We all know about the importance of auspicious henna or Mehendi in weddings and other traditional rituals. But the simple herb has been used in many other forms too for centuries. Apart from being a natural dye, henna can address several common issues that come in the way of your hair growth. If you are more likely to suffer from hair fall due to excessive body temperature, henna can work as a cooling agent and combat the abnormal heat quotient. It can also give you long, strong, and glossy hair by enhancing its overall health. All you need to embrace is a single, time-tested solution i.e. henna hair oil. You can prepare this remedy at home easily and give your hair a significant health boost. Keep reading to know about the DIY recipes and their benefits.
What is Henna?
Henna or Lawsonia inermis is a tiny shrub with fragrant flowers and small leaves. The flowers of the plant are used for preparing perfumes while its leaves are used as a natural dye. Henna leaves are dried and powdered well to dye skin, hair, and clothes temporarily. The plant has also been known for its great medicinal properties. The use of henna for treating ailments and painting the body is described in the Ebers Papyrus (Papyrus, 1912). A particular preparation of henna is necessary to trigger a chemical reaction, which will make the powdered henna leaves release its characteristic dye molecules called ‘lawsone’. This transformation of its herbal active constituents gives the true dying effect. (1)
What is Henna Hair Oil?
Henna hair oil is also known as ‘Mehendi oil’ or ‘tattoo oil’, is an oil extracted from henna leaves. It is considered the most sought-after herbal remedy for every scalp and hair-related problem. The use of this oil dates back to almost 6,000 years when it was widely used in and around the Middle East. But the miraculous benefits of the remedy have now been recognized across the globe. It is suitable for people of all genders, age groups, and hair types.
Read Also – How to Make Hair Oil at Home with Amla?
What are the Benefits of Henna Hair Oil?
Following are the most interesting benefits of henna hair oil, which will make you resort to it:
- Nourishes the scalp
- Restores the pH value of the scalp
- Gives silky smooth hair
- Cools down the scalp
- Stimulates healthy hair growth
- Alleviates the itchy scalp
- A good remedy for dandruff
- Repairs damaged hair
- Prevent premature graying of hair
- Add a unique glow to the hair locks
- Reduces hair fall
- Conditions the hair
Henna hair oil does not change your hair color, rather adds more vividness to the dark hair.
Also Read – Why Should You Use Arnica Oil for Hair? With Application and Side Effects
DIY Henna Hair Oil Recipes for Incredible Hair Growth
Preparing henna hair oil at home is a simple and easy task. All you need is a couple of basic hair care ingredients. However, there can be many variations to it based on the processes followed. We have discussed three of them below:
1. Basic Henna Hair Oil with Fresh Henna Leaves
Ingredients:
- Fresh henna leaves
- 500 ml. of coconut oil
Method:
- Grind fresh henna leaves into a smooth paste of thick consistency just like we used to prepare the henna paste before the advent of the Mehendi cones. Don’t use too much water for this. Adding only a few drops will do.
- Once the paste cools down, make several small gooseberry-sized balls out of it.
- Let the fresh henna paste balls dry for a while. Meanwhile, heat the coconut oil in a pan.
- Gently put the henna balls into the coconut oil and allow them to boil together.
- Remove the pan when the color of the oil changes into a dark brown to brown shade.
- Let the oil cool down and strain it. You can even let the boiled mixture sit overnight and strain it the next day.
- Store the strained oil in an airtight container. Your henna hair oil for hair growth is ready!
2. Henna Hair Oil with Dried Henna Paste Balls
If you cannot follow all the steps of henna hair oil making in one go, this is the method for you to try. Follow the first two steps as mentioned in the basic DIY recipe earlier and prepare small balls with the henna paste. But instead of boiling them immediately into the coconut oil, dry them under the sun. Ensure that the henna balls are fully dried before heading towards the next step. Now, soak the sun-dried henna balls into a jar of coconut oil and let the oil absorb the nutrients of henna completely. Finally, strain it and start using the oil after a week. Though it is a lengthy process, it can be helpful if you want to avoid heating and boiling.
3. Henna Hair Oil with Dry Henna Leaves
In this modified version of DIY henna hair oil, the fresh henna leaves are replaced with the dried ones. Dry the henna leaves well under the direct sun until they lose their moisture fully. Grind the dried henna leaves into a smooth powder and add it to the coconut oil directly. Make sure that you do not use too much henna leaf powder. Or else, the consistency of the oil will become too thick. You can even buy the henna powder available in the stores. The best thing about this easy to prepare henna hair oil is that you can start using it right away. However, this is the best used before shampooing the hair.
Instead of coconut oil, sesame oil or an equal mix of coconut oil, and castor oil can be used in these recipes. But if you have a cold body, add a few black peppercorns while heating the oil as both henna and sesame are cold ingredients.
How to Use Homemade Henna Hair Oil?
Homemade henna hair oil can be applied to the scalp and hair regularly. If you have the habit of oiling your hair daily, you can make this hair oil a base mix. Otherwise, apply it twice a week followed by a shampoo wash. For better results, massage the oil into your scalp and let it stay for at least 2 hours before shampooing.
Additional Ingredients to Include in Recipe
You can add more hair-friendly ingredients (fresh or dry) to your basic DIY henna hair oil recipe while heating the oil. Choosing the additional ingredients based on your requirements will give you promising results. Some of the most common ideas to consider for healthy and lustrous hair are:
- Fenugreek or Methi Seeds – A mixture of henna and fenugreek can treat issues like excessive hair fall and chronic hair loss. It also stimulates the growth of thick, healthy hair.
- Hibiscus Flower – Try adding hibiscus flower and fenugreek to your henna hair oil recipe for conditioning your locks and triggering their growth.
- Lemon Juice – Get rid of dandruff and itchy scalp, by adding a few drops of lemon juice to the henna hair oil.
- Curry Leaves – When mixed with henna hair oil, curry leaves can prevent grey hair and aids in lustrous hair growth.
- Neem Leaves – The antiseptic properties of neem leaves treats several scalp problems including dandruff successfully.
- Gingelly Oil – Incorporate gingelly oil in your henna hair oil recipe to improve blood circulation throughout your scalp and promote hair growth.
- Coffee – Adding some freshly brewed coffee concoction to henna hair oil can give a beautiful shade to your hair.
- Amla, Shikakai, and Bhringraj – If you are suffering from hair breakage, scalp dryness, premature greying, and similar other issues, use henna, amla, shikakai, tulsi, and bhringraj in your homemade hair oil.
Read Also – How Tamanu Oil can Benefit Our Hair and Skin?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can I Apply Oil Before Henna?
Oiling the hair before applying henna is not at all recommended. It will inhibit the dye uptake, thus preventing you from getting the best results. You can dampen it by spraying a little water or simply keep it dry so that it becomes easy for you to separate the hair into multiple sections for the application of henna.
Should I Apply Oil After Henna?
Applying a good herbal hair oil after the application of henna can give you silky and lustrous hair. However, if you use henna hair oil instead of henna paste, the moisturizing oil in it itself will nourish and condition your hair and there will be no need for oiling afterward.
Which Essential Oil is Best for Henna?
Adding a few drops of essential oils can darken the color of henna, thereby darkening the natural shade of your hair. The best ones with lower levels of effective terpenes include lavender essential oil, cardamom essential oil, geranium essential oil, cypress essential oil, and so on.
Does Henna Cause Hair Loss?
If you are using a henna paste, wash it out of your hair properly. Otherwise, the product will harden and get stuck to the skin of your scalp, resulting in hair loss or damage. The use of henna hair oil does not come with such a problem though.
How Many Hours Should Henna be Soaked?
When planning to apply henna paste to your hair, ensure that you soak the powder in a mixture of water, tea concoction, and yogurt for at least 5 to 6 hours. This will give you an intense yet vibrant color.
What are the Side Effects of Henna?
Henna is a safe hair care remedy that can improve the health and appearance of your hair beautifully. But if you are allergic to henna, you should be careful about the adverse effects like inflammation, itchiness, burning sensation, scaling, swelling, blisters, and scarring.
References:
- “Henna through the Centuries: A Quick HPTLC Analysis Proposal to Check Henna Identity“, ScienceDirect.com
