Henna hair conditioner
Pictured above is henna conditioner mix

Written by Noela Mogga

Hi there. My name is Noela Mogga. I am a physician, mother, food blogger. I was born in South Sudan. I plan to showcase tasty South Sudan food recipes, traditional customs, and natural beauty regimens. When I am not busy practicing Anesthesiology in my adopted state of Texas, I can be found whipping delicious meals for my husband and children.

November 29, 2016

Pictured above is an image of a lady with hair dyed with henna.

The Rev. Janet Michael featuring henna dyed hair.

Henna hair conditioner

Henna is crushed or milled powder from leaves of the plant Lawsonia inermis, which is mixed into a paste and applied to stain skin, hair and nails. It is an ancient art form and beauty treatment.  It has been used in Ancient Egypt, and for centuries in Northern Africa, the Arabian peninsula, and in Asia. In another post I talked about the tradition of applying henna to paint intricate designs on the hands and feet of a bride and her wedding party. In this post I will focus on the practice of using henna to dye hair and as a hair conditioner. This treatment not only dyes the hair, but leaves it vibrant, soft and lustrous. Dried natural henna has to be activated by mixing with a substance like lemon juice and water and allowed to sit for at least 6hours to allow the dye lawson, be released from the leaf. Natural henna only stains a deep reddish brown color. Natural henna does not induce any allergic reactions. Most commercially mixed henna products sold as a liquid, cream or paste already have added chemical dye. Many of these chemical dyes can cause an allergic reaction which manifest as itching, hives, or sensitivity to future use of henna or other dyes. Be careful when shopping for henna products, it is preferable to purchase pure natural henna, or henna enhanced with only natural dyes such as Cassia Obovata for added reddish color or  Indigo for darker color.

Pictured above is henna conditioner mix

Henna conditioner mix of henna powder, lime, whisked egg, natural yoghurt and water.
Henna powder on right.

My recipe for Henna hair conditioner

My recipe which I obtained from my mother,which she learned from her neighbors in Khartoum, Sudan, involves soaking henna powder mix with lime juice and water overnight, then adding a whisked egg and natural yoghurt. Apply this generously to the hair from the roots to the tips, wrap a plastic bag around it and keep for 3 hours. To shorten the treatment time you may sit under a hooded dryer on low settings for 1/2 hour to 1 hour. The hair is then washed thoroughly, with a final rinse of tea water to lock in the color and shine. This treatment leaves the hair lustrous, soft, and with a tinge of reddish brown. Any grey hairs will be dyed a deep red color. This color treatment is semi-permanent. It will need to be repeated every 6-8weeks to capture new growth, and it fades faster with frequency of washing the hair.

 

Ingredients for home made henna conditioner for hair.

Ingredients for home made henna conditioner for hair.

Recipe

Henna powder: 8 tablespoons or 1/2 cup

Lime juice: from 1/2 slice lime

1 egg whisked

yoghurt: 2 tablespoons

water: 1/2 cup  

1 teabag, for rinsing.

Instructions:

In a bowl, mix henna powder with lime juice and water. Allow to soak overnight or at least for 6 hours.

Then add yoghurt and 1 whisked egg.

Apply to hair generously from roots to tips.

Apply plastic cap around hair.  Maintain for 3 hours or 1 hour under hooded dryer set on low heat for maximum color absorption.

Rinse thoroughly with water. For the final rinse, add 1 teabag to a kettle of boiling water, then dilute to lukewarm with cold water and rinse the hair with tea water to lock in color and shine.

 

Pictured above is a model with henna conditioner applied to hair.

Our model has applied henna hair conditioner to her hair, starting from the roots to the tips.

0 Comments