Happy New Year!

Best Wishes for 2014

from

Jyoti and Helen

@

LoveHennaHair

Helen's Hair September 2013

Started with 100g natural henna.
Added some water and lemon juice until it become a muddy mixture.
Left for 6 hours.
Applied to hair.
Left on hair for 3 hours.
Rinse and condition.
Result: Gorgeous Red Hair.


Before:

 

During:

 After:

Natural Henna does NOT contain any metallic salts

I was talking to an ex-hairdresser today and was so disappointed when she said she didn't like henna because she believes that "the metallic salts in henna cause your hair to break if you later use a chemical hair dye".  Spent ages trying to convince her that she must not have been using natural henna but some sort of mix.

100% natural henna is just crushed, dried leaves, nothing added.
100% natural henna does not contain any metallic salts.
100% natural henna does not break your hair if you use a chemical hair dye later (however chemical hair dyes may break your hair anyway, with or without the use of henna).
100% natural henna does not strip your hair but rather bonds with the composition of your hair.

Other positive effects of 100% natural henna can include:
* Boosts hair growth
* Treats dandruff
* Aids restful sleep
* Therapeutic and calming
* Detoxifying
* Soothes headaches, aches, and pains
* Cools scalp and skin & reduces temperature
* Fights infection

Fab reviews about LoveHennaHair

We LOVE the positive feedback from our LoveHennaHair users...
 Here is one of our most recent.

And others from the LoveHennaHair website...

"Amazing service, thank you."
May 2012


"Cannot fault them. Products are excellent, service is swift and efficient, communications as you would wish: informative and timely - they don't pester you with emails but keep in touch and respond promptly to queries. Thank you and hope you continue to flourish!"
Feb 2012 


"As always the delivery was prompt & the outward packaging was fine. However, when I opened my parcel the packet of indigo inside was burst & went everywhere. But after phoning lovehennahair I received a very sincere apology & my complete order sent out again. Great customer service & a prompt resolution to my complaint. Will definitely continue to order."
October 2012

Freshly mixed henna powder

Thought I would show you what my freshly mixed henna looks like.

50g henna + 4 tablespoons lemon juice + water =

Yes, I am going to put this gooey, muddy-looking substance on my hair! It feels like a cool, soothing mudmask.

I will now leave this mixture for about 8 hours and then apply to my hair for about two hours.
Will then post some new pics of my hair in a few days.

Helen
xx

(Henna powder available for sale from www.lovehennahair.co.uk)

Before and After ~ Ruth

One of our lovely customers very kindly forwarded us some photos of her hair after using Henna/Indigo.
I'm so pleased that she loves the results.

Before Henna/Indigo ~ using a chemical dye...

 

After henna/indigo her hair has a natural shine (indoors and out) and has a beautiful reddish tone.

Thank you for sharing these with us, Ruth.

Remember, Henna and Indigo natural hair dye is available to purchase from our online shop at www.lovehennahair.co.uk

Helen
xx

Dyeing your hair with henna and indigo ~ detailed instructions

If you have never dyed your hair at home, the first time may seem messy and hard work but it does get easier with practice.

1) Cover everything in old towels or newspaper, and wear old clothes.

2) Decide on the proportion of henna and indigo. You can mix indigo into henna to get shades of reddish-brown to auburn to brownish black. Remember every person will be different and the results could vary depending on the pH content of your hair on the day of application.

However, here is a rough guide:

-Pure henna will be reddish orange

-Equal portions of henna and indigo will give you a light brown colour.

-One part of henna to two parts of indigo will be dark brown to blackish.

-For guaranteed jet black hair, this process has to be done in two steps, maybe over two days. First apply henna all over, leave for at least a couple of hours and rinse off. Then, within a day, repeat the process with indigo.

Caution: Pure indigo, applied without henna, will give a bluish tinge to grey hair and greenish hue to blonde/ash hair and will dry your hair out too.

Quantity: 100g of powder for every six inches of hair. Curly hair will need more. 200g is usually enough for shoulder length hair.

3) Mix in a bowl with warm water- about 300ml for every 100gms should give you the correct coating consistency but it can vary with the level of humidity in the air. First, mix henna with the water, cover and leave for at least 1 hour and up to 12 hours. If indigo is also being used, add it to the henna paste just before using. (This is because henna molecule takes a while to release colour but indigo, when mixed with water, remains active for only about an hour). Mix well to remove lumps. Add some more water if it feels dryish otherwise it will not coat the strands properly.

 4) Apply the mixture using plastic gloves, starting at the back.

For whole head, I use a brush to apply a blob to the roots in one section and then spread it to the ends before moving on to another section. Some people prefer to use their hands or foam. Cover your entire head, and wear a shower cap or wrap it in cling film. Make sure you wipe off any drips that run down, or you'll have streaks on your face and neck (can be scrubbed off!).

5) Keep the colour on for between 45 minutes to 4 hours. The longer the time, the darker the colour. Rinse the mixture off with water and then shampoo as normal. Hair will feel rough at first but silky smooth as it dries. The colour will deepen over 2-4 days. Reapply as often as you like for the desired effect.

Henna and Indigo available from www.lovehennahair.co.uk

Jyoti

Why clingwrap...?

We advise customers to wrap their hair/head in clingwrap after applying henna to their hair.  Why?

1) It keeps the dye from staining any towels/cloths that you are wrapping your head in.
2) It keeps the henna moist ~ which aids the dye absorbing.
3) We just want you to look funny and scare the neighbour who comes knocking :-D

Helen
xxx

Hair Mix Recipes

Hair Mix Recipes:
Please remember that these colours are an estimate.
These are natural dye products so an exact shade cannot be guaranteed.
Experimentation is the key.
Strand tests are highly recommended for both a colour check and allergy check (though allergies to these natural products are very rare)


If you use pure henna the following colours will take effect:
Blonde - Vivid Red
Dark Blonde - Vibrant Red
Red - Vibrant Red
Medium Brown - Auburn
Dark Brown - Dark Auburn
Black - Black with Red shimmer
Grey - Coppery Red


If you use 1/2 indigo and 1/2 henna, the following colours will take effect:
Blonde - Medium Brown
Dark Blonde - Medium Brown
Red - Medium Brown
Medium Brown - Medium Brown
Dark Brown - Warm Brown
Black - Warm Black
Grey - Dark Brown with Reddish Highlights


Mixing Amla with Henna will soften the red dye.

Before and After Henna: Vickie

My friend Vickie has tried henna and is loving the results.
Here's a pic of her hair before henna (with a few grey strands):



and here is her softer, NO Grey hair:



Vickie is loving the condition of her newly-treated hair. She says it feel and looks softer and seems to be in better condition than before henna treatment.

xxx

Latest hair colour pic

I used 100g of pure henna and left on for just under 2 hours.
The final effect...


This is about 4 hours after I finished rinsing the henna out. It will settle down over the next few days and become deeper and richer.

I still haven't had it cut since September and it is starting to look slightly tatty on the very ends. But definitely not as bad as you would expect for 8 months growth.

Latest hair colour ~ pure henna

Forgot to post this earlier...
I recently dyed my hair using only henna, no amla/cassia/indigo or anything else mixed in.
Here's how I did it...
I mixed up 100g of henna with some lemon juice and warm water on Friday night. On Saturday morning I put it all on my hair and then clingwrapped my head. I left it on for about 3 hours.
End result...



A stunning red effect that looks brighter in the sun but a richer, deeper shade in the shade.
xxx

What effect will henna have on brown hair?

Depends on the shade of your original hair colour really.
If you have light brown hair then you'll end up with a vibrant shade of reddish/orange. If your hair is darker then you could end up with reddish highlights.
Henna creates a reddish colour - what if you don't want too much of the red tones? In this case your best bet is to add indigo to your mix. Indigo, when mixed with henna, darkens your hair into a rich brown. Using more indigo creates a darker shade and more henna brings in the reddish tones. Any grey hairs will become red/orange unless you add Indigo.

Henna & Indigo can both be used as often as you like with no damage to your hair.

Henna & Indigo (sold at LoveHennaHair)are natural products with no added chemicals so an exact shade cannot be guaranteed.

Is henna safe for use during pregnancy?

According to regular users of henna as a hair dye henna is fine to use during pregnancy as there are no chemicals. They and their babies have had no side-effects from henna use.
As long as it is Real Henna and not a compound mix. Any henna that is sold as black henna or blonde henna is generally a mixture of some sort - sometimes with metallic compounds added.  It is the chemical Para-phenylenediamine found in some chemical hair dyes that everyone is now being advised to avoid - especially pregnant women.


At LoveHennaHair we only sell the pure plant products with no chemicals or metallic compounds mixed in. Indigo (again as long as it's pure indigo) is also fine - so if you were wanting darkish brown hair then pure 2/3 indigo mixed with 1/3 pure henna is probably your best bet.


However, there have been no chemical trials to indicate whether any form of hair dye - natural or chemical - has any effect on your unborn baby.  Personally if I were to dye my hair during pregnancy I would choose a natural rather than chemical method.

Does henna have metallic qualities?

No, pure henna powder is made from a plant which has no metallic qualities.

However some Henna dyes used in Europe and America in the late 19th century had metallic qualities as they added iron sulphate, copper sulphate and a whole host of other ingredients to create various colours.

"When diplomats and travelers went abroad, they often took a painter or
photographer with them to record the exotic world, which they did …
richly embellished with their own attitudes and fantasies.  The
opulent (though hardly accurate) depictions of Turkish harem life by
Ingres and others caught the imagination of Europeans in the 19th
century just as science fiction motion pictures catch the imagination
of people now, and created demand for products.
When European and American women went to purchase these Oriental wonders: they were sold boxes of “black henna”, “red henna” “blonde henna” and “neutral henna” (also called “white henna”).  These were “rastik”, henna, indigo, and cassia for their hair. The westerners had no idea what was in the boxes, nor was precise labeling required at that time.

The term “to henna” became synonymous with dying one’s hair, no matter what plant was used.  “Henna” was the universal term for hair dye at the beginning of 1900, and was the safest, most widely used, most reliable hair dye until the technology of
para-phenylenediamine dye was transferred from the textile and fur industry into the cosmetic industry in the late 1930’s." History of Henna - Catherine Cartwright-Jones

Simple Henna Recipe

Instructions:

100g of Henna/Indigo/Amla/Cassia powder for every six inches of hair - in whichever proportions you’ve decided.
Approximately 300ml water per 100g powder(many people add 1/2 lemon juice and 1/2 water which is reputed to help “fix” the dye)

1) Cover everything in newspaper
2) Decide on the proportions of henna and indigo - remember every person’s hair will react slightly differently.
3) Mix powder in a bowl with warm water to make a thickish paste. Leave for at least 4 hours.
4) Apply the mixture onto your hair using plastic gloves.
5) Wrap head in clingwrap. Keep it on for at least an hour and up to 8 hours. The longer it is left on, the darker the colour.
6) Rinse the mixture off with water and shampoo as normal. The colour will change over the following 4 days - deepening and becoming shinier.

Before and after

Thought I'd show you a before and after henna dye example.

Before




and After




Joyce's grey hair was dyed a lovely auburn colour by mixing 20g of indigo powder with 50g of henna powder and water to create a thick paste. We left the mixture on for 2 hours and rinsed thoroughly with water.

Bleaching with henna?

Not possible, I'm afraid.
Henna is a dye, a natural dye, and as such cannot lighten hair. I have read about people rinsing their hair with lemon juice which seems to lighten gently but there doesn't seem to be a non-chemical way to lighten hair.
Amla and Cassia are neutral hair dyes and will brighten hair, sometimes giving a lightening effect.
Using pure henna you can become a stunning redhead and by mixing henna and indigo you can deepen your hair to a stunning dark brown. Pure indigo will give a bluish tinge to your hair - so unless you fancy a blue rinse I wouldn't advise.

I have created a "social network" - an area that hopefully, along with Lovehennahair will give people the opportunity to discuss natural beauty products and make friends with like-minded people.