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What is henna, and why should you apply it to your hair?
Henna is a naturally grown, organic herb, usually grown in tropical countries like Indian subcontinents, parts of Africa, and Egypt. These shrubs like plants are best suited in humid and dry climates. The leaves of these plants are crushed and processed into henna powder, and that powder is sold to us in the market.
Henna is a hundred percent pure, organic, and naturally grown hair product. It does not contain toxic chemical additives, artificial colors, preservatives, or ammonia. In our daily lives, we cannot help but expose our hair to the harmful pollutants present in our environment every time we step out of our homes. That is why it is essential to give our hair the proper nourishment and care of natural, organic hair products as much as possible.
Henna can dye your just as well as any other artificial hair dye available in the market. Check out ‘how to dye your hair burgundy with henna’ and ‘how to dye your black with henna.’ Henna also deepens your hair, strengthens it from the roots, and gives it a glossy, lustrous shine. Henna can make your hair grow both in length and volume a lot faster than the usual growth rate of your hair.
If you are wondering How to properly apply henna on hair, we will guide you through the process step by step.
Pro-tip: Before we start making the perfect henna paste, there are certain things that you need to be aware of.
The henna powder should be entirely pure organically grown with no added chemicals. Please read the contents of the henna powder before making your purchase, and remember, your henna powder should not contain any ingredients that are not your usual household items. Therefore, it is best to get your henna powder from a reliable or traditional vendor.
Things required to prepare the perfect henna paste
With very few items, you can prepare the perfect henna paste for your hair. Most of them should be available to you in your regular household. Here is a comprehensive list of all the things you need:
- Your choice of henna powder. Depending on your length of hair, you should get henna powder. 50-75 grams of ear-length hair, shoulder-length 100- 125 grams, mid-back length 150 – 175 grams, and hip length 300- 350 grams should be sufficient. There is no pressure to get the precise amount of henna powder.
- Get a glass bowl to make the paste. It is best not to go for metallic bowls since they tend to get rusted by henna.
- Get a brush or an applicator to apply the paste to your hair.
- Get a pair of disposable gloves because it is challenging to get the henna stain off your skin. You may even apply the paste into your hair using your fingers if you have a glove on.
- Get a makeshift cape around your shoulders to avoid staining your clothes. You may choose to use an old piece of cloth or a scarf.
- Get a quarter tablespoon of tea or instant coffee powder for darker hair color.
- Have some lemon juice, curd, and egg yolk ready for better conditioning.
- You may choose to add herbs like Shikakai Brahmi if they do not already come mixed with your henna powder.
Preparation of the paste: Mixing of henna powder
Preparation of the henna paste is effortless and does not take much effort. Once you have all the items you need, follow these steps:
- Add the henna powder you need for your hair to the bowl.
- Add a tablespoon of amla, shikakai, and Brahmi unless your henna powder already contains them. Check the contents of your henna powder.
- Add a sufficient amount of water to the mixture. Please make sure the mix does not become too watery because then it will not stick to your hair and will come rolling down your face.
- Let the mixture sit overnight and get tight. Do not let it sit for more than that.
- The next day, add some curd and lemon juice to the mixture. You may even add an egg yolk to the mixture. These will help condition your hair.
Congratulations! Now your henna paste is prepared to be applied to your hair.
The process of applying henna into your hair
Once your henna paste is ready, you should not let it sit any longer. Instead, pour the mixture into your applicator if you want to use one. Otherwise, you can use your fingers and a brush. Follow these steps to apply henna into your hair successfully.
- Put on a cape around your shoulders and put your gloves on. The gloves will get permanently stained, so use a pair of disposable ones.
- Use your fingers to separate your hair into sections.
- Gently apply the paste to each strand of your hair from the root to the tip.
- Apply the same amount to each strand and put it into a henna-infused top bun.
- Make sure to cover your entire scalp.
- After that, leave the paste on your hair for 40-45 minutes. If you want to get a darker shade of brownish or reddish hue, you may leave it on for an hour or two. The longer you leave the paste on your hair, the darker the dye.
The process of washing henna off your hair
Once you have left the henna paste on your hair for a sufficient time, you will need to rinse it off your hair. This may seem like a tumultuous task, but in reality, it does not take any effort at all.
- Hop under the shower and gently rinse your hair off the dried-up henna.
- Use your fingers to pull each hair strand gently, and then wash it until the water turns clear.
- Then condition your hair with a hair conditioner of your choice.
- Then use a dry towel to dry up your hair.
Following these easy steps, you can apply henna to your hair.
Things not to do while applying henna on your hair
While applying henna to your hair is quite an easy task, there are a few things that you should avoid doing.
- Do not use a metallic bowl for mixing henna. Metals get oxidized and easily rusted when it comes in contact with the henna paste.
- Do not touch the henna paste with bare hands. The henna stain is not easy to clean off.
- Do not apply henna if you already have chemical hair color on it.
Things to know while handling henna
- How to remove henna stain from your skin?
Henna only penetrates the top few layers of your skin. To remove henna stain from your skin, rub it with lukewarm water and baking soda. You can add a few drops of lemon juice to get the best result.
Even if you do not go to all that length to remove henna stain from your skin, the stain eventually wears off after a couple of weeks.
- How to get the henna stain off your clothes?
It might be slightly tricky to get the henna stain off your clothes. Instead, wet the stain of your clothes in lukewarm water and rub it with non-bleach soap. Use a brush and rub it periodically until the stain fades off entirely to get a better result.
- How long should you wait before washing your hair off the henna paste?
Generally, keeping the paste on your hair for 40-45 minutes should be enough. However, if you are trying to dye your hair, you may keep the paste on for 3-4 hours. The longer you leave it on, the better the color of the dye will be.
You should make sure that the paste has entirely dried off before washing it off.
- What are the colors we can get from dying our hair with henna?
Henna works as an excellent natural hair dye. It can give you a range of colors from brown, golden red to dark brown hue. You can get a burgundy hair color or black.
- What should we add to the henna paste?
You may add several herbs like jagua fruit dust or indigo fruit dust to get a darker shade on your hair. In most cases, henna powder comes with these added herbs.
You may add curd, egg yolk, and a few squishes of lemon juices to your henna paste to get deep conditioning of your hair. These are all things you need to keep in mind before applying henna to your hair. Pamper your hair with the care and love it deserves, and have fun coloring your hair.
