Hey Maicurlies,
DIY Henna Gloss
This is a long overdue post. A couple of months ago I shared a DIY Henna Gloss Bar recipe on both my Blog and in a YouTube Video demonstrating the “how to” part without melting down the bars, so this is what I want to share today!
The process of how to melt down the bars is open to your preference but I just wanted to share how I melt mine down. But please remember this is not the only method that can be used. I use conditioner because it makes rinsing out the henna so much easier, my hair tends not to feel overly dry and it also helps to keep the henna paste really thick which is what I prefer. (I can not stand it if henna runs down my neck or forehead!)
Products/Tools:
- Heat Proof Bowl
- Spatula (do not use metal while mixing)
- Henna Bars (I used 3 bars – 5.3 oz)
- Moisturizing Conditioner (5.3 oz)
- Gloves
- Clingfilm/shower cap/plastic bag & scarf
- (I use an old piece of material to cover the area where I am working – you can use old newspapers etc)
Process:
I first gently melt down the henna gloss bars in a double broiler for no more than 7 minutes on low heat. The low heat allows the bars to melt down without loosing their conditioning properties.
After it has melted I add the conditioner one step at a time and mix everything really well.
You can use tea/coconut milk/cream, conditioner or whatever other “liquid” you like. If you do opt for a conditioner I recommend using a moisturizing conditioner over one with protein simply because henna (even as a gloss) can make the hair feel dry and the protein can heighten that.
DIY Henna Gloss with Conditioner
Application/Rinsing:
I apply the gloss on wet/damp cleansed and detangled hair starting from the back, making sure my hair is coated from root to tip. I cover my hair with a clingfilm, a shower cap, a plastic bag and then finally a scarf. The layers keeps my scalp & the henna gloss nice and warm…really warm! I leave the mix on for 30 minutes – 1 hour (but it can left on for longer/shorter depending on your hair needs) and then rinse. Once I am ready to rinse it out, I loosen the henna by doing a really long run through with plain water, followed by rinsing with conditioner until the water runs clear and the final step is a moisturizing Deep Conditioner (DC). ALWAYS DO A MOISTURIZING DC AFTERWARDS even if your hair feels wonderful since henna can make the hair feel brittle and dry.
Pros & Cons:
As with anything there are pros & Cons to using a henna even as a gloss. These are some of the ones I have noticed:
Benefits:
- Easier to rinse out (compared to full strength henna due to the extra slip from the conditioner and other additional ingredients used to make the henna bars e.g. butter, oil).
- Reduces frizz.
- Softens the hair
- Less drying than full strength henna due to the additional ingredients used to make the bars.
- Strengthens the hair.
- Less time consuming (left on for less time than a full strength henna).
Cons:
- Less red dye (lawsone) due to the additional ingredients used.
- Not as strengthening or conditioning as a full strength henna (due to the additional ingredients & limited application time).
- Still requires a moisturizing DC afterwards (even if your hair feels great you should ALWAYS do one!)
That is it!
I would love to hear what you think!
Maicurls
Maicurls 
I’m doing my first henna application this week. I’ve heard/read about the Henna gloss, maybe I should use this method as my initiation to henna…altho, to be honest I’m really looking forward to the colour (in the sunlight).
Your hair doesn’t seem to show any colour at all! Have you ever done a full henna application?
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Hi Josie, Yeah indoors you don’t see the reddish/brown tones in my hair but outside you can definitely tell, it is funny because my hair looks almost black indoors when in fact it is a dark brown (naturally) but lights can be deceiving. If you want to get a “feel” for henna then you could do a gloss, it makes the rinse out much easier and will not leave your hair feeling too bad (dry) but you will notice the dryness regardless. The colour deposit will not be as strong though so just keep that in mind. I actually do full henna applications and I like to add Amla and Hibiscus to my henna. I have a link to my old henna paste mix here: https://maicurls.wordpress.com/mai-hair-routines/diy-henna-amla-dc/ and a video here: https://youtu.be/7IEiS56_uMI.
I now add hibiscus to my mix so my henna mix has to be updated. I actually have a new video that needs editing where I make a paste and then stick it in the freezer. It is basically my updated full henna mix but I put some in the freezer for storage, to save time and the intensity of the red dye I get once the henna has been frozen is amazing. I will have a tutorial up soon 🙂 Wishing you all the best with your henna, would love to hear how it goes for you!
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Thanks for the tips, I checkout out the post and the video, the addition of the oils and conditioner are a great idea. Also mixing the Henna with Amla to balance the ‘curl loosening properties of Henna is great, as Amla also has great hair benefits of its own. What does the addition of the Hibiscus do?
Do you think that the addition of oils and conditioner reduces the potency of the Henna? Does it require the Henna to be left in your hair for a longer period of time for the result?
I see that you use green tea to activate your Henna, the one I have currently suggested acidic fruit juice, recommending pure lemon juice. Does the green tea provide sufficient acidity for optimal dye release? Also, you only left the Henna 4hrs for the dye release. What brand are you using?? The one I have instructed 8-24hrs! (2-3hrs in a warm area, or 1/2hr mixed with warm water, neither of which will result in strong colour). I see when you applied the Henna it was still green in colour did the colour change after sitting in your hair 3-4hrs? The one I have was left to ‘activate’ for 12hrs and turned into a dark olive/brown colour.
I’m sorry for so many questions. Please don’t feel pressured to respond to them all. I’m probably just excited about my first application.
Thanks for your time.
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I am happy to answer your questions, I know how excited I was the first time I used henna so I understand 😀 Apart from the colour deposit, Hibiscus stops excessive shedding, provides luster, adds shine, strengthens the hair and is also said to delay premature graying so in short it is AWESOME lol. Adding a lot of conditioner or oil coconut milk etc can sort of “dilute” but if you are just using a little it really shouldn’t impact it (2 tablespoons of conditioner and little oil I use doesn’t make a difference). Green tea is acidic enough to get dye release, for me lemon juice is just way too acidic and drying (I tried once….straw hair was not my friend lol but you can try the lemon juice and see if your hair is ok with it). Since I add Amla which is quite acidic as is, I definitely see dye release. I usually wait 4 hours whenever I do overnight henna’s simply because it sits in my hair overnight or at least a good few hours so even if dye release hasn’t hit its optimum time it will happen while in my hair. I happen to live in the Middle East at the moment so it is extremely extremely hot here, I am sure that impacts the dye release time too. I actually buy my henna locally from a local farmer, it isn’t a “brand” or sold internationally (sorry). Which brand did you get and from where? When dye release happens the top layer of the henna does become a much darker green than the rest a hint of brown on the top you probably can’t see it on camera because of the lighting but it does become darker and it also becomes darker once it has been sitting on my hair for hours. Hope this helps a little and please feel free to ask if you have other questions, I will try my best to answer btw have you look at http://hennaforhair.com/ ? They have such a wealth of information there, much more than I know lol so you might find some more info there. Have a great day 😀
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Sweet, make sure you make enough for both of us cause cannot get henna bars down here 😀 😀 😀 thanks for posting my dear!!!
Smiles!!!!!
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Lol ok hun. It is a shame you can’t get your hands on this locally. They need to open up more Indian stores there at least so you can get some henna to experiment with or make it cheaper to get things shipped your way. Not fair! 🙂
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Hahaha, I agree girl, or at least sell them in the Supermarket 😀 😀 😀 thats why I always say, if I ever go China, Africa or India gotta purchase first class tickets, comfort, nahhh, you get 3 bags of 70lbs each free, so that means 2 bags are coming back with everything possible for our hair, hahaahahah, you name it!!!!!!!!!!
Smiles!!!!!!
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