Cassia obovata , also called Cassia italica or Senna italica, is mainly known under the name of neutral henna!
It owes its name to its beneficial properties for hair similar to those of real henna , Lawsonia Inermis, but without dyeing!
The Cassia obovata
Cassia is a perennial herbaceous leguminous plant. It is mainly widespread in Asia, Iran, Iraq, India, Pakistan, and the tropical belt of Africa. It has small flowers of yellow or orange color.
The medicinal part of the plant, the one that contains the properties, are the leaves which are dried and powdered to be used to prepare hair packs.
Neutral Henna: Cassia Obovata for Hair
Neutral Henna comes in the form of a green powder and is mainly used in India for hair care . Its main properties are:
- Strengthener for thin, fragile or damaged hair
- gives volume to the hair and makes it shiny
- astringent and antibacterial
- regulates sebum secretion
- fights dandruff and flaking even from psoriasis
As always, be careful if you have light hair because cassia, like other non-dyeing herbs, can still darken your hair.
Be very careful if you have very light blonde hair, bleached or chemically dyed blonde: you risk ending up with green highlights!
Neutral Henna: Restructuring Hair Pack with Cassia
Cassia can be used both pure and mixed with other Ayurvedic herbs for dyeing and non-dying purposes!
Prepare a yogurt-like cream by mixing warm water and two or three tablespoons of cassia .
Apply the paste to clean dry or damp hair and cover with plastic wrap or a shower cap. Leave on for at least an hour and then rinse using an acid rinse or rinse + conditioner.
Neutral Henna: Reduce the Dyeing Effect of Henna with Cassia
To reduce the dyeing effect of henna and even herbs, you can prepare your mix as usual and add the cassia at the end.
The more cassia you use in the mixture, the less the dyeing effect of the herbs will be.
Excellent for dyeing lengths and avoiding layering and ending up with much darker lengths.
Neutral Henna: Depigmenting Henna with Cassia
If you have encountered layering and want to eliminate it or you have chosen a color that you don't like and want to redo your henna to have the color you like then cassia will help you to depigment!
You will have to proceed with the acidification first, let's see how!
You will need:
- 100 grams of cassia
- the juice of half a lemon
Mix cassia, lemon and warm water until you have a yogurt-like batter. Let it sit overnight, say eight to twelve hours.
Now apply it to the hair you want to depigment , all over or just the lengths, for 45-60 minutes.
Rinse and shampoo.
Now you are ready to apply the dye mixture you like best!
Want to know another Ayurvedic herb that is perfect for hair treatment? In this article we talk about Sidr, uses, properties and what are the best powders to use !
Continue discovering the best Ayurvedic herbs for natural skin and hair care in our Henna and Natural Dyes section!
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