Henna: general overview and instructions for use

Henna, Lawsonia inermis, is a plant. It is a large bush, or a small tree, that grows in warm and dry climates. Since ancient Egypt, five thousand years ago, henna was regularly used to dye hair and may have been used in Jericho already eight thousand years ago. Henna was used to keep hair healthy and to color white hair. Henna leaves are harvested, dried, and powdered. When mixed with a slightly acidic liquid, henna will dye the skin, hair, and nails red-orange. Henna leaves contain a red-orange coloring molecule, lawsone, visible in the central vein of young leaves. Henna leaves contain one to four percent of lawsone, depending on climatic conditions and soil. Leaves with the lowest coloring content are harvested, roughly powdered, sifted, and sold to the hair dye industry. Henna with a higher coloring content, five percent of the harvest, is powdered, finely sifted, and used to create designs on the skin, as is done for celebrations in North Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia: this is "tattoo henna." Tattoo henna is also wonderful for hair because the fine powder and meticulous sifting make it easily washable and give hair a more intense color. Commercial henna hair packages are formulated to achieve different shades of color: "brown henna," "strawberry blonde henna," "black henna," and so on. The range of shades is obtained by adding synthetic pigments, metallic salts, and pigments derived from other plants. Sometimes these additives are used to disguise low-quality henna. Good quality henna does not contain these chemical additives. It is 100% pure henna, and the pigment comes only from the best henna plant harvest. Some manufacturers that boast a wide range of shades, claiming to use only 100% pure henna, perhaps from different countries, or roots, bark, or other parts of the plant, are actually just saying nonsense. Henna contains only one type of pigment molecule, regardless of its country of origin. Its pigment, Lawsone, is found in high concentrations only in its leaves, so there are absolutely no henna plants that are "black," "red," or "neutral," and there are no parts of the plant that produce a "black" rather than "neutral" pigment. It is important to know and ask your retailer what is in the blends being sold. It is possible to achieve different shades from the classic red of Lawsonia by mixing it with other plants. For example, chamomile will tend to the color towards blonde, indigo towards black, walnut hull towards brown, and so on. It is therefore important that these blends are obtained only with a mix of plants and not chemical compounds. Terza Luna hennas are of high quality, the list of ingredients of each one is always available, and they are plant mixes. HOW TO APPLY HENNA? Since the red/orange coloring molecule binds to the keratin surrounding the core of the pigmented hair, the final color will be different for each hair type and each person, as henna color is translucent and harmonizes with one's own color. Hennaed hair looks like your natural hair! Only the application of quality tattoo henna is safe on dyed, bleached, highlighted, straightened, and permed hair. Mix the henna with lemon juice until you get a paste the consistency of mashed potatoes. Bottled lemon juice will work just as well as squeezing all those lemons. If the skin is sensitive to lemon and if you feel itching after using henna, use orange juice, grape juice, or a less acidic liquid than lemon juice. Vinegar and wine work but are very smelly. Do not use yogurt: it doesn't work as well as lemon juice in the long run, and it will give dandruff free rein. Slightly acidic herbal teas with a little lemon will work just as well. Do not mix henna with coffee: it will not change the color, it will be smelly, and it will give you a headache. A pinch of (coffee) powder may intensify the color but may also irritate the skin. Do not add "terps" to the henna paste as when preparing it for body decoration. Much more henna will be used on the hair than could ever be used for body decoration, and a larger amount of terp will cause headaches and may cause nausea. Do not mix henna with boiling water. The color of henna mixed with boiling water will turn to a brass/orange color. The color of henna mixed with lemon juice will gradually darken, turning into a rich, natural, intense red color. An acidic release will give the best results. If you are in a hurry, you can place the paste in a warm, but not hot place, and the henna will be ready in two hours at a temperature of 35°. When you are ready to use the henna paste, mix it with a little more lemon juice or flavored tea to make the paste thick, about the consistency of yogurt. How to apply henna to your hair? You can safely apply body-quality henna to dyed, bleached, and chemically treated hair and then later do chemical dyes, bleaching, and treatments on hair treated with superior quality henna. Remember: • do not be stingy