Henna also known as Mehendi in Hindi, Mardani in Tamil, Gorinta in Telugu is plant-based colour made from the leaves of Lawsonia inermis. Popular for temporary body art or tattooing during weddings and other occasions in India and middle-eastern countries, henna is also widely used in hair care.

These magical leaves passed on from generations not only impart natural colour to your hair but also nourish, strengthen and condition your mane from the roots.

Traditionally, these leaves were used by grinding and making it into a paste of it to colour hair. Nowadays different types of henna powders are available in the market that can be directly mixed with other herbal ingredients and used for desired purposes.

Henna cleans the hair follicles, gets rid of dirt, various types of dandruff and impurities. The active constituents in the henna powder stimulate the scalp and help in promoting hair growth. It also strengthens them from the roots, prevents breakage and loss of hair and bestows silky soft smooth hair.

This article brings you three such homemade ways to use henna for colouring, conditioning, treating dandruff or promoting hair growth. Also Read:  3 DIY Hair Masks To Keep Your Tresses Happy In Monsoon

Henna and Amla Hair Mask:

Ingredients:

3 tbsp Amla Powder

3 tbsp Henna Powder

2 tbsp Fenugreek Powder

1 Egg White

2 tbsp coconut oil

2-3 tbsp of coffee powder

Liquor of tea as per requirement

Method:

Mix the ingredients sans egg white a night before in a non-iron vessel.

Make tea liquor in a vessel and add it to the mixture to make a paste of it.

Let it soak and gain colour overnight.

Add the egg white the next day morning before applying the henna.

Apply the henna from the roots to the tip and keep it on for 1 hour.

Wash off with cool water and condition your hair.

How It Works:

The nourishing hair mask not only imparts a reddish tinge to your hair but also the presence of egg white and fenugreek powder stimulates hair growth and reduces hair fall. Try to do this once a week to get silky strong hair.

Henna and Hibiscus Leaves Hair Mask:

Ingredients:

3-4 tbsp henna powder

10-12 hibiscus leaves

2-3 tbsp almond oil

Water as per requirement

Method:

Grind the hibiscus leaves to make a paste.

Add henna powder and oil to it.

Add some water and mix it thoroughly to make a smooth paste.

Apply the hair mask from the roots to the tips of your hair.

Let it sit for 45 minutes.

Wash off with cool water, shampoo and condition your afterwards.

How It Works:

The goodness of hibiscus in this hair mask effectively treats dandruff and hair fall. The addition of henna and almond strengthens the hair follicles and improves the hair and scalp health. Try this once a week to get rid of dandruff and hair fall. Also Read: Home Remedies To Get Rid of Itchy Dandruff

Henna and Banana Hair Mask:

Ingredients:

2-3 tbsp henna powder

1 tbsp shikakai powder

2 tbsp curd

1 medium-sized banana

Water as required

Method:

Mash the banana and add all the ingredients to it.

Add some water to make it a paste.

Let it soak overnight in a non-iron vessel.

Apply the mask all over your hair in the morning.

Let it stand for 45 minutes and wash off with cool water.

Put some conditioner or leave-in serum after washing the hair.

How It Works:

Being rich in proteins and conditioning properties, shikakai cleanses the hair pores and removes impurities from the hair follicles. This hair mask is extremely effective in making your hair shiny and glossy when repeated once a week.