Henna Tutorial

• In a large bowl, add 4 cups of water and 2 teaspoons of cream of tartar. Measure the pH with a testing strip, until it reads about 5.5 pH. When it does, add 2 cups of henna powder, 1 cup of cassia powder, 1/2 cup of hibiscus powder. Stir until it's smooth and creamy, it should have the consistency of pancake batter.
• Wear plastic cap and wrap hair completely with plastic. Leave henna on overnight.
• Shampoo hair gently but vigirously to wash all of the paste out. Don't forget behind the ears, nape of neck, and hairline. Be generous with shampoo, conditioner, and water. Rinse until water runs clear.

Notes

• The dye release for henna depends on temperature. Boiling liquid will make the paste usable immediately. Hot paste tends to look brassy and fade less vibrantly over time. The slower, cooler dye release sequences have better long term results.
• In warm room or on a warm day, 80F or 26C, let paste sit for 8-12 hours. On a temperate, mild, or cool indoor setting, 65F or 18C, let paste sit for 12-24 hours.
• If in a hurry and don’t want henna to go brassy, put henna mix in the car, in the sun, with the windows rolled up, or some other place that’s 100F to 140F, 37 to 60C. Leave it for 2 hours then use.
• If you don't know when to use it, put paste in the fridge at 40F or 4 C. It'll be ready within two days and is usable within a week at most.
• Do not put henna paste in the oven or microwave; it heat the paste unevenly.
• Do not thicken with cornstarch, it will diminish the effectiveness of the stain. Add more henna powder instead.
• Always wear disposable gloves. Henna will stain skin and nails.
• When applying, wrap a towel you're okay with staining (or hair styling cape) around shoulders.
• Start with the indigo step the next day.

With Indigo

• In a medium bowl, add 1 teaspoon of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) powder and 2 cups of indigo powder. Stir for a bit until both powders are completely dispersed. Then, add 2 and 1/2 cups of distilled/filtered water. Mix until there are little to no lumps. Use immediately.
• Try to apply onto full length of hair, roots, and scalp in less than 20 minutes so that the staining pigment in the indigo will not bind to oxygen before it has a chance to stain the hair.
• Wrap hair in a plastic wrap and leave on for 2.5 hours.
• Shampoo and condition and rinse as much as with henna.

Ingredients

• Mehandi Sunrise Rarity Henna
• Mehandi Sunrise Sudina Indigo
• Mehandi Clarity Cassia
• Carboxymethyl Cellulose (CMC) Powder