I remember growing up and my grandmama using Henna instead of hair dye on her own hair. She was 2nd consecutive generation full service salon owner (over the years it was skipped a generation or two). I am 4th consecutive generation salon owner. However, salon ownership, cosmetology, and the beauty industry, has been in my family for many, many, many, generations, hundreds of years in fact.

She was allergic to lye, which was a prominent ingredient in hair dye products back in the day. Her face would swell up like a giant balloon. So, she was always seeking alternatives. Usually all natural, for all beauty treatments. I still practice a lot of her old school ways over commercial ways, so readily available, and commonly used today.

Mind you, she was a firm believer in starting your beauty regime from the ‘inside and radiate out’. Beauty in the soul, spirit, mind, health, treatment and maintenance outwardly. She would always say, ‘beauty is only skin deep, but ugly is to the bone’. I remember her telling me that again, and again, from a toddler on up, yet it feels like I can hear her say the words just yesterday. We were extremely close. I miss her every day.

For external maintenance, she was all about healthy eating, lots of nutrient enriched water, vitamins, herbs, essentials oils, creams, compounds, lotions, salves, gels, masks, ointments, and such. Even making many of her own from scratch, compounding with secret ingredients, using inventive tricks, and creative recipes, handed down from generation to generation. In her eyes, it all had very necessary importance, and was required to get the best, and purest results. We literally would travel as high up into Canada, all the way down into Mexico, from California (where I was born and raised), to the deep south, to go to Herbalists, Compounders, Mixologists, Asian, African, and various Ethnic Stores, ‘Pharmacies’, Botany or Holistic stores, and more, to hunt down the perfect right ingredients, and gain additional knowledge of the proper way to extract the desired purpose and use from the ingredient. I still practice these principles, and applications to this day. I am constantly looking at new products and ingredients, no matter where I am. Always keeping an open mind. I actually feel guilty when I don’t. Like I’m cheating. As if I forgot to do something important that day. Of course, I almost immediately remember what I was supposed to do, when I come to that realization. When I don’t immediately remember, and I forget for a moment or more, then remember, I kick myself in the butt a little, promptly setting a reminder in my calendar so I get back on track.

This brings me back to my hair, which you may realize by now falls in that beauty regime program. I am certain I have enough beauty products across the board to open a small beauty supply store. This includes of course, all things hair products. Including from vitamins, herbs, oils, salves, gels, sprays, creams, hair colors, bleaches, toners, shampoos, conditioners, plus more, and, almost every, accessory and tool, many in multiples. After all, there have been times I have fallen in love with a product and they discontinued manufacturing it. Now I’m thinking ‘WTF do I do now?!?!?!!’. That was one of my faves! I NEED that!!! Of course I already have a substitute usually, that’s besides the point. 😂😂😂 Laughing.

Due to those times happening occasionally, and because of those specific instances, I usually have many multiples of certain products, or complete lines of products. It seems not only do I have multiples, I have them in multiple locations for quick access. Plus, I store the rest in cool dark places of course. 😂😂😂 Laughing. I told you I was little eccentric. 😂😂😂 Still laughing.

The real irony is I actually wear very, very, little makeup daily these days. Usually, some concealer on my chin, maybe mascara (even though I am constantly buying more), and on occasion, eyeliner, bronzer, and shadow. I do love lipstick though. All things for my kisser – lipsticks, chapsticks, salves, stains, balms, lip moisturizers, lip liners, and more. I have hundreds of those.

Back to hair. I digressed …

I know many women and men, who have lost hair, from either breakage, or burning of the scalp, or both. I have no intention of going those route EVER! Always trying my damnest to avoid those situations.

The use of Henna as a hair, skin, nail, and fabric dye has been around for over 5000 years. Over time changes in sources, development, application, and purpose of use, have been made, in a variety of ways. However, the product, and general purposes have lasted through time.

(Henna can also refer to the temporary body art resulting from the staining of the skin from the dyes. After henna stains reach their peak color, they hold for a few days, then gradually wear off by way of exfoliation, typically within one to three weeks.

Henna has been used since antiquity in ancient Egypt and Indian subcontinent to dye skin, hair and fingernails, as well as fabrics including silk, wool, and leather. Historically, henna was used in West Asia including the Arabian Peninsula and in Carthage, other parts of North Africa, West Africa, Central Africa, the Horn of Africa and the Indian subcontinent.

The name “henna” is used in other skin and hair dyes, such as black henna and neutral henna, neither of which is derived from the henna plant.)

So naturally, I found this sponsored post interesting, especially given my family’s history, and my history. Back in the day, I wasn’t just a salon owner, but my specialty was being a Custom Cosmetic and Skin Care Specialist. Award winning in fact, having been one of the team leaders for Clairol, my team responsible for doing makeup on all 125 models in 3 days for the Long Beach Beauty Convention, and winning best overall with Yosh and Team from San Francisco, Clairol for hair color, Estee Lauder for Cosmetics (they supplied my full color makeup kit), plus my custom case, with my assistant Debra Dakin. This is not including doing makeup for various entertainment projects. Or teaching. I obviously know how to cut, color, dry, press, straighten, curl, style, manicure, pedicure, message, and facial. I just prefer to work with skin instead, and focus on that.

Sorry for digressing again, back to hair …

Plus, as I am considering going full on Bright Blonde, Firecracker Red, or Electric Blue, end of this year, I am looking at new and old, different ways of coloring my hair, always in the healthiest way possible. Especially since I am growing my hair longer. Going for long, bright, and healthy, wavy curls. Yeah baby!

I am researching all possibilities before going for full on pure white hair though. Yeah … somehow I skipped the grey, and silver hair stage, and my baby fine hair is growing out WHITE!!! WHITE AF!!! WTF!?!?!!! Not yet Diablo, not yet, 😂😂😂, as I nervously laugh.

I have family and friends that are opting to go Grey, Silver, White, Salt and Pepper, and even combinations of. I even have family and friends who are intentionally coloring, or should I say ‘stripping’ their hair of color. They do this usually by ‘stripping, bleaching, toning, and, or, pasting’ their hair ‘White, Silver, Salt and Pepper, or multi tone’. Some people I know, or have seen, as young as 14, doing this trend. I’m just not there yet.

My life is way too bold, and colorful, to be without color yet. I’ve even reached an age, and stage in life, where my life is meant to be lived large, only in big colors, and not always in black. So, I no longer color my hair blue black, or even blackest black (yes, those are actual hair colors). I don’t even where all black, all the time anymore. I have to have something on that pops brightly. I am a little eccentric after all. Lol.

What about you? Are you coloring your hair? If so, how? What color(s)? When did you start? How often do you color? Inquiring minds are oh so very curious.

I’m going to research this product. Just so I know what the deal is. I’ll also let you know if it is interesting enough to try based on my research. However, always do your own additional research before trying a new beauty product. You surely don’t want any negative surprises.

On a side note, I would never buy a beauty product from eBay. I wouldn’t trust just any individual, who may, or may not, be in the industry, possibly with zero experience, selling me a product that could do me harm. I need more assurances than some random stranger, who I have zero interaction with, and who has zero liability for fake, expired, diluted, or simply a bad product. Just saying.

Always get your products from reputable, responsible, liable sources. Do your homework. After all, you are just as responsible as the party you purchased your product from (usually – because we all know there are the exceptions … You know the super fraudsters) when it comes to personal upkeep.