Rainbow Research Henna-Mahogany Review

I wanted to try something different with my hair but something that wouldn't require harsh chemicals to do so.. I've been reading about henna on various blogs for years and finally decided to give it a try. It is surprisingly cheap. I went down to my local Whole Foods supermarket and grabbed Rainbow Research's Henna-Mahogany for about $7.49.

Step 1: I washed my hair with Carol's Daughter Tui Herbal Shampoo 8-oz. Your hair can be either wet or dry when applying the henna; there just can't be any product in it.
Step 2: I boiled 2 cups of water. Before I added the water, I added two teaspoons of the following:
Apple Cider Vinegar- For my gray hair( I have streaks of gray hair in the front).
Honey-Not sure why I added this. I probably read it on a blog somewhere and just decided to add it.
I stirred the henna as I gradually poured the hot water into it. Whew, was it funky. You can expect a somewhat earthy or grassy smell but when you add the apple cider vinegar, it smells like rotten eggs. It had a clumpy consistency like mashed potatoes.
Step 3: Application. I parted my hair into four sections and proceeded to apply the henna from root to ends.  During the application, I realized that I should have separated my hair into smaller sections for an even distribution but since it was my first time using henna, I'd figured that I'm allowed to mess up a little bit.
Step 4: I tied a plastic grocery bag around my head and covered it with a warm towel. I left the henna in my hair for 70 minutes.
Step 5: Now the final step was very tedious. I used Carol's Daughter Tui Hair Smoothie (8 oz),which normally conditions my hair very well, to wash it out in the shower.  I spent over an hour washing the henna out of my hair.

Even after spending all that time, I still had little bits of leaf and bark stuck in my hair. The plant wasn't grounded up well at all which made detangling impossible. I styled my hair in uneven two strand twists.  To prevent tearing my hair from tearing, I couldn't part or comb my hair. The henna left my hair terribly dry. After about a week, I took out my crooked twists and only noticed that my gray hairs were orange. My twist out usually lasts up to two weeks but my hair was frizzy within three days. Needless to say, I will not being using the Rainbow henna ever again. That brand isn't for me.

Before henna

After henna.
I wanted to show a picture of me in sun so that it would show the red tint, if there is any.

If you're thinking about trying henna, then here's a few things that you should note first. It is very messy and it does stain.  In my bathroom, I had old towels lying on the floor and grocery bags on my sink to keep the henna from falling onto it and staining it.  The henna will stain your hands so make sure you wear gloves during application and during rinse. Any questions? We are a community. Any tips would be greatly appreciated as well. Be sure to watch out for the Jamila Henna Powder 3.5oz (100g) review coming soon.