Review of Ayur Rajasthani Henna Powder

I recently started reading about henna powder for coloring hair. I have been coloring and bleaching my hair for years and it felt like straw. I came across the henna page at Mehandi.com and started learning as much as I could about henna. There are many misconceptions about what true henna is and is not.

My mother always used commercial dyes to color her hair a brilliant auburn. She had told me never to use any henna products because it would burn the hair right off my head. She said that you could not use henna on hair that has been bleached or dyed, it would have to be cut off. Years later, I found out that this is not entirely true.

In the old days, stores like Walgreens and K-mart sold little tin bottles of something called "Egyptian Henna" and came in different colors. There was a picture of the Goddess Isis on the cover. Back then, these prepared henna mixes contained metallic salts and other chemicals that had an adverse reaction when applied to chemically treated hair. It would literally start bubbling like acid and burn the hair. This type of henna is called a "compound henna" because it actually contains very little henna and more chemicals.

Today we have learned to read labels and use only body art quality henna. Body art quality henna is true henna. It is what is used to create the beautiful mendhi tattoos that adorn the hands of Indian brides.

My first attempt at using a natural product to color my hair turned out pretty good. I tried Surya Brasil Henna Cream with good results and wrote a review of it. Surya Brasil makes organic products and their henna cream is a good product. The only downside to it is that because it is a cream it washes out. My hair felt good and was very soft but eventually the color washed out and I needed to recolor my hair. Therefore, this time I thought I would take the plunge and try using henna powder this time. I had read all about how to mix it and prepare it on the henna pages. I knew using powder would be very messy and a pain top wash out, but I wanted a natural looking color that would not come out in my bathwater every time I took a bath.

How to color hair with natural henna: I chose the Ayur Rajasthani Henna because I had read good reviews on the product. I always read the product reviews before purchasing a new product. When my henna arrived, I got busy gathering the supplies I needed to mix it up. I mixed 5 cups of lemon juice into 200g of henna powder. I added the liquid one cup at a time until the consistency of the henna was similar to stirred yogurt. Then I covered the bowl with plastic and pushed it down onto the top of the henna as you do when making pudding. It has to sit for 8-12 hours for maximum dye release and you do not want it to dry out.Some women will make up their henna mix before going to bed and let it sit overnight and in the morning, it is ready to use. I was too excited to let mine sit overnight so I waited the 8 hours. Be sure to let your henna sit in a warm place for good dye release, my kitchen was a little cold so my color did not get as dark. The henna is now ready to use.

If you have leftover henna, just freeze it for the next time or for a root touch up. It is not like hair dye, it does not lose its effectiveness after an hour.Here comes the messy fun part. Comb or brush all the tangles out of your hair. You will need a pair of plastic gloves, some saran wrap, a shower cap or a large bath towel. Apply the henna to the roots first starting at the back of the head. It is easier to work in sections because the henna needs to be on the scalp not just the hair. It will feel just like putting mud on your hair and in essence, that is exactly what you are doing. Put it on thick and make sure to saturate every inch of hair, you do not want any uneven spots.When finished applying the henna cover your whole head in plastic wrap and put a shower cap over the top if you have one, if not just use a big bath towel. The heat from your head will help the dye to work better. Leave this on for approximately 4 hours if you have medium to dark hair. If you have lighter hair, 2-3 hours may be enough. The easiest way I have found to wash the henna out is to do it in the bath tub. Fill the tub with warm water and submerge the hair in the water for a few minutes before starting to rinse it out. Keep the hair in the water and use both hands to work out the henna. Once it is all gone apply some conditioner and rinse out as usual. The bathwater will feel gritty so you can drain it out and finish up with a shower. The result should be a natural looking auburn to reddish-brown color depending on your natural hair color. I was very pleased with the product and I plan to use it again. I will never use commercial hair dye again. Henna is so good for your hair and it actually helps it to grow stronger.

Taken from my own experience.