Two Years Of Using Henna: Brand Comparision, Herbatint, Tips n Tricks.

   I have quite a lot of grey hair since I was 25, and have been using Henna to cover them up and to enhance my natural hair colour. Today I wanted to talk about all the brands that I have tried, and share a few tips for using Henna. Oh, and a few words about the "natural" dye Herbatint.


   Here is how my hair looked like two years ago before I started Henna-ing it. I had a rather cool hair colour which didn't really compliment my warm skin tone, and quite a bit of grays which were very visible since they were wiry and stuck out at weird angles. Since that time I'd say the amount of greys I have has tripled.

This was after the first Henna, I used Logona Hair Color Powder which is Henna with some other plant-based ingredients. I think I used the chocolate brown shade:

  After that I started using red shades, since they make my hair House Tully auburn. I loved the shade I got from Henne Color Paris, but stopped using it because of the Sodium Picramate:

Then I tried several brands of pure Henna, including the one from Hobbythek and Waldfussel, however nothing compares to Khadi when it comes to the ease of application. I also tried Sante Henna in red:

Why I love Henna:

* It gives a beautiful 3D effect. The colour is not flat, I get gradations of the colour. On me it usually looks like a very expensive lowlight-highlight job.

* Volume and lift! The Henna particles fill the missing gaps in the hair shaft, and make the hair look shiny and full. Blondes can try the colourless Cassia Henna to get this effect.

* No unwanted toxic chemicals.
* No damage to the hair.

Disadvantages:

* It can stain the bathtub and takes a bit of scrubbing to get off

* Is time consuming

* Limited choice of colours.

    When I don't have the time for Henna, I use Herbatint just on my roots. The advantages are that it takes just 30 minutes and is much less messy. Herbatint formula is made in such a ways that it is easy to prepare small amounts at a time and store the rest. So one box lasts me for a year. The coverage is good, but I don't get that wow effect that I get from Henna. The ingredients aren't exactly perfect, Skin Deep gives it a score of 4.

   With both Henna and Herbatint I use very bright red, and it turns to copper on my hair. The grey hairs take on a lighter shade of the colour, it's almost amber, and rather translucent. I like the effect especially when they catch the sun, but I imagine that if I had more greys than dark hair the effect might be too orange. When that happens I might switch to darker shades.

My tips and tricks for using Henna

   You'll find the basic instructions in this post. Here are some additional tricks I have:

* Khadi henna is the brand I prefer. The Henna is ground really fine which makes it easy to apply and stay on longer.

* If you have a more coarse formula, a dollop of conditioner added to the henna paste makes it easier to apply.

* A dash of vinegar or lemon juice added to the paste helps the colour to be more vibrant.

* Apply Henna on moist hair. For best results, wash hair with a strong shampoo with SLS to get rid of any products from the hair.

* After applying it evenly, work the henna into the hair with your fingers. Massage the scalp with your fingers to make sure that the henna gets to the bottom of the roots.

* Latex gloves are the best.

* Henna needs heat to work. Pack your head in cling-film, and wrap a towel over it. Blast with a hair dryer every now and then, or sit in the sun.

* When rinsing the henna out, it kind of sticks onto the hair and can be hard to wash off. So, just skip ahead to the conditioning, the conditioner will add slip and make it easier to wash it all out.

* Conditioner is mandatory, otherwise the hair will feel coarse and stiff, like after a protein treatment.

* Don't shampoo your hair for the next 3 days. This is not hard, since freshly hennaed hair stays fresh and oil-free for a surprising amount of days.

* A bit of oil on the freshly hennaed hair makes the colour a bit darker and more intensive. When I had hennaed my hands we had to oil the skin twice a day to help the colour develop and get deeper.

Photo credit

Ways To Apply A Scalp Treatment

  Most scalp treatments are liquid, like the DIY tisanes or birch water. I used to apply them with my fingers but it was messy and I had a hard time doing the back of my head. Then I remembered how a girl I knew a long time back had done it. She was applying a solution of apple cider vinegar and water to help against dandruff.
   You take a cotton pad, a small sponge, or even a small rag. You dip it into the solution and systematically apply onto the scalp, squeezing lightly. I like to do my hairline first, then part my hair inch by inch. Don't forget the back of the head and behind the ears!

  Another alternative is to transfer the product into a small spray-pump bottle. These are usually available in DIY stores, you can save bottles from used-up cosmetics. I have also spotted Dr Hauschka pump tops which fit over their bottles. It is important that the pump is just right, some shoot out an annoying jet while other shoot out a very fine mist, you want something in between.
  The third option would be a squeeze bottle, but here it is really hard to find something that will work with liquids. They work best for oils.

   How do you apply hair treatments? Do share.

Two Ways To To Apply Conditioner For Faster And Better Penetration Of The Hair Shaft

   I advocate using conditioner after every wash, and a conditioner / masque before at least once a week. Ideally the conditioner should be on the hair for 20-30 minutes. I wanted to share with you how you can make the conditioner work better for you. These two techniques allow the conditioner to penetrate the hair shaft better, which will make you hair look and feel healthier. They will also save you time, as you won't have to keep the conditioner on the hair for so long. Finally, they can help influence the hair texture a bit.
  First, spread out the conditioner evenly on towel-dried (moist, not wet) hair.Then try one of these two methods:

Scrunching

   This method is best for curly / wavy hair, as it will accentuate the curls and keep frizz at bay. Gather a section of hair with your hand from below, lift it towards your scalp. Your hair should coil into your palm. Pump and squish the hair with your hand several times, before moving onto the next section. This method is very popular among the curly-girl community.

Palm ironing

   This is great for straight hair. Imagine your palms are a flat iron. Place a section of hair close to your scalp between your palms, press your palms together and "iron" the hair down towards the roots. Do a gentle rubbing motion with your palms. If you end up with all the conditioner escaping, that means your hair was too wet to start with. You can find a more detailed explanation on Henrietta's blog.


  You should spend around 5 minutes on your method of choice. You will notice that you need to use more conditioner than usual, however you will be getting more effect out of your conditioner. You are using your hands to warm up the conditioner and mechanically help it to penetrate the hair cuticles. Your hair will end up shinier, softer and more manageable!


  If you try this out, let me know how it works for you, especially how it affects your hair texture and curl / straightness.

Photo credit: Eternalvoyageur

DIY Anti-Dandruff Herbal Scalp Treatment

            A couple of days back I discovered that my dandruff had come back after a hiatus of several years. So I mixed up this little treatment that is an old stand-by. A couple of applications and my dandruff is almost gone!

   What you are making is basically a tisane. You pour a cup of boiling water over the herbs and let them steep. I used a teaspoon each of the following herbs:

* Bay
* Basil
* Rosemary

   Other herbs that work against dandruff are rosemary, liquorice, ivy, horsetail, nettles, burdock and silver birch. If you live in a completely different climate zone, I encourage you to research into the traditional remedies for dandruff.

   I recommend using maximum three herbs at a time, so that in case on of them has unwanted side-effects you can easily single out the culprit.

   After the tisane had cooled down I wanted to make make the mixture more acidic. I used cider apple vinegar, but you could also use water kefir or kombucha or lemon juice -- just a dash.    I apply this anti-dandruff treatment on my scalp overnight or at least 30 minutes before washing my hair. It doesn't have a scent or make my hair look any different.  The mixture keeps for up to a week in the fridge.

Let me know if these work for you. If you have questions, I'm happy to answer!

Thrifty Beauty: Cut Open Empty Product Tubes

  Even if you really try to squeeze your tubes to get the last bit of the product out, you should still try cutting them open. You'll find that there is a surprising amount of product still in there.

   I thought that I was really good at shaking and squeezing out the tubes, but turns out there are always rests of the product that stubbornly stick to the sides. Cutting open my Lavera Self Tanning Lotion gives me enough for two whole-body applications, while the organic toothpastes last an extra four days.
   I "close" the cut tube by inserting one part of the tube into the other. You could also use clips.
   If a bottle has a pump dispenser, a lot of product usually clings to the tube even after the bottle appears to be empty.

   Do you also cut open tubes of products that you like? Let me know!