Ayurveda Natural Hair Care

Henna Hair Mask Routine

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henna mask

A Magic Potion For Strong, Shiny, Healthy Hair 

I have several “secret weapons” when it comes to keeping my natural hair healthy.  My weekly hair care routine continues to be at the top of my list. The discovery of the regular use of henna is a solid second behind that.

I first used henna way back when I was a teenager.  My goal at that time was to add some color to my hair.  Fast forward to today, I’m all about all the amazing health benefits that it offers.

In 2017 I started using henna again by incorporating it into my deep conditioners to make a henna gloss.  If you are new to henna hair treatments, this is a great way to start.  My go-to henna gloss is one created by Belle Bar Organic.  

After getting comfortable with the use of henna glosses, I decided to try a full-strength henna mask. Initially, I applied this to my hair every 3-4 months and the results have been quite nice. Now that I’m a true believer in the power of henna, I decided to step up my full mask application to every 8 weeks. 

I learned a lot about henna from one of my favorite natural hair vloggers who goes by the name of Curly Proverbz.  Her YouTube channel is a great place to start if you are considering adding henna to your natural hair care regimen. Another person that I follow (on Instagram) is Khadija Dawn Carryl. Khadija and her husband, Jamal, own and operate a self care products business called Henna Sooq which sells Ayurvedic products.  Personally, this is the only place I’m totally comfortable purchasing my henna from! Their henna and other Ayurvedic products are of the highest quality.  My favorite product is their Fresh Morrocan Henna Powder.

On their blog site I discovered this delicious henna mask that I’ve been using since I started using full treatments.  Here is the recipe.  

Moisture Rich Henna Mask (courtesy of Henna Sooq)

Ingredients:

Directions

  • Take 1 full package of  henna powder (100g) and pour into a stainless steel or glass bowl. Add 3-4 tbsp of organic amla powder and 1 tsp of organic aloe vera to your henna powder and mix well.⠀
  • Slowly add a liquid of your choice such as warm water, green tea or apple cider vinegar. I use organic apple cider vinegar. Mix in enough liquid to make a paste the consistency of pancake batter. ⠀
  • Allow your mixture to rest for at least 3-4 hours to fully release dye. Sometimes I’ll let mine rest for 8 hours or overnight.
  • Once the rest time has completed, you can apply the mixture to your hair. Please make sure to protect your surfaces because the dye can be very difficult to remove. After fully applying cover your hair with a plastic cap or you can wrap it in Saran Wrap (which is what I do).  You can then cover your wrapped hair with a silk/satin scarf or hat .
  • Allow the henna to sit in your hair for at least 3-4 hours. Most times, I let mine sit for about 6 hours, depending on what’s going on in my day.
  • Now it’s time to rinse it out!  Again, henna is not only quite messy, it is very thick.  But it is so worth it.  I start my rinsing process with what is called the “mermaid method.”  I fill my sink (or you can even do it in a tub) with water.  I then proceed to soak my hair in the water to start removing the henna.  From there, I do a traditional rinse using the spray faucet in my sink or in the shower. Just make sure to be VERY gentle with your hair because henna is extremely strong and if you handle your hair roughly, it may cause some breakage. 
  • After thoroughly rinsing out the henna mask, I follow up with a deep conditioner.  This is VERY IMPORTANT!  Although this particular mask is more moisturizing than other henna treatments, henna in general is quite drying. Do not skip this step or you will experience very dry hair later.  I slather on my favorite deep conditioner, cover my hair with a plastic cap, and then sit under a hooded dryer (at a low heat setting) for 20 minutes.
  • Rinse out your deep conditioner and continue on with your regular hair styling routine.

Please note:

  • The recipe measurements above are good for people with medium length hair.  If you have longer hair, you will need to increase the amount of the ingredients.  
  • You will see some henna coloring coming out of your hair during a couple of hair washes after this treatment.  This is perfectly normal.  

Benefits of These Amazing Ingredients

Henna powder is one of the most well-known Ayurvedic ingredients. What draws me to henna is its strengthening and nourishing properties.  Not only do my curls look SO juicy after this mask, the henna gives my hair great shine as well.

Amla powder – I love using this powder because it is well-known for nourishing and strengthening the hair and scalp. It also helps to naturally minimize hair graying.

Aloe Vera Powder – The use of aloe vera powder in this mask helps to provide a moisturizing balance to the henna.  It’s great for conditioning the hair and encouraging hair growth as well.

If you are new the henna mask, I think this is an excellent and very simple one to start off with.  Give it and try and let me know what you think!

Stay well and blessed everyone!

 

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