nappylove

Henna Review, Oil Rinsing & Other Randomness...

Since my last post, I've done another full henna application (same recipe) and a henna gloss.  I've also hennaed both my daughter's hair, Bri's locs got a gloss and Liv got a full application.  I added Cinnamon E.O. to their mix, trying to cut the grassy smell of the henna.  I'm not sure it made that much of a difference, actually.  They didn't complain about it. Bri's black locs have a slight reddish tint to it, but the color really took to Liv's lighter brown hair. She thought her hair was going to be Lucille Ball red though, she was a little disappointed.

The henna has definitely made my hair thicker.  I've been popping ponytail holders all week and my twists are nearly twice the size they were before.  My hair feels different though, it's not as silky as it was before. I'm going to do more moisturizing treatments and see if that helps, since I've read that henna might make hair hard.  Still detangling very easily though, that's always a plus. The texture loosened too, with the second and third application, but mostly in the curlier parts of my hair.  The smaller coils in the back and sides are the same texture, just thicker.

I also did an oil rinse for the first time after my co-wash this weekend.  I used jojoba oil before I used the cheapie Suave coconut.  I liked it, I could also see myself combing my hair after that.

I also tightened Bri's locs this weekend.  Ugh.  I hate it, hate it, hate it.  I remember it taking me all of twenty minutes to retwist Liv's locs and it just takes so much longer to latch-hook Bri's.  But I wanted them thin and she's very patient, so I section her hair into thirds and just take breaks after each section.  But I dread doing it.  I think thin locs are beautiful, but they are a lot of work.  More than I'm used to.

The sulfur mix is a hit.  I concentrate on the back of my head, where the hair is shorter and I've seen some growth. The majority of my hair is curly/coily, but the back and the sides have the more undefined/tighter curl pattern and the hair is so fragile, these are sections that suffers the most breakage.  I started with arm-pit length locs (in the back) and arm-pit length loose naps, but after 7 months, it's still the same length. I realize that puffs and ponytails are more than likely the main causes of the damage, so I'm going to try to avoid those styles for now.  I think the box braids helped too and I plan on putting in another set this weekend.

Henna, Henna, Henna...

I hennaed my hair for the first time yesterday.  I mixed it up Friday night, about 200 grams of FNWL’s henna, and added a few tablespoons of paprika, ground brahmi and powdered rosehips.  I used rooibos tea, lemon juice and a little ACV to mix it with and I added a little honey to it Saturday morning.  I may have added too much tea, I think my mix was looser than it should have been; it was the consistency of a thick pudding, but I've read it was supposed to be like cake frosting. 

Before I put the henna on, I washed my hair with Burt’s Bees Herbal shampoo, which I don’t normally use, but it gets my hair squeaky clean.  Then I sat on the edge of the bathtub and slathered this goop all over my head.  I got a few nice splotches on the tub and the shower walls, but they rinsed off with water.  I wrapped my head up in a shower cap and some saran wrap, then put on my imitation Turbie towel. 

I let it sit on my hair for 5 ½ hours, but…henna kinda stinks after a while.  It almost smells like fresh cut grass, a smell I normally don’t have an aversion to, but after 5 hours, I’d had enough.  And my boyfriend’s allergies started acting up, shame I didn’t put two and two together until after he left.

Jumped in the shower to rinse, then used half a bottle of Suave Coconut to condition.  My shower looked as if someone had been washing their dirt bike in the bathtub.  After my third co-wash, my hair still felt slightly gritty (I did NOT sift the henna), but when I dried it, it looked amazing.  I can definitely see the reddish tint, though it’d probably be more pronounced in the sun.  As it started to dry, I could tell that it was going to be stiff.  I applied a thick coating of TJ’s Refresh and Humectress.  I put Color Ensure on the back half, but started to wonder if I needed an acidifier after a henna treatment. In the end, my entire head felt the same, so I'm not sure it matters.

I left the condish on for about an hour, then rinsed that off in the kitchen sink.  I was able to get more of the grit out by using the hand-held sprayer.  Afterward, I blotted and let it air dry a little, then put on my Qhemet Detangler and Conditioner and then put straight castor oil on top of that.  It’s soft and spongy now.  The henna did loosen my curl a little, especially in the front, where there are bigger coils than in the back.  I can actually run my fingers through it, though I don’t know if it was the henna or the Qhemet that made it so manageable.  It feels stronger, the individual hair strands don’t feel so rough anymore.  Smooth all the way down and it detangled like a dream. 

From the Nappturality forums, I read about a henna sale and ordered more last night.  I’m interested in seeing how the BAQ henna is so I can compare it to FNWL's. Did I like it? Yes. I definitely recommend it, but it is a long and messy process.  Though my hair benefited from it, I think I’ll do a gloss next time, less time consuming.