Ancient Sunrise® Fruit Acid Powder Facial

Fruit acid powder facial for skin brightening, tightening, and fewer blackheads.

Do you have leftover fruit acid that you’re not planning on using in future henna or cassia mixes? You may want to try a homemade fruit acid powder facial! Here is a simple recipe that was made from Ancient Sunrise® citric acid, Ancient Sunrise® amla, and Ancient Sunrise® Nightfall Rose. If you have sensitive skin, this mask may not be for you.

Ingredients
1/8 teaspoon Citric Acid
1/4 teaspoon Amla
1/4 teaspoon Nightfall rose
1/2 teaspoon of warm distilled water

Directions
First, mix up all three powders with warm distilled water and let it sit for a few minutes.
Secondly, apply the paste to freshly cleaned skin with a brush on the face, avoiding the eyes, nostrils, mouth, and any open wounds.
Then leave the mix on for 15 minutes (or until firm).
Finally, use a washcloth and warm water while gently massage the paste off of the skin.

Results
Immediately after rinsing the paste off, my face was RED. Part of this can be attributed to the anthocyanins of Nightfall Rose, the other part is due to my sensitive skin. The redness went away within a few hours. Though subtle, my skin was tighter, brighter, softer, and I had fewer blackheads. Within 24 hours, I noticed my rosacea was less red than before the mask. To see more drastic results, I would need to do this weekly.

I would do this mask again, as well as recommend it to my friends and family, because I liked that my skin felt tighter and that my cheeks were less red after 24 hours. Expect a little tingling and tightening sensation while it’s on the skin. It was simple to mix, apply, and rinse off. Like most facials, avoid doing this on a day of an important event, as it does cause temporary redness. If you’re unsure of how your skin will react, mix up a small amount and test first!

*Note* It is not advisable to throw random ingredients together without thoroughly researching the pros and cons specific products may have on human skin and consulting an esthetician or dermatologist.

Benefits of Citric Acid on the Skin:

Brightens skin¹
Minimizes fine lines¹
Anti-bacterial¹

Citric acid is used in countless beauty products and food products. It’s a great preservative, but there are more benefits that you may not have known, such as its positive effect on acne and wrinkly skin. Citric acid is an alpha hydroxyl acid which results in helping to increase the rate at which skin renews as well as help skin that has sun damage.²

Benefits of Amla (Emblica Officionalis) on the skin:

Anti-bacterial³
High in polyphenols⁴
Anti-aging⁵

Like citric acid, amla has multiple purposes. Ancient Sunrise® Amla powder is used for henna mixes and can be used on the skin by itself.³ High levels of antioxidants in amla mean it’s procollagen. Procollagen is what can help the skin look youthful.

Benefits of Nightfall Rose (Aronia Prunifolia) on the skin:

Anti-microbial⁶
Anti-inflammatory⁶
High in polyphenols such as Hydroxycinnamic acid⁷

Aronia prunifolia seems to be a beauty secret the world should know about. The purple chokeberry has high levels of anthocyanins consequently helping with UV protection⁸. The hydroxycinnamic acid present in this powder can help with anti-aging. Hydroxycinnamic has anti collagenase properties which prevent enzymes from breaking down the collagen in our skin⁶.

To learn more about Amla as a mask, read here: Ancient Sunrise® Amla Powder and Its Many Uses

Sources

“Citric Acid.” org, American Chemistry Council, 27 Aug. 2019, www.chemicalsafetyfacts.org/citric-acid/#uses-benefits.
Tang, Sheau-Chung, and Jen-Hung Yang. “Dual Effects of Alpha-Hydroxy Acids on the Skin.” Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), MDPI, 10 Apr. 2018, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29642579.
Cartwright-Jones, Catherine. “Chapter 6: Henna and Acidic Mixes.” Ancient Sunrise Henna for Hair, TapDancing LizardÒ, Copyright © 2015, pp. 7-8. https://www.mehandi.com https://www.hennaforhair.com https://www.ancientsunrise.com
Variya, Bhavesh C, et al. “Emblica Officinalis (Amla): A Review for Its Phytochemistry, Ethnomedicinal Uses and Medicinal Potentials with Respect to Molecular Mechanisms.” Pharmacological Research, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Sept. 2016, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27320046.
Binic, Ivana, et al. “Skin Ageing: Natural Weapons and Strategies.” Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine : ECAM, Hindawi Publishing Corporation, 2013, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3569896.
Taofiq, Oludemi, et al. “Hydroxycinnamic Acids and Their Derivatives: Cosmeceutical Significance, Challenges and Future Perspectives, a Review.” Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), MDPI, 13 Feb. 2017, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6155946/.
Taheri, Rod, et al. “Underutilized Chokeberry (Aronia Melanocarpa, Aronia Arbutifolia, Aronia Prunifolia) Accessions Are Rich Sources of Anthocyanins, Flavonoids, Hydroxycinnamic Acids, and Proanthocyanidins.” ACS Publications, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 13 Aug. 2013, pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf402449q.
Morse, Nancy L. “Anthocyanins and Skin Protection.” Bend Beauty, 17 Jan. 2019, bendbeauty.com/the-color-purple-what-are-anthocyanins-and-why-are-they-so-important-for-skin-protection/.

Maria • Ancient Sunrise® Specialist• LPC

What’s the Difference Between These Plant Dye Powders?

Henna for Hair 101: What’s the Difference Between These Plant Dye Powders?

If you’ve read Henna for Hair 101: The Bare Essentials and Henna for Hair 101: Choosing Your Mix, you’ll know by now that a Henna for Hair mix will contain up to three plant powders and one acidic component.

Ancient Sunrise® offers henna, indigo, and cassia. What’s the difference between these plant dye powders? How do you choose? Never fear. Keep reading.

Ancient Sunrise® Henna

Henna varies in dye content, sift, and tone. It is affected by region in which I grows, and yearly weather conditions which cause the natural dye concentration to be higher or lower. If it helps, think of henna like wine grapes. Weather and regions produce variation in crop and quality. As with grapes, there can be multiple varieties of henna plant, leading to qualitative differences in the resulting color.

Ancient Sunrise® runs every batch to under a microscope to determine its sift, as well as to ensure there are no additives such as sand and PPD. Back at the office, we test mixes on hair samples to observe paste consistency and color results.

The dye content refers to the concentration of lawsone in the henna. Higher dye contents lead to more saturated coverage and deeper, richer shades. Dye content ranges between 0.5% and 3%. Henna stains will always be orange/red in tone. The lower dye content hennas tend to be more coppery, some varieties in the middle range of dye content have rosier undertones, and a few with high dye content tend to mature towards brownish tones.

Sift refers to the size of the powder particles. Finer sifts create smoother pastes that are easier to apply and rinse out of thick hair, and are easier on delicate and damaged hair.

Ancient Sunrise® Rajasthani Monsoon Henna

This is our standard henna used in most of our regular Henna for Hair kits. It has a lower dye content, good sift, and rosy “true red” tones when used alone. This is the one we recommend to those who want a rich, vivid red with minimal orange tones.

Ancient Sunrise® Rajasthani Twilight Henna

This is the henna used in Henna for Gray hair kits. It has a high dye content, fine sift, and deep coppery auburn tones when used alone. This is our most popular henna. It provides great gray coverage and it makes for beautiful, rich auburn and brunette results.

Ancient Sunrise® Rarity Henna

This henna is used in the Delicate Hair kits. It has a medium dye content, a wonderfully fine sift, and lighter coppery tones when used alone. A finer sift means a smoother paste, which can be applied and rinsed out of the hair easily. This henna is perfect for people with very thick or curly hair, or delicate and damaged hair.

Ancient Sunrise® Indigo

Indigo varies only on sift. Finer sifts create smoother pastes that are easier to apply and rinse out of thick hair, and are easier on delicate and damaged hair. A finer sift can also lead to a deeper, darker coverage.

Ancient Sunrise® Sudina Indigo

This is the standard indigo used in Henna for Hair kits. It has a regular sift, and good coverage. Indigo paste is grittier than henna paste, but this can be fixed easily with a little Ancient Sunrise® CMC powder.

Ancient Sunrise® Zekhara Indigo

This is the premium quality indigo used in Henna for Gray Hair and Henna for Delicate Hair kits. It has a fine sift for deeper coverage. Because of the finer sift, most people find they don’t need Ancient Sunrise® CMC powder; Ancient Sunrise® Zekhara Indigo applies and rinses out easily.

Ancient Sunrise® Cassia

Ancient Sunrise® Clarity Cassia

Ancient Sunrise® Clarity Cassia is wonderful as a conditioning treatment that leads to smoother, shiner, and stronger hair without a color change.

This premium quality cassia has a finer sift, making it ideal for people with delicate, damaged, thick, or curly hair. This is a great choice for people who want to gently condition and strengthen their delicate or damaged hair.

A small amount of henna and indigo can be added to cassia to create beautiful blonde shades.

Cassia Auriculata vs Cassia Obovata

If you’ve been with Mehandi for awhile, you’ve probably notice that we do not have Sudina or Zekhara Cassia any longer. To read about the differences between Clarity cassia and our previous crops of cassia, click here: http://www.hennaforhair.com/faq/Clarity_cassia-auriculata.pdf.

Ancient Sunrise® Fruit Acids

All henna and cassia mixes need a fruit acid to release the dye that will color the hair. Different fruit acids will lead to slightly different color results because they nudge the dye molecules one way or another during the dye-release process. Acids alone do not contain dyes; they only work to affect the color result of a henna mix.

Gentlest on Hair and Scalp

Ancient Sunrise® Kristalovino and Ancient Sunrise® Malluma Kristalovino are both derived from grapes, and are the gentlest of all the acid powders. These are great for people who have sensitive skin and/or delicate, dry hair.

Ancient Sunrise® Kristalovino allows for brighter, lighter tones in henna and cassia, with some deepening over time.

Ancient Sunrise® Malluma Kristalovino causes deeper, richer shades, and is especially great for brunette mixes. It is the gentlest acid.

Brighter Tones

Ancient Sunrise® Copperberry keeps henna and cassia mixes bright, and is high in antioxidants to prevent deepening from oxidation over time.

Ancient Sunrise® Citric Acid results in bright tones which deepen with oxidation over time. Citric acid may be harsh on sensitive skin. Kristalovino would be a good alternative if you are worried about irritation.

Ancient Sunrise® Kristalovino, as mentioned above, is a gentle acid that makes for brighter, lighter tones.

Ash Tones

Ancient Sunrise® Nightfall Rose contains anthocyanins to add a subtle “blue’ tone to henna and cassia mixes, muting out brighter tones. This is great in combination with Monsoon henna, for those who want a rich, vivid “true” red with minimal orange tones. It is also good for neutral blonde and brunette results.

Ancient Sunrise® Amla helps to neutralize brighter red/orange tones, and aids in the binding of indigo molecules on the hair, for cooler, deeper brunettes. It also prevents curl loosening. Because henna smooths the hair and adds weight, those who want to keep their curls bouncy can use Ancient Sunrise® Amla to counteract any loosening effects. (Amla will not ash out henna or cassia only mixes.)

One wonderful thing about henna mixes is that they are forgiving. If you want to switch a plant powder or fruit acid, or change the ratios of your mixture, you can do this at any time, and the results of the new mixture will blend nicely with the color you already have in your hair. Feel free to read more or contact a Customer Service rep, who would be more than happy to help you decide on what you need.

Author: Rebecca Chou August 2017
Edited: Maria Moore August 2022

Amla is also antibacterial and high in vitamin c, making it a great facial mask. It exfoliates, smooths, tightens, and brightens complexions.

Switching It Up

Author: Rebecca Chou August 2017
Edited: Maria Moore August 2022

Henna for Hair 101: Choosing Your Mix

*Nearly any natural hair color is achievable with the correct mixture of plant dyes.*

When choosing your mix, we understand that it can be overwhelming. If at any point you’re not sure where to start, contact our wonderful customer service team!

The quick and dirty facts about henna for hair are the following:*

Henna by itself stains keratin a range of shades between copper and dark auburn.
Indigo darkens and browns these shades, and cassia lightens these shades, adding golden tones.
Equal parts henna and indigo will result in a medium brunette on most. More indigo will result in darker and darker shades of brunette.
Equal parts of henna and cassia results in bright, fiery tones of copper and orange. More cassia will result in lighter and brighter tones of strawberry blonde.
All three together will result in more shades of blondes and golden brunettes.
Henna first, then indigo second in a two-step process results in a shiny jet black color.
None of these powders or mixes will turn darker hair a lighter color.

*color results depend on starting hair color, with the exception of jet black.

Important information

If you are already lost, click here to read Henna for Hair 101: Bare Essentials.

The amount of product you need will depend on the length and thickness of your hair. If you have very short hair, you will want to adjust your measurements to save product. If you have very long hair, you will have to increase the amount of product you are using. The Customer Service representatives at www.mehandi.com are there to help you if you need it.

We have several types of henna, indigo, and cassia that vary by tone and/or sift. To see descriptions of the plant powders and fruit acid powders read Henna for Hair 101: What’s the Difference Between All These Plant Powders?

Choosing your Mix: Pre-Made Kits

If this is your first time using Ancient Sunrise® Henna for Hair products, it is easiest to start out with a pre-made kit. Ancient Sunrise® has a wide variety of kits to dye hair any shade from blonde to jet black, and they are formulated for regular hair, graying hair, and fragile hair (both natural and relaxed). We include the correct ratios of the plant powders and acid powders you’ll need to achieve your desired result, as well as gloves, a piping bag (great for quick and easy root touch-ups), and instructions on how to put everything together. No measuring or guessing necessary. All you’ll need is distilled water.

Because certain powders need to be mixed at certain times for the best results, we do not pre-blend the powders, but rather provide them in individual packets inside the kits.

We recommend choosing one or more kits to sample on some hair you have collected, and then using the full kit of your choice after determining which one works best for you. If you’re not picky about your results, you can jump right in with a full kit.

Below is a quick cheat sheet on the kits, their formulations, and the expected results.

Even if you want to create your own mix rather than buying a kit, the chart below can help you see what you might need to achieve your desired result.

Everything in the kits is available for individual and bulk purchase. Most customers start with kits until they are comfortable with the process, then order in bulk. We offer bulk discounts, which makes stocking up economical.

If you have light hair:

Desired Result	Kit	Mix
Brighten blondes, adding golden tone and shine	Ancient Sunrise® Blonde	• 96.5% Ancient Sunrise® Clarity cassia • 1.5% Ancient Sunrise® Twilight henna • 3% Zekhara indigo • Ancient Sunrise® Kristalovino fruit acid
Warm, strawberry blonde or golden blonde	Ancient Sunrise® Sunshine	• 80% Ancient Sunrise® Clarity cassia • 20% Ancient Sunrise® Twilight henna • Ancient Sunrise® Kristalovino fruit acid
Deep, neutral blonde to light golden brown	Ancient Sunrise® Chai	• 66% Ancient Sunrise® cassia • 17% Ancient Sunrise® Twilight henna • 17% part Ancient Sunrise® Sudina indigo • Ancient Sunrise® Nightfall Rose fruit acid
Vivid, orange red	Ancient Sunrise® Fire	• 50% Ancient Sunrise® Clarity cassia • 50% Ancient Sunrise® Monsoon • Ancient Sunrise® Copperberry fruit acid
Bright, rosy “true” red	Ancient Sunrise® Red	• Ancient Sunrise® Monsoon Henna • Ancient Sunrise® Copperberry fruit acid
Deeper “true” red	Ancient Sunrise® Cinnamon	• Ancient Sunrise® Monsoon Henna • Ancient Sunrise® Kristalovino fruit acid
Auburn	Ancient Sunrise® Auburn (gray hair kit)	• Ancient Sunrise® Rajasthani Twilight henna • Ancient Sunrise® Malluma Kristalovino
Medium, warm, chestnut brown	Ancient Sunrise® Medium Brown	• 50% Ancient Sunrise® Monsoon henna • 50% Ancient Sunrise® Sudina indigo • Ancient Sunrise® Malluma Kristalovino
Medium Cool brown	Ancient Sunrise® Cool Brown	• 50% Ancient Sunrise® Monsoon henna • 50% Ancient Sunrise® Sudina indigo • Ancient Sunrise® Amla fruit acid
Dark, warm, chocolate brown	Ancient Sunrise® Dark Brown	• 33% Ancient Sunrise® Monsoon henna • 66% Ancient Sunrise® Sudina indigo • Ancient Sunrise® Malluma Kristalovino
Dark, cool brown	Ancient Sunrise® Cool Dark Brown	• 33% Ancient Sunrise® Monsoon henna • 66% Ancient Sunrise® Sudina indigo • Ancient Sunrise® Amla fruit acid
Soft Black/Very Very dark brown	Ancient Sunrise® Warm Black	• 20% Ancient Sunrise® Twilight henna • 80% Ancient Sunrise® Zekhara indigo • Ancient Sunrise® Malluma Kristalovino
Jet black	Ancient Sunrise® Black	2 step process • 1st: Ancient Sunrise® Monsoon henna • 2nd: Ancient Sunrise® Sudina indigo • Ancient Sunrise® Malluma Kristalovino

If you have medium brunette hair:

Desired Result	Kit	Mix
Richen color (a shade or two darker)	Ancient Sunrise® Chai	See first chart for kit mix details
Slightly ginger	Ancient Sunrise® Fire
Ginger	Ancient Sunrise® Red or Cinnamon
Medium to Dark Auburn	Ancient Sunrise® Auburn (gray hair kit)
Darker brown	Ancient Sunrise® Medium Brown or Cool Brown
Darker cool brown	Ancient Sunrise® Dark Brown or Cool Dark Brown
Warm soft black	Ancient Sunrise® Warm Black
Jet Black	Ancient Sunrise® Black

If you have darker hair:

Desired Result	Kit	Mix
Add warm tones Warm red tones under sunlight	Ancient Sunrise® Red or Cinnamon, or Auburn	See first chart for kit mix details
Deepen color by a couple of shades	Ancient Sunrise® Medium Brown or Cool Brown
Soft black	Ancient Sunrise® Dark Brown, Cool Dark Brown, or Warm Black
Jet Black	Ancient Sunrise® Black

If you have graying hair:

Desired Result	Kit	Mix
Blend grays to a golden light brown tone	Ancient Sunrise® Chai	See first chart for kit mix details
Rich red highlights with an overall warm color	Ancient Sunrise® Henna for Gray Hair: Auburn	See first chart for kit mix details
Chestnut highlights on darker hair or blend gray with medium brown hair	Ancient Sunrise® Henna for Gray Hair: Medium Brown	• 50% Ancient Sunrise® Twilight henna • 50% Ancient Sunrise® Zekhara indigo • Ancient Sunrise® Malluma Kristalovino
Dark, warm brown highlights on black hair or blend grays with dark brown hair	Ancient Sunrise® Henna for Gray Hair: Dark Brown	• 33% Ancient Sunrise® Twilight henna • 66% Ancient Sunrise® Zekhara indigo • Ancient Sunrise® Malluma Kristalovino
Jet Black	Ancient Sunrise® Henna for Gray Hair: Black	Two step process • 1st: Ancient Sunrise® Twilight henna • 2nd: Ancient Sunrise® Zekhara indigo • Ancient Sunrise® Malluma Kristalovino

If you have natural hair, thick/curly hair, or delicate/damaged hair:

Desired Result	Kit	Mix
Add shine with no color	not in kit form	Ancient Sunrise® Clarity cassia with fruit acid of choice
Add warm, copper tones to light and medium hair colors	not in kit form	Ancient Sunrise® Rarity henna and fruit acid of choice
Color light hair medium brown or make medium to dark hair a few shades darker	Ancient Sunrise® Henna for Delicate Hair: Medium Brown	• 50% Ancient Sunrise® Rarity henna • 50% Ancient Sunrise® Zekhara indigo • Ancient Sunrise® Malluma Kristalovino
Color medium hair dark or make dark hair a soft black	Ancient Sunrise® Henna for Delicate Hair: Dark Brown	• 33% Ancient Sunrise® Rarity henna • 66% Ancient Sunrise® Zekhara indigo • Ancient Sunrise® Malluma Kristalovino
Jet Black	Ancient Sunrise® Henna for Delicate Hair: Black	Two step process • 1st: Ancient Sunrise® Rarity henna • 2nd: Ancient Sunrise® Zekhara indigo • Ancient Sunrise® Malluma Kristalovino

Note: Kits that are not labeled “for gray” will blend grays nicely into highlights.

All full sized and sample sized kits can be found here: https://www.mehandi.com/Ancient-Sunrise-Henna-and-Herbal-Hair-Care-s/166.htm

Our Ancient Sunrise® Henna for Hair E-book has great, detailed information about mix formulations, testing, application, trouble-shooting, and more. And of course, we have awesome Customer Service Reps who are all experts on henna for hair, available for consultation via phone, email, and chat during our business hours.

Author: Rebecca Chou
Updated: Maria Moore 2022