Discovering the Art of Natural Hair Dying

  For hundreds of years, we have explored ways to change our self-image especially for women. From our hair to our nails to what we wear. 

  I began changing the color of my hair at a young age without realizing what frequent dying does to the strength of my hair. In the short-term, it looked beautiful but gradually it frayed the ends. Heat damage over time like sun exposure, straightening and curling iron took a large toll. My hair began to thin and I felt the need to wash my hair daily. I couldn't understand how to reverse the damages I had done and to achieve naturally healthy and voluminous hair.

  After working with Henna Art Canada, I became more conscientious of what Henna does for the body and began doing my research to share my knowledge. I then decided to experiment for my own knowledge as it had been over a year since I had artificially dyed my hair.

  I started out small so it I wouldn't be such a drastic change. My recipe included 3 Tablespoons of Organic Henna, 5 Tablespoons of Indigo, 1 cup of Plain Greek Yogurt, Egg Whites and 10 drops of Essential Oil. After combing through the hair, massaging the scalp, letting it sit for 4 hours. I slowly washed out the clay like paste.

  The first day, I noticed my hair and scalp to be overly greasy. To my knowledge now, this was due to the pours on my head to open which balanced out its natural oils. It would make sense as to how the grains of the henna made a great exfoliant. 

  As the days progressed, I took notice of how my ends felt. Of how the body of my hair became thicker like its structure completely changed. Although the dye was not prominent for the amount I used, it was a full protein treatment.

  Weeks have now gone by and the color has hardly faded. I have noticed new baby hairs growing from my scalp. This is something I did not know was possible. The natural shine to my hair really has shown me how healthy has become. 

For access to these products, click on the links below:

Natural Hair Care

High Quality Essential Oils

Henna Kraft Part 2

We discussed the importance of keeping up your henna practice.  With the various different methods of practicing, there is no reason why an individual cannot improve their skills.

One way of practicing is to apply henna directly on the skin.  Although your skin may stain with the design you are practicing, you can opt to use older henna cones or practice henna cones instead. 

Another way of practicing henna designs is by applying them on paper.  Today's post will show you some of our more intricate henna practice on kraft paper. These elements were drawn on recycled envelopes that would have normally been shredded. 

The theme for this practice session was peacocks.  Peacocks are majestic creatures, and are so beautiful when done in henna.  We incorporated floral elements as well to get the creative juices flowing. 

City Market -Henna

Mehndi at City Market
It was my first experience ever visiting the blocked off street in downtown Edmonton. As I drank my morning coffee, I admired the diverse vendors that scattered 104 street & 102 avenue. It was comforting to watch the young families who came for food and enjoyed the live musicians as their children danced around the center square.  Many who came to get fresh produce from local farms. The live acoustic artists performed covers by The Lumineers, Oasis, Radiohead and much more. 

I had the opportunity to converse with dog, ferret and parrot owners who brought them along for a stroll. It was an excellent day to do live henna with no cloud in the sky. Educating locals about the services and products makes what we do so enjoyable. If you have not checked it out, this is a small taste of what Edmontonian Culture is all about.

Make sure to pay us a visit! 

Henna Kraft

Practice makes perfect.  And continually practicing henna will help an individual achieve their henna goals. 

Today, we will share with you some henna done on kraft paper.  These are small motifs that have been applied to paper using older henna paste. 

Practicing on paper, or an acrylic template are the best ways to perfect a skill or technique without having the henna stain the skin.  You can also use practice cones on the skin (practice cones have low dye quality because they are older henna paste and will not stain the skin as well as a fresh henna cone would).

 These practice motifs are part of perfecting gulf henna skills.  Gulf henna designs are marked by unusual placements, juxtaposition, repetitive patterns, and the use of bold and fine lines. 

Have you been practicing your henna skills?  Share your skills with us on social media @HennaArtCanada