How To Color Hair At Home With Henna

In the past, I experimented with less-toxic natural pilus color for fun just now that I'1000 seeing more grey strands I wanted to detect something that I could do on a regular footing without feeling like I was poisoning myself. In college, I used to utilise henna as natural hair color—we would purchase information technology at the wellness food store and mix information technology upwards in the sink. And so, I was looking to go red. Now, I wanted to stay brunette—without grey. Could a truly natural hair colour deliver? Unlike so-chosen natural hair color dyes—all of which incorporate potentially toxic chemicals—henna is 100% chemic-gratuitous. Merely can it actually cover gray? Even those "natural hair colour" dyes contain some level of potentially toxic chemicals. They too can strip your hair: When the dye fades, the hair is a lighter color. I like my natural brunette color–I'chiliad just not a fan of the grays!

Luckily, henna is really, truly 100% chemical-complimentary and will not change the color of your pilus at all. Henna itself is actually a plant; the henna natural hair color is made past powdering and drying its leaves and stems—there are no chemicals, metals or salts added. Y'all can use henna–or a mixture of henna and indigo, which is likewise plant-derived–to accomplish a blonde, brown or ruby colour.

Here are the benefits that I found when using henna:

ane. My hair is super shiny.
2. Information technology feels thicker and deep conditioned.
iii. The henna colors my grays then that they look like tiny, very fine highlights.
4. The color lasts for 2 months and fades out gradually, without irresolute the base color of my hair.
v. I'm not putting whatsoever toxic chemicals onto my trunk and down the bleed.

Unlike chemic dyes, henna doesn't strip the hair, it simply coats information technology—the resulting color is a mix between the henna and the base colour of your hair. You tin can get pretty much whatsoever color you want with henna—except your shade cannot go lighter. The dye lasts most half dozen weeks, and when the henna stain washes out, your natural hair color remains the aforementioned.

My college days applying henna at the sink were seriously messy, and I didn't want to deal with henna stains in my firm. So I chosen upwards my friend and hairdresser, Viviane Sellam at Marina Beach Hair in Venice, CA, and asked if henna was in her repertoire. Viviane is Parisian past way of Algeria, and I remembered her telling me stories of her mother applying henna. Turns out, for several of her clients—especially those who are cancer survivors—Viv uses natural pilus colour henna to dye their hair.

We decided to first examination how my hair would react to neutral—i.e. no color—henna, which proponents claim makes the hair thicker and shinier, regardless of color. After researching different brands, nosotros went with Morrocco Method Neutral colorless henna. Day of, Viviane mixed upwardly the henna with water and practical it to my head in sections, like she would with any other hair dye.

Then I sat under the dryer. One corking thing about henna is the way it smells—similar freshly cutting alfalfa. There is no stinging to your optics and it actually feels similar a conditioning treatment as it'south practical, which takes about thirty minutes. After another thirty minutes under the dryer, Viviane washed the henna out. My hair was super shiny and felt thicker, merely there was as slight ruby tint to my natural color. Newsflash: Neutral henna is not totally color-gratuitous.

Six weeks subsequently, I was ready to try again. I wanted to embrace my scattering of grays with a night brown color with subtle red tones–matching my natural hue. We went with a medium chocolate-brown like this henna from Calorie-free Mountain and to reduce the red, we added indigo pulverisation.

Viviane applied the henna as before. (We didn't follow the directions not to shampoo for 72 hours. I only couldn't odour like a hay befouled for iii days!) The results were mixed: The henna covered my gray hairs, for sure.

Merely my hair was distinctly…cherry!

Luckily, you tin can reapply henna every bit much as you want to get the colour you're going for–it won't damage your hair. Next, we tried mixing equal parts henna and indigo, and kept it on my pilus for an hour, only didn't sit nether the dryer. My grays were a slightly brighter color and then they looked a little similar highlights. I like this effect, but you might need to adjust the color to get more coverage.

Finally, I went with pure blackness indigo, which delivers brunette color with less red tones. This is my favorite outcome! Two to try are Hannah Natural 100% Pure Indigo Powder and Henna Maiden Pure Indigo Powder.

Moral of the story? STRAND Exam! I think using henna is probably what hair coloring used to exist like, earlier at that place were thousands of shades of toxic chemicals calibrated to evangelize a very specific hue. With natural hair color henna, you're avoiding the toxic chemicals but you have to work a little to find the perfect blend for your ideal henna natural pilus colour.

The difference between pilus dye and henna is like the difference betwixt painting and staining wood. A light colored wood volition look the same as a dark colored wood when painted; but a light colored wood will take stain completely differently than dark. It'southward the same with henna. Information technology's not like a box of hair dye when you can just paint on a colour and expect your hair to come out exactly that shade. With henna, you accept to experiment with the style the stain works with the existing colour of you hair.

Here are the steps I recommend:

Piece of work with your hairstylist or a henna manufacturer to determine what ratios yous'll need to become the color y'all're looking for.
Some hennas need to be mixed as much as 24 hours in advance, just you can mix a big batch and freeze the residuum to apply a 2d fourth dimension.
Utilise the hairs from your brush to do a strand test and brand certain you lot're getting the color you lot're going for.
Apply the henna like any other dye—covering your hairline and ears with a non-petroleum jelly to minimize skin staining.
Let the henna sit on your head for at least 30 minutes. (Employ cotton at your hairline covered with a shower cap to catch drips.)
Remember: The length of fourth dimension volition vary depending on your pilus and what color yous're going for: The longer you lot leave it on, the darker the shade will be. Which is why the strand test is paramount.
Rinse out the henna. If yous're a wuss like me, shampoo and condition. If you're hard-cadre, you tin utilize conditioner but don't shampoo for 24 hours. (This is said to brand the colour stronger.)
The full color will announced after 72 hours.

Take you tried henna or indigo? How was information technology? What'due south your natural hair colour of choice? Allow me know in comments beneath. Thank you!