.

So how long should I let it sit and how long should I keep it on my head?

Water is moisture! I add more water than most and have never had drying from henna but lots of ladies do what you do and love it. Some have said that conditioner made it harder to get out! I personally hate the way a henna gloss (mixed with yogurt or conditioner) makes my hair feel.

The only way to know when your henna is ready is to test it. It should leave a red stain when it is ready. Try putting it in someplace that isn't noticeable on your body for about a minute and rinse. If it stains than your henna is ready. Once you know how long your mix with this henna is than you won't have to keep testing - only test if you switch the ingredients. My Jamila henna develops in about 2 hours.

You should leave the henna in your hair for at least 4 hours for maximum benefits.

 

[SelahOco]

Does Henna leave a permanent deposit of any sort on your hair? I've read that it wears off, and I've read that it has permanent effects. I'd use it for strength not color.

I'm looking for a protein substitute that will give my natural strands some strength and protect against breakage.

Any advise?

 

[jamaraa]

Does Henna leave a permanent deposit of any sort on your hair? I've read that it wears off, and I've read that it has permanent effects. I'd use it for strength not color.

I'm looking for a protein substitute that will give my natural strands some strength and protect against breakage.

Any advise?

Yes, henna is permanent...tho some of the WW at Long Hair Community have managed to remove some of it. Those methods would destroy most African textures, so be warned. Henna becomes apart of your hair strands...which is a good thing if you want conditioning.

Again, it's permanent.

 

[jamaraa]

OP...since you wanna control the color uptake, maybe 45 mins-1 hr is enough for you to get what you want and to avoid what you don't want. The standard 2-4 hrs leaving it on will give you far more color deposit.

 

[c*c*chic*]

**UPDATE**
I let the mix sit overnight. This morning around 7 I saw that it was ready so I started setting up and getting my things together to go to myy parents house to do it. WAIT! Funny of the day : dad comes in kitchen, looks at bowl of henna on the counter then looks at me and says "I know you do some weird stuff with your hair BUT if that is some sort of feces in a bowl on MY counter where I put my bacon ima kick ur *** and throw u and the bowl outta my house" - me and my mother laughed so hard we couldn't breath lol we. Left the room for a sec,came back and saw him standing over the bowl wit the wtf? Face, lol. Anyways, I apply it to my hair, it was very thick but I liked it that way, easier to apply. Left it on from 8:30 till 11:30. I rinsed it with warm water 1st, then 3 cowashes with vo5 mm. I now have my deep con in (silicon mix & aphogee 2 min). But when I saw the color after the cowash it was very pretty! Like a deep cherry color! I'm going to try too post pix from my moms laptop! Thanx ladies for all ur help!

 

[jamaraa]

Congrats on your success. YAY!

 

[c*c*chic*]

Thanx! I just blow dried it and its like a strawberry blond but very thick and strong! I love it! Just got paid, bout to go load up on the henna!! Thanx again ladies

 

[sharifeh]

yay! can we see pictures?

 

[sharifeh]

Please test your henna for dye development. It only takes about 4 hours or even less for any henna I have used. I just put a little on my palm, leave it for about a minute, if you wipe it away and there is an orange stain then the henna is ready. My orange stain turns burgundy after several hours.

Hmm I let my henna sit for more than 12 hours but it's not leaving an orange stain anywhere, oh well. I already put it on.
I wonder if I bought from an old batch.