The absolutely finest, and amazing Jamila Summer Crop 2010 is back in stock! Customs held it, x-rayed it, and examined it in detail before releasing it to us. Finally!

So we are proud to announce that you can now purchase Jamila henna powder, along with getting yourself an amazing discount! 20% off. How? First head to Henna Sooq Canada, or Henna Sooq USA, and place your order. We require that you purchase at least 100 grams of Jamila henna powder (or more), and add as many of our products as you’d like to your order, and then use the discount code: jamila2010 (HIT APPLY to get it to work in your shopping cart DURING checkout, and the code must be exactly as is, all lower case).

Sale ends July 23, 2010 at midnight

If you have any trouble with your order, please let us know at hennasooq@gmail.com

Important: Please make note that Moroccan henna and Yemeni henna powders for 2010 are on its way to us within 2-3 weeks. Take advantage of this discount, we’ll hold all orders for those henna powders until the new stock arrives.

Thank you for your support, and for choosing to shop with the Henna Sooq!!

We don’t regularly get a chance to send out emails to our mailing list, but we do keep the blog consistently up to date.

Jamila Summer Crop 2009 is now out of stock. The new 2010 summer crop will be coming by mid-July. We are really looking forward to it!!

Have a great week!

Our Grand Prize winner is Tami! Congratulations!
Tami has won 600 grams of henna, or herbs of her choice, a choice of 1 hair oil, and a choice of 1 shampoo bar.

We want to make mention of all the entries, as all of the entries were amazing!

• Savannah
• Jenean
• Lexi
• Joanne
• Jenn
• Wardah
• Caitlin
• Catherine
• Eleanor
• Salwa
• Kasure
• Patrice
• Michelle
• Stevie
• Manasi
• Shaista
• Michelle S

You are now welcome to come, and stop by. We are conveniently located at 200 Spadina Avenue (right near Queen). You can have online orders sent there for local pick up, should there be other products you may need in addition to what is in stock there. Local pick ups for this location need to be made by every Monday for Tuesday delivery.
Please mark in the order notes which location you’d like to pick up at (as we are also in Brampton, and Mississauga).

The hours are from Monday to Saturday 10 am to 6 pm. Should you need to reach us, please contact us directly at 905-230-4651

We choose to have our products at this location, Green Instead, because of the initiative to bring green businesses together to sell their products, and to educate the public about living a better life by being green, and more health conscious. Gisela runs Green Instead, along with NaturalHealthCare.ca, and we are very passionate, and committed to helping create a better green world in ways we are able to, even with just a single plant: henna.

The City of Toronto is also running a new discount program: Live Green Toronto. There is a free membership card where you can shop at participating green businesses. Sign up now!

This membership card will be valid at Green Instead, so please use it to get discounts on the products available there.

We’ll also be holding Natural Hair Care Classes, and Henna Body Art Classes there. Please contact us (hennasooq@gmail.com) to register.

There will be Henna Artwork on display, and for sale. You can find beeswax candles, our boxes, picture frames, and mirrors there. To be placed on top shelf.

The contest is now closed and within 1 week we’ll announce the Grand Prize winner, who will get $70.00 worth of Henna Sooq products!!! That’s a lot of goodies.

Michelle S’s Natural Hair Journey

My hair is cared for using strictly Organic and Natural haircare products. In my quest to avoid haircare products containing an array of toxic substances, I stumbled upon the Henna Sooq and have never looked back. My present Natural/Organic regimen has produced some amazing results. In terms of texture and appearance, my hair is now very noticeably healthy.

My favorite henna crop is Rajasthani  which produces a very lovely tone especially when out in the sun.  My natural hair color is more of a very dark brown so this works perfect without being too vibrant.

For simple cleansing and conditioning I use the following: Miessence’s Desert Flower Shampoo, Hennasooq’s Argan Oil Shampoo Bar and Miessence’s Shine Herbal Hair Conditioner.

And whenever I feel the need for extra conditioning I reach for a simple tea rinse using either Chamomile or Rosemary. I brew these and just pour over my hair.  Both are known to promote shine and overall healthy hair. Now and then I also apply a Henna Gloss using Henna and Amla Powder mixed with my Organic Hair Conditioner. This concoction conditions and also deposits a bit of color to my hair.

On days when my hair feels heavy, I use a simple Apple Cider Vinegar rinse or the Miessence Clarifying Hair rinse. They both produce amazing results!

My hair is naturally wavy and doesn’t require much styling hence I get away with using just oils such as Argan, Jojoba or even Coconut. Choosing an all Natural/Organic regimen is the only way to go for gorgeous healthy hair.

Thank you for entering Shaista.

Shaista’s Henna Journey

I have dark black thick hair.I’ve been using Henna since I was very young in India for mostly conditioning because I never get the RED color I want .
I stopped doing henna when I got married and came to Canada  and I never liked the  henna which Indian /south Asian stores have. I came to know about Khadija and I started using her henna on and off..Now it is pretty much regular for me. I still don’t get the RED I want but it gives my hair a beautiful shine and they are smooth and silky. I had long hair till almost my waist but now they are half way down my waist which I find easier to handle and maintain. They look really dark but when you see them in the sun you can see a bit of dark maroon in it..depends on the way I’m standing in the light

My Recipe:

- I use 3-4 boxes of Indian Raj Henna powder
- Warm Tea water with a bit of cloves, some lemon juice.
- Mix it until a bit thicker than tooth paste.
- Mix 4-5 drops of rose water or lavender essential oil (depends on my mood)
- Let it sit for a an hour.
- I wear gloves and apply it with my hands as I find it easier .
- I start with the center of my head, part my hair in half then take a bunch of hair and apply henna generously starting from the roots moving to the ends of hair.
- I take a bunch of hair from both sides of my hair (partitions) one side at a time then other and work going from the center of head to the outside.
-At the end  it looks like a turban. If I have any henna left I apply it on top.
-Wipe the excess from my head, ears , neck.
-I cover my hair with saran wrap and let it sit for 2- 3 hours.
-I rinse with water and let it dry naturally.
-When my hair is half dry half wet I apply lukewarm oil with a few drops of lemon juice. I’m a big fan of oil, and oil my hair on a regular basis. I use coconut oil.
-I always use warm oil.
-I wrap my hair with  a hot towel so the oil goes deep in the roots for 15 minutes.
-Next day I wash my hair with a shampoo bar from Henna Sooq
-After 2 days I apply a mix of yogurt , lemon juice and egg and apply in my hair and let it sit for an hour then rinse and follow the same oil routine.

I still wish I could get the red like Tammi and Stevie

Final day to enter is today at midnight. Every entry this week, gets 100 grams of a herbal product of their choice from the Henna Sooq.

Manasi’s Ayurvedic Hair Regimen

I use the Herbal Mystique(HM)  Fortifying Amla Tulsi Hair Oil once a week . Wash my hair with HM Aloevera Jojoba Shampoo and use the HM Jaswand hair gel (Hibiscus and Aloevera)  for leave in treatment 2-3 times a week.

We are feeling extremely generous this week, and have decided that everyone who has entered in the contest this week is a winner!!

The last day for our Natural Hair Care contest is tomorow January 29, at midnight. Enter as soon as you can. It’s really simple: your natural hair care regimen, and a photo of your gorgeous hair! Email us at hennasooq@gmail.com to enter now!!

Stevie’s Henna Journey

I have been coloring my hair “red” with all natural henna for almost 6 years now. I used to have dirty blond going brown hair and it was always a long tangled mess (my hair used to be a little more than half way down my back). Now my hair is so soft and shiny, plus I love the color. The shade and brightness of color depend on how long I leave it in as well the lighting of the day. As well, all photo representations vary due to flash or the surrounding lighting.

-Use 2 boxes of henna powder. Typically Jamila.
-Mix boiling water into powder until brownie batter consistency.
-Mix in 3-5 drops of Lavender essential oil.
-Leave to cool between 45 mins -1 hour.
-With gloves I apply to head in handfuls starting at the roots and covering them as best as possible while moving to the ends.
-Pile all hair on top of head and wipe off any excess from skin on forehead, ears, neck…
-Wrap with plastic bag and let sit for 2 hours minimum.

Michelle’s Natural Hair Regimen

I have been following a natural haircare regimen since Jan 2007 when I cut the remainder of my relaxed hair off; I had my last relaxer in May 2006.  In June 2008, I got an ill-planned cut that left me with very short hair, but its grown out quite fast, which I attribute to my natural regimen… Today, my hair is maybe an inch past my collar bone, very thick and super healthy.  I have lots of curls and a fair helping of fluffy frizz.
 
I try to keep my routine simple: I wash with diluted Dr Bronner’s castille soap weekly and co-wash with a drugstore conditioner almost daily. *My co-wash conditioner is the only non-natural aspect of my regimen.* I detangle in the shower with a wide tooth comb, followed by a brush. I apply a natural leave in, sometimes a bit of coconut or baobab oil, and pull it all back into a bun or ponytail, smoothing the top down with a natural, strong holding gel.  If I’m wearing it down, like in the photo, after I wash and add a leave in, I will twist with a bit of oil, sit under a hood dryer and then take the twists out for smooth, defined individual coils.
 
I trim my own hair every 4-6 months by twisting and snipping the very ends off the twists. I’m not good about deep treatments, but I like to load my hair up with coconut oil the night before I wash. Finally, I will do an occasional Amla treatment for conditioning, but I am a huge fan of henna. While you can’t see it in the photo, henna really shows up in my hair and gives it a cool burgundy color. It also makes my hair super smooth and easy to detangle and work with. I have recently incorporated indigo into my henna to experiment with a darker haired look. My hennaing is not regular, but I will do it a few times a year.
 
I really love my hair like this and encourage more women to embrace natural haircare, because it is all-around so much better for your hair, your health, your wallet and our collective perception of beauty.

Tami has shared with us her hair regimen. It’s very gorgeous. I love the rag curls!

WASHING: I am using the Sweet Honey shampoo bar & LOVING it! I lather 2 times with the shampoo bar, rinse well, then I use 1 oz of apple cider vinegar in 2 cups of water as an after rinse.
 
DRYING: I very rarely use any heat products on my hair. I let it air dry after combing carefully with a wide toothed comb.
 
CURLING: I have just recently discovered rag curls! I cut up a terry cloth towel into strips & wrapped hair in them, slept overnight with the rags tied in. In the morning I had fabulous curl! I spritzed a little water to loosen the curls & bobby pinned.
 
OILING: I regularly use grapeseed oil and/or olive oil on my hair to keep is moisturized & healthy. As I do not use silicone products, it provides slip & calms down fly-aways.
 
COLOR: I have been using Jamila Henna for the past 2 years. Here are my mixing instructions:

• Combine in a glass bowl: 100 grams of Jamilia (2008 summer crop) henna with approx. 1.25 cups of cooled chamomile tea
• Add 3 tablespoons of lemon juice (fresh or bottled)
• Mix with electric beaters to make a pudding-like consistency
• Cover with saran wrap (right flat on the mixed henna so no air can reach it) not just at the top of the bowl
• Let sit at room temp for 6 hrs
• Scoop into ziplock & freeze. I find that freezing it gives it a much richer stain
• I allow it to thaw out when I am ready to use it.
• Wash & lightly towel dry hair
• Use a root touch up brush (from a beauty supply store) to make 1/4 inch parts & then apply henna right to scalp
• Once all the root area is coated, apply left over paste to all hair
• Once all the henna is applied, I cover my head with a plastic shower cap & cover any areas of hair (such as at temples) with saran wrap
• After the shower cap is on, I add a wool cap to keep the heat in
• After 4 hours, wash out the henna with a bottle of cheap conditioner…use liberally & rinse well 
   

CONCLUSION: I am so happy with my hair since I started taking better care of it. I had some minor health issues about 3 years ago & started looking at ways to detoxify my body. In addition to changing my diet & eating habits, I also wanted to cut out any other toxic properties. I was a chronic boxed hair color addict & started to do research on the toxicity level of permanent boxed haircolor. I realized that after 10 years of dying my hair with toxic chemicals that I had to find an alternative. I started getting premature grey hair at 17 years old & at 33 am not ready to be “grey haired”. I discovered henna through henna for hair website & then found long hair community and really started to see how much the general public is missing when it comes to having healthy hair.
I cut my hair pixie short & ordered my first batch of Jamillia henna in February of 2008. From that time, I have continued to grow my hair & it has never been silkier or healthier than it is now. The old boxed color is long gone & healthy, strong, glossy hair is what remains…thanks to natural henna!
Here is a link to my blog: http://ilovehenna.tripod.com/index.html