How To Henna for Natural Hair Color
Why use toxic chemicals when you can have natural hair color with henna?
In the past, I experimented with less-toxic natural hair color for fun but now that Im seeing more gray strands I wanted to find something that I could do on a regular basis without feeling like I was poisoning myself.
In college, I used to use henna as natural hair colorwe would buy it at the health food store and mix it up in the sink. Then, I was looking to go red. Now, I wanted to stay brunettewithout gray. Could a truly natural hair color deliver?
Unlike so-called natural hair color dyesall of which contain potentially toxic chemicalshenna comes from a plant. But can it actually cover gray?
Even those natural hair color dyes contain some level of potentially toxic chemicals. They also can strip your hair: When the dye fades, the hair is a lighter color. I like my natural brunette colorIm just not a fan of the grays!
I talked about it with Green Diva Meg in this Green Divas Health & Beauty radio show segment. Listen up then read on for the details…
Henna itself is actually a plant; the henna natural hair color is made by powdering and drying its leaves and stemsthere are no chemicals, metals or salts added. You can use hennaor a mixture of henna and indigo, which is also plant-derivedto achieve ablonde, brown or red color.
Unlike chemical dyes, henna doesnt strip the hair, it simply coats itthe resulting color is a mix between the henna and the base color of your hair. You can get pretty much any color you want with hennaexcept your shade cannot go lighter. The dye lasts about six weeks, and when the henna stain washes out, your natural hair color remains the same.
My college days applying henna at the sink were seriously messy, and I didnt want to deal with henna stains in my house. So I called up my friend and hairdresser, Viviane, and asked if henna was in her repertoire. Viviane is Parisianby way of Algeria, and I remembered her telling me stories of her mother applying henna. Turns out, for several of herclientsespecially those who are cancer survivorsViv uses natural hair color henna to dye their hair.
We decided to first test how my hair would react to neutrali.e. no colorhenna, which proponents claim makes the hair thicker and shinier, regardless of color. After researching different brands, we went with Morrocco Method neutral/colorless henna. Day of, Viviane mixed up the henna with water and applied it to my head in sections, like she would with any other hair dye.
Then I sat under the dryer. One great thing about Morrocco Method henna is the way it smellslike freshly cut alfalfa. There is no stinging to your eyes and it actually feels like a conditioning treatment as its applied, which takes about 30 minutes. After another 30 minutes under the dryer, Viviane washed the henna out. My hair was super shiny and felt thicker, but there was as slight red tint to my natural color. Newsflash: Neutral henna is not totally color-free.
Six weeks later, I was ready to try again. I wanted to cover my scattering of grays with a dark brown color with subtlered tonesmatching my natural hue. We went withmedium brown henna and to reduce the red, we added indigopowder. On theMorrocco Method website, I found an after photo of the color I was going for.
Our ratio was three parts Morrocco Method henna powder to one part indigo, which we then mixed with aboutone cup of warm water. The resulting henna mixture has the consistency of yogurt.
Viviane applied the henna as before. (We didnt follow the directions not to shampoo for 72 hours. I just couldnt smell like a hay barn for three days!) The results were mixed: The Morrocco Method henna covered my gray hairs, for sure.
But my hair was distinctlyred!
Luckily, you can reapply henna as much as you want to get the color youre going forit wont damage your hair.
I contacted Morrocco Method and they recommended that I try mixing equal parts henna and indigo, and to stay away from the dryer. I went back to Viviane and voila: The perfect color! However, mygrays were a slightly brighter color so they looked a little like highlights. I like this effect, but you might needto adjust the color to get more coverage.
Moral of the story? STRAND TEST! I think using henna is probably what hair coloring used to be like, before there were thousands of shades of toxic chemicals calibrated to deliver a very specific hue. With natural hair color henna, youre avoiding the toxic chemicals but you have to work a little to find the perfect blend for your ideal henna natural hair color.
Thedifference between hair dye and henna is like the difference between painting and staining wood. A light colored wood will look the same as a dark colored wood when painted; but a light colored wood will take stain completely differently than dark. Its the same with henna. Its not like a box of hair dye when you can just paint on a color and expect your hair to come out exactly that shade. With henna, you have to experiment with the way the stain works with the existing color of you hair.
Hereare the steps I recommend:
Work with your hairstylist or a henna manufacturer to determine what ratios youll need to get the color youre looking for.
Day of, mix the henna powders first, then add warm water.
If this is the first time, use the hairs from your brush to do a strand testandmake sure youre getting the color youre going for.
Apply the henna like any other dyecovering your hairline and ears with a non-petroleum jelly to minimize skin staining.
Let the henna sit on your headfor at least 30minutes. (Use cotton at your hairline covered with a shower cap to catch drips.)
Remember: The length of time will vary depending on your hair and what color youre going for: The longer you leave it on, the darker the shade will be. Which is why the strand test is paramount.
Rinse out the henna. If youre a wuss like me, shampoo and condition. If youre hard-core, you can use conditioner but dont shampoo for 24 hours. (This is said to make the color stronger.)
The full color will appear after 72 hours.
Here are the benefits that I found when usinghenna:
1. My hair is super shiny.
2. It feels thicker and deep conditioned.
3. The henna colors my grays so that they look like tiny, very fine highlights.
4. The color lasts for two months and fades out gradually, without changing the base color of my hair.
5. Im not putting any toxic chemicals onto my body and down the drain.
Have you tried henna? How did it go? Whats your natural hair color of choice? Let me know in comments below. Thanks!
Written by Rachel Sarnoff, Mommy Greenest
Bonus:
Listen to the latest full episode of theGreen Divas Radio Showan excellent start to this holiday season with Green Diva Foodie-Phile tips from Jerry James Stone on having a veggie holiday season; a fun Green Dude segment with Jeff Yeager on his annual mission to Save the Giblets! As we prepare for this season of giving, Sally Ranney talks about why we need to be more conscious consumers.
Catchthe latest Green Divas Radio Showand other green, healthy and free radio showsdaily onGDGDRadio.com (or get the GDGD Radio app)!
Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.
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