the cgw diaries - my thoughts on henna

I will not apologize for not wearing make-up...I WILL apologize for looking half-sleep, lol. But this is a pic of the curls after my weekend henna/amla treatment. I don't think that my bathroom pics are doing the coils justice, but they're fiercer than normal, lol.



It's funny how I thought that my posts on hair would be few and far-between, but I decided that I needed to do a quick update since I wanted to share my new experience.

So, this weekend I thought about my aunt's comment in my last post and considered buying some double-stuffed or.eos, but I ended up at my local Ind.ian grocer instead. I was on the hunt for some henna that I could cop locally instead of paying mad shipping charges from an online store. I bought 100g of Mumtaz Al-Aroosa henna for $1.99 and 100g of Amla powder for $2.99. I have already heard good things about Amla, but the main reason why I purchased it was to counteract my curls potentially loosening with the henna application. I have henna'd 4 times before and never noticed this phenomenon but I decided that I didn't want to take any chances and Amla would serve as my hair "cond.om"...I'm just not ready to sacrifice curls in the name of love.

I have VERY fine hair that pops if you so much as look at it cross-eyed. I like henna b/c I have experienced less shedding after using it the previous times. I wash my hair with conditioner pretty often - almost every-damn-day. My hair doesn't particularly care for this but I can get kinda anal about it looking "fresh" now that its short. I know that its considered normal to shed up to 100 strands of hair a day but I get nervous when I see 6. I want it all! But anyway, henna is especially good for me b/c its all natural and I'm allergic to PPD and have had to get a shot in my ass after using a drugstore dye. I've shared my last experience with black dye on here and yes, it was not a pretty sight on my scalp and neck. I kept all of my pretty hair though...

But anyway, "hooked on henna" works for me! Unfortunately, this Al-Aroosa didn't. Not b/c it was ineffective but b/c I was too chicken to use it. As soon as I got home, I did some research on it and have read that some people have had a bad experience with the brand...from tender/sore scalps to not being able to wash it out completely and shedding b/c of it. So I just chalked it up as a $1.99 loss. As sensitive as I am to products, I need not take that chance. I still had some Jamila brand henna from a sale that I caught on Ama.zon.

Tip: If you decide to use Jamila henna, then I would make sure that its the "Super Sift", date stamped one in the foil package. After having tried both the foil and the cellophane (which is what I have now), the "Super Sift" seems to be a bit stronger.

This Amla; however...yeah, I fools with this, yo! LOL! The box says, "Even as it controls hair loss, it stimulates hair roots, and promotes hair growth." You can supposedly use this joint on your skin but um...I'm not THAT bold. My skin is a whole 'nother subject and I can suffer a skin allergy just by THINKING of a new product to put on it. I haven't noticed anything bad on my scalp though so it may be a legitimate skincare product.

I mixed about 50g of henna, 50g of Amla, green tea and honey. I applied it and slept in it. Got up, washed it out, and deep conditioned it. Styled it with a little bit of my Hell.o Hydrati.on conditioner and applied my castor oil for shine. My hair is loving me right now. Henna and Amla will be a major part of my monthly haircare regimen. With them, I shall reach my big hair goal. I have big cheeks, so I need the big hair for camouflage, lol.

I'm gonna try to go a few days without washing it. I have a party to attend in DC on Friday night so I gotta make sure that the curls are poppin' then...as well as my attire, which I always wait until the last minute to figure out.

Still growing,

Curly Girl Wonder aka LB