Henna and Green Tea

So I just received my 1st pack of henna from BnB. I've read their instructions online but I'm a bit hesitant to use an acid iin the mix since my scalp is very dry. I feel that using an acid would cause a lot of irritation. I've been scanning the forums and I see that many girls use green tea instead and get the same results. My question is how much do you use? 1 cup of water and 1 tea bag?
What else can I use that is not acidic?

Note: I'm trying to keep my mix as simple as possible. This is my 1st henna and I would like to see what it can do on its own without adding anything else that would affect the outcome. I want to work my way up to that if neccessary.

Hi there,
you can always use less acidic mixes like OJ or even diluted lemon juice (i.e part lemon juice part water). Green tea actually isn't acidic it's more alkaline even though many people use it. I have known people to use strong coffee however it doesnt really affect dye release just makees your henna smell like a shot of bean, lol. If you're hennaing just for conditioning effects then you will need some sort of acid and if drying is an issue just use less. (lina40 even suggest using only 2 tbsp of lemon juice to your henna mix). Personally I always use lemon juice and never experience drying now do any of my other henna clients, which actually makes me wonder if it's some of the other things we add to our mixes that causes the drying.
So use a weak acid if you are worried about it ( i.e orange juice or diluted lemon juice or even adding citric acid directly in a very small amount) and if you're not trying to color your hair at all then you can forego it alltogether and try some of the other mixes or even a henna gloss.
*note- I initially began using and mixing henna for body art purposes and acids are what make the color deepest, helps the dye release and gives body art those beautiful deep rich tones that henna artist love. I have kept the same methodology with hennaing for hair because it has been most effective for me, most important thing to remember is to have fun and find what works best for you. Hope this isnt too much info :-)
Sharika

Thanks so much. you can never have too much information!

I reread my post and guess I was typing to fast, but what it should read is "if your hennaing just for coloring effects of henna" not 'conditioning' but I think you got the point. The acids help make the color.
Glad I could help,

I only mix my henna with coconut milk and I get superb colour release. My personal opinion is that it's not necessary to have an acid to get colour release. I've done both and could not see any difference in the result except with more dry hair when using an acid. From my observation across a number of boards where ladies with our hair type are hennaeing, there are quite a few that do not use any acids for example only using water, yoghurt or coconut milk.

Hi there,
just a side note coconut milk does contain acid (specifically lauric acid which is the same fatty acid found in breast milk) and has a ph of about 1.5 yogurt is also acidic(lactic acid and has a ph of about 4) with an even higher acid content than coconut milk which is why it also works to kill yeast and will cause dye release in your henna mix. And as afr as the water goes in many areas drinking water is overly acidic so if you're getting dye release from your tap water then perhaps you should also be keeping check on your ph levels!

I use a mixture of lemon juice and diluted green tea. I add a little plain yogurt after the dye develops. The yogurt is just to add weight and get more curl elongation. I get wonderful results! BnB rocks!

ButterQueen wrote:Hi there,
just a side note coconut milk does contain acid (specifically lauric acid which is the same fatty acid found in breast milk) and has a ph of about 1.5 yogurt is also acidic(lactic acid and has a ph of about 4) with an even higher acid content than coconut milk which is why it also works to kill yeast and will cause dye release in your henna mix. And as afr as the water goes in many areas drinking water is overly acidic so if you're getting dye release from your tap water then perhaps you should also be keeping check on your ph levels!

Good call about coconut milk! Overall, it has a pH factor of around 6, which makes it slightly acidic, although not as much as lemon or vinegar. Now I can feel comfortable around recommending it without worrying that someone with a different brand of henna will not get dye release.

I just looked up the average pH for water in our area and last year it was 8.0, which puts it more on the alkaline side than acid I think. I understand that henna itself is somewhat acidic so perhaps that helps with the dye release. The Indians in our area only use water.

I saw some threads in some other forums where the ladies reckoned they got better dye release with water than with lemon even when they had soft water. There certainly seems to be some debate on that point.

I mix with green tea. 4 bags of green tea, 100mg of Henna, Coconut milk and 2 drops of honey. I love the mix and its easy to get out.

so talking about acid and ph level, does anyone kknow any conditioner thats moisturizing and has good acid level to shut the hair cuticle to retain moisture? please help. i need a good acidic conditioner. maybe i should get a pH testing strip ad start testing conditioner before buying them. and also silicone or protein free. thanks ladies

@ButterQueen: yes i did understand lol and i took your advice and used part lemon juice and part water. i ended up adding more water to get the mixture to a good consistency. there was no irritation, minimal dryness (conditioner quickly fixed that) and i got the color i wanted (nothing too dramatic just a slight glow in the light) thanks for the help.

Now i have another question. I've been hearing about glazes made from henna. glazes are for shine right? what would you mix?

Hi BornAgainCurlz!
Henna Glazes or Glosses or for deep condition and to refresh your color between hennas (this is something great for leftover paste as well) and basically use your favorite conditioner, or plain yogurt, or even something as simple as a honey and olive oil mixture to the pre-made henna paste. Apply it and leave it on a long or as little as you wish. I'm sure some of the other ladies may have a more detailed recipe but the nice thing about general instructions is that there's so much room to experiment [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Have Fun!

i have a question has anyone of u use henna and amla mix before? also how red does the henna stain. what about henna/indigo mix, any one try that before? thanks ladies

Hello, I was wondering if you guys can help a first time henna user. I plan on using henna for the first time this month not so much for the color effects but for conditioning & strengthening my hair. I've a natural newbie who's rocking a TWA. My curl pattern is a 4a/4b. What suggestions, tips, etc can you ladies provide? All help is greatly appreciated!!

@adina- I would definitely mix the henna with coconut milk... it's been phenomenal for me! Also, Nikki just posted a blog about this...she mixed hers with conditioner. Just to be clear, no matter what you do- you will get the color effect even if it is not why you are hennaing.

@jamaicanmecurly, thanks so much!! I wouldn't mind the color @ all...is your combo 50/50? I'm going to read Nikki's post as well.

hi there,
just a little clarification henna doesnt always color hair, particularly if you use 'henna for hair' or if your hair is particularly dark. Even with body art quality henna the results will only really become noticeable after a few apps (well if your in natural light then it is more noticeable)
Doing henna glosses will 'refresh' your color between hennaing (like adding paste to conditioner) but doing a gloss on hair that has never been henna'd will not color the hair.
@Adina if you really only want to condition and not color go for Jamila Henna for Hair or do a cassia treatment. Cassia will give you the same effects of henna with absolutely no effects in terms of color (unless you have lots of gray, it does turn the gray blondish/yellowish)
Cassia is from the same plant family as henna which is why it works in the same way ;-)
Hope this info helps,
Sharika

@ButterQueen Thanks for the info!! I do have a little gray spot in the front. Since I have dark hair, I'm assuming there won't be a significant change in color. Evenutally I would like to use henna for color as well in lieu of dyes or rinses. Can you recommend a good henna that can be used for both conditioning and color?

Thank you guys very much for all the info your providing!! Its truly appreciated

@adina, I mix 100g of henna with coconut milk until the consistency is like cake batter/mashed potatoes. It's more important to have the right consistency so it's not running down your neck when you sit with the henna.

And @butterqueen is right, I think when a lot of say "color", it's more like leaving you with a red tint that is much more noticeable in the sun than indoors... but some women don't even want that. I've done 3 applications and I noticed the red tint after my first application though. A lot of women describe it as using a red crayon on black construction paper.

oh and I forgot to mention that part @adina. when it comes to gray, the henna will dye that part of your hair. The lighter the hair, the more the color shows up so it shows up with gray hair.

My first henna application, my gray hair was much more coppery than red. Now that I have done 3 applications, my gray hair is red.

as for where to buy henna, most women buy it from:

Butters N Bars or hennaforhair.com (mehindi shop)

Oh ok, that's fine with me. Thanks, can't wait to try my first henna . Is once a month good or does it vary based on hair type? I don't want to overload my hair with to much. Gosh I sooo sound like a newbie

i wanna henna too! adina, after you learn, teach me. thaaaaanks friend

Hi Adina,
you could henna your hair everyday if you wanted too, lol. t's not like coloring with chemical dyes where you have to wait for 7 days before re-coloring, since it is all natural and plant derived its perfectly safe for regular use. I think the most I have henna'd is about once a week and thats usually when I'm doing some mad scientists henna experiments with the color mixes [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] . LOL I do enjoy henna and if you do order from Butters-N-Bars and have any questions once you get there feel free to send me an email directly from the site.
Happy hennaing
Sharika [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Hi Sharika,

Thank you sooooooooooo much for all the info you have provided!! Its appreciated more than you know. I'll definitely harass...I mean reach out to you with any questions I may have!! [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Hear all things are really wonderful. henna and green tea both are very effective for health and hair. green tea is excellent fore health and blood presser. Henna Is so much effective for silky ans smooth hair.