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Availability of Indigo Powder? {Reader’s Query}

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Hey Everyone, Gayathri had asked me to post this query and I do hope some of you might be able to answer her. I can’t 🙁 So here goes her question.

I have brownish-blackish hair – upto my waist.
I have applied henna/mehendi and have found that it makes hair really soft. A few greys are popping out and the henna does a good job of coating them a deep red shade.
But, I want to change them to black.
I have read that Indigo powder (similar to henna) makes the dyes the hair blue – which means henna’s red + Indigo’s blue = Bluish- black.
I am finding it very very difficult to get indigo powder (in India).
1. Can anyone suggest where to get the indigo powder from? If an online store, have you ever bought anything there before?
2. Have you had any experience with Indigo powders?

So, have you guys any idea of where one can get Indigo powder? Btw, pure indigo powder is extremely hard to obtain ad is expensive too. So, it is always better to buy for reliable sources to ensure minimum or no adulteration of the powder. And, btw, Lush also has one of their Cacas in Indigo variants but I have had it from one reliable source that it doesn’t do anything for gray hair which is pretty sad!!!

How to make Solid Perfume at home? (Part III) {DIY}

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So, last two weeks I mentioned a little about background in perfume making and how I went about making my first blend. Today, I wanna talk about making solid perfumes.

Ingredients

  • Essential Oil blend (I used the one I talked about last week)
  • Vaseline / Beeswax (I used vaseline so I shall outline that)
  • Almond Oil / Jojoba Oil
  • Glass Jar / small tin box
Method
  • Melt vaseline till it becomes completely clear. Same goes with beeswax. Use a double boiler for safety.
  • Take a tablespoon of the melted vaseline and pour it into the glass jar or tin box.
  • Add a tablespoon of almond oil.
  • Follow with a tablespoon of Essential Oil blend.
  • Let the mixture cool and your solid perfume is ready!!!
The idea here is to divide the vaseline / beeswax, almond oil and the essential oil blend into the ratio of 1:1:1 depending on the amount of the perfume you want. But, from personal experience, a single table spoon of each would last really long. So, try out smaller batches only.Which is better – Perfume Oil or Solid Perfume? Many factors decide this answer.
– Ease of Application
– Strength of Perfume
– Duration of Stay

Solid Perfume is easy to apply but Perfume Oil is more strong (probably). How long does solid perfume stay really depends on your own body chemistry. So, you can try both and choose one which suits you the most.

Should I apply conditioner or not? {Hair Care}

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PS: This post is in perspective that leave-in serums are used after washing the hair.
A week back, I was too tired of washing my hair and applying the conditioner and waiting in the shower so I made a simple process by simply washing my hair and sticking to the leave-in serum. And, I found my hair was really fluffy and well-behaved and was not weighed down for 3-4 days which wasn’t there earlier. This prompted me to think if the conditioner is really needed for hair?
Fine Hair and Conditioning
Since I have done the article on hair textures, I have been inclined to think about hair care separately for both kinds of hair. Yes, conditioners are very necessary for hair but then a lot of other things also affect it – amount of conditioner needed and types of conditioners needed also depend quite a lot on your hair texture, right? So, why to make it a universal rule that you need a conditioner for your hair howsoever your hair and leave-in serum is also a conditioner.
Conditioner keeps hair soft
But, there is another perspective that conditioner does keep the hair soft. So, leave-in serum’s job becomes easy – to protect the loss of moisture. And, conditioner helps detangle the hair too by providing a little slip to the hair. And, many conditioners are able to tame frizzy hair. But, conditioners also have  big disadvantage – they can weigh the hair down.
So, what do you think – Conditioner or no Conditioner?