# Henna (lawsonia inermis) in CP soap - cut pics added



## Anich (Dec 1, 2011)

I don't dye my hair with henna anymore and I have a couple of bags of pure henna I don't need anymore. I was wondering if it could be used in CP soap?  I thought it might give a nice color if not anything else, though it could also turn brown. Is there any reason it should not be used?


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## debbism (Dec 1, 2011)

Actually, I can think of several reason why you would want to use henna in soap.  Henna is antibacterial, antifungal and would probably add a touch of texture to your soap.  Swirling it with uncolored soap would look very nice.

There are lots of henna soaps out there so go for it!!!  You can also use cassia and amla in your soaps too


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## nurse_75 (Dec 1, 2011)

Would it stain? I dont know much about henna. 

Sharna


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## soapbuddy (Dec 1, 2011)

It will turn brown and won't add much else besides dark color. Henna might be antibacterial, but so is soap naturally. You would not be able to make any medical claims. As far as cassia, it could be irritating in soap, unless used in small quantity.


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## Anich (Dec 1, 2011)

No medical claims will be made since I only make soap for myself  I think I'll give it a try to see what it'll do. Could it be added to the lye water or should it be added at trace (I'm pretty sure it won't mix evenly then...)? I'm curious if the temp has anything to do with the color it's going to give, that's the main reason I was wondering if it could be added to the lye water in the first place...


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## debbism (Dec 1, 2011)

soapbuddy said:
			
		

> It will turn brown and won't add much else besides dark color. Henna might be antibacterial, but so is soap naturally. You would not be able to make any medical claims. As far as cassia, it could be irritating in soap, unless used in small quantity.



I was referring to the "other" cassia

Cinnamomum cassia = cinnamon
Cassia obovata = plant with gold/yellow color use for hair

Both are types of cassia but very different in properties


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## soapbuddy (Dec 1, 2011)

Anich said:
			
		

> No medical claims will be made since I only make soap for myself  I think I'll give it a try to see what it'll do. Could it be added to the lye water or should it be added at trace (I'm pretty sure it won't mix evenly then...)? I'm curious if the temp has anything to do with the color it's going to give, that's the main reason I was wondering if it could be added to the lye water in the first place...


Give it a try.


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## DMCC (Dec 1, 2011)

Anich said:
			
		

> No medical claims will be made since I only make soap for myself  I think I'll give it a try to see what it'll do. Could it be added to the lye water or should it be added at trace (I'm pretty sure it won't mix evenly then...)? I'm curious if the temp has anything to do with the color it's going to give, that's the main reason I was wondering if it could be added to the lye water in the first place...



I use a lot of henna to color my hair and I know that it mixes very well in oil.  You may want to try mixing it into you oils first, then adding your lye water.  That way you have a lots of time to make sure it's incorporated well.  Let us know your results!


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## Anich (Dec 2, 2011)

Okay, I tried it and the result is in the moulds right now... I added henna to the lye water as planned, I'm still curious if the result would be different if I had added it at some other point. As guessed, it's brown and on top of that, it smells horrible, like fresh henna. I think the smell will fade over time but I'm not sure if this is going to be usable soap at all   We'll see, at least it would not be the first horrible batch I've ever made...


EDIT: Okay, now I'm confused. The soap has went through a very curious color and smell change in a matter of hours and right now it looks like very pale gingerbread dough! When I poured it it was dark brown with a hint of red, now it has no red at all. The horrible smell is pretty much gone too, and the orange EO is clearly coming through. It still has some weird scent but I'm sure it's not "ready" yet. I think it just might turn out ok after all!


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## Anich (Dec 5, 2011)

So here are the results right after cutting. This was done yesterday and by now the color is evenly brown without the greenish area in the middle. I nearly wish it had stayed there, the frame looked so nice...  












So yes, it did turn brown as expected. The color is quite light, much lighter than in the pictures and it still seems to change over time. The scent is great, orange and clove bud EO, the result is quite spicy and very suitable for christmas time  I'm pretty happy with these although the color isn't very pretty. 

I think I'll try to add henna to the oils and not to the lye water at some point too to see if it'll make any difference.


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## krissy (Dec 5, 2011)

those look fantastic. i have a bunch of different henna powders at my local co-op. i wonder if the different colors would give different soap colors.


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## Gina's Art Adventures (Mar 16, 2022)

A 11yrs later your post is still helpful. The color changing over time doesn't surprise me. I would bet that after a week it turned to a darker brown.  I also have left over hena from dying my hair. I think I'll try the same EO adding some Chi related EOs minus Cinnamon. And think adding the hena to the oil would work just as well.


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## Zany_in_CO (Mar 16, 2022)

@Gina's Art Adventures  Thanks for reactivating this old thread.  I have some henna I'd like to use up as well! I'll be adding it to my warmed oils, SB-ing for one full minute to get it fully incorporated, before adding the lye solution.


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