Simple Henna Ayurvedic Natural Hair Treatment

It's Natural Hair Wash Day using a mix of Henna and Ayurvedic Powders

I started the day with a clean, happy head of hair after completing a relatively simple but still messy henna ayurvedic treatment which I switched up a bit from my regular regime.
There is nothing more energising than having your crowning glory shining and glossy for the week ahead. It just makes my day and I hope it helps with yours!

What did I do today?

From my library of Ayuvedic powders I chose

• 1 tsp Henna
• 1 tsp Aritha
• 1 tsp Brahmi
• 1 tsp Amla
• 1/2 tsp Coconut oil

All of these powders contribute to the cleansing and conditioning of your hair in a very gentle but thorough manner which leaves your hair purring like a kitten after treatment.

My Expanding library of Ayurvedic Powders with prices you can see!

Aritha is known as the Soapnut powder and comes from the fruit of the Soapnut tree. The fruit of the tree contains a high level of saponins which acts as a foaming agent making it a natural cleanser. 

Henna is known as a wonderful conditioner for your hair. It helps to restore damaged hair and bring it back to health while maintaining the natural acid-alkaline balance of the scalp. I have very sensitive scalp and have enjoyed using henna over the past few months without any irritation or itchiness. Please note that henna can be drying for some hair types and so less is always best to start with until you understand what your hair is saying about the product. Henna also adds colour to your hair.

Brahmi powder combats a number of chronic hair problems helping to strengthen the hair roots and control hair thinning and loss. I always include this in my hair regime as I have thinning edges and patches of thin hair around my crown. 

Amla powder stimulates the roots and promotes hair growth as well, while reducing shedding and conditioning the hair. 

Coconut Oil: The benefits of this oil and the smell are equally awesome and wonderful. 
A guaranteed Bounty moment! Coconut has a low molecular weight and a structure that makes it one of the few oils that can penetrate the hair shaft and do good for your hair. That alone makes it a sought after product to be used in your hair care regime. You should find the best way to do this that suits your hair type. I just had it in front of me and decided to use it for this particular treatment. 

How are the powders used?

• Add the amount required to a small mixing bowl
• Add water and mix to the consistency of mashed potato or smooth enough to be able to apply to your whole head without drying out.
• Massage with care into your hair and scalp
• Put on a plastic bag, wrap in a towel of scarf and leave for an hour or two.
• Wash with warm water ensuring that all the bits are washed out completely. This may take a while! 

Another Method
Through research I found that the powders can be made into a tea and used as a hair wash. (This does not apply to henna) This would be convenient for a quick wash but would not allow you to leave it on for any length of time to absorb more of the benefits of the powders. The tea could be used for in-between treatments but should be refrigerated and used within 4 days.
I have yet to try this but can definitely see how it would fit in to a hair care regime saving you time while still maintaining the quality of your natural hair care regime
Let me know if you try this and how it worked for you.



After Treatment
My hair felt soft, clean and moisturised. There was very little shedding which led me to cut out my usual deep conditioning step with Organic Root Stimulator Hair Mayonnaise. 
If your hair feels a bit crunchy it may be worth your while to add in some extra conditioning with heat if required. 
It is important to respond to your hair needs as it responds to what you are doing. 

Next Step
Using the Liquid - Oil - Cream method, known as LOC:

• Aloe Vera Gel and water spritz to tee shirt dried hair
• Oiled with Avocado and Jojoba Oil Mix
• Creamed with Shea Butter focusing on the ends of my hair
• Braided my hair wrapped it up in a satin scarf. 

All Done!!
Voila! My hair is singing and my scalp feels great. The effort is well worth it for beautiful, healthy hair. 
This is a regime which I am using at present with great results. How do I know?
My hair is shedding less
My scalp itches less
My hair is growing in all the thin areas and there is length increase all over as well.

It is really worth giving these powders a try. There are several others which you can include, all available from the Indian shops and groceries at very little cost but maximum benefits.
Take the time to do some research in order to make sure the right powders are working well together. 
Aim to balance the mixtures with 1 part cleansing to 2 parts conditioning powders to provide the best results for you. 


Have you tried these powders and benefited from using them?

Ayurveda 2013

 Say hello to Ayurveda!
Pleased to meet you, I'm sure! Well I hope you will be encouraged to try this and introduce some of it into your hair care regimen 2013 as your time permits.
Be creative always and mix what your hair needs.
Over the past few months of being intentional about my hair growth, I slowly noticed that my hair hates commercial shampoos and conditioners. I was having huge itchiness and unhappy hair just hours after a wash day. As described in another post I began to use a coconutty oil shampoo which worked well but through research I came across Ayurvedic treatments which have been used for years in India. Sometimes we may be using great products but we always have to ensure that we are achieving our hair goals. Mine is growth, first and foremost!
We can see what beautiful and healthy hair Indian women have, so the proof is evident.
As always do your own research and I hope this guides you along the way.

What is Ayurveda?
Ayurveda is a from of alternative medicine that began in India over 5000 years ago. i found it as I was researching hair loss and thinning for which they have a wealth of information. According to this practice, the quality of our hair depends on our bone makeup as the hair is the last part of our body to receive nutrients along with our nails. If we have too much heat or fire in us through stress, a consistently poor diet, smoking or drinking we will possibly experience hair loss at some point. If our bones are not strong and need nutrients then there is little chance that our hair will get any to grow. All other things being well, of course! There are other causes of hair loss such as hormonal and genetic influences which should also be considered as part of your research which you should definitely do if you are on this post. The Ayurvedic practice uses herbs, powders, teas to support hair growth, strength and shine. All of which we are seeking to achieve.

What should we use?
Each of us is so uniquely individual that we must understand that what works for one may not work for another, so be ready for trial and error. Have fun!!
So here goes for what I have found so far

For cleansing: Shikaki, Aritha
For Conditioning: Amla, Brahmi
For strengthening: henna

In mixing the powders, you would benefit more from mixing 1 part cleanser to 2 parts conditioner so that your hair is not left feeling too dry from being over cleansed. You could choose one cleansing powder to one conditioning powder as a start and then swap at the next wash day. This will give you a better understanding of what your hair likes as you go along. Then you can begin to build up a hair regime that uses as many powders as your hair needs and your time allows.
Another great powder is Neem which helps relieve itchiness and dandruff and is also great for treating lice. It can be included in your powder mix for wash day.
Also recommended is Vatika Coconut Oil and Bhringraj Oil. Bhringraj means 'king of hair' and is recommended for hair growth and to reduce premature graying to be applied as a scalp massage twice a week; Vatika Coconut Oil is used as a pre poo overnight treatment the night before your wash day.
Where do you buy it?
Head down to your local Indian shop where in the UK, a box generally retails for around £1. I suggest you pick up a box of each to begin to build your hair regime. If you choose to continue with this you can easily stock up on supplies so you never run out without even breaking the bank. One box goes a long way! The prices of the oils vary. I have only purchased Virgin Coconut oil from Amazon but have just sourced some from my local health food store.

What are the benefits?
As mentioned above, these powders all contain herbs which reduce hair loss by stimulating the hair follicle hence allowing your hair to grow. They all work to clean and nourish the scalp natures way without stripping away your hair shaft. That are anti-fungal and anti- bacterial. Coconut oil is awesome as it contains lauric acid which is able to penetrate the hair shaft and do wonders to restore our hair to brilliance.

How do you use them?
When you have decided the combinations to use, of which there are millions, start with 1 or 2 tsps of the cleanser to double the amount of conditioner, add enough water to mix to the consistency of mashed potato.
Some mixstresses use herbal tea, like green tea, for their mix.
If using henna, then you could add honey for even more moisturising goodness. Confused?! I hope not, it's well worth learning.

An example without henna
Brew 3 green tea bags in a cup with hot water and leave to cool
Put 1 tsp Shikaki ( cleanser); 1 tsp of Brahmi and 1 tsp Aritha ( both conditioning) in a bowl
Add enough green tea to mix the paste using a wooden or plastic spoon
Apply the paste to your hair in sections to cover the whole head.
Wrap in plastic bag and leave for at least an hour or more, as your hair needs to be happy.

With henna
Add a 10g pack of henna to the mix ( more for long hair, of course)
When you have mixed to a paste, then add 1 tbsp PDF honey and mix thoroughly.
Apply to hair as above.

So I hope this encourages you to include some or all of these and even more into your hair regime.
The cost is great and not bank breaking while the benefits are huge.
You can control exactly what you feed your hair.
If you want a break from shampoos this is a great beneficial alternative.
So go on, give it a try and ask me whatever you need to know and I will try my best to answer, not because I'm an expert but because I love to share.
Be awesome!