I put shit on my hair. You should too.

Shit may be an abrasive word, but when I opened the packaging for Lush’s hair henna, it was (honestly) called ‘caca marron’. Naturally, I was curious, so I looked up the meaning of ‘caca’. This is what I discovered:

 

‘Caca’ means poo in French…

 

Of course, I quickly became apprehensive about putting this on my hair… I mean, come on, it means poo, does that mean it contains poo? Nothing is too out there in this strange world we live in. If Kim Kardashian can splatter her face with blood in the name of beauty, then maybe some people DO put poo in their hair. Anyway, back to my research, I visited a Lush store, and the lovely assistant told me that it’s called ‘caca’ because it is just so organic and natural… It took her a while to convince me, but yes, I purchased a block because it is supposed to be really good for your hair, especially if it’s been damaged by heat and processing and chemicals and whatnot. ‘Caca Marron’ comes in a block that looks like this:

 

Yes, quite strange-looking if you ask me…

 

For those of you who have encountered Henna before, it is usually in a dry, powder-like consistency. But the Lush henna comes in a block because they’ve added cocoa butter, lemon juice, essential oils and whatnot so that it really conditions your hair. It helps strengthen the cuticle, and gloss it over with a beautiful wine/burgundy shimmer that looks absolutely lovely in the sunlight. Anyway, I figured that I should try it out because I was too chicken to put chemicals in my hair, and wanted a pretty tint in my hair before I started my first year at university.

QUICK DISCLAIMER: THIS IS THE WAY I DID IT, BUT LUSH PROBABLY ADVISE IT TO BE DONE DIFFERENTLY. Bare that in mind, I do not want to be responsible for various hair disasters. Firstly, they suggest I do a strand test, but lovelies, my hair is so dark that I wasn’t in any particular danger of emerging with flaming orange locks so I skipped this step. If you are blonde, then for the love of God, DO A FREAKING STRAND TEST. Also, if you suspect that you might be allergic to some of the ingredients, a strand test will be in your favour. 

 

Quick obligatory before picture. So yes, very thick, dar hair. Oh joy… and that’s my little sister wanting to be in the picture. Anyhoo.

 

Secondly, cut out however many blocks you need. Now, at Lush, no matter how long or short your hair is, they always tell you to use the entire block. Well, bollocks to them. It’s better that you make a little bit and then more if you need to, than be stuck with a bowl full of pungent sludge that you don’t actually need. Personally, I have quite long hair (ALMOST waist length) and I only used three blocks. Next, chop the blocks you cut into smaller pieces for ease, and melt them with water. The consistency should be like brownie batter (said that lady at Lush) but I prefer it a little bit thinner as it is easier to apply. You can melt this with water, but I did some research, and melting it down with coffee makes for a deeper, more vibrant colour. Your choice, though. Also, it does smell. Some people may like it, some won’t.

PUT DOWN NEWSPAPER. THIS SHIT GETS EVERYWHERE. And if you do spill some, wipe it away STRAIGHT AWAY, or it will stain. Smear Vaseline or Lush’s Ultrabalm on your hairline and ears and neck, or they may become orange… Now, I had my mother to help me with the next bit, but some people have attempted this on their own, and according to their YouTube videos, it looked extremely difficult and uncomfortable. What my mum did, was she started by sectioning my hair in five pieces. Top, middle, bottom, and both sides. Then, starting at the roots, she spread it on and worked her way down to the tips. It’s best to do this while it is still warm, because you don’t want it crumbling everywhere. When she was done, she wrapped my head in cling film.

This helps the colour become redder. Without it, you will get a browner look. The wrap also keeps the henna warm and allows it to condition you hair as the colour develops. For those of you new to the process, henna is extremely beneficial for hair loss, hair growth, dandruff, damaged hair and hair that lacks shine and lustre. It doesn’t destroy your hair, and you can use it as often as you like. Keep this on for a minimum of two hours, the longer you leave it on, the longer the colour will develop. Some people have claimed to leave it on overnight, kudos to them for patience, personally I got impatience after 2 and a half hours and washed it out.

Now, here is the bit that confused me. In all the videos I watched, the girls claimed that they were in the shower for forty-five minutes trying to get it all out… it took me, like, ten minutes. I used Herbal Essences ‘Moroccan my shine’ and it slipped right out. Seriously. You should use conditioner though, to stop it from sticking to your hair. Immediately, I could tell my hair was softer, smoother, healthier and shinier. I let it air dry, and this is the after colour. Of course, it isn’t as vivid as it is on other hair types because my hair was originally so dark and thick, but after a few applications, it should be more noticeable.

 

Ignore the hideous face-covering. I had a horrible spot on my nose.

 

The colour oxidises so you should notice it more the next day 🙂 Anyway, I would definitely recommend it to you lovelies because even if the colour is not as vivid as you would like it to be, it is extremely beneficial for your hair and provides such intensive conditioning treatment. If you do try it out after reading this, be sure to let me know, If you have any further questions, be sure to leave them down in the comments and I will try my best to answer them all!