The Cassia Thread (see first post for link to FAQs)

[Moonstruck]

Melrose - fragrance oils, even if they smell pretty, are just that...scents. Either fragrance oils or essential oils can lead to skin irritation (ESPECIALLY EOs, actually, because they're so super concentrated whereas a lot of fragrance oils are diluted), but certain components of EOs have good qualities for hair/scalp, which is why they're used. I mean, you could spritz some perfume on your hair for the same effect as a fragrance oil, basically.

Just wanted to chime in - I've now done 2 cassia treatments. I ordered the senna leaf powder and fenugreek from Mountain Rose Herbs (I hadn't seen any reviews on this brand yet, so I figured I'd chime in my 2 cents).
10 parts Senna
1 part Fenugreek
Rosemary tea until it looked about right - think gloppy mud.
More specifically, I did around 300mL of Senna and 30 of fenugreek (sorta like 10 and 1 tablespoons) with I think 2 cups tea, but I'm not sure. This lasted my BSL length hair 1.5 times.

First time I let it sit for around 4 hours, and then washed out. 2nd time, 2 hours, then washed out. Both times I didn't even need conditioner to wash it out...it was pretty simple. Asides from the swamp monster look, but that's for another post.

I can't seem to find my pictures right now! I'll post them later. =) My hair felt stronger and definitely appeared to be less split-endy. It's hard to tell when the cassia wore off, but after 3 months of dorm life, the effects are definitely gone, hence the 2nd treatment. More later.

[HildeMV]

I'm thinking about it, but I'm super scared of the yellow. I have cool toned skin, eyes and hair.

[Henna Sooq]

really? It kind of looks from your avatar that your hair is a bit dark. It's hard to tell. You could always get yourself samples and then try to be sure

[HildeMV]

My hair is dark blonde to light brown. Kind of hard to get a color accurate pic. This is perhaps more like it.

[Henna Sooq]

yes it's a much better picture

I can see what you mean. I think it'd make it look nice, add shine but not so much yellowing really because your hair is not extremely light, just in the middle and still brown enough. Plus cassia is not as long lasting as henna. The color if any comes through won't last. But if you are doing it regularly..you'd really have to strand test it to be certain or maybe someone with your hair color can chime in. My daughter's hair is like dirty blond-brownish (it;s getting darker over time as she gets older) but the yellow didnt come through a lot, just made it a little bit golden and then it faded away. Like golden in a "my hair is shiny" type of way.

DOn't let the cassia sit out for long either, so not much yellow dye is released. and don't leave it on for too long. Like 30 mins or so.

[HildeMV]

Thank you. Yes, it would be interesting to hear from someone with a similar hair color. I think I just read on the first page that cassia was permanent. Does cassia go rancid? I saw another recent thread about a vendor that sells it by the kilo for cheap.

[Henna Sooq]

it shouldn't go rancid as long as you store it away from damp areas, and keep it in a cool, dark place. like the fridge or freezer.

[Moonstruck]

Cassia, like most other plant products, will last for quite some time even if you keep it in a dry, cool place. I keep mine in my closet, hahaha.

Just wanted to report that ever since my last cassia treatment (a few weeks ago), I haven't seen a single sight of a split end. =D I loooooooooooooove it.

I never really get the "strong" feeling to my hair, I don't think. Or at least, it's not terribly noticeable on my hair. Might be because my hair's already coarse? Anyone else have this experience? I'm wondering if Asian hair is takes a little more of a beating without showing it.

[Centelleo]

I really want a natural shine treatment that lasts longer than an ACV rinse or light oiling. I planned on using Robert Craig's Clear glaze but it has SLS in the ingredients. After some research, cassia seems like the best natural alternative.

I apologize in advance if I somehow missed the answer in skimming and searching through 119 pages of this thread! I understand that cassia is safe to use on color-treated hair but my other question wasn't answered.

My natural color is a muddy black-brown and I've recently dyed it jet black (darkest black without blue or red tones). Will cassia change the color of black hair? I'm wary of adding any other color dimension to my hair, even if it's only reflected in the light (e.g. reddish or yellow/green tones).

[MandyBeth]

Hilde - my sister has a fairly similar hair color, if not a bit lighter and she's a cassia user on a monthly basis. She mixes it with a light colored tea (chamomille I think) and puts it on right away, then leaves it sit for as long as possible - 2-3 hours and washes it out. She's also very cool toned (light skin, blue eyes) and the cassia doesn't mess with her hair color except maybe make it more "special" vs her natural *her term, not mine* "pale mouse" color, more like the color when she was younger.