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rocksandrobots · 4 years

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Of Rocks and Robots Ch. 30 - Coffee and Chemicals

"Ummm...what's Honey Lemon doing?" Fred asked as the gang made their way across the quad.

Their friend wasn't with them but stood off to the side looking up at a large shady elm through half lidded eyes.

"Hello, professor oak, I finished my…"she gave a prodigious yawn before sleepily continuing on "...report… on… color… theory..." Another yawn escaped her lips.

"Is she talking to a tree?" Wasabi asked with concern.

"She's been hit hard by midterms," Gogo explained, "three exams in one day, plus two more tomorrow, four final projects due Friday, and she just got a large order of her cosmetics that's due to ship this weekend. She's been pulling all nighters for the past three days."

As if to confirm this explanation the group heard a loud snore come from Honey Lemon's way. She wobbled as her head drooped down on her chest and Gogo skated over to her in a rush and caught the tall girl in her arms before she fell unconscious.

"Do you need help?" Varian asked as the rest of the gang followed after.

"Nope" Gogo grunted as she dragged Honey Lemon's limp body towards the doors. Wasabi ignored her and picked up Honey Lemon's legs so that they could better carry her inside.

"Man and I thought I had it bad." Kamri committed as they walked into the student lounge.

"Yeah, Honey Lemon is a double major at two schools." Hiro explained. "By the looks of it she must be stretching herself too thin."

Fred ran to snag a few chairs and put them together to form a makeshift bed as Gogo and Wasabi gently laid Honey Lemon down.

"Got... isotope project due…Friday.." Honey Lemon hummed in her sleep before letting out another snore.

"I'll go get her a coffee." Varian offered helpfully as he walked to the barista that was housed inside the lounge.

"Honey Lemon?" Gogo gently asked as she gave her friend a firm shake, but no response came other than more snoring.

"Face it, she's dead to the world." Wasabi commented.

"Here try this." Varian walked over carrying an espresso and handed it to Gogo.

Karmi rolled her eyes, "You think caffeine is the answer for everything. Remember the red bull incident?"

"Hey, that was a scientific experiment!" Varian indignantly defended himself, "Theoretically the Nyquil should have canceled out the energy drink…"

"And what's your excuse for eating the coffee beans straight out of the bag?" Hiro asked.

"I don't eat them straight out of the bag," Varian dismissed, "I roast them first."

"Ooo, have you tried the ones covered in chocolate?" Fred added, "Those are good."

"Both of you have a caffeine addiction. That much coffee isn't good for you." Wasabi warned.

"Well either way looks like the smell of the coffee is working" Gogo interrupted as she nudged Honey Lemon awake.

Honey Lemon hummed as she sat up and followed the coffee cup with her nose. She slowly blinked her eyes open before snagging the cup out of Gogo's hands, downing it in one gulp, and then yawning as she fell back asleep.

Hiro however caught her head before she could finish laying back down, "Sorry, Honey Lemon but we gotta keep you awake."

"Yeah you got an exam in fifteen minutes." Gogo reminded her.

"Nooooo" Honey Lemon moaned and tried to turn around on her side to curl up and sleep.

Wasabi stopped her this time and helped to lift her back up to her feet.

"You better go get another coffee." Karmi whispered to Varian.

"Told you." He whispered back before making his way back to the counter.

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Keeping Honey Lemon awake throughout the day was no easy task. She kept dozing off during her exams, labs, and even lunch. The rest of the gang had to stay with her during the school day to nudge her awake or coax her with coffee.

Once school was done however, she refused to go home and go to bed; citing she had too much to do. And so that's how she wound up currently inside Hamada home studying for her chemistry midterm.

She had asked Varian to help her since he was the only one who held the same interest in the subject. He was only too happy to oblige, but it was proving to be a difficult task. Honey Lemon couldn't focus and would stare dreamily off into the distance instead of answering the questions he would give her.

"Silver has two naturally occurring isotopes, 107Ag is at 106.9 amu and 109 Ag at 108.9 amu, therefore what is the average atomic mass of silver?" Varian read off the practice test.

"Hmmm?" Honey Lemon hummed questioningly.

They were sitting on the couch in the living room, textbooks splayed out upon the coffee table in front of them. Honey Lemon's elbows rested on her knees and her chin was cradled in her fists. She looked at him as if only just noticing he was even there.

"Come on, this an easy one." Varian coaxed, "What's the atomic mass of silver?"

"Oh!"She exclaimed as what was being asked of her finally dawned in her brian. She then yawned and said, "107.9 amu."

"Correct; now which of the following is not a homogeneous mixture?" He continued with the quiz. "Air? Copper? Brass? Or-"

"Does everyone have blue hair where you come from?" Honey Lemon innocently interrupted.

Varian suddenly froze as if he'd been hit by a truck. He slowly turned to look at the other teen and saw her eyeing him curiously through heavy eyelids. He gulped and tried to brush off the question.

"Ah..well…not really.."

"Cause your stripe never fades like say a dye job would." She explained; oblivious to his discomfort in her sleepy haze.

"Umm well… I've always just had it...I think it's from an alchemy accident...or something…"

"No... that can be it..." She shook her head in confusion, "If you had just spilled a chemical on it, it would have eventually just grown out." Now with her curiosity piked, she began to perk up and unthinkingly reached her hand up to run it through his hair. "You mean it just grows out blue, and only one strand? That's got to be like a genetic thing..."

Varian tried to pull away; his cheeks burning red. How he hated being reminded that didn't fit in, not even in his own world. Honey Lemon was still oblivious however.

"Do you have anyone in your family with blue hair as well?" She pressed, trying to figure out this new mystery.

"I don't know!" He snapped.

Everything went quiet. Honey Lemon lifted her hand away and looked at him with wide eyes. She had seen his temper before, but this was the first he had ever gotten mad at her. She didn't know what to do, and neither did Varian.

He hadn't meant to yell at her, and frightening her, of all people, was the last thing in the world that he'd ever want to do. But talk of his past always sent him into a panic and not knowing the answer to something threw him off balance. The fact that the mystery was himself only heightened his concern, which is why he prefered to ignore it.

"I'm sorry." They both stammered out at the same time. They stopped in surprise at the unique timing of their apologies and then softly giggled and blushed over how silly they were being; the tension ebbing away as quickly as it had arrived.

"I..I shouldn't have pried." Honey Lemon said she tugged a strand of her own hair.

"No..I shouldn't have yelled." Varian countered. "It's just…well...no one likes being different, ya know?"

"Oh, but everybody's different," Honey Lemon encouraged cheerfully. Varian tried his best not to roll his eyes at such a lame platitude.

"No, I mean it." She laughed. She then tried to give him a smile but it was soon broken by another yawn. She stretched and then leaned over to rest her head upon his shoulder.

"I like your hair. It's part of what makes you special." She then hugged his arm and nuzzled her head as she curled up on the couch next to him, putting her feet up on the cushions and using him as a pillow.

Varian was stunned. She liked his hair? She didn't think him odd or a freak? Varian tried to remember a time when anybody had ever complimented his abnormally. Most would politely ignore it or brush it off, a few would tease, and some would even call it a bad omen. The more superstitious villagers said it was a hex, a clear sign that he was unnatural, and combined with his more unsuccessful alchemy experiments, helped to spread the rumor that he was a dangerous wizard. It was part of the reason why he hated being associated with magic.

Somewhere in his distant memory he could recall hushed conversations late at night between his parents concerning him. He couldn't remember precisely what had been said, but he knew they were worried about him and his hairstripe.

Heck even Aunt Cass had been weirded out when he told her he didn't need her to buy any hair dye for him. He probably should have played along then when she asked if needed some, but he hadn't been thinking at the time. She hasn't said anything since, but he knew she hadn't been able to process the idea that his hair just naturally grew out blue.

His musings were interrupted when he heard a loud snore right next to his ear.

He looked down to see Honey Lemon fast asleep and snoring away soundly like she normally did when sleeping. He didn't mind though. He supposed it was part of what made her special too. Also she really needed the rest.

He gently pulled his arm out of her grip and then wrapped it around her waist so she wouldn't fall forward as he reached his other hand over to the coffee table to snag his physics text book. He figured he would study for his own upcoming exam while she slept. Careful not to wake her, he propped his foot up on the table and reasted the book on his knee; using one hand to open it and turn the pages as he cradled the sleeping girl next to him with the other.

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"Honey Lemon? Are you ready to go?" Gogo asked as she and Hiro climbed upstairs. They had agreed to take on patrol duty tonight so everyone else could study. They had finished up early and now Gogo had come to pick up Honey Lemon so that they could head home.

They found her and Varian both asleep on the couch. He had a textbook covering his eyes as he used the seat's arm as a pillow on one end and stretched his feet out to the other, with one foot dangling off the edge. Honey Lemon was sprawled out on top of him while she rested her head upon his stomach. "The answer is copper…" she mumbled in her sleep and then hugged his waist tighter like she would a pillow.

"Cute." Gogo said deadpan and then she raised an eyebrow at Hiro. "Should we wake them?"

Hiro gave her a wicked grin and signaled for her to stay quiet while he ran upstairs to his room. He re-emerged moments later with a megaphone in his hand.

"Where did you get that?" She asked.

"Did Tadashi ever tell you about the time he was a cheerleader in high school?" He whispered back. "He said it was to meet girls." He explained to a now clearly confused Gogo.

Hiro didn't give her time to process this new information however as he placed the microphone to his lips and bent down till he was right at Varian's ear.

"Good Morning!" He yelled. "Wakey, wakey! Time to rise and shine!"

Varian bolted upright, knocking the textbook to the floor and doing more to wake up Honey Lemon than any megaphone could.

"Hun?" She blinked sleepily while Gogo tried to suppress her snickering.

Varian glared at her and Hiro, but the face he made only filled them both with more laughter.

"What was that for!?" He angrily yelled.

"You.. you needed to wake up." Hiro explained through his laughter,"also next time don't leave your smelly socks and shoes in the garage. I gotta work in there, ya know."

If looks could have killed, Hiro would have been dead from Varian's gaze alone. He would have lunged at the other boy had Honey Lemon not held him back.

"Look, that was funny but you shouldn't have done it." Gogo interceded.

Hiro mumbled an apology and, he and Varian gave a half hearted handshake to appease the two girls.

"Good. Anyways Honey Lemon and I need to get home, so see ya tomorrow." She waved goodbye and headed down stairs.

Honey Lemon gathered her things up and followed after her, yawning goodbye as she went.

Once they were both gone and out of earshot Varian spoke up,

"Thanks for running the moment." He said irritably.

"What moment? You two were out cold." Hiro snarked back and then he paused as the meaning behind Varian's words came to light, "Waait...You and Honey Lemon?" He couldn't stifle his laughter. "You have a crush on Honey Lemon."

"What of it?" Came Varian's offended reply.

"Dude, she's so out of your league."

"She is not!"

"She's two years older than you and one of the more popular girls at both ours and SFAI's campus. What makes you think you even have a chance?"

"So? That's the same age difference between you and Karmi."

"Wh..what does Karmi have to do with this?" Hiro asked. He was momentarily tripped up by the change in subject.

"Oh come on." Varian rolled his eyes. "Everyone knows you like Karmi."

"I do not!"

"Do to."

"Do not...look for your information I happen to like Megan, okay?"

"Ahhh…" Varian raised an eyebrow and gave a sly smile, "So does either girl know you're cheating on them?" He teased.

"I'm not- we're not...I'm not dating either one of them... yet!" Hiro flustered. "Look it's none of your business!"

"Then stay out of mine." Varian retorted.

"Fine!"

"Fine."

"F-fine."

"Fi-- " Varian stopped, "How long are we going to keep saying 'fine' at one another?"

Hiro shrugged. "Look, I'm sorry for the megaphone gag. That was kind of mean and I promise I won't interrupt your 'it's totally not a date and your dreaming if you think it is' study sessions with Honey Lemon again. Deal?"

"Okay, and I'll make sure to throw my socks in the laundry next time and, I promise not to tell either Karmi or Megan that you like them. I wanna be around when it blows up in your face though." He gave another smug smile and Hiro rolled his eyes.

"Whatever." He dismissed and headed upstairs to bed while Varian picked up his textbooks.

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Varian passed by the chemistry lab on his way to lunch. He paused when he heard a loud snore coming from the room. He stopped and saw Honey Lemon alone in the room with her head on the desk.

"Honey Lemon? You..okay?" He asked as he walked over to her and gave her a light tap on her shoulder.

She must not have been asleep long for she jumped at the touch and jolted awake.

"Oh? Oh, Varian! Hiiiiaahh!" Her hello turned into a yawn and Varian gave her a worried frown.

"Did you not get any sleep last night?" He asked.

"Oh sure…. Sure I did. Right after I finished my still life drawing for tomorrow." She mumbled quietly

Varian raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. "Which was how many hours exactly?"

"The drawing or sleep?" She asked.

"You know what I meant."

Honey Lemon rolled her eyes and tried to dismiss his concerns. "I'm fiiine. It's only one more day till Friday and then I can take a long nap on Saturday. Besides I got to finnish making up these mini chimballs for my project."

She gave another yawn and groped around absentmindedly for the vial of chemical solution that she needed. " I just need to add this potassium iodine and…"

She picked up one of the vials and made to pour into the solution that she had bubbling in a beaker over a Bunsen burner, not really paying attention to nor looking at what she had actually grabbed.

Varian's eyes went wide as he noticed the label on the vial she was holding.

"Honey Lemon wait! No! That's octane!" He shouted, but he was too late.

The contents of the beaker began to rapidly bubble and foam as sparks from the flame ignited with flammable liquid that had just been added.

Varian reacted quickly, grabbing a stunned Honey Lemon by the wrist and quickly pulling her away. He sprinted out of the lab, dragging her along, as the foaming substance grew larger and swallowed the desk, now mixing itself with the other assortment of chemicals and causing small explosions. Once outside of the doorway he instinctively flung both himself and Honey Lemon to the ground as he felt a rumble behind them. He tried his best to shield her as the now gloopy substance expanded and filled the room with a sloshing, slurpy sound.

Only after a few moments of quiet, where nothing further happened, did Varian roll off of Honey Lemon and hoisted himself on his elbows to see the damage. Bulging out from the doorway was a semi-solid wall of some sort of gelatin like substance, that still steamed and bubbled from the heat of the earlier explosions.

The greenish-yellow tint of the partly translucent substance made Varian sick to his stomach. Had they been caught in that they no doubt would have been smothered or burned by the deadly goop. He heard his heart pound in his ears as it occurred to him that this was the second time he had managed to avoid such a fate.

He heard a sob beside him and turned to see Honey Lemon crying. Now his heart pounded for different reason as he hastily began to check over the girl looking to see how she'd been hurt.

"Honey Lemon? Are.. Are you okay? Are you hurt? Do I need to call Baymax?"

"No." She choked.

He swiped a strand of her hair out of her eyes and gently turned her head towards him. He searched her face in worry. "Then what's wrong?"

"I..I blew up the chim lab...again. I thought I could handle two majors but...but I can't…argh...I just want to crawl under the covers and never come out." She buried her face in her hands and groaned.

In spite of himself, relief washed over Varian as it became evident that the only thing that was seriously harmed was Honey Lemon's pride. Though he took no joy out of seeing her upset either.

"Awww Honey, it's okay." He whispered as he gently squeezed her shoulders. "You're just stressed from midterms. Like you said, things will look better by Saturday."

This did not seem to appease her though as she continued to cry into her hands. Varian racked his brain on what he could do or say to make things better. Hesitantly you wrapped her into a hug and she returned it with a sob.

"Oh, Honey Lemon," He encouraged in her ear. ",its gonna be alright. Hey at least no one was hurt right?"

He pulled away from the embrace to give her a small smile but she only returned it with a pout.

Varian sighed, "Look, you're talking to the guy who almost flooded the school remember? This ain't nothing."

That got him a snort of laughter and he flashed her a grin.

"Yeah, I remember." She nodded and finally smiled through her tears.

They locked eyes and for a moment Varian didn't know what to do. All he could do was stare at her transfixed.

Honey Lemon broke the spell herself, "I guess I need to call and tell the chemistry professor what happened she sighed. "Maybe he'll give me an extension."

That knocked Varian out of his stupor. "Yea...yeah, of course he will, and in the meantime I'll help you clean up, okay?"

"Okay." She smiled as he helped her up.

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Cleaning up wasn't as difficult as Varian first feared. The gel like compound naturally broke down over time and washed away easily with water. Though it still took a couple of hours to get it all clear.

Honey Lemon hadn't said much during this time, still embarrassed and tired. As they came down to the last bit of the work, Varian tried to ease the tension.

"Ya know," He said nonchalantly as he mopped the floor,"after a close call like that a person could probably use a stiff drink."

He meant it as a joke but Honey Lemon only stiffened and stopped wiping down the countertop to give him a worried frown.

"....of coffee!" He hastily added. "How about we get some after we finish up here?"

He threw her one of his winsome smiles and Honey Lemon relaxed a little.

"Aren't you still grounded?" She asked.

"Yes, but school doesn't count and there's the cafe in the student lounge." He gave her a wink. "So technically, it's still not breaking the rules."

She smirked and shook her head, "You know you can't find loopholes for everything."

"No, but can't blame me for trying." He sat the mop to the side and grabbed the rag Honey Lemon was using. "What'dya say, hmm?"

"Well, I need something to keep me awake for my last class." She agreed and Varian felt like he'd just won the lottery.

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Varian and Honey Lemon sat together inside the student lounge laughing over nothing in particular. She had cheered up significantly since the incident in the lab and was back to her usual perky self.

At the moment they were having a discussion over which was worse, being too short or too tall.

"But you've never had anyone call you a giraffe before" she good naturedly countered before taking a sip of her iced latte.

"What's wrong with that? Giraffes are cute." Varian shrugged. "At least you don't risk getting accidently stepped on in a crowd."

Honey Lemon rolled her eyes and snickered, "I think you're exaggerating just a little on that one."

"Maybe" He conceded and took a sip of his own coffee, "but it's no fun being told to get out of the way cause no one thinks you're big enough to help; like when they were raising a new barn a few years ago dad just told me to stay out of the way."

"When was this? When you were what thirteen?"

"Twelve."

"Surely you've grown a little taller since then."

"Barely." Varian groaned and took another sip of his drink to hide his embarrassment.

"Well, a least you're not constantly being asked to get things off the high shelves and stuff. Everyone in art class does that and it drives me nuts" She complained.

"Really? Cause if I suddenly woke up taller one day I'd be volunteering to get stuff off high places just to show off."

"I mean, you might. Guys don't stop growing until their like in their late teens or early twenties. Me, I'll never stop being the 'tall girl.'" She made a face, showing her displeasure over the nickname, and reached across the table to the basket of biscotti that they had agreed to share.

As she grabbed one of the Italian sweets she heard Varian say with a shrug, "Ah, you're not even that tall."

She paused mid reach to look at him in surprise and he just stared at her blankly wondering what he had said wrong.

"Thank you!" She blurted out loudly. "OMG, I'm always having to say that! I'm only 5'10". My shoes just make me look taller." She lifted a foot to show off her heels to Varian.

"Then why wear them?" He asked, confused.

"Cause they look cute." Honey Lemon pouted.

Varian shrugged again."Okay…..But no, 5'10", that's like normal height. You're no taller than say Queen Arianna is. You want tall? You should see my dad. He's close to seven feet, and he's still not even the tallest guy I've ever met. The king's actually taller than him and so a whole bunch of other guys in Corona. Now you know why I hate being so short. I'm not even taller than the princess , okay, and she's like the shortest person I know."

Then he paused mid rant and cupped his chin in thought,"Well okay, except for Shorty."

"Soooo are women usually tall or short in your world?" She asked, confused herself now as she had no reference for what Varian was talking about.

"Umm..depends on the person I guess. The tallest woman I ever met is my Aunt Adria. She's my dad's sister and about as tall as he is."

"Wait, you have an aunt?" Honey Lemon asked with concern, "Where's she at? Why didn't she come help you and your dad?"

"Well I haven't seen her since I was like five. I don't know where she is, and it's not like we have phones to call one another. I just remember her because, well, she's kind of hard to forget. She has white hair, carries a huge sword everywhere, and half her face is tattooed solid red."

"Hun…I'm guessing she's pretty … unique then?"

"I guess, all I remember was that she and dad had a big fight over something annnd I never saw her since."

"That's sad." Honey Lemon mused.

"How so?"

"Well she's his sister. I'd hate to have a fight with one of my brothers that's so bad that we'd never talk to one another again."

"Hmm...I... never really thought about it before. I guess cause I don't have any siblings and none of my aunts or uncles were ever really around to begin with."

"You have more aunts?"

"Well no, but I have a couple of uncles that I've never met. After my dad left his home country, he didn't really keep in touch with them."

"That's sad." She reiterated.

"Yeah.." He agreed quietly and took another sip of his coffee as thoughts of his dad ran through his mind. His father had kept most of his past hidden from his son. Varian only knew about his extended family because he had stumbled upon his dad's journal amongst his other things in the trunk that had kept hidden in his quarters, along with the mysterious scroll pecice that the King had hunted him down for.

A lot of secrets had come to light sitting in that dusty room, pouring over the pages filled with his father's words. Answers that only brought up more questions. He still didn't know how to feel about it all. Mostly he was angry that his dad never shared things with him, be they large or small, insignificant or not.

But Honey Lemon's words shone light on a new perspective. How much had leaving hurt? Was it just too painful for his dad to talk about at all, with anyone? Even then he still could have told Varian about the rocks, could have trusted him, and there were still secrets hidden away from him. His mind turned to the note locked away in the amber with his dad and instinctively his free hand balled up into a fist.

Honey Lemon looked on with worry as she saw the cloud behind Varian's as he brooded over something. He kept so much of himself hidden away from everyone. But the pain it caused him was always evident just underneath the surface. Honey Lemon wasn't sure she even wanted to know, given what little he had opted to share thus far. Corona scared her. How could any place be so hard and so cruel? Still she wanted to be there for him. He was her friend after all. She placed a hand on top of the fist that he rested on the table, snapping him out of his melancholy mood.

She gave a wide smile and chriped, "You know once midterms are over and you're un- grounded we should all do something fun."

"Like what?"

She thought a minute."Hmmm..Oh, I know! How about karaoke?"

"What's that?"

"It's where you take turns getting up and singing on stage. It's fun."

"It sounds fun. I'm all for it. But on one condition."

"What?"

"You get some actual sleep before then."

"Oookaaayy…" she rolled her eyes in an exaggerated manner and then they both broke down into giggles.

#varian #honey lemon #Hiro Hamada #big hero six #bh6 #bh6 the series #tangled #tangled the series #rapunzel's tangled adventure #crossover

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thomasreedtn · 7 years

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7 Tips for Henna, Amla, and Morrocco Method Shampoos

For the past several weeks, I keep getting nudges to write about hair. Some clients have mentioned hair issues, and I’m sitting here with a mud pie of henna on my head, so here goes. Back in June 2009, I wrote a comprehensive post about all things henna, along with lots of information about natural hair care, hair nutrients and general tips for full, shiny hair. I wanted to reblog it, but over eight years later, I have too many updates for the little reblog box. You can read my original post here. In today’s post, I’ll just add additional things I’ve learned about henna and Morrocco Method over the years.

Please note that anything I say about henna refers only to body art quality, pure henna (Lawsonia) from a reputable source. Do be careful when experimenting with henna. Some companies add toxic ingredients to get all sorts of unnatural colors and effects, still calling their products “henna.”

To provide some background, though, yes, I henna my hair. I started back in 2006, because a mehendi artist told me that henna would tame the crazy, wild knots I used to get on the back of my head. Using henna did tame those knots, but it didn’t change my hair color until we moved to Monterey, CA in February 2007. Overnight, my hair turned very red (with no additional henna treatment), and my skin went several shades paler. I can maybe explain the sudden redness due to more salt in the air, but that still doesn’t explain how I got so pale. Surrounded by fresh breezes, gorgeous views, and a only short walk to the farmer’s market, fun shops, Indian buffet, and an Aveda salon, plus weekly massages from my all-time favorite massage therapist and lovely friend, Pamela, I became a full fledged redhead.

I’ve always had quite a bit of red in my hair, but bizarre as it sounds, I have mood hair. The happier I feel about my location, the redder it gets. When I lived in Monterey and Sonoma County, I had very red hair. When I lived in Goshen, Indiana — much less so. Only in the sun. Henna’d hair often looks more brown indoors and redder in direct sunlight. Whenever I vacation or live somewhere that makes my soul sing, my hair goes red inside and out. Living in Kalamazoo, it’s back to red:

OK, onto the things I’ve learned since the 2009 Henna for Hair post:

Henna doesn’t just feel good; it is good. I’ve continued to use henna since 2006, because it tames my knots, eliminates the need for conditioner, and also feels like a magical elixer on my head. I recently learned that pure henna has wound healing, anti-headache, anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory properties. It cuts hair loss, and many people swear by henna as their only cure for psoriasis. For more on henna’s health benefits, please click here.

Grey and white hair can signal other issues. Points 5) and 6) in my previous post discuss nutrition and hair, especially B-vitamins, but I should also mention the importance of minerals in darkening gray or white hair. Genetics, stress, hormones, age, and other factors play key roles, too, but demineralization often shows up as aging hair. Dull, gray/white and brittle hair can sometimes signal a need for more nourishing foods, and/or indicate poor absorption. Dr. Ann Wigmore’s grey hair famously returned to its original color once she started using wheatgrass juice. Taking digestive enzymes, eating more live (raw, fermented) foods and reducing enzyme inhibitors can also help. I recommend Sally Fallon’s book, “Nourishing Traditions” for people concerned about graying hair, tooth decay, chronic fatigue, and/or brittle bones. Likewise, Ramiel Nagel’s book, “Cure Tooth Decay,” includes loads of information about which foods help or hinder mineralization. I don’t personally follow many of the recipes in those books, but the principles can help you receive the most benefits from whatever foods you do eat. A note for vegans: neither book advocates vegan or vegetarian diets, but you can adapt many of the recipes to enrich foods you already eat. Both provide excellent tips staying mineralized.

Keep your application tools simple and sustainable. I’ve used the exact same “for henna only” shower cap for the past eleven years. I used the same gloves for ten of those years until they finally wore out. Those fancy hair dye applicators from beauty supply stores get clogged with the mud pie consistency of henna, but maybe a ketchup bottle would work. I don’t know. I find my hands work best. A wide toothed comb before henna application means fewer knots while rinsing it out. I tried a ponytail method of separating hair for easier rinsing, and it did work well; however, you’re left with lots of ponytail holders to wash and dry. I ended up going back to hand application.

Quality henna makes a big difference. I always buy my henna from reputable health food stores or Morrocco Method. I have to say, the Morrocco Method henna lasts much longer, provides deeper conditioning, and it rinses out far easier than any other brand or bulk henna I’ve tried. I have no financial ties or affiliate connection to Morrocco Method, but in my experience, their henna works way better for my hair.

Amla conditions and tones down red, but it changes hair texture. Henna straightens hair, and adding amla supposedly reduces that effect. For its great conditioning effects and to experiment with browner hair, I tried adding amla to henna earlier this summer. My hair felt soft, but I didn’t recognize myself. My naturally straight hair got really curly in certain spots. Not everywhere. Just some areas. I stopped using amla so I wouldn’t look like a freak. People with naturally wavy or consistently curly hair often swear by amla as a luxurious conditioner. Some people use it with henna so that their curls remain even if they want red highlights. If you have straight hair, amla may or may not work well for you.

If you use switch to Morrocco Method shampoos, definitely get their Volcanic Powder Dry Shampoo. A little goes a long way, and using the dry shampoo makes the “hair detox” period so much easier. I used Morrocco Method shampoos for a couple years and always got compliments on my hair, but I switched back to store bought natural shampoos for about five years. I don’t use toxic products on my hair, yet even so, my recent switch back to Morrocco Method brought the dreaded “hair detox.” I was grateful this occurred during this summer’s hermit phase; however, my hair started curling up and forming dreadlocks on one side. It also felt waxy right after shampooing. Once I started using the dry shampoo, all the detox symptoms cleared up. No more almost-dreadlocks, and as a bonus: extra full, manageable hair. The volcanic shampoo contains a little amla for conditioning, but mixed with everything else, it just makes my moody hair behave. It feels clean, full and healthy. Even with bangs, I can go four days between regular shampoos, as long as I use the dry shampoo. (The photo in this post was three-day old hair with bangs swept to the side.)

Following directions can save you time and money. When I first used the Morrocco Method shampoo system (rotating five elements), I eventually quit due to time and money. It seemed to take so much shampoo to get my hair clean. Although it felt healthy and vibrant, I couldn’t justify going through so many bottles of shampoo. This time around, I read the directions. Doh! These shampoos work much better if you take a small, travel size bottle and squirt a nickle-sized dollop in there, then dilute with water and shake. Apply that mixture to your roots, massage it in and rinse. Repeat if desired. The diluted shampoo method not only works better, but it reduced my shampoo usage to about 1/5 my original use. The dry shampoo further stretches wet shampoo quantities. Not needing to wash as often saves lots of time, water, shampoo, clogged drains, and ends up making hair healthier and fuller, too.

Go with what works for you. Everything in this post comes from my own experience and research. I have weird hair, so what works for me, might not work the best for you. I’ve known Morrocco Method to help clients regain hair after major hair loss or trauma, and their Zen Hair Detox helps remove toxins embedded in the scalp — very useful for people with brain fog. General information often changes with individual application. In a world of toxic hair products, I just felt led to share some options I enjoy. For more information on henna or hair nutrition, please click here.

from Thomas Reed https://laurabruno.wordpress.com/2017/10/19/7-tips-for-henna-amla-and-morrocco-method-shampoos/

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