Cassia & Henna Users. Which Has More Benefit?

[SHADOWSCODE46]

I have a question for those who have used both Cassia and Henna for conditioning benefits; which one has the better result?

This question came about yesterday when I was reading a blog I frequent. I have always heard that if you want the conditioning benefits of Henna, sans the colour, that Cassia would be the better choice. So that is what I use(d). I did my second ever Cassia treatment yesterday and it was lovely. It was very therapeutic (it was warm and it smells a lot like chamomile tea, so it relaxed me), and I got the expected results. Heavy hair that feels very sort and moisturized today.
The writer of the blog in question uses Henna very frequently and seems to get very good results with it; the integrity only improves for the better with each application. I know that Cassia is temporary compared to the permanet affects of Henna (could that have anything to do with the fact that henna bonds within the actual strand itself?). My question is, are Cassia and Henna really on the same level when it comes to hair benefits? Somehow I read that compared to Henna, Cassia offers a lot less than the dreaded dye. If thats the case I am willing to try Henna out.

So is there any one out there that has used both and prefers one over another?

Also, are both compatible with temporary colour? Meaning can a rinse/cellophane be safely used on regularly henna'ed/Cassia'ed hair?

Thanks in advance for your responses!

[akurah]

The effects of "henna" are no more permanent than the effects of cassia, imo, and what lingering benefits there are? Well, unless your hair is black or red to start with, frankly, it's not worth it. :twocents:

[Themyst]

Somehow I read that compared to Henna, Cassia offers a lot less than the dreaded dye.

That is my belief.

I did maybe four full cassia treatments on myself, each one made my hair silkier, perhaps stronger, but I didn't get the shine I expected. And it didn't last very long, either.

I'm a do-it-yourselfer. I have an old sea captains house that I renovated. I threw my hair up in a loose bun when I sanded the staircase with a belt sander. My hair was saturated with fine sawdust. When I washed it, I noticed how silky and thick my hair felt. It was remarkable. This is the same effect I get with cassia. And the next time or two that I washed it, just like cassia, the effects wore off.

I wanted more strength and shine. Afraid of orange hair, I started slow and dabbled with henna 'glosses'. I'd take maybe 50g of henna and add it to several cups of conditioner. I also added various mixtures of indigo, katam, and amla. My hair brightened up and my red highlights were more accentuated, but the color change was no big deal. Also, I questioned the actual benefits of what I was doing in such small amounts. The effects seemed as temporary as cassia (or sawdust!).

So a couple of weeks ago, I did a full-blown henna (using BAQ Yemeni henna). I am very pleased. I got incredible shine from it, there is a marked difference in thickness of each strand, and it feels so silky. It is literally blinding in the sun. And, after about four washes so far, it is still holding strong. Still shiny, thick, and silky. The only thing I could do without is all the color variations. It looks a different color in each kind of light - it goes from mahogany in the morning to auburn in the afternoon to brown/black at night.

[GlassEyes]

The effects of "henna" are no more permanent than the effects of cassia, imo, and what lingering benefits there are? Well, unless your hair is black or red to start with, frankly, it's not worth it. :twocents:

Well, considering henna leaves behind a particle that's permanently bonded to the keratin of the hair shaft, thus placing another water-permeable barrier there to protect it, I say it is.

That said, Cassia for me was awful. Henna is the opposite.

[Peregrine]

I found henna more beneficial. While the pure cassia applications did make my hair softer and thicker I didn't see much of a change in shine nor did it help me with tangles.

When I changed the mix to mostly henna I noticed the difference after the first application. My hair was noticeably shinier, silkier and much less tangle prone. I didn't notice much in the way of thickness but that could of been that I was used to cassia'd hair.
Of course I also got the color change but if you don't mind that then I'd definitely say use henna.

As for the temporary color, I believe you can use it over both henna and cassia but I don't know that first hand.

[long.again]

I agree with Themyst. I've used both and the thing that stands out with henna for me, that I have never found in another product or plant is the shine. I loved my hair with henna - it was beautiful, shinny, thick, soft and I always had to do it again because my roots were showing, not because the effect wore off. I've never gotten that same feeling with cassia - I do feel my hair is thicker and possibly stronger but the silkiness and the shine is just not there.

[Isilme]

I never used cassia on its own before henna. But I have done it after henna. And I love henna, but cassia is a pain. I find it very astrigent and muddy, hard to work with, henna is more stringy and more like pudding or a heavy mousse. Cassia did nothing for my hair other than dry it and make it tangly. But I'm playing with cassia in other mixes such as deep conditioning or henna.

[Nightshade]

Cassia is nice for my hair, henna was a godsend. It literally was the thing that held my damage hair together until I could grow it out :)

Now I use a very diluted henna into cassia mix for my color and I can tell that I don't get the same conditioning benefits as with 100% henna. Thankfully since my hair isn't damaged anymore I don't NEED that extra conditioning, but it's nice.

[kdaniels8811]

Henna is the thing that allows me to finally grow my hair despite years of damage. I love it and it is worth every bit of hassle. I have not tried cassia so cannot comment on it,

[Unofficial_Rose]

I found henna hugely conditioning especially on chemically-treated hair - transformed it so much that people actually remark on the shine. It also never goes frizzy anymore.

Cassia is OK, it works better on my son's virgin hair than on my processed hair though.

[SHADOWSCODE46]

Thanks for all the responses! It seems like Henna is a winner by a long shot.

Economically, Henna seems like a better investment. Cassia is pleasant for me, but the results are short lived. My hair is soft and fluffy but that is about it. I am looking for shine and strength, as well as better curl definition (less frizz).

I just recently did a 'big chop' to my hair earlier this month. I was growing out a texturizer and now my hair is natural, so I don't have to worry about repairing damage (it's already lopped off), but it seems that a lot curlies benefit from regular Henna applications so I was interested in making it a part of my routine.

So I'm going to take the plunge and embark on Henna. I am not worried about the colour because I guess it will be safe to use a black cellophane over it, or maybe indigo. My only concerns is preserving a rich blue/black colour to my hair, as well as protecting my blue sections in the front :-)

Does anyone have an recommended mixes for getting the full benefits of Henna? I know a lot of people add a lot of things to Henna and all of those recipes can get confusing.

[tabitie]

Thank you for everyone's comments. I noticed a MIRACULOUS conditioning effect with henna (rewound my peroxide / dye damage and then some!) on my 4" dyed roots.

That was only left on for 20 minutes with two eggs and some lotion, only 3 tsp of henna!

The cassia is much more expensive, but I'm looking forward to trying rhubarb root, which has the same active ingredient, I'm told.

It's amazing how much good quality henna you can get on ebay for practically nothing (same with rhubarb root.)

[SHADOWSCODE46]

Thank you for everyone's comments. I noticed a MIRACULOUS conditioning effect with henna (rewound my peroxide / dye damage and then some!) on my 4" dyed roots.

That was only left on for 20 minutes with two eggs and some lotion, only 3 tsp of henna!

The cassia is much more expensive, but I'm looking forward to trying rhubarb root, which has the same active ingredient, I'm told.

It's amazing how much good quality henna you can get on ebay for practically nothing (same with rhubarb root.)




You are so right about the eBay thing! I usually order my stuff from Mehendi.com as I was a little leery about the quality of stuff found of eBay. After some basic researching (searching through listings and reading thouroughly) I was able to score big time and save more then half of what I would have typically spent! I scored 2lbs (900+ grams) of pure Indigo powder for $10 and 1lb (450+ grams) of finely sifted BAQ Henna for $14! I will update with my Henna experience when I recieve and use it for the 1st time.

[Jeni]

Cassia is actually cheaper for me. I get a pound for $3.00.

[Debra83]

I order Lustrous Henna online (it's mixed I'm assuming) and I put some honey in it too, and I really noticed a difference after using it as well.

For slip and to fight some dryness - catnip is the way to go for sure.

[hennaphile]

Cassia is actually cheaper for me. I get a pound for $3.00.

oo, where do you find it that cheap?

I can't wait to try it; henna is like a hundred dollar salon visit for me. It's amazing.

[Jeni]

I order medicinal grade cassia from herbco.com http://www.herbco.com/c-185-senna.aspx.

IMO it works exactly the same as the cassia I use to use from H4H

[Heidi_234]

I order medicinal grade cassia from herbco.com http://www.herbco.com/c-185-senna.aspx.

IMO it works exactly the same as the cassia I use to use from H4H
Thank you so so much, what a great find! That's just plain amazing, I only hope they ship to here too. :pray:

[Jeni]

Your welcome!

Yea, I'm pretty happy I tried it (heard about it from someone on the cassia thread months ago), way cheaper then the cassia for hair. It is slightly less finally ground (not so very powdery) but its not like its big chunks either. I have never found a difference in rinsing, conditioning, or color between the medicinal and hair kind.

Not sure where you are but I think they ship internationally. Fair warning, the shipping isn't super cheap so I always order in bulk. The total still comes out cheaper though but you might want to order a few pounds at a time (they also have oils and some other cool stuff)

[Heidi_234]

Your welcome!

Yea, I'm pretty happy I tried it (heard about it from someone on the cassia thread months ago), way cheaper then the cassia for hair. It is slightly less finally ground (not so very powdery) but its not like its big chunks either. I have never found a difference in rinsing, conditioning, or color between the medicinal and hair kind.

Not sure where you are but I think they ship internationally. Fair warning, the shipping isn't super cheap so I always order in bulk. The total still comes out cheaper though but you might want to order a few pounds at a time (they also have oils and some other cool stuff)
Thanks for the recommendation, that's what I intend to do. Full length henna treatment required approx 100 gr henna for me, so I'll have to buy lots of cassia anyway. I sent them an email, I hope they do ship here. With H4H, the shipment fee doubles the price of the henna, so I doubt that it would come out more expensive if the cassia itself costs 3$ a pound.

[Suldrun]

Well now I am not sure what I want to do lol. I bought henna and cassia to try Nightshades copper mix mainly out of curiosity. My hair is just too dark though and I like straight henna better.

So now I have cassia left over. I was going to put it on the swap board but then I started reading the cassia thread and figured I could use cassia on the length after I henna the roots...or in between hennas. But seeing this thread I am not sure its worth it for me..I could just do a full head henna and get the shine and conditioning.

Decisions, decisions !

[Heidi_234]

Well now I am not sure what I want to do lol. I bought henna and cassia to try Nightshades copper mix mainly out of curiosity. My hair is just too dark though and I like straight henna better.

So now I have cassia left over. I was going to put it on the swap board but then I started reading the cassia thread and figured I could use cassia on the length after I henna the roots...or in between hennas. But seeing this thread I am not sure its worth it for me..I could just do a full head henna and get the shine and conditioning.

Decisions, decisions !
Keep the cassia! It's better than nothing. It's not like the conditioning you get from henna lasts forever. So you'd want to keep on conditioning your hair once a month or two, but you won't be able to do that with henna unless you don't mind getting dark for good.
I hennaed my hair for too long and got really dark with it, so now I'm about to dig a hole in my pocket to get that cassia for me. You could always swap it later, if you try it and feel doesn't really help your hair.

[GlennaGirl]

Wow. I must be very different from the norm because last night I tried my first "cassia only" and I can't BELIEVE how incredibly soft my hair feels. Maybe I'm an anomaly.

With henna or with henna/cassia, my hair feels icky for a few days, then calms down and feels stronger but not necessarily softer. Henna doesn't feel like it "conditions" my hair, exactly. I would say, YMMV. Try the cassia anyway...I don't think it can hurt color-wise, and if it doesn't give you the conditioning results you want, then you can just not use it again.

[Jeni]

Wow. I must be very different from the norm because last night I tried my first "cassia only" and I can't BELIEVE how incredibly soft my hair feels. Maybe I'm an anomaly.

With henna or with henna/cassia, my hair feels icky for a few days, then calms down and feels stronger but not necessarily softer. Henna doesn't feel like it "conditions" my hair, exactly. I would say, YMMV. Try the cassia anyway...I don't think it can hurt color-wise, and if it doesn't give you the conditioning results you want, then you can just not use it again.

Maybe your hair just doesn't like henna? It happens, same with cassia though no one can seem to find a rhyme or reason as to why it works for some and is a disaster for others.

[Suldrun]

Heidi_234 and GlennaGirl Thank you all for your input :) I have 3 bags of cassia left from H4H. I have never used it alone only in a mix.

I think that I will try one bag on my hair and then if I dont like it I can trade the other 2 bags.

Thanks again for your opinions. When I use it I will put an update here.

Heidi_234 I have debated over the henna saturation...I actually like the deep burgandy of multiple applications but I do get bored with it. I lifted the color with coconut oil and honey treatments but I don't really mind going back. I have thought of doing streaks of burgandy by only hennaing streaks multiple times but I kinda get lazy lol.

[Autumnberry]

Henna is fantastic at reducing frizz on fine hair. It gives the hair strands a little more weight. I'm totally thrilled with the conditioning effect and color of henna. As Themyst mentioned, the color changes in different lights are extreme, but I think that makes it more exciting!

Cassia was very disappointing, both in its conditioning effects and in the process. My hair was a tangled mess with mucho shedding, and the body it added made my bangs on one side stick out at an odd angle :lol:. While I don't mind the smell of henna, cassia mud made me sick to my stomach. The rinse stage made all my hennas seem easy.