After reading numerous accounts of stunning results or dramatically disappointing disasters, I was somewhat cautious in my approach to coloring my hair at home with Henna. The advice at the LUSH site gave me more information than the instructions on the bar/cake of Henna. This was a true learning process and here is what I did to obtain beautiful chestnut results with just a hint of red and golden highlights: If you have long hair, half a bar might be enough, if you have short or medium-length hair, you may only need to use a fourth of the henna bar and use less water and olive oil.
Recipe for Long Hair:
Henna bar
Avalon Organics Peppermint Shampoo or LUSH Rehab shampoo
LUSH American Cream Conditioner
Disposable Gloves
Glass Bowl
Large saucepan/pot to set bowl in like a double boiler
Wooden Spoon
Lots of Towels (some people use plastic bags on the floor)
Corner of a plastic bag or plastic wrap
Cleaner for Tub and Sink
1. Put a kettle of water on to boil. Find a box that has low edges and set it on the counter (like the ones you see with water bottles in them). Place the henna in the box because then it keeps pieces from falling off onto the counter.
Take a chef's knife and shave the henna bar in the same way you would chocolate. You can store half the bar in plastic bags or a plastic container. At this point you will notice a green color, which may have you a little concerned.
I assume the green color in this bar is the Irish Moss Powder. Hidden within the green color is Red Henna, Clove Oil, Cocoa Butter, Black Henna, Ground Coffee and Nettle Powder. (Some people apparently blend this henna with other colors.)
2. Place the amount you need in a large glass bowl (I'm using
1/2 a bar for this recipe)that will fit nicely over a saucepan with a little water in the base. You don't need to heat it yet, but that will be needed later. Take out a wooden spoon you never want to use for cooking ever again; it will turn a lovely shade of dark green/black. Apparently you should not use anything metal while preparing this product. The consistency reminded me of a thick pea soup.
3. Add 1 1/2 cups boiling water (for 1/2 a bar)to the henna shavings. Stir slowly and consistently, then leave this mixture to set for 20 minutes.
4. Reheat the mixture over the hot water in a saucepan and add 2 tablespoons olive oil and any essential oils you enjoy like rose or lavender to relax you.
5. Put towels down in the bathroom, you may need up to 4 or 5 towels during the process as well as 4 pairs of disposable gloves.
6. Take bowl off the heat and set it on a nice plate that is large enough to hold the bowl as you carefully carry it to the bathroom. Placing the mixture into a covered plastic or glass container before heading to the bathroom may be an option.
7. After setting this all down on the bathroom counter, find a white garbage bag and cut out the corner to form a large triangle. This works better than regular plastic wrap to cover your head while you wait for the color to process. This prevents any little bits of henna falling about as you walk around your house. You can actually tie it around like a scarf and look like you just walked out of the 70s.
8. Process your hair for as long as you wish. I only left this in for 45 minutes for a lovely chestnut color I loved. The color achieved even covered gray or at least left it looking more like highlights that was a lovely surprise. Some people leave this in for hours and hours, but if you don't have time, one hour might be enough.
9. Before rinsing, try adding in a conditioner like the LUSH American Cream which will help the product rinse out more cleanly. The rinsing process is somewhat time consuming. Give yourself 10 minutes to wash the somewhat grainy product from your mud goddess hairstyle. The product dries a little, but with the addition of the olive oil, it seemed to rinse out fairly easily. After rinsing until most of the product is down the drain, you can soap up your hair with something like a peppermint shampoo from Avalon Organics or use the Rehab shampoo by LUSH. The daiquiri ice colored soapy suds give hope that soon you will be done with this process. Then, you can add in some more American Cream or any conditioner you like and leave your hair up in a clean towel for five minutes while you clean the tub. A lime soy scrub cleanser by Bi-O-Kleen worked very well to remove the residue in the tub. Rinse hair again and you are ready to style your hair.
Overall, this appealed to my spa girl nature and the results I achieved supersede any shine promised by less-than-natural colors from the store. LUSH products are very impressive and if you have natural hair that has not been overly processed, the results might impress you.
One bar could be a very economical option, with four uses per bar for medium-length hair. I have fine brown hair and it seems like it now has more body and definitely has more shine. Silky soft shine, the kind spa girls dream about! I'm very happy with my results. I can't smell any henna in my hair and I think that is because I used a peppermint shampoo and the American Cream Conditioner. This gives your hair the most delicious scent and is even made with fresh strawberries. I will definitely use this product again and buy other shades as the seasons change.
~The Rebecca Review
Click Here to see more reviews about: Caca Brun Mama Hair Henna by LUSH
Product Description:
Coat your hair in this mixture of red and indigo hennas with an added coffee-infusion to give you gleaming brunette status. Held together with a cocoa butter base, Caca Brun will give you a deep conditioning for healthy, shiny brown hair that will last for weeks. It smells like a herbal spa from an exotic, far off land. Nettles add extra shine and give your scalp a good conditioning so your whole head will be pleased.Note: This product may melt and is NOT guaranteed to arrive solid during the summer months!
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