Benefits of Henna

Henna is a medium sized medicinal plant with many branches. Henna's coloring properties are due to lawsone a burgundy organic compound that binds well with protein. Lawsone is primarily concentrated in the leaves, especially in the petioles of the leaf. The seeds and bark of this plant are used in both Ayurvedic medicine and in organic cosmetics. Henna has an anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, astringent, hypo-tensive, anti hemorrhagic, sedative and deodorizing property.

Henna is an organic dye used mainly to add color and enhance the beauty of hair, skin, nails, organic textile (silk and wool). Henna is used traditionally by Indians for ritual skin painting called mehndi during birth and marriage celebrations. Today it is used in western culture for tattoos and as an organic hair dye.

• Henna oil has been used in treating leprosy, skin disorders; helps treat baldness, arthritis and rheumatic pains. Henna helps regulate women’s menstrual cycle, reduce bruising, helps relieve insomnia, reliefs muscle pain and headaches.
• Henna tree bark has been beneficial for treating problems like enlarged spleen, liver, jaundice, dysentery.
• Henna also acts as an anti-fungal and a preservative for leather and cloth.
• Henna flowers have been used to create perfume since ancient times.
• Henna repels some insect pests and mildew. 
• One of the major benefits of the henna plant is to help nourish and condition the hair, often found in organic cosmetic products.

Recipe for Hair: Mix powdered henna into vinegar or lemon juice and warm water then apply to the part of body you want dyed e.g. Hand for about 45minute to an hour or longer then rinse and moisturize. For hand application add mud/clay to henna plus vinegar or lemon juice and warm water. For headache, boil henna leaf or bark, soak it in a towel and hold it against the point/are you feel the pain. Also you can apply henna oil.

NOTE: Henna dried powder or fresh ground leaves can be placed on the skin from a few hours to overnight. Henna stains can last a few days to a month depending on the quality of the paste, individual skin type, and how long the paste is allowed to stay on the skin. so to avoid stained hands wear a glove when applying henna to hair. Don't wear your favorite cloth when applying henna because it can stain.

And Because henna washes out gradually over a six-month period you can intensify the color by using ingredients like paprika, beet juice, or Red Zinger tea to rinse to bring out red; for brown, use ginger, nutmeg, or hot dark coffee instead of water. 

To enhance gold henna color, rinse your hair with chamomile, black tea or mix 1 tablespoon of lemon juice in 1 gallon of warm water and simmer 4 tablespoon of chopped rhubarb root in 3 cups of hot water for 15 minutes  or steep ½ cup yellow-blossomed flower or herb (also try calendula, mullein bloom and leaves, yellow broom, saffron, turmeric, or quassia chips in quart boiling water for ½ hour. Mix this rinse with equal amounts of lemon juice, add a little arrowroot, and stir over low heat until it forms a gel. Apply the gel to your hair and sit out in the early morning sun before 10a.m or after 5p.m for an hour. When the rinse is used repeatedly, the color will deepen in intensity each time. Once your hair is the shade you like, use the rinse periodically to keep color from fading.

Note: Never use henna on eyebrows, eyelashes, or facial hair.

My favorite is Godrej Nupur Mehendi Powder 9 Herbs Blend, 150-gram
 

Author:
Onyinye A is a freelance writer who specializes in nontoxic self improvement, green & Eco-friendly living, nontoxic lifestyle (preventing cancer, illness and toxicity) and everything related to organic living. Her work has been published by nontoxiclifestyle.org, Ezine.com, and other online and print publications.