I’ve been using henna (and indigo) in my natural haircare routine for about 12 years, and it has been instrumental in helping me grow long, healthy natural hair. My hair is naturally fine, kinky, and high porosity. Because of this, my hair is more susceptible to mechanical damage, dryness, and breakage. In the very beginning of my natural hair journey, I didn’t know these things about my hair. However, I followed the natural hair OG CurlyNikki’s blog faithfully! Nik had started using this powder on her hair called henna, and immediately fell in love with it. Her hardcore obsession gave way to her coining a title for the love of henna: Henna Head!

And after using henna just one time, I knew exactly why she was a fanatic. After my first henna (and indigo) treatment, my hair was immediately fortified. I could feel that my fine strands were much stronger, my curls clumped together more effortlessly, and the indigo allowed me to have the jet black hair I had always dreamed of.

I was officially addicted and began using henna hair mask treatments almost weekly (boy, I wish having that much time on my hands nowadays). I only did this because, at the time, Nikki was also doing this, and I trusted her opinions and experiences, and especially so because we had similar hair types, textures, density, and thickness. She spoke of how the more she used henna, the better the results were as henna coats the hair and how you will see the best results from a cumulative effect.

What is henna?

Henna is made from the lawsonia inermis plant, which grows in the hot warm climates (source) of Africa, Australia, and Asia. Once the plant has matured, it’s leaves can be dried and ground into a powder. The lawsonia inermis plant is used for various beauty applications such as tattoos, and hair dye in many different cultures across the globe.

What are the benefits of Henna as hair dye?

Henna is thought to help with strengthening the hair strand by penetrating and coating the hair strands. It is also a great option for those who are looking to permanently dye their hair using natural ingredients. In addition, it also:

-Is hypoallergenic and nontoxic (source)

-Contains antioxidant, antifungal, and antibacterial properties (source)

-Has been shown to heals wounds (source) which is particularly helpful if you are like me and sometimes finds wounds on your scalp from scratching too hard.

-Is thought to help increase/promote hair growth and reduce hair fall due to its antioxidative properties (which are thought to nourish the hair follicles).

What are the downsides to using Henna?

While I absolutely love henna, I must admit that it is not 100% perfect product or application process. I’ll probably never stop using henna, but you should know that:

-It can be messy, often requiring me to cover my home with towels or newspaper for fear of staining my things.

-The application process is LONG; as henna can take a few hours before the dye is released and then must be left on the hair for at least 4 hours (and then 4-5 more hours if you are dyeing your hair black with indigo like me)

-It can cause allergic reactions, if you are allergic or using henna products with additives (source)

-The henna stain is permanent color (though it is thought to fade a bit after 8-10 washes) which may be problematic if you do not like the results or want to change the color at a later date.

-Henna is often said to be drying . I honestly have never experienced severely dry hair (seriously strengthened, but I wouldn’t call it dry) after a henna treatment. I think it is because of the recipe that I use. People often mix henna with orange juice, apple cider vinegar, or something else acidic which I personally believe is contributing to this dryness.

-The hair coloring can be inconsistent as it is a natural product and it is hard to predict what the resulting dye color may be. The location and climate can help with color predictability (as well as what you mix it with!), but it’s not 100%.

Before you begin using Henna, I must mention!

While henna is a natural hair dye, it is important to do your own research before beginning to use it for hair or tattoo treatments. I’ll admit, me simply going with what CurlyNikki said and running out to buy henna was extremely risky. While it worked out in my favor, if I had not done my own research I could have experienced adverse consequences.

As someone who loves an “all-natural” DIY, I must say that:

All natural does not mean ALL SAFE!

Research, research, research ladies…

I only use henna that I know to be 100% lawsone inermis plant, and I DO NOT use colored henna. Sometimes you can find “colored” henna that proports to color the hair black, brown, red, etc. It is important to know that henna does not come as a darker color and only produces burnt orange to reddish burgundy tints naturally, depending on the location and the season that the plant was harvested. Anything else has additives (such as PPD which is been shown to be carcinogenic and cause serious skin reactions) and should be avoided all together or used at your own risk.

These days, I ONLY use henna from Hennasooq, whom I know provides BAQ (Body Art Quality) henna and other products which are 100% safe and natural (and finely ground to easy hair application and removal). In a clutch, I will use Juvia brand organic henna and ayurvedic powders from my local Indian grocer, but Hennasooq is the ONLY brand that I trust 100% and buy henna (and indigo) from 90% of the time. As for the other ayruvedic herbs that I often use (Amla, bhrami, neem, etc) I have used Juvia brand, but I mostly purchase from Hesh brand if buying locally, and of course I use Hennasooq’s.

so without further ado:

My Henna Hair Mask Recipe for Longer Stronger Hair

This post is not sponsored, but feel free to let Mrs. Khadija know that I am ready and willing whenever, wherever! Also, this post contains affiliate links of which I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. All of my opinions are my own.

100-200 grams of quality, 100% pure BAQ henna ( I like to use the Rajasthani henna because it produces the deepest red tones)

1-2 teaspoons of amla powder, known for promoting hair growth and strengthening and thickening hair strands due to it’s vitamin c content (source)

1-2 teaspoons of neem powder, known for strengthening the hair follicles, conditioning the hair, and treating dandruff (source)

1-2 teaspoons of brahmi powder, thought to thicken and nourish the hair (source)

1-2 cups (using 4-6 tea bag in 2 cups of water) of organic green tea, thought to support healthy hair growth due to its ECCG contents (source) or black tea thought to reduce hair shedding by blocking DHT hormones (source)

Ayurvedic Henna Hair Mask Instructions

1.Brew 1-2 cups of green or black tea and allow to cool until it is warm (not hot or boiling) Please note that black tea is shown to deepen hair color and may also deepen your hair dye color stain. You may also choose to do a cold brew overnight and warm the tea before use.

2.Mix 100-200 grams of BAQ henna with the amla, neem, and brahmi powders. The amount that you use will depend on the length of your hair. My hair is mid-back length and I stretch 100 grams of henna fairly well, but I should probably be using at least 150 grams, 200 grams truly.

3.Once your tea has cooled to a warm temperature, mix enough of the brew in with the powder mixture to create a yogurt like consistency (or the consistency that you would like)

4.At this point, you are advised to allow the henna dye to release for 4 hours. I am impatient, and will usually apply it immediately after mixing and will opt for allowing the dye to release and color/condition on my hair, so I leave it on my hair for 8+ hours. While I often leave the henna hair mask on for 8+ hours, I don’t really recommend this since their is a chance of damaging the hair through hygral fatigue so try at your own risk.

5.I apply the ayurvedic henna hair mask, working from the back of my head to the front, and then cover my hair with a shower cap/plastic bag/saran wrap and allow to ayruvedic henna mask to nourish my strands for the next 8+ hours (again, not necessarily recommended). To make this a bit less of a nuisance, I apply my henna mask at night to allow it to set while I sleep. Word of advice, be sure to apply the proper protection to my bedding so that you do not stain anything.

6.After at least 4 hours (if you allow the dye to release for 4 hours after mixing) or 8+ hours (if you did not) of the ayurvedic henna mask conditioning and coloring, I rinse the henna mask out in the shower, being sure to take my time to get it all out.

7.After I’ve rinse (most of) the henna hair mask out, I then co wash with a moisturizing, and cheap conditioner. A few of my favorites are the Trader Joes Tea Tree Tingle Conditioner, and any VO5 moisturizing conditioner.

(Note: I do not co wash if I am going to use indigo to dye my hair black as the coating from the conditioner can impact the coloring uptake and your hair may not be as black)

8.After I have rinsed all of the henna hair mask and conditioner, I then deep condition with a moisturizing deep conditioner to help soften my strands as henna leaves them very strengthened and fortified (much like a protein treatment) and moisture will eliminate/reduce any possible breakage

9.After rinsing the deep conditioner, I style as usual.

My hair post henna treatment ONLY, no indigo, no conditioner. Hair strengthened, curls clumped

Conclusion

Over the years, I’ve used henna as a mask and infused in a hair oil to achieve longer, stronger hair. I’ve gone from using just a simple henna recipe to a recipe with more ingredients to further help nourish my hair follicles and strands.

Here I am, 12 years later, and I am still a Henna Head! Henna has been instrumental in my hair journey and allowed me to achieve strength and length that I don’t think that I would have been able to otherwise.

Do you use henna for your hair journey? What has been your experience?