After so many years of doing henna and natural herbs for hair, and getting all sorts of questions, I really felt we could use a good post on common mistakes and errors, when it comes to henna for hair (and herbs). We’ve included some amazing tips that everyone should know.
This list will never be complete, and we’ll need all of you to help add to it. Henna and natural hair care is all about being open, having a good vibe, being natural, and accepting each and every recipe as special, and unique to every person.
- Henna is a plant, not a chemical, or ink. Henna is a natural plant, and it grows in very hot climates. As a natural plant it makes only one color: orange-reddish tones. Plants don’t give us more then one color. Typically blueberries stain blue, just as henna stains red. Commercial boxes of henna will tell us they are henna “colors”, but in fact they are pre-mixed boxed of henna that contain other herbs, and ingredients (sometimes even chemicals, additives, or metallic salts). It’s also not an ink. Henna powder is mixed into a henna paste, which can be used to dye your hair (permanent until it grows out), or to create henna body art designs (temporary) on the skin. Please read our recipes and how to’s section to find out how.
- Henna colors, is this possible? A lot of commercial boxed henna hair dyes will have a variety of colors available. Natural and 100% pure henna only dyes orange-reddish tones. Please always read the list of ingredients on the boxes you purchase, or just purchase 100% pure henna powder from a reliable supplier.
- Henna will not lighten your hair tone. Henna is a chemically-free all natural hair dye. It doesn’t contain chemicals, or bleaching ingredients that would lighten your hair.
- Neutral Henna. Cassia obovata is sometimes called neutral henna, but in fact it is another plant that has a low yellow dye molecule, that can color grey, light, and blond hair. On dark hair, cassia obovata will not usually show any color. Using cassia obovata will give you all the benefits of henna, but it does have to be done a bit more often, as the results are not as long term as henna is.
- Black Henna. Indigo is sometimes called black henna, but this is yet another plant that will color the hair brown to black tones (must be used with henna to give these results). Indigo does not have dye release the same way that henna does, so it must be mixed and used right away, or within 15-20 minutes. Please make sure your indigo does not contain PPD, which is can be quite damaging to the hair, and skin.
- If I use henna I won’t ever be able to use chemical dyes/treatments on my hair. As long as you use 100% pure henna powder, then yes you can use chemical dyes/treatments as you normally do. You won’t have to wait months to do your chemical treatments/dyes as the hair dresser would like to tell you. Keep in mind, that the hair industry is run by major companies that push all types of chemical products. They are in no way trained, or specializing in henna, and natural hair care (for the most part). You should give your hair a break in between treatments. Roughly about 1-2 weeks.
- How much henna do we need to use for our hair? No, you don’t need 500 grams of henna powder to color (treat) bra strap length (BSL) hair. First thing that needs to be asked is, how long is your hair, and secondly, how thick is your hair. Those are questions that need to be answered first in order to access how much henna powder you’ll need. You also don’t want to spend more money on products then you have to.
General speaking, shoulder length hair needs about 100 grams of powder, bra strap length about 200-250 grams, hip length about 300-350 grams, and so on. - Should I use lemon juice in my recipe? No, you don’t have to use lemon juice as your primary, and only liquid ingredient in your henna (herbal) hair recipe. So many people would have turned away and abandoned henna and natural herbal hair care, if they thought they could only use lemon juice. Lemon juice is acidic, and can be very drying on your hair. You can add a small splash of lemon juice, if you’d like. We usually add a bit of lemon juice. The most highly recommend liquid to use is warm water. You can even use tea (any variety of your choice), or coffee brews as well (for dryer scalps be careful with these as they can also be a bit drying). Chamomile tea has become quite popular to use in henna hair recipes.
- Is henna a temporary hair dye? No, henna is not temporary. It is a permanent hair dye. Henna alone only dyes orange-red tones. The only way to remove it is to let it grow out, or cut your dyed hair. That is why it is always recommended you do hair strand tests before making the “full head” committment.
- Can henna, and herbs for hair be drying? Yes they can be drying. If you have a dry scalp, then you will need to moisturize. You can add moisturizing oils, yoghurt, or a conditioner to your henna recipe, or use a good hair oil after your herbal hair treatment.
- Does henna lock out moisture? Some people believe that because henna coats the hair strand that no amount of moisturization can reach it. In fact no, henna will not lock out moisture from your hair. Oil, and condition your hair as usual, and as needed. The results will be amazing, and your hair will get all the moisturization it needs.
- Using a metal bowl, or spoon is it safe or not? When using pure henna powder (body art quality), and herbs for hair, you can use stainless steel bowls. Traditionally, they have used iron bowls, as it has shown to bring our more dye release. We typically use a spatula to mix it. We don’t usually use plastic bowls because they are porous, and the herbs will stain the bowl. The commercial boxes of henna, and henna “colors” that contain other ingredients, herbs, additives, metallic salts, etc..would more so cause reactions with metal bowls, then 100% pure herbs would.
- Can henna loosen my curl pattern? Yes, a lot of people have seen loosening effects of their curls when using henna and/or cassia obovata. There is a small percentage of people that don’t get any loosening of their curls. If you prefer to maintain some of your curl, then add amla powder to bring them back. Keep in mind, that amla powder also tones down the red of henna. You can also use amla powder in your henna/cassia recipe to maintain the curls in your hair, in case you don’t want to lose your curl pattern.
- So many henna powders. How do I choose? Keep in mind that some henna companies do re-name their henna powders, and this causes more confusion then necessary. The basic, and most important information would be which country is the henna from, how fresh is it (current crop year is best), and how well sifted is it? Please read: How to Choose the Right Henna Powder. There is no henna for a particular race or culture. Henna doesn’t discriminate. It is for everyone to use. If you were to say that a particular henna powder is very well sifted and therefore better to use on curly or african hair, then that we’d understand. But giving a henna powder a new name, is just for marketing purposes. If your henna comes marked with Jamila henna powder in red writting in any format on the foil packaging, then that henna is Jamila henna powder, not any other generic name that it has been re-named. Please read more on Jamila Henna.
- Body Art Quality: What does that mean? This is another marketing term that basically means 100% pure henna powder. This pure henna powder is safe enough to use for body art, and most likely finely sifted. Body Art Quality can’t apply to any of the other herbs we use on our hair, because that would mean we are using these herbs for body art, and we aren’t. They are being used for hair usage. Make sure you get yourself 100% pure henna, and herbs. Getting organic herbs is even better because you are guaranteed that the company/farm has gotten proper certification, and inspection that there are no pesticides used, and is an overall healthier, and safer product.
- My katam/indigo didn’t work for me. Indigo and Katam should be mixed separately from the henna paste in its own bowl. These are herbs that require a little more care, and their own time for dye release alone. Allow indigo and katam to sit 20-30 minute. You can then add the indigo/katam paste into the henna paste (bowl) for brown tones. Should you be using indigo for black tones you can use this after you’ve first done your henna treatment. Do not allow indigo to sit out for more then an hour.
Tips that work!
- Putting henna (and any herbs) onto damp hair really helps it go on much easier. Also applying indigo onto damp hair (with a dash or so of salt) has gotten the indigo to absorb better and give even darker, richer black color results.
- Adding sugar to your recipe makes the henna paste smoother.
- Pre-oil your hair, if you tend to get really dry when using henna, and herbs in your hair. This will give you the moisture boost you need. This also helps prevent dripping when dyeing your hair. Some of the best hair oils to use are olive oil, coconut oil, argan oil, and camellia oil.
- In order to get deeper, richer red results use a good, fresh henna powder that is known for giving rich red results (such as yemeni henna). After 2-3 applications, the color will deepen further.
- Wash your henna, and herbal hair treatments out really well. Use a lot of conditioner to help with the process. If you don’t wash it all out well, then your scalp will feel itchy, and gritty.
- Rmemeber to always be opened minded, and if needed, adjust your recipe to suit your hair. Just because someone else does it, doesn’t always make it right for you.
- Keep your recipe simple. Don’t get overwhelmed with a lot of the other ingredients that are added to recipes.
Hello there, I just came across your site and is very informative. I tried henna couple of weeks ago for the first time. My hair is naturally dark brown with an old Auburn faded dye color and white at my receding hairline. My initial result was way too orange brassy where my white hair is so the next day I tried mixing 1/2 henna and half indigo and got better results. I would like to get a deeper Auburn brown color and avoid the brassiness on my white. Should i stick with the 1/2 1/2 mixgure to get that deep Auburn or should I add something else. The product i used was organic 100% henna. Thank you so much.
Good day Lourdes. You may have to change your henna powders and indigo to a stronger dye mix and recipe like from us at http://www.HennaSooq.com. You will have really good results with higher dyeing henna and for auburn our organic rajasthani indian henna works well and slightly increase your indigo to about 60% and the rest 40% henna. I hope this helps.
Hi I just want to ask that my hair always become dry after the henna application how can I sort out this thing??
Hello Amna. You can add hair oils that we carry to your henna recipe: http://www.hennasooq.com/oils/. You can use this always overnight or right after your henna treatment. Our best product for deep conditioning is: http://www.hennasooq.com/sweet-honey-enriching-hair-nourisher/
On the Rainbow Research brand it says to create Medium/Dark Brown Color to cover grey hair, you need: 3 Parts Dark Brown + 1 Part Medium Brown + Coffee + 1-2 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar. I bought one jar of Dark Brown (4 oz) and one jar of Medium brown (4 oz). Measurement wise, how much is one part? I have not quite bra strap length hair.
I have been using henna but it’s making my hair very dry however by using coconut oil while making the mix does it give good stain to the hair coz I have lot of grey hairs
Hello Deepa. The coconut milk will dilute the color too much. Have you tried adding one of our hair oils to your henna recipe or our organic aloe vera powder. Those work perfectly to add moisture to your recipe. I’d also recommend you follow up with our Cocoveda hair oil and our Sweet Honey Hair Nourisher for best results.
Hi Kelly. Great to hear from you. We’re sorry but we carry our own Henna Sooq brand of products and can’t advise you on how to use Rainbow products. We’re not familiar with them enough either to make the best recommendations on their line. What makes Henna Sooq unique is that we don’t create henna blends of various herbs etc…we give you the henna and herbs as what they are for you to create the best coloring recipe for your hair. This way you know what exactly is in your henna recipe. This also gives you long lasting grey coverage and beautiful color. Please view our products at http://www.HennaSooq.com and please don’t hesitate to let us know if you have any questions or concerns.
Hi I recently ordered henna and indigo mixed with water and not lemon juice also waited 24hr for dye release and did not change my hair colour wat so ever. I read you don’t need lemon juice but do u think this is why it hasn’t worked. ? Please comment back
Hello Tomeeka. There may be a few reasons the recipe didn’t work. First it’d help to know, are these Henna Sooq products and did you follow our instructions that come with your products? Dye release of 24 hours is way too long for the color to work unfortunately.
These are our instructions: https://hennablogspot.com/newly-updated-how-to-henna-and-indigo-your-hair/. Lemon juice is ok for the henna part of your recipe but not the indigo. Do note also too much lemon juice can be drying to the hair. Please let us know how your next application turns out.
Hi,
I have been using henna for a few months now and I NEVER had a color release 🙁 it stayed green but I used it anyway. I noticed my hair has grown A LOT and it is softer, less breakage, very healthy and I still have my curls LOL. I would like to put a texturizer (similar to a perm) in my hair. Will it take?
Hi Princess. Which henna do you use? Let’s go through your recipe to see how we can improve it and get color results.
I mix henna with apple cider vinegar.
Then indigo with warm water and a litter salt.
I also mix my henna with coconut milk.
can i use olive oil or sesame oil with henna while applying?
Hi,
i’m will be using henna for the first time, but i don’t want to have my hair red or orange, i want it brown / dark brown.
i got 3 types of henna powder, brown, black and red. i heard if mixing the brown with onion syrup or pomegranate it will darken the color, please suggest
Hi, I’m new to this whole process of dying my hair with henna. I have dark blonde hair naturally but have been dying my hair with chemical dyes for quite a few years. I love the colour I get with my boxed dyes(deep auburn) but it is starting to fry my hair. How can I get that colour with henna? I would deeply appreciate your advice.
Hey! I dyed my hair with Lush’s Caca henna a few months ago. I use a beautiful lemon and peppermint shampoo that I love (so I know it’s a bit more cleansing and stripping on the hair) and I do deep argan and olive oil treatments twice a week. My question is, would it be safe to chemically dye again? The henna I used is pure henna and cocoa butter. I only want to darken my hair, I definitely will not highlight my hair for at least a year or until my natural hair grows out.
Do you have any suggestions?
Thanks!
Hello! I had a question about Henna, and I hoped maybe you coild help me… My hair is brown, and i’ve been attempting to light them up a bit by using blond (neutral?) Henna. It has worked wonders in the past, but in recent years it simply doesn’t work… ! I use a supposedly really good, certified brand from India (it does work miracles on my hair health!) and blend it well with warm water and some lemon, till it’s muddy. Then I apply it on my hair and leave it for a few hours. I once even let it on for a whoke night, just to see if it works. But the results are not the ones I got in the past… Do you perhaps have any advice?
P.S. My daughter likes to use red Henna on her hair (she has dyed it with chemical dyes in the past) but she tends to leave it on for too long… Could that be harmful in any way?
Thank you for your blog, and your advice! 🙂
Thank you for the post!! I recently started using henna, so this really helped me learn a lot about it.
This is my first time trying henna as I’m very allergic to all other hair dye, however the henna I use when I apply it to my processed hair it’s turns into clumps and doesn’t go on smoothly as I’ve seen in youtube videos, what am I doing wrong?
Hi, I have grey hair and just bought black and dark brown henna, and it came with indigo powder. I also bought Amla powder. My questions are:
1. Can I mix the two colors?
2. Should I mix the Amla with the indigo or the henna?
3. Is it OK to mix indigo with henna?
I used Henna for the first time not even two weeks ago and it’s already faded a good bit. How can I make the vibrancy last longer? I try to only wash my hair a few times a week but every time it lightens.
Do I need to wash, have clean hair, before I apply the Henna paste?
Araceli, your hair should be without products still in your hair if you use them. If you don’t them relatively clean is ok. It’s not a must. Some find better results with clarifying beforehand such as with our soapnut shampoo bar: http://www.hennasooq.com/soapnut-shampoo-bar/ especially if your hair needs it or is resistant to coloring.
Hi Christina. Which henna powder did you use? Usually it should last 4-6 weeks. Do you think your shampoo or cleansers might be pulling some of the color out?
Ive dyed my hair twice with henna color lab (red wine). The color comes out gorgeous afterward but washed out very quickly. I thought it might have been my shampoo so I purchased their organic shampoo and it still continued to wash out. Not just a little bit either I mean every single time I washed my hair the water was completely red until it eventually went back to my original color. I dont understand why, I thought I was doing something wrong. The package says to start with clean hair. Then mix with warm water and apply immediately, and to leave it on for at least 2 hrs. The first time I boiled some hibuscus tea and used that in the henna, i left it in for 2 hrs and the color came out better than I hoped for, unfortunately it washed out so fast. The second time I did some research and decided not to use anything but boiling hot water, mixed it up till it was a yogurt consistency let it cool then applied it. I left it on for about 6 hrs and the color was beautiful once again, I used henna color labs natural shampoo and conditioner but the color yet again washed out completely after about 5 wahses. Am I doing something wrong, I feel like I’m wasting money because it won’t last in my hair…what should I do?
I am henna fan. Simply because my hair looks and feels better when I dye it with all natural henna. Plus the all natural henna is safe for your hair!! I am huge fan of the reddish orange color I get from my henna!! and touch ups are great in between all over henna. I mix mine with different ingrientients. Sometimes a bit of coffee, coconut milk, little lemon juice, sometimes beet juice,
its necessary to apply oil before henna
Hi after using henna on scalp, is it necessary to wash with shampoo and conditioner?? Or to use shampoo after two days??
Hi. I’ve used Henna Kings Henna twice now on my dark brown hair, and it does leave my hair feeling healthy but my hair is not changing color at all. I want my dark hair to stay dark, just with some red stain to it but it’s not changing color at all. I’ve been using auburn. I also make sure my hair is clean and damp before hand. I don’t want a bright red that’s why I’ve been trying auburn. What am I doing wrong?
Hi,
I would like to know if I can put coconut oil on my hair after using Indigo?
Yes Maria, you can do so. That won’t remove any of your coloring.
Good day Sreeja. You can wash immediately with our shampoo bars and conditioners or wait until your color settles if needed and return to your regular washing routine. It depends if the shampoo and conditioner pulls out the color or not for your hair. You will have to test this out to be certain of what your hair likes.
Hello Cathia. No it’s not necessary but beneficial if you have dry hair.
I am going to do the Henna Gloss treatment for the first time. I’ve seen some comments to add essential oils or other products once it melts down. Is it necessary to add anything to the gloss?
Hi I use 50% organic indigo 50% morocco henna. I have some white roots and noticed that they are more yellow orange then the rest of my darker brown roots. any suggestion how I can get a darker root colour without the yellow in it. I tried adding more indigo but my hair got too dark.
Hello, I was advised to mix henna in my condtioner, increasing the amount of henna with each application. My problem is I am not sure how much henna to add to my conditioner AND I am not sure if I should allow the henna/conditioner mix to sit overnight before applying. I will appreciate any advice you have in this area.
Hello,
How long should I wait between applications? I have applied henna onto my hair today and I would like to know, when can I apply it again?
I have dark hair and so I would require more than one application to show any colour.
I have damaged my hair through the years with chemical dyes.,
My hair now is so brittle an sheds easily.,
I would like to cover my grey hair by using Henna.
can I start using it on my roots? Will Henna help strengthen my hair from the roots?
Hi- I have medium brown hair. I’ve previously been using Garnier Nutrisse Nourishing Color Creme, 50 Medium Natural Brown, but have been considering going natural for a long time. I have a lot of grays to cover in the front. I’m not really into red hair- what will this do for my NON grays?
Hi,
A few years ago I tried henna for about 6 months. I did the research and tried my best to buy pure henna. I loved the colour and the fact that it wasn’t irritating to my scalp. In fact, it seemed to helped with my dry scalp. I stopped using henna because my hair became brittle and I developed bald patches towards the crown and at the front of my hairline. After I stopped using henna, the hair at my crown eventually grew back but the areas at the hairline didn’t grow back to their original state. Also, my hair seems drier overall.
Another thing I noticed was that my urine was dark green after I had used the henna.
My question is why did I have these issues (dry hair, bald spots, and green urine)? I’m confused since the henna experts say henna doesn’t damage hair and scalp. I even tried hennaforhair to see if I would get better result, but didn’t.
Thanks
Hi… A vry useful piece of writeup…. One thing I wud want to know, if I oil my hair before henna application, will d gray hair take in d red color? As I plan to start henna my hair only to hide d gray hair strands…
Hi, I have coloured hair. My natural hair is black but few months ago I got gold/blonde colour at the end of my hair. I have some arabic henna powder and want to know, if I put the henna on my hair what colour my hair will change to?
Assalamualaikum, I recently bought a packet of black henna by EAGLE’S, manufactured by Ram Gopal & Son, new Delhi India. There’s no ingredients stated, so I want to know whether all types of henna are halal and can be used for shalat or only certain types of henna. Thank you so much.
Hi! I’m considering giving the henna dye a try to help cover a few grays throughout my hair and also to help strengthen my hair. My hair is naturally curly and when stretched its a little past bra strap length. Should I purchase 2 boxes?. Do you recommend a brand? I’m nervous about losing my curl pattern. Any tips when applying? I’m somewhat nervous about this process. Would appreciate any help. Thank you😊
Hello – I have curly, light brown hair with quite a bit of gray. My goal is to cover the gray while maintaining the light brown. Where I am confused is do I use apple cider vinegar in my recipe to help cover the gray, Amla to help maintain my curl and black tea in stead of water to make the color rich? Thank you for your help.
Wonderful advice..
Using henna helps to grow your hair…
And it gives good nourishment.. It serves many purposes too..
Okay, I have dry hair, and I will pre-oil it before my henna application. My question is, is the order (to ensure no products interfere with henna uptake) pre-oil, shampoo to clarify, then henna, OR shampoo to clarify, pre-oil, then henna? FYI – I do a 2-step and apply indigo after I henna to cover stubborn greys (tho I’m gearing up soon to try a one-step approach soon) since I’m a new HennaSooq convert!
Hi
I have a thyroid issue and I am considering using henna to color my grey. Do you have any tips to help me take the leap. I am concerned that henna will dry my hair out and make it fall out. Over the last year I have cut my hair 3 times because of breakage. I have dreadlocks and I don’t put oils in my hair.
Hi Khadijah, I dyed my hair in red colored streaks (3 weeks) back and I had few grey streaks, so I applied henna on my entire hair, now the red is also looking orange and its looks bad, can you please help n advise.