How to Henna Your Hair

Do you want to stop using harsh chemical dyes to color your hair? Theres an all-natural alternative that not only colors your hair but actually improves the condition of it. People have been using henna for hundreds of years, from cleopatra to lucille ball. Creating your own henna mix can be fun and creative. Beware though, make sure the henna you are using contains nothing but pure henna powder or you could have disastrous results. Always do a sample test. I personally have had good results with jamila henna. There are numerous benefits to "hennaing" your hair including getting rid of dandruff, adding shine, controlling oil, adding body, and improving your hair's overall condition.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• pure henna power, lemon juice or another acidic liquid, non-metal spoon, non-metal bowl, saran wrap, disposable rubber gloves, time to spare

1. 
    
   prepared henna paste

   First prepare the mix. You'll need about 100g of henna for shoulder length hair. Henna can be found at indian stores, natural product stores, and online of course. Alone, henna will stain you hair red, though with the addition of other natural herbs, you can achieve a color anywhere from honey blonde to jet black. There is no lift, henna can only deposit. Cassia is a plant, and is used in combination with henna for a more subtle change. Indigo is also a plant and is used for darker effects like light brown or black. In a non-metal bowl stir up your dry powder(s). Now stir in lemon juice(makes for a richer color but not recommended for dry hair), orange juice or any other citrus juice, rainwater, or another slightly acidic liquid until the paste is free of lumps and has the consistency of yogurt. Adding sugar to the mix will help make the goop easier to work with. If youre prone to dry hair like myself you can mix in a tablespoon or so of olive oil, high quality conditioner, vinegar, beer, or even an egg.

2. Now it's time to let the dye release. Cover up the bowl so your mix dosnt dry out and put it in a warm spot (not too warm), around 70-80 degrees for about 12 hours. I like to cover the bowl with a paper towel then a plate because the paper towel will form an orange stain, showing me that the dye is released.

3. You'll need to take a strand test to see what color youll be getting. You can do this by gathering some of the hair off your brush or taking a small snip and coating it with the henna. Let this sit for atleast an hour or two, rinse, dry then take a look. Hold it up to the sun and then in normal light to get a good feel of how it'll turn out. Once youre satisfied, it's finally time to color.

4. Make sure to start clean dry hair. Comb out any little knots you may have. Make sure to invest in a pair of disposable rubber gloves, or you'll end up with orange hands! Section off your hair and simply slap the paste on. Make sure you hair is completley coated, dont be stingy! Now wrap your hair in plastic wrap, and maybe a warm towel on top of that to keep in heat and aid in the hennas deposit (henna works alot faster if warm.) Immediatley wipe off any skin or surface the henna comes in contact with to prevent staining. Now sit back and relax for a few hours, it takes henna atleast 3 hours to release into your hair. The longer you leave it in, the more intensity you will get. It's a good idea to sleep on it. When times up, rinse the paste out. Once the water runs clear, shampoo and condition as normal. Don't be put off by a color that's a little bright for your taste when your hair dries the color should gradually darken in the next 3 days. Good luck!

Tips & Warnings

• Always always always check to make sure your henna contains only 100% henna
• Always do a strand test to avoid disasters
• Henna is hard to dye over and lighten, though the freedom from chemicals keeps people coming back, make sure this is the color you want.

Resources

• Henna for Hair