The henna/cassia thread

**CrisDee** · January 16th, 2010, 10:26 AM

Originally Posted by Elarea

This is henna/cassia 50/50 mix after two years.

OMG, your hair is just to DIE for!

**chloeishere** · January 18th, 2010, 03:43 PM

Yikes! Thank goodness I did a test run.

So, I decided to do 1/8 teaspoon dye-released henna with one tablespoon cassia (which I was estimating to be the right ratio, but actually, I think I should have done two tablespoons cassia, which would explain why...) my test strand turned out RED and dark compared to my control.

The one with the henna and cassia is on the left. I also didn't scrape off all the henna on the back of the spoon, which I think might have been a significant difference in the quantities used... d'oh!

My current plan is 4 teaspoons (about 1.3 tablespoons) dye-released henna goop to 2 cups cassia powder (mixed with chamomile tea to an appropriate consistency). I'm not sure if two cups is the right amount; I have a pound of cassia powder in a bag, but no scale here. I'm estimating there is a bit more than 4 cups of powder in the bag, and therefore that would be ~200 grams (out of 454 grams per pound).

Anyway, I guess I don't have anything important to say, just a friendly reminder to check your measurements, and always do a test strand! That would have been a disaster.

Anyway, after that test strand, I'm going to check all my measurements again, and run another test. The test strand is a pretty color (the picture is with flash, so not totally true to life), but it would not be good with my complexion.

**Belisarius** · January 19th, 2010, 04:34 AM

I have a question, if i mainly want to do henna for it's protective qualities, do i also need to let the henna sit for a while, or is that not necessary?

**CrisDee** · January 19th, 2010, 12:58 PM

Don't remember if I've mentioned it on this thread, but I first started using henna alone, and it gave me a darker result than I'd wanted. I'm now doing a henna/cassia mix, about 30/70, and the result is much closer to what I want.

My current hair color is pretty much exactly how it shows in my avatar. So cassia imparts a yellow tone to the hair, right? Ok, if I now do a whole head application of just dye-released cassia, would that make the whole head look a bit more coppery? Maybe softening the burgundy to more of a dark auburn? Cassia is supposed to be a great conditioner, right? So even if it did nothing, would I just at least get the conditioning benefits?

**Nocturnal** · January 20th, 2010, 02:58 PM

I think it would make your hair look a bit more coppery, but it washes out with time.

**chloeishere** · January 29th, 2010, 09:36 PM

CrisDee, I don't think that cassia would cause your henna to look lighter, but it might give it a bit of a golden hue. The reason cassia and henna mixed is lighter is because the dye in henna is diluted by the presence of cassia's dye.

I am doing my goop treatment tonight, after I did another test strand that just looked a touch darker, that is probably too small of a difference for anyone to tell! I forgot how much fun it is slapping all that mud in the hair. Cleaning up the bathroom sink took about half an hour, though. Not so much fun.
My mix:
2 cups packed senna alexandria (cassia) powder; let sit for about an hour and a half on a heating vent
2 cups chamomile tea; 2 cups hot water (I didn't brew enough tea)
1.5 tablespoons dye-released henna paste

I have it on under my heat cap (so soothing) and I'll be washing it out after an hour under the cap.

I can try to post a picture maybe, but my camera is dying (the flash no longer works), so it might take a long time to get an accurate color photo (since there is no sun this year).

**butterflycayton** · January 30th, 2010, 12:21 PM

I did a 50/50 cassia/henna yesterday on my roots. They blend in better with the straight henna on the rest of my hair. And it is alot closer to my natural color. I think I will be doing this mix for a few months.

**CrisDee** · January 31st, 2010, 06:29 AM

Originally Posted by butterflycayton

I did a 50/50 cassia/henna yesterday on my roots. They blend in better with the straight henna on the rest of my hair. And it is alot closer to my natural color. I think I will be doing this mix for a few months.

Your color is exactly the color I'd like to have, but can't seem to achieve - what is your natural color, if you don't mind my asking? I also just LOOOVE your Flexi8 - I'll bet if I'd known about those things last March, I never would have chopped my hair

I did a full head, overnight application of straight, dye-released cassia (12 hours), with a couple tablespoons of honey mixed in right before applying. Other than making my hair nice and soft, it didn't seem to do a thing. I'll have to see what it ends up looking like after I get some more growth - the last two inches of growth, short as my hair is, had multiple whole-head hennas, which is probably where the burgundy comes from. Ugh. I knew the red would get darker, but I hadn't expected it to get purpley. Live and learn, I guess - better to do so with short hair

**chloeishere** · January 31st, 2010, 10:34 AM

I am delighted with my results! The color change is so subtle that even I can't really tell for sure, it's only if I catch myself by surprise in a mirror that I think... "Hmmm, what's going on with my hair?" It just added a little bit extra of a golden color, and made my hair look a bit richer.

I just took a few pictures, and the color difference is completely indiscernible, so I won't share. But my hair has that wonderful delightful silkyness, unbelievable shine, heavy thick feel, smooth, easy to detangle feeling that I remember from doing cassia treatments.

**chloeishere** · February 6th, 2010, 05:57 PM

I know I said that I wasn't going to post pictures, but I lied.

My hair feel so fantastic after doing this, that I actually spontaneously felt like taking hair pictures because my hair looked and felt so snazzy! It's been a long time since I felt that way, folks. I'm going to have to keep doing this, because hair that feels this good is worth having a couple of pounds of mud on your head for, once a month (assuming the effect wears off).

I can definitely see the henna glitter on my hair, your mileage may vary. Once before I did a henna gloss, and as I recall, someone was annoyed when I posted pictures of the difference because they couldn't see a difference. Well, I can see a difference. But subtle is the name of the game.

I actually think henna may not be such a disaster with my coloring after all! Still not planning on going for it, though. Maybe when I cut my hair off someday and it'll only take a year to grow out if I hate it.

If you have less than 25 posts, you won't be able to see one of the pictures, it's in an album because I don't post my face on public boards. Sorry! I included the other picture for you guys.

Like I said, subtle... but my hair is tangling much less, feels much stronger, is so silky, and the shine! I love it.