Henna and that horrible smell

[mirue]

I'll take the smell of henna over the stench of chemical colorants any day, but my henna smells too much like manure. It really, really does... manure! Is there anything I could add to it to mask the smell without disrupting anything?

(My henna mix is: henna, 1 egg, some acv, coffee, greek yogurt; cured for 1 full day.)

[Anje]

Eh, I wouldn't be leaving something with an egg in it sitting out on the counter ask day... Can't help the smell! (Maybe drop that in right before you use it?)

Ginger powder is one of the most common recommendations to mix in to cover the henna smell. I think cloves and cardamom are sometimes added just to make it smell nice and spicy.

[Lydialove]

Hm. Henna to me smells more green and grassy than, um, manure-like. The other organic material are probably making it a little intense.

I mix in cardamom, myself.

[Bagginslover]

I wouldn't use egg at all, even if you put it in right before you apply, the heat if your head is going to make it smell pretty fast! Try leaving it out, it might improve it.

[KittyBird]

I use pure henna mixed with hot water, and sometimes a bit of conditioner. It doesn't smell like much really, just a bit grassy. My boyfriend thinks it smells like hay.
I think the egg and the yoghurt contribute most to the bad smell, and I wonder if you really need all that stuff in your mix? At least wait with the yoghurt and egg until right before you put the mud on your head.

[Rosetta]

Hm. Henna to me smells more green and grassy than, um, manure-like.

Agree Or another smell it brings to my mind is black tea, when mixing it with water and when it's brewing...

[RavennaNight]

I also agree it must be one of the other organic ingredients, possibly the egg, spoiling as it stews in the henna.

[antler_tines]

I personally love that hay smell, its either that or sometimes it smells like dry leaves in autumn. I've never had it smell like manure. I think the others are right. Its probably a mix of all those things that gives it an off smell.

[Shatam1]

I'm in love with the earthy smell of henna,but I do remember adding an egg once to my mix and I almost suffocated after one hour and never ever did that again.. It was horrible I would suggest leaving the egg out, or maybe use the egg by itself as in egg shampoo but don't mix it with henna. When I used to do egg shampoo I used to leave it on my hair for like ten minutes so the smell was not as bad as when you leave it longer. Good luck

[Wavelength]

Eggs contain sulfur, so it wouldn't surprise me if that's the real culprit.