Lush Les Cacas review
Les Cacas are henna hair dyes from Lush, a natural way to colour hair with a treatment lasting around four to six weeks. Unusually this doesn’t come in powder form, it comes in a big bar which is divided into six blocks. I love speaking to people who use Cacas regularly as they are usually very creative with how the use the product and usually have gorgeous shiny locks. Henna comes from a plant, and is used a lot in India especially to decorate hands for special ceremonies. It has been used for thousands of years to colour and condition hair. Allergic reactions to henna are rare, and unlike most conventional hair colours it is actually really good for hair providing a deep conditioning treatment.
The bar
The bar is quite cool and resembles a generous bar of chocolate. A quick sniff reveals a pleasant scent, perhaps it is just me but I love the spicy smell of cloves. Cocoa butter makes Cacas into block form (and brings additional conditioning properties), but be prepared as Les Cacas can be a real hassle to prepare and apply if you are not. Feel free to adopt my mess-free routine which makes application much easier and reduces the cleaning up afterwards.
As the Cacas is divided in blocks you can break off the exact amount you want each time. It comes in four different colours; Caca Rouge (for bright red hair), Caca Marron (for chestnut hair), Caca Noir (for black hair with a blueish tone) and Caca Brun (for brown hair). So there is a good range of choice really depending on how brave you are.
Cacas contain few ingredients and as well as henna you will find cocoa, fresh lemon juice, powdered rosemary, clove bud oil and perfume. I am happy to say that this product is vegan.
The preparation
Lush recommends a strand test first before using Cacas. I must admit I never did this as I’ve used both chemical dyes and henna on my skin with no problem. It is best to do a strand test if you want to know what colour your hair will become. The strand test is essential if you have bleached, coloured, grey or chemically processed hair.
The strand test is highly recommended for those with grey hair as it takes to the henna more and is likely to be brighter. It all depends on the look you want (I wasn’t too worried as my hair is a deep brownish black and so is unlikely to have an extreme reaction).
Colouring hair at home can be messy and Les Cacas is no exception. When I purchased my Cacas I was given some latex gloves for free which was a lovely touch. If you’re applying the Cacas in your bathroom get any absorbent items like towels/ linen/ bath poufs out as the henna can get everywhere. Keep a wet wipe to hand to clean up any spills immediately. Prepare the area that you plan to stand in to apply henna by covering with newspaper, it is probably best if this is near a mirror so you can check you have applied henna evenly.
Do not use any metal utensils or bowls, as henna tends to go green when reacting with metals. This apparently only happens once the henna is wet but I don’t like to use metal items at all.
Things you will need: rubber gloves, old socks, hair brush, old hat or cling film, a hammer or heavy object, an old bath towel, a plastic/rubber spatula, paintbrush, big tub of conditioner, a non metal bowl and newspaper to cover the floors where you plan to walk. Wear old clothes and a shirt is best to avoid having to lift a top over your head.
The process
Clear away everything in the rooms you may visit as it is best to eliminate the chance of dropping henna on anything you like. Brush your hair when dry, Put on old socks henna can stain the thicker skin on the soles of your feet. I have had no problem rinsing dye off elsewhere.
The easiest way I have found to guarantee a perfect consistency is to put the henna blocks you want to use in a double bag and then whack it with a hammer. Not only is this very therapeutic it makes it a very quick process compared to grating. I find one square is enough now I have had my hair cut and two squares was perfect when my hair has halfway down my back.
You then place the henna in the bowl and then cover with boiling water. As the henna absorbs the water, use your spatula to stir the mixture until it becomes creamy. It is important to get the consistency of the henna just right- I’d say yoghurt style is perfect. Keep a pot of water boiling in case you need to top up as the mixture thickens. I would highly recommend adding a spoon of olive oil as it makes washing out easier.
You can also add various ingredients to play with colour or add conditioning qualities and this pleases my inner mad scientist:
Turmeric for golden tones
Paprika for red tones
Fresh coffee to reduce red
Chamomile for pale highlights (doesn’t really work on black hair but I tried it)
Pomegranate tea for subtle redness
Olive oil for conditioning
Dollop of conditioner (Retread is quite nice)
Few drops essential oils (jasmine works well) to condition and scent henna
The application
Put on your rubber gloves, and begin applying the mixture to sections of hair beginning at the root to the ends. Pile hennaed sections onto top of head, this is quite easy but use clips if you can’t do this. When you’ve applied the henna wrap your head with cling film or just stick on an old hat. I much prefer the hat as it holds my hair well and is comfortable. My hat of choice is a woolly hat which can fit all of my hennaed hair inside.
If you choose to use cling film wrap a towel around your head to keep it warm encouraging hair follicles to absorb the hennas goodness. I try to leave henna on for approximately four hours to achieve maximum colour and deep conditioning benefits from the cocoa butter. I also periodically in the first hour blast my hat with the hottest heat from my hairdryer. Once your hair is secured away, check for any crumbs and to quickly clean up any mess you may have made. Folding newspapers in to avoid anything falling out onto the floor, and throw them away. This means you won’t tread crumbs all around the house. Remove socks and hop into the shower (after waiting at least two hours). You may as well stick on a homemade facemask twenty minutes before you get in the shower as you will be in there for a while.
Rinsing henna
Remove your cling film or hat once inside the shower. This means no crumbs flying all over the bathroom. You will find the henna now resembles a huge cowpat which always amuses me. Rinsing hair in a large sink is ideal if you have a water spray attachment. But if rinsing in the shower is your only available option, then be prepared for a bit more mess to clear up.
Don’t stick your head under the shower and massage the henna with your hands. This will make so much mess, just stand patiently under hot water letting it run for about ten minutes. Now apply shampoo to your hair at the crown and at the lower part of your hair near your neck and begin scrubbing the henna out of your hair. Rinse and wash again carefully massaging every bit on your scalp. Do this again with conditioner, if you have very thick hair like me then you may need to condition again to get rid of any extra henna.
Rinsing is the hardest part, so be patient and take your time. Once water runs clear, clean the shower to save you cleaning it later.
The Hair
Once my hair dried it was very soft and shiny though my scalp was a little dry. On the second application I added a little olive oil into the henna and it was fine. Looking at my hair in the light reveals very subtle reddish highlights and I am pretty pleased with it.
Styling hair after hennaing it was no problem. I decided to let it air dry while twisting curls into place. I liked the results and have had plenty of compliments on the condition. Only a handful of friends have noticed the colour change, and I quite like that it looks so natural.
I do want to try a mix of Noir and Rouge to see it I can achieve purple tones.
