Amla

So After reading several posts, I was afraid that I may have almost caused my hair to fallout because in my first ever henna treatment I used 100grams of Henna with 50grams of Amla and 1 cup of green tea. I guess thats why there was no hint of red-tone to my hair..huh? According to some of the post it was too much but I did not feel any burning sensation and I did not loose all my hair even though I left the mixture overnight. I decided to try my local Indian store to find indigo powder, when i asked the clerk for it he asked me why I needed it(in a friendly way). I told him it was for hair, he told me not to use it because it was going to make my hair blue. Feeling educated I told him I know thats why I am going to mix a little bit of it with Henna. But that didn't impress him he told me that I should use Amla, because thats what darkens hair. I read the box and that was what it said so I bought it and came home to do my research and the following was what I found from these sites.
http://www.hennacaravan.com/how/amla.html

It stated that "Natural, pure amla is a wonderful safe, chemical free natural hair dye and conditioner. Amla is an excellent hair volumizer and curl enhancer. Use it for natural, organic facial scrubs and skin toner."

What it does
Amla is an excellent hair volumizer and curl enhancer, and facial scrub and toner.
It will tone down the red and create a deeper, browner tone in henna or henna/indigo hair treatments.
Adds volume, enhances curl and texture to hair, Will not dye hair or skin, Is a facial scrub and Exfolitatant, tones skin, is a natgural astringent, Use as often as you like for healthy hair, scalp, skin
Non drying, is considered safe for those with chemical sensitivities, doctor should be consulted if you have any concerns

How to use it:
Amla powder may be added to henna and indigo paste to tone down or cool down the reddish color and create a richer, deeper brown color on hair.
As a dye:
Go Cool Brown. Take the red down by adding amla to henna or indigo/henna for a cooler toned down reddish brown and deep brown colors naturally! It will add shine and boost curl as well.

Mix henna or henna/indigo according to the directions.
Add amla to the paste once it’s ready to be used
Apply the amla spiked henna or henna/indigo paste to dry or damp hair in sections, completely coating al the hair down to the roots
Wrap your hair in a shower cap or plastic wrap and allow to soak in for 1-6 hours
Rinse and shampoo to remove any residue
Repeat: Monthly for healthy, thick and shiny brown-black locks

As a Facial Scrub:
Amla may also be used a facial scrub. The fruit seeds act as a natural aexfolient as they gently scrub the skin and astringent quality from the vitamin C and tannins will leave your skin fresh and vibrant. The seeds gently srub and exfoliate the skin while the vitaimin C nourishes.

Mix Mix Amla powder with hot water until it’s the consistency of yogurt, allow to soak for 10 minutes
Apply t o the skin and gently scrub to exfoliate skin cells
Rinse with fresh water for clean, fresh tight skin.
Storage

Store Amla paste in the freezer, Store Amla powder in a cool dark location

What else you need to know
Disclaimer
*We recommend you perform a strand test before using any of these recipes or products on your hair to be sure you like the color and result.
Test the product on a small section of your hair or on hair harvested from your hair brush.

When using natural products please keep in mind that every product will react and color your hair uniquely. The result will be different and unique on everyone depending on hair type and condition. There are many ingredients and recipes to try, have fun experimenting!

What it looks like
Amla powder is a sandy brown colored gritty powder from the ground fruit of the tree and smells a bit like tea or a light woodsy scent.

History and Use
Amla has been used for centuries as a beauty and health regimen, in textiles and leather tanning, and in ayurvedic medicine. It has been used to treat dysentery, and aid the healing of snake bits and scorpion stings. The fruits are made into pickles and preserves.

There are so many other sites that say otherwise and some in between. So I guess I am asking what is the real deal.

It also has information on Indigo which is helpful.

WOW, this is great information, just what I was looking for. Thanks for taking the time to share.

I think you are asking, "Why didn't my henna application produce a red tint?"

Answer: Because of the alma.

Alma and Indigo are *both* mixed with henna to produce a darker result. People mix one (or the other, usually not both) in order to "mute" the red effect. Some people do not want the red tint so if you add one of these you will probably not get a red tint.

Indigo is actually a dark blue color "in real life". But when added to henna it pushes the red/orange color into a darker hue.

If you want a reddish tint STOP using alma and don't add indigo either. Instead find another recipe and w/ repeated applications a tint should be visible in the sunlight (unless your original hair color is jet black). I hope I understood your question!

Thanks for the info! I just bought Amla today from the indian grocery....Im going to mix the henna tonight for my sister and myself....wish me luck!

I love Amla, and i mix it with my henna, but it doesnt darken my hair... Maybe I didn't use enough.. I will try that next time. I do use Amla on my face and my skin is really soft..

Hear all are things is really fantastic which can you shear which about it. I really like Amla It is really best fore eyes, hair, skin, and health. I do use Amla on my hair and my hair is very silky and shining. It is very effective for all things.