The effect of henna on hair. Colorless henna for hair - useful properties for strengthening and treatment, recipes for making masks

Content

Henna is a natural dye, previously used only for dyeing hair and applying underwear patterns - mehendi. Today, the substance is present in the composition of various masks as a caring cosmetic. To understand the benefits and harms of henna for hair, you need to study its composition, pros and cons.

Benefit

Many women know that this natural dye is capable of giving bright saturated shades to the hairline, but not every one of them knows that the benefits of henna for hair do not end there. This coloring powder performs the following functions:

1. Strengthens hair follicles (bulbs). It is recommended to paint with henna when they fall out. The result of strengthening can be seen after a few procedures.
2. Eliminates dandruff due to the fact that it is an antiseptic of natural origin.
3. Removes oil from the hair and scalp, normalizes the secretion of the sebaceous glands due to the tannins that make up its composition. Apply the diluted powder to the scalp, along the entire length of the strands.
4. Makes the hair shaft thicker, resulting in a fuller head of hair.
5. Envelops the hairs with a thin film, making them shiny, smooth, giving a well-groomed appearance and preventing split ends.
6. Saturates the hair with vitamins C, B, K, making them denser, stronger, thicker. Reduces their fragility.
7. Protects the hairline from the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation.
8. Stimulates hair growth due to the presence of essential oils.
9. It does not provoke the appearance of allergic reactions, has no contraindications, therefore it can be used at any age, it is allowed even for pregnant women.

What is the best henna for hair

To understand which type of henna is better, you need to study the advantages and benefits of each of them:

Harm

Having studied beneficial features henna for hair, it is worth finding out about its negative aspects. Disadvantages of coloring powder:

1. Incompatibility with conventional paints and other types of henna.
2. Straightening curls, as a result of which it is impossible to make a curl.
3. The ability to dry the scalp, so henna is not recommended for owners of a dry type of hairline.
4. Destruction of hair with frequent or improper use. They become brittle, hard, inelastic.
5. Fast fading in the sun.
6. If the result of staining did not satisfy you, it will be very difficult to correct the color. The dye envelops the hairs and will not allow even the active ingredients of chemical paints to penetrate inside.

How to reduce the harmful effects of henna

1. Do not use this natural dye more than 2 times a month.
2. Strictly adhere to the instructions for use.
3. Do not make masks with colorless powder more than once a week.
4. In no case do not combine ordinary paint with henna.
5. Add dairy and sour-milk products, honey, egg yolk, herbal decoctions, teas to the coloring powder for nutrition, hydration, shine, volume. Be careful with the last two components, because coffee, black tea will give the strands chestnut shades, hibiscus - red, chamomile will lighten them.
6. Dilute the dye only with slightly cooled water (70 ˚С), and not with boiling water.
7. Be sure to conduct a preliminary test on a thin strand to see the future result.

Luxurious hair, shiny iridescent curls, falling like a waterfall on the shoulders of an elegant lady - this is certainly beautiful. And the condition of the hair can tell a lot about the health and well-being of their owner.

After all, you must admit that the problem of hair loss, as well as their excessive drying, is most likely associated with a malfunction of internal organs and systems, or is caused by the inept actions of a hairdresser who uses strong chemicals when dyeing and / or curling curls.

Henna, a powder obtained by grinding (rubbing) the dried leaves of the Lawsonia non-prickly plant (Lawsonia inermis), belongs to natural natural dyes and biological hair care products.

Strengthening hair with henna goes back thousands of years. According to legend, even the prophet Muhammad used henna. Historians claim that, since the Bronze Age, Lavsonia powder has been used as an effective dye for silk fabrics, animal hair, human skin and their appendages - hair and nails.

And this unique substance also allows for safe dyeing of curls that does not violate the structure of the hair and is considered completely biological. In order to answer the question of whether to dye your hair with henna, you should carefully study all the pros and cons of this product.

Should you dye your hair with henna?

hair color after henna dyeing photo

According to experts, henna does not have such a powerful coloring activity to completely replace the natural hair color. However, the use of henna leads to impressive results when you want to enhance the natural color of the hair and saturate it with a beautiful copper sheen, as well as add extra stiffness and splendor to the strands.

The coloring properties of Lavsonia powder are given by two biocompounds - yellow-red Lavson and rich green chlorophyll. At the output, we have a finely dispersed powder (flour or powder) with a characteristic marsh aroma of a dirty green color, which is the basis of dyes called "Natural Henna".

original Iranian, Sudanese or Indian Lawsonia is designed for copper / red hair coloring. The used henna for hair allows you to get shades ranging from golden to rich chestnut (the final shade depends on the duration of contact of the hair with the henna paste).

• Coloring occurs due to the accumulation of pigment in the upper layers of the hair shafts, while it does not penetrate, does not change the structure and does not have a destructive effect.

Combination of henna with basma- a way to dye your hair black. The modern industry, after numerous experiments, brings to our attention colored henna enriched with various natural dyes, such as coffee, cocoa, lemon, oak bark, chamomile, etc., which give a completely different shade to the paint.

• The final shade depends significantly on the original hair color.

For example, henna on dark hair does not have a significant effect on color and can only give a brilliant original shade, acting as an excellent tonic for the care of the scalp. Owners of dark hair can use any shades of colored henna (chestnut, chocolate, burgundy, black, golden) or natural lavsonia powder (copper from the lower leaves or colorless from the stems).

Women with blond hair should be treated with extreme caution when choosing a shade, as thin hair can turn into an unexpectedly bright color. To obtain a golden tint, it is enough to withstand light-colored henna on the hair for about half an hour, and for a more saturated color, the contact should be increased to one and a half hours.

In any case, the use of henna will help make your hair healthy, shiny and well-groomed.

Henna for hair - the benefits and harms of using

In the table, I have collected the main pros and cons of using the properties of henna for hair.

As you can see, this is not a universal product, having studied the benefits and harms of henna for hair, you can make your own choice in favor of this or another natural dye, but take your time, let's take a closer look at the beneficial properties and methods of using henna.

How to get different shades when dyeing hair with henna?

The following combinations of herbal ingredients with Lavsonia powder will help diversify the color palette:

1. Dilute henna powder with a strong decoction of onion peel (2 handfuls per 300 ml of boiling water, cook over low heat for 30 minutes) to obtain a beautiful copper-golden hue.
2. Dilution of henna with hot beetroot juice will allow you to get an unexpectedly rich burgundy color.
3. Pale red shades are created by adding turmeric powder to henna, followed by dilution with hot water.
4. For an amazing chocolate color, combine henna with pure cocoa powder (no additives).
5. A combination of lavsonia powder and a strong decoction of field chamomile gives a bright sunny tint to the hair (2 tablespoons of dry vegetable raw materials per glass of water, simmer in a water bath for about a quarter of an hour).
6. Lovers of red tones are advised to dilute henna with natural cranberry juice, preheated to a temperature of 80 ° C.
7. An exquisite cherry tint will give the hair henna, diluted with hot red wine, such as Cahors or Cabernet.
8. If you are not ready to experiment at home, then colored henna is available in various shades, the choice of which depends on your preferences.

The use of henna to strengthen hair

Many ladies use henna in their regular home hair care, making unique nourishing masks out of it, but without changing the color of the curls.

• Coloring henna is prepared from lavsonia leaves, and to get colorless henna, its stems are used - they do not contain pigmenting compounds, but have all the useful properties of the plant.

Lavsonia leaf powder contains the following healing bionutrients: hennotaninic, gallic and other organic acids, vitamins C and K, valuable phospholipids, resinous substances, polysaccharides, traces of ethers. Thanks to this composition, the beneficial properties of henna for hair allow you to solve many problems, ranging from hair loss to giving extra volume to thin and overly oily curls.

Recipe for a nourishing henna mask

To prepare a nourishing mask from colorless henna, it is enough to dilute the powder with hot water or an aqueous extract from medicinal plants until a thick paste-like mass is obtained and evenly distribute the composition on the scalp, dividing the strands into a parting.

The duration of the mask is from 20 minutes to 1 hour. If you wish to enhance the effect of Lavsonia powder, essential oils (2-3 drops), blue chamomile, cypress, geranium, neroli, or mixtures thereof are added to the composition.

The benefits of colorless henna for hair:

• reduction in the production of fatty secretions and a decrease in sebum secretion by the bulbs;
• cleansing of the bulbs from the accumulated and compressed secret (sebaceous plugs), which prevents normal hair growth;
• strengthening the roots of curls;
• treatment of dandruff and oily seborrhea;
• creating additional shine to the strands;
• activation of the growth of rods;
• increasing the thickness of the hair and increasing their total volume.

Powder packaging contains detailed instructions and recommendations on the duration of contact of natural dye with hair. There are a number of specific rules that should be followed for breeding henna:

1. Do not use metal objects and utensils, as contact with metal deteriorates the quality of the paint.
2. The powder is diluted with hot water, but its temperature should not exceed 80 ° C.
3. The consistency of henna should not be liquid, as flowing jets can stain the skin and clothing. Prepare a product that resembles homemade sour cream in density.
4. The drug is applied to wet hair washed with shampoo in a warm form and evenly distributed over the strands, starting from the back of the head.
5. After application, a warming cap made of a polyethylene cap and a heated terry towel is put on the head.
6. The contact time varies from 5 minutes to 2 hours.

Removing henna from hair after dyeing and washing off color with vegetable oils.

How to wash off henna from hair?

Many women are concerned about the question of how to wash off henna from hair so that the effect of the procedure is maximum? The composition is washed off with a large amount of running warm water without the use of detergents.

With thick hair, the rinsing process can be lengthy, as it is necessary to completely remove powder particles from each hair. In the next three days, it is not recommended to wash your hair, since the active components of henna continue to have a beneficial effect on the hair.

If you want to wash off the resulting shade after applying colored henna, then aromatherapists recommend being patient and using vegetable oils: olive, peach, grape or k, almond,.

• The procedure is carried out 2 times a week, gently applying any of the proposed oils in a warm form to the hair.

The oil mask is kept on the head under a warming cap for an hour, after which it is washed off with regular shampoo. After 3-4 weeks, the henna particles that are on the surface of the curls will be completely washed off.

These are the useful properties of our exotic guest - henna, which came to us from the countries of the Ancient East. If you want to experiment with new shades, use Lavsonia colored powder, the choice of which is currently quite large, and if necessary, strengthen your hair and take care of its unique shine, use colorless henna.

Beauty to you and eternal youth!

Girls who dye their hair for the first time and cannot fully decide how this or that color will look on them immediately remember henna. Many say that due to natural composition Henna is much better than chemical dyes, although it does not last as long.

However, before you change your natural color to shades of red or red, it is important to know the benefits and harms of henna for hair.

general characteristics

Henna is a natural product that is made from the crushed leaves of Lavsonia. It contains various essential oils, tannins and vitamins. This is the main advantage of henna over shop paints: it has a more gentle effect on the hair, does not destroy their roots and natural structure. It does not differ in great variety: the possible shades of henna for hair are red and red.

The use of natural dye should be approached with caution. If you do not follow the banal rules, you can radically change your hair color, make it as bright and saturated as possible.

There is also colorless henna, but it is used exclusively for therapeutic or prophylactic purposes.

Useful and harmful properties

Like any natural substance, henna contains a large number of trace elements that can cause both positive and negative reactions in the body. First you need to figure out in which cases it is better to use this product:

Benefits of henna for hair:

Despite the obvious advantages, henna can cause significant harm. First of all, this is due to non-compliance with precautionary measures and excessive use of the product.

What harm can:

Also, henna can completely remove chemical dyes from the hair, so it is recommended to use it no earlier than 3-4 months after dyeing.

Dye selection

First of all, production affects the presence of positive and negative properties. It is better to choose a dye that already contains essential oils and herbal extracts. This will help to secure the procedure as much as possible and save money, since separately substances with a similar effect are not cheap.

Mostly colored henna is found, which allows you to get red, red, and in some cases copper-brown shades.

To choose the safest option, you need to study in detail everything that is written on the label. It is not uncommon for manufacturers to add chemicals to a product, hoping that an inexperienced buyer will not suspect anything and will buy their product. At best, such henna will not bring any result.

The main types of natural product

There are three main types of henna: Iranian, Indian, Chinese. All of them differ not only in composition, but also in the method of production.

There are the following types:

To understand which hair henna is the best and what effect it will have on your hair, it is important to study as many reviews as possible about the product you are buying, and also carefully read what is written on the package. In this way, a large number of errors can be avoided.

When choosing which henna is better - Indian or Iranian, preference should be given to the first. Despite the fact that it costs more, the benefits of buying it will be greater than the negative impact.

Existing shades

The resulting shade will depend on the original hair color, as well as on their structure, condition and level of exposure to the dye. It is better not to choose a color according to tables on the Internet, since the chance to hit the target is minimal. Oddly enough, the more expensive the dye, the better its quality and the likelihood of not making a mistake with the chosen shade.

With special care, you need to select henna for light and blond hair, as they are most susceptible to natural and chemical dyes. Instead of a beautiful copper shade, you can get an untidy red, instead of red - the color of dry straw. The best option is to apply the newly purchased henna to a small strand of hair, preferably from the inside. In this way, it will be possible to find out the future color and look at the reaction of the body.

It has been proven that during pregnancy, henna has almost no effect, the hair can turn out to be completely colorless or greenish. This is due to the hormonal changes taking place in the body, so at this time it is better to use chemical-based paint or completely abandon dyes.

A few secrets of use

First you need to properly prepare the coloring mass. It will depend on this how quickly the color will take, how the hair will look after dyeing and how much damage the procedure can do.

Do not dilute the powder in a metal bowl, you need to stir only with wooden or plastic sticks. It is equally important to correctly calculate the volume and distribute it over all strands. With hair below the shoulder blades, it is recommended to immediately take 10-20 g of powder, since adding a dry product to a diluted product will no longer work.

Specialists of "Sm-Clinic"

A few secrets:

The main purpose of using a colorless powder is not to change the color of the hair, but to cure or strengthen it. In this case, henna should not be insisted for a long time, it is enough to pour hot water and leave for an hour. Apply to the scalp with massaging movements, keep the same amount.

To enhance the possible effect, decoctions of natural herbs, honey and dairy products, egg yolk, various oils can be added to the diluted product.

Rules for preparation and application

To consolidate the effect, you can make special powder masks. You need to apply them before washing your hair. If the hair is too dirty, oily or has a lot of styling products applied to it, the procedures should be reversed. After rinsing hair with a simple balm or plain water.

The head should be covered with a plastic bag, on top it can be fixed with a terry towel.

Color development

Usually all instructions for use are indicated on the package. The average time can be increased if the curls are too dark or stiff. The final color will not appear immediately, it will take at least two days, therefore, in order to avoid surprises, it is recommended to apply a small amount of dye to one of the strands and wait for the result. Only after that move on to the rest of the curls.

During this time, you should not wash your hair, use curling or styling products, as well as varnishes, foams and mousses. Avoid being in the sun for a couple of days.

In the first days, the hair will not react to any external influence in the best way. But it is useful to apply indelible oils and serums for the tips on them. They will serve as additional protection when visiting the pool, swimming in the sea, walking under the scorching sun.

Removal of residues

It is because of this procedure that many girls refuse to use henna and prefer more harmful dyes. Within a few days, you will have to comb out the herbal particles from the hairstyle.

An effective way to remove henna residue:

Using this method, you can quickly and effectively remove the remnants of henna from the head and give the hair the necessary volume and a healthy look.

I have been coloring my hair with henna for over 10 years. In my youth, when I was just starting to use it, henna was sung by laudatory odes. Natural, useful, strengthens hair, etc., etc. Now the situation is the opposite. Fashionistas, having heard the mention of henna, wrinkle their noses, and hairdressers make a grimace of horror on their faces. And henna is still being sold, and people have not stopped using it.

The benefits of henna

Henna is useful for oily and mixed hair. Henna dries both hair and scalp. Both with a single and with regular use of henna, the secretion of sebum is significantly reduced.

Henna has outstanding protective properties against aggressive environments. Henna significantly reduces the adverse effects of shampoos, styling products, chlorine and other chemical filth, as well as the sun.

This is where the benefits of henna end. Henna does not nourish, strengthen, or moisturize hair, does not treat dandruff, etc.

Harm of henna

Henna dries hair, scalp, cuticles on the hands, nails, and in general everything it comes into contact with. Hair becomes dry and coarse. Not infrequently, the use of henna leads to the appearance of dry dandruff. Normal and oily hair, even oily damaged hair will survive this test and recover quickly, but I don’t think that henna will benefit dry hair.

Henna successfully fights against harmful influences, but also with useful ones. After dyeing hair with henna, the effectiveness of caring cosmetics is reduced. The exception is oil-based cosmetics. Henna is not a hindrance to such cosmetics, because oils wash out henna.

Perhaps henna does less damage to hair than permanent dye, but it does it too. There can be no persistent dye (even if of natural origin) penetrating deep into the hair structure harmless.

How to wash off henna?

If you unsuccessfully paint with resistant paint, then it will be washed off for you using a proven technology in any hairdresser. But what to do if failure befell when painting with henna? With henna, standard products do not work.

Henna is washed off with vegetable oils (sunflower, olive, corn, burdock, linseed). The oil is smeared on the hair, heated with a hair dryer, then it is all washed off with shampoo. Henna is washed off with oil. The procedure is carried out several times. Henna will not be completely washed off, but will become almost invisible, leaving only a slight golden hue.

Barber Conspiracy. Why does not a single hairdresser advise using henna, even if it suits you perfectly?

Henna is a very strong protective agent and it makes it impossible to carry out many cosmetic procedures: coloring, lightening, highlighting, perm. And it would be okay if the procedure simply failed - it does not matter, but henna enters into chemical reactions with aggressive drugs and acquires a variety of bizarre colors. The result is patchy streaks of fancy colors. Nothing can be done about this color.

For hairdressers, this means that a girl dyed with henna for at least six months ceases to be their client (with the exception of haircuts). And a girl who uses henna, but did not warn the hairdresser about it, is a disaster in general.

After applying henna, you can repaint with herbal paints, but in which salon and which master will pick with herbs!? You will most likely be doing this yourself.

It is a mistake to believe that hairdressers are cynical and mercenary bastards, they often warn against henna stains with the best of intentions.

If you are dyeing red for the first time, then you cannot be sure that this color will suit your face, and will suit you psychologically. Not everyone is comfortable walking around with a fire on their head. For many girls, it may be too bright. Are you ready to torment yourself with the wrong color for three months until it peels off by itself. Usually in such cases dances with sunflower oil and repainting with basma begin. It is these dances that hairdressers do not want you to do.

Iranian natural henna ARTKOLOR

In fact, lousy henna, but cheap and sold on every corner.

Henna ARTKOLOR takes a long time to brew, forms lumps during brewing, is capricious to the brewing temperature, has a high consumption, and is quickly washed off from the hair. The staining time of this henna is long. But it is easily washed from hands and plumbing. And it also has the wrong way of brewing on the packaging. The standard characteristic of henna from the mass market category. But not all henna is like that.

Expensive henna from Asian countries, which is sold in ethnic shops, on eBay and Ali, is completely different. It quickly brews, quickly stains, and hair, and skin, and hands, and everything around. Stays strong wherever it goes.

But still, I usually use the henna that lies in the nearest supermarket. And there often henna ARTKOLOR. All further recommendations refer specifically to this henna.

To paint with henna you need henna powder collected on the full moon, the tears of a virgin, the dragon's claw and Kashchei's immortality...

This is what most of the ways to use henna on the Internet look like. Nothing but a continuation of the conspiracy of hairdressers. Of course, when painting with henna, there are some nuances, but still they do not require particularly extra gestures.

Henna tea

To prepare the coloring mass, you need henna powder (for my hair I take 2-3 bags), hot water, a mixing container with a lid, a tool for stirring and kneading lumps (I use a comb). It is very good to use a ceramic or clay pot with a lid as a mixing container, because. it retains heat better, but I use a plastic transparent sea salt jar. It is more convenient for me to stir the mixture in it.

Water for brewing henna should have a temperature of 70-80 degrees. When using cool water, the brewing time increases, when using boiling water (as indicated in the instructions), henna loses its coloring properties. For brewing henna, I use a kettle with adjustable heating temperature, but you can use a thermometer, and even determine the temperature approximately by eye.

For one sachet of henna 25g, I need about 90 ml of water, provided that I am going to apply it to wet hair. If I'm going to apply henna on dry hair, then I dilute it thinner.

In the photo, I have 3 packs of henna for wet hair coloring.

Subject to the above temperature regime henna is infused for 30-60 minutes. Preferably in a bowl of hot water, on a stove, radiator or wrapped in a towel.

Additional Ingredients

There are many recipes for brewing henna with additional ingredients that enhance its effect. Vinegar, lemon, citric acid, essential oils... I tried some, but didn't notice any significant differences in the effect. I do not recommend.

There are also recipes for mixes in other herbal dyes. Chamomile, basma, burdock roots, chestnut leaves, tea, coffee. When preparing such mixes, you need to carefully study the second ingredient. Henna is a permanent dye, and other herbal dyes are usually washed off after the first shampooing.

The exception is Basma She is as strong as henna. Henna and basma very popular and successful combination. But with their joint use, not everything is so simple. Basma is brewed at a temperature of 90 degrees, and henna is 80. In practice, basma is first brewed in excess hot water, and when the water cools down a little, henna is added.

Henna hair coloring process

Before painting with henna, you can apply a mask or oily cream on your face, put gloves on your hands so as not to get dirty. And you can not do all this, just then wash off.

Henna can be applied to clean, dry hair. There should be no cosmetics on the hair (varnishes, gels, foams, conditioners), hair roots should not be greasy. If these conditions are not met, then some and individual strands may not be dyed.

Henna can be used on wet clean hair, previously wiped with a towel. Naturally, balms and hair conditioners are not used before coloring.

I use both of these methods, but I still like the last one more.

Henna is applied to the hair in the same way as any paint, taking into account individual characteristics and the need for emphasis.

First, henna gruel is applied to the roots at the back of the head, then on the top of the head, then on the sides, then in front. The roots are smeared extremely carefully, because. henna seizes worse on them. Lastly, the ends and damaged strands are smeared, because henna seizes on them very quickly. It is advisable to apply henna to the hair warm or tolerantly hot.

After the henna solution is applied to the hair, you can pin your hair with a hairpin and sit down to warm yourself in the bath (I usually do this), put on a shower cap, wrap a towel over it and go about your usual activities (I never do this), put on a hat for the shower, and over the cap from the hair dryer and slightly heated with a hair dryer (I very rarely do this). Heating with a hairdryer is required when the cooked gruel has cooled down. It is not worth it to heat strongly and for a long time. 5-10 minutes will be enough. The hair dryer heats the hair unevenly and when heated, henna will set differently on different strands.

Henna application time is 15-60 minutes. Can't be more than an hour. Henna dries out the skin a lot. With prolonged use, it can lead to dandruff, skin irritation.

If your hair has been dyed, but the shade is not intense enough, you should repeat the coloring in a week, when the scalp has time to recover.

If the hair is practically not dyed, then three options are possible.

1. You have healthy and strong hair, which Artcolor henna is too tough. In this case, you should look for Asian henna packaged in Asia.

2. You did not brew the henna correctly. It is worth paying close attention to brewing.

3. You got really low-quality henna.

After the henna is washed off the hair, a balm or nourishing hair mask is applied. Now is the time, while the protective properties of henna have not yet appeared.

How often should you use henna

results

Henna gives red, copper, golden, chestnut shades - of varying intensity. All shades look natural and natural. Hair dyed with henna does not look like a wig, but rather has many bright nuances, coquettishly play in the glare of the sun. After each shampooing, henna-dyed hair changes its shade.

With my hair, everything is oh, how not easy. In my youth, I had long and badly damaged hair. My hair roots were dark blond for 5 cm, and then my hair was blond and blond. Hair burned out in the sun. I looked like a bleached blonde with forever regrown roots. I got tired of it and began to dye my hair with henna, while simultaneously doing restoration work.

These days, I rarely see my natural color, but it happens. I have it mouse-gray, which suits me a little.

The last time I touched up the roots and updated the color with three sachets of henna, applied to wet hair, using a blow dryer. Two months ago my hair was dyed with a mixture of henna and basma. Here is the final color result.

Each new season brings fashion trends and trends, and the most grateful audience of innovations, of course, are women. It is women who make the main cash register for shops, boutiques and beauty salons. Since every woman wants to meet the season in all its glory. If you look into any beauty salon, you can see a number of people who want to dye their hair there. Of course, hair coloring in the salon is many times less harmful to the hair and scalp than a similar operation performed by oneself at home. Professional paints contain less ammonia, more vitamins and oils, and the dyeing process itself is divided into several stages, including the mandatory preparation of hair for dyeing and softening it with balm and conditioner. Yes, and the hair in the salon will be completely dyed, because the master has a much larger viewing angle.

But despite all the advantages of salon coloring, you should not build castles in the air, believing that hair benefits from such procedures. No, no and NO! Coloring hair with permanent colors is a gross intrusion into the natural structure of the hair! And in the future, you will have to strengthen hair care, realizing that they are weakened and need treatment. The way out for girls who want to change without harm was coloring with henna.

What is henna?

In stores, boxes of henna are usually on the lowest shelves. Sometimes it is sold in nondescript paper bags, when looking at which there is no desire to purchase it. But this is only at first glance! The fact is that henna does not need advertising! This is a real natural dye, absolutely harmless to hair. At its core, it is a powdered plant. The color of the powder is green, but you should not be afraid of this - you will not turn green. With this in good sense magic powder, you can treat your hair, at the same time giving them the desired color. And not only red, which people might assume.

How to breed henna?

Do not rush to immediately breed henna. First, remember that you need to dye clean and dried hair. Or a little damp. Otherwise, staining on dirty hair will be less effective. After the head dries a little, you can breed henna. To do this, pour the powder into an enamel bowl. For medium length hair - shoulder length, 100-125 grams of powder is enough. Next, you need to pour the powder with hot water, but not boiling water, since the coloring properties of henna do not appear in it. The mixture must be brought to the consistency of thick sour cream without lumps. Now you can take care of your hair. To do this, you need to add cosmetic oils to henna, each of which has its own list of useful functions. Oils are added to moisturize the hair and scalp, as henna dries them. That is why it is not recommended to stain with henna too often. The most basic recipe involves the addition of burdock oil, which accelerates hair growth. The mixture is ready. Before you dye your hair, you should take care of the presence of gloves, since henna is very problematic to wash off the skin. In order not to stain the forehead and neck, coat them with a fat cream. While the mixture has not cooled down, you need to apply it on the hair, starting from the back of the head and ending with the temples and forehead, where the hair is lighter and will color quickly. Hair should be collected at the back of the head, wrap your head with polyethylene and a towel, which is not a pity, as it may stain a little. Everything, at least the next 20-30 minutes, you can relax and wait. Henna should be washed off with water without shampoo, but you can use a balm or conditioner. After dyeing, it is better to refrain from washing your hair with shampoo for 2-3 days, as the result will appear brighter.

Depending on the exposure time of henna on the hair and the original color, the result may vary from a reddish tint to a rich terracotta. But this, of course, is not the only way to prepare henna. As a dye, henna allows you to bring a whole range of colors to life. Folk recipes with botanicals, they promise a rainbow of hues from golden red to dark brown.

Simply put, henna can be supplemented with all the products that are present in the refrigerator. Dilute henna with kefir, and you get a delicate shade and an excellent hair mask. Add black tea, cocoa or coffee to henna and as a result you can get a chocolate and rich brown color. If you dilute henna with chamomile infusion or orange water, then in the first case the color will become calm, and in the second, a golden or honey hue will appear. In addition to oranges, you can use any citrus juice or infusion on the peels. In an acidic environment, by the way, the coloring properties of henna are fully manifested. Therefore, sometimes, to brighten the resulting shade, the hair is rinsed with vinegar after dyeing. An intense yellow tint to the hair is given by turmeric added to henna, but the tint quickly fades. The regularity of such staining and the cumulative effect of henna will allow the shade to be retained on the hair over time. Some sources claim that turmeric slows down hair growth, others put forward the opposite opinion. But in general, both opinions are categorical, since turmeric does not have a special effect on hair growth.

It is very interesting to try to breed henna with cinnamon. In combination with henna, it gives the hair a chestnut shade and irritates the hair follicles, which really leads to accelerated hair growth. In addition, cinnamon interrupts the smell of henna and the hair smells good.

To give the hair a bronze tint, dried rhubarb boiled in white wine, boiled saffron, honey dissolved in water, ginger and ginger powder are added to henna, which extinguishes the redhead. To strengthen the hair and give it a slight golden color, henna is diluted with infusion of onion peel and a few drops of iodine are added.

If you plan to give your hair a red tint, then crushed madder, beetroot juice, red wine or ground cloves will help. The components can even be mixed, which will only enhance the effect.

A pleasant shade of chocolate can be formed using ground coffee, walnut leaves and shells, as well as the well-known basma, which is often mentioned along with henna. In various proportions, basma is used to give dark shades, but in itself, unlike henna, it is not a dye and is not used separately.

Henna also has color restrictions. With its help, you can not achieve cold, very light and radically dark colors. In addition, henna may not completely cover the hair if the hair was previously dyed with chemical dye and the roots had time to grow.

Each woman eventually forms her own recipe for henna staining and, through trial and error, reveals little tricks. So, to give density and originality of color, you can add egg yolk, and cosmetic oils can be successfully replaced with ordinary olive or sunflower oil. The color will last longer if the henna is kept in a water bath for about 10-15 minutes. Henna is strongly absorbed into the hair, so you can take care of the aromatic additives to the mixture in advance. So, a pleasant aroma along with a reddish tint will add hibiscus tea, lemon juice, aromatic coffee.

Henna is not only a tint, but also a very effective medicine for hair, and eliminating dandruff.

Some girls who have tried henna scold her, saying that she blocks the ability to dye her head a different color. This is not quite the right point of view. After dyeing with henna, it is really better to wait a few weeks before dyeing with chemicals so that the henna has time to wash off a little. Otherwise, a chemical reaction of paint to henna may occur, and the result will be unexpected.

How does henna work?

The principle of henna is very simple. Henna penetrates into the hair and fills it, making it thicker and has a glossy sheen. The overall healing effect on the hair is extremely high, and the appearance changes dramatically, because the hair becomes heavier, thicker, looks spectacular. Plus, henna dries the scalp a little, so the hair gets dirty less often.

Feelings from the correct use of henna can only be positive, so feel free to give preference to this natural dye and experiment with color while nourishing your hair!