Hair Hennaing!

Hello everyone!  Below, you'll find the video I shot the last time I hennaed my hair.  I have so much information about henna and so many tips and tricks when using it, that I couldn't fit it all in the video, so scroll down to read more information and to find the links to where I buy my henna.  Also, I forgot to mention in the video that the easiest way to "pipe" the henna into your hair is to snip the corner off the plastic bag and use it like a frosting bag into the sections of your hair.  Ok, now go enjoy the video!  Thanks!

Facts about henna:

• True henna only comes in ONE color - RED!  Boxed henna hair dye can have any number of things added into it to make it "blonde henna" or "brown henna" or "black henna."  There ARE other natural things you can add or use in combination to make your hair a rainbow of natural colors (think blonde to red to black, and all the colors in between!).  I err on the side of caution, and mix my own with ingredients that I know!
• Although I use the word "dye" when talking about henna, it's really more like a stain.  It will not lighten your hair.  My hair is vibrant red because my natural color is a light ash blonde.  If you put henna on very dark hair, you will see red highlights in the sun, but might not notice much difference indoors.  It will make your hair shinier and healthier no matter what color your hair is, and it will give it a rich warm tone.  
• HENNA IS PERMANENT!  I cannot stress this enough.  You can NOT bleach it out.  You can NOT strip it out.  If you want to change your mind, you can go darker and dye over the red, but it will NOT come out of your hair.  Believe me, I tried once.  Do you understand? It is a PERMANENT decision.  To get it out, you grow it out.  Don't do it unless you're committed!  
• I order from the company that I do because they test their products for pesticide residue, lead residue and dye content.  I know that I mentioned that all henna is red, but some henna crops have a higher percentage of dye molecules because of different growing conditions (sun, water, etc.).  So, the higher the percentage, the more vibrant the red.
• To wash out the henna, I soak my head with water - usually with my head over the side of the tub, and just let the water loosen the mud.  You can use gobs of conditioner to loosen it even more.  Your hair will feel a little stripped, but it's just because the orange juice has dissolved the buildup on your hair, and it's actually CLEAN!!  After I've rinsed out most of the henna sift, I shampoo it twice, really scrubbing my scalp.  
• Any henna stain on your face or neck or ear skin will go away in a day or two.  However, henna stains on your hands will last a very long time!  WEAR GLOVES!!!!
• You can download the free eBook that tells you all about the history of henna and how to mix different colors, here: http://www.hennaforhair.com/freebooks/hennaforhair.pdf
• Order henna for your hair, here: http://www.mehandi.com/shop/index.html

I only endorse this company and their website because I love their product.  I am not paid by them, and I don't get any free product or price break.

Someone asked me to post a photo of me blonde before doing henna, so here you go!!

List of Resources

People keep asking me about all the information that I've been soaking up that led me to change my lifestyle and change the way I see food, medical care, and ultimately, the world.  I can't possibly tell you all that I've learned in these past few months, but I can give you the resources that have the information you need to change your life.  What you do with them is up to you.

DOCUMENTARIES - most can be streamed live on Netflix with a cheap subscription.

Food, Inc.

Food Matters

Ingredients

What's on Your Plate

Fed Up!

The Future of Food

The Gerson Miracle

The Beautiful Truth

Dying to Have Known

Simply Raw: Reversing Diabetes in 30 Days

Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead

BOOKS

Healing the Gerson Way by Charlotte Gerson

Doctor Yourself by Andrew Saul, Ph.D.

Ani's Raw Food Essentials by Ani Phyo (cookbook)

WEBSITES

www.gerson.org

Non-Toxic cleaning kit:  http://www.care2.com/greenliving/make-your-own-non-toxic-cleaning-kit.html

www.doctoryourself.com

www.rawfor30days.com

www.discountjuicers.com

Raw Down Under: http://www.youtube.com/user/RawDownUnder#p/u/3/kwE7UlSqWG4

http://www.rawradianthealth.com/blog/

http://www.beautifulonraw.com/

http://www.fatsickandnearlydead.com/

http://jointhereboot.com/

PEOPLE OF INTEREST

Max Gerson

Charlotte Gerson (Max's daughter)

Andrew Saul

David Wolfe

Dr. Gabriel Cousens

MY BIGGEST BIT OF ADVISE - KEEP SEARCHING - KEEP RESEARCHING - BE WILLING TO TRY IT!!  

Non-Toxic Bathing.

A great resource that I did not mention in the video is the website for the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Cosmetic Database.  I look everything up on here.  It tells you how toxic or safe your cosmetic and bath and body products are.    http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/

All price quotes mentioned in the video were taken from www.iherb.com.  I have not placed an order with that website so I can't vouch for them, however the prices they list are very reasonable.  The products and stores that I mentioned did not pay me anything, nor do I benefit in any way from using them or talking about them.  I use what I want, and I tell you what I like!

*******UPDATE 11.06.11*******

I've made some changes to my routine since making this video, and I want to share them with you.  I tried, I REALLY did, to stick with the baking soda and apple cider vinegar routine, but ultimately, it revealed my split ends for what they were - totally damaged and frayed.  Ultimately, I had to get a haircut (slight trim) which I do not like to do!  So, since I refuse to keep cutting my hair, I stopped using the BS and ACV, and instead, switched to using the Dr. Bronner's body wash that I mixed (recipe in the video) as shampoo.  I lather twice.  

First with that mix, and second with the clarifying shampoo from www.healing-scents.com, which is made by hand, by a very small team in Illinois.  It's all natural, non-toxic, and a type of castile soap, I believe.  It leaves my hair squeaky clean but without the waxy feeling that the Dr. Bronner's tends to leave on its own.

I follow with a rinse of 2 Tbsp WHITE vinegar and 16oz of water.  I don't use the whole bottle, just whatever I need to saturate my hair.  The mix probably lasts three showers.  Also, I found that coating the ends of my hair with a little bit of almond oil when it's still dry right before I jump in the shower, helps it not dry out but doesn't leave it greasy, as long as I shampoo all the way to the ends.  

Additionally, I think I'm past the detox stage, FINALLY!!  The back of my head is no longer full of all that muck that my head/hair was ridding itself of!  Please read the following link for a lot of good information and great encouragement when switching to a natural no 'poo method.  I had almost given up until I read this - I stuck with it for another week, and I was glad I did!

http://healing-scents.com/hair_tips.html

I hope you give this routine a try!  You'll be glad you did!  You will not believe how SHINY your hair will be!!! Good luck!

October 7, 2011 - Pilot VLOG

The Gerson Institute

I am not being paid by anyone to endorse any product.

I tell you what I've tried, what works for me, what doesn't, and that's it!