You might know the Lawsonia Inermis plant by its surname: Henna. Talking about henna means having a conversation about cultures, years and years of knowledge and use, ceremonies, civilizations that no longer exist, beauty, hair, extremely hot temperatures, cultural appropriation and so much more. So, what’s henna and how does it work?
The Henna plant has several medicinal properties and has been used for over 5000 years to cool down the body, as a remedy against sunburn and itchy skin, to celebrate, dye, strengthen the hair and decorate - with archaeological findings from the Bronze Age and Ancient Egypt!
This amazing plant is native to the dry tropical and subtropical regions of northern and eastern Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and from southern Pakistan to India, as well as northern Australia.
This henna plant contains the LAWSONE, the principal red-orange active coloring agent. Actually, solid lawsone is yellow, but when powdered henna leaves are dispersed in water or other aqueous materials to form a paste, it becomes a deep reddish-brown.
In this blog we’re not going to cover the many uses of henna and its ancient history and profound culture, but it is a must to mention that the use of henna on hair was once banned by the Spanish Inquisition due to its association with the Muslim culture. In Islamic tradition, henna has held special spiritual and cultural significance for many, many years. As the UNESCO official website states, “Perceived as sacred by communities in Northern Africa and the Middle East, its leaves are harvested twice a year, left to dry, then ground and processed to create a paste. [...] Its use is frequently accompanied by oral expressions such as chants, songs, proverbs and poems, and is linked to centuries-old societal rules and traditions.”
Via colonial routes from the Ottoman Empire, henna was imported into Victorian England alongside other natural dyes and spices. Around 1800, European women started to use henna to dye their hair, following the steps of a very famous opera singer known for her long, healthy and auburn hair.
Let’s explore together the many benefits of henna powder on hair.
What henna is and does to your hair:
antifungal and antibacterical (good for dandruff!)
purifying and sebo-regulating
it softens the hair (the plant is rich in vitamin E, proteins and antioxidants)
it increases the shine and thickness of the hair
it gives your hair some amazing and unique colors and reflexes (especially with sunlight!)
When it comes to henna and hair, a common misconception about it is thinking that there’s a blonde henna, a brown henna, a cherry red or orange one, and so on. Those differences in colors depend on the blend made with Lawsonia powder and other plants: usually Cassia Obovata (also known as “natural henna”) and Indigofera Tinctoria (AKA “Indigo”), but not only. You might also find chamomile for lighter colors and walnut husk in brown mixes, but it will be the Lawsone contained in the Lawsonia to Lawsone binds permanently to keratin. Depending on the land where the Lawsonia Inermis tree grows, you might also see differences in the colors. It took me some years to understand which one I liked more, after trying so many henna powders all around the world!
HOW TO USE ON HAIR
When mixed with water, the powder produces a paste that must be applied on clean hair, free from any product. It’s better to avoid using metal utensils as unethical or commercial "henna" products containing metallic salts can react badly with metals. However, pure 100% natural henna does not react negatively with high-quality stainless steel.
Warm up some water (pure water, chamomile infusion, black tea… just be aware of the fact that some substances may alter the final color or reduce the efficacy of the dye depending on their alkaline or basic conditions) and slowly add it to the bowl containing the henna powder, which you can filter with a strainer to have a fine, clean result as you will remove tiny plant fibers and clumps. That may vary from brand to brand, as some are more careful than others. It might sound like baking a cake, but you can add a pinch of salt to enhance the color and some sugar to help the consistency of the paste as well as to hydrate and soften the hair during the application. Sugar can also work as a gentle scrub.
Be ready to mess up your surroundings and use material that can be stained: old towels, old bowls (remember, avoid metal!). Feel free to apply some cream around your hairline and ears if you’re not used to henna. You’ll see, the more you make henna and the better it becomes - until it’s a cuddle, a relaxing and grounding moment (fun too!). So it can be, but not in the messy first attempts. Some people wear gloves or use a tint brush so their hands won’t turn red - again, it’s a matter of preferences and practice. You might one day be fast enough that your hands and surroundings will be as clean as they were before the henna application, but if you don’t want to risk having orange nails for days, wear them.
The hair: clean (no products) and free of tangles. Avoid using oils and butter products before and immediately after applying henna as they can impede the uptake of the lawsone dye molecules from the henna into the hair cuticle.
Once the henna paste is thick enough - not too liquid (it’ll be a nightmare if so!) but not too dense either, the best part can start. Section your hair and proceed depending on your personal preference: you can either take one section, apply henna from the roots to the tips and then create a tiny spiral on your scalp, as if it was a snail shell, or you can bring the lock of hair in the centre of your head and create a wrap it up twisting the coated sections into a loose bun on top of your head. At the end, pile any extra paste over the top of the bun to secure it.
Once you’re done (not fully done yet) cover your head with a plastic shower cap or wrap your hair in plastic wrap to keep the paste warm and wet. You can add a towel on top of it. Leave the treatment on for 2 to 6 hours (some people might have neck pain and leave it on for 40mins, others sleep with the henna paste on and leave it there for 10 hours. You’ll find your way of doing it!), depending on how deep you want the color to develop - or if you just want the properties and avoid too much coloring.
Wash the henna out thoroughly with plain water until it runs clear and avoid harsh shampoos and chemicals, as the final color takes up to two days to fully oxidize and darken.
Would you like to leave behind chemical dyes and try henna instead? We’ve a range of henna and we’d be happy to guide you through your first henna dye.