HENNA DIARIES

Henna isn't as difficult to make and apply as one would think. After doing tons of research and watching video tutorials I managed to make my henna to a nice smooth paste resembling chocolate icing. I actually make more of a mess making a cake then I did making my very first batch of henna.

First, I boiled the water and then poured it back into my big measuring cup with the tea bags already waiting. I allowed it to seep for about ten minutes. Then, I poured 2 boxes of henna into a mixing bowl. After the tea was ready, I added it to the henna, mixing one cup at a time. You want to make sure to mix it well, just like with cake batter. You don’t want any lumps of dry henna. Finally, I added the honey.

Afterwards, I spooned the henna into a Ziploc bag, smoothed it down to about an inch for when I throw it into the freezer. That way it’ll fee like a bar that I can break up.

PART II

After I took all my braids out I decided to co-wash my hair and go ahead with the henna. Why not give it a try now? So instead of a full strength henna I went with the henna gloss instead for the sake of time. I added a cup of conditioner, another teaspoon of honey and 2 teaspoons of coconut oil. For some reason I forgot I was whipping up henna and not making chocolate cake. Was it supposed to be a dark brown? No worries, cause I plopped it on my head any way with my lil bro and sis standing by shaking their heads in confusion. They don’t seem to understand smoothing mud on my hair is all the rage.

So after about two hours I rinsed and rinsed my hair again with conditioner until all the brown stuff was out. I then deep conditioned (CURL JUNKIE CURL REHAB MOISTURIZING HAIR TREATMENT) and threw my hair in twists using some of my deep conditioner as a leave-in, jojoba oil as a sealant, and aloe vera gel for hold. I can’t wait for my shea moisture hair milk and my tub of shea butter to arrive in the mail. Did I mention I live in the boonies? I practically have to have most of my hair goods air lifted.

Anyways, the results of the henna treatment are so-so as far as I can tell. I’m not going to judge my first application too harshly. I didn’t leave it in as long as I could have and it was just a gloss instead of the full-on henna extravaganza. My  hair was super soft afterwards though and this morning, maybe because of the three products in my hair was a little oily, but my hands didn’t slip and punch me in the face so I’m alright.

Using Coconut in the recipe:
I’m trying a new recipe using coconut milk and olive oil on dry hair. This ought to cut the whole process in half. Normally I wash my hair, defrost my henna from the freezer, etc., etc. Also, the first recipe I used called for green tea in the mixture. I’ve been doing my research and found that coconut milk has the added benefit of not drying your hair out. You can still deep condition your hair afterwards, but you don’t need to keep it on your hair for hours on end.

I found that the rinse process was simple and easy and I continue to see a slight change in my hair color. My hair feels thicker, not that it needed any help, but with thicker hair hopefully it's also much stronger.