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.
Good evening CC. It contains PPD, so I want you to know that it definetely has chemicals in it. This one is different then websites that talk about pure henna powders, as that box is not a pure product but had chemicals in it. So just water will be your safest choice.
If you do use 100% pure henna, like yemeni then the red will show up. Not as bright or deep as lighter hair tones, but you’ll see it and if you had any grey it’d look like highlights which is beautiful!
I hope this helps.
Ok, in which case I think I will try and seek some of that out as i’m really not keen on putting chemicals in my hair. Thank you for the help, it’s much appreciated!
Welcome CC. If you get a chance please let us know how it turns out!
I definitely will do, thanks again!
I have been chemically dyeing my hair for the past few years. My hair has become very unhealthy and lifeless, and so I would like to try henna as I would like to stop using chemical dyes on my hair. My mother has been using henna and her hair is now very thick and healthy, and I am looking forward to having the same results. However, I was wondering if henna that contains the following ingredients could be used on my dyed hair without damage?
Ingredients: Herbal henna powder, para penylene diamine, citric acid, herbal amla powder, barium peroxide, magnesium sulphate
Brand: Eagle’s
Made in New Delhi
Also, the last time I dyed my hair was in August.
Thanks!
Thank you for your post Reina. Para penylen is PPD so it is not pure henna powder, but chemical based henna hair dye. There may be damage due to the chemicals found in that box you have. It’s been awhile since your last coloring (you said August) but this box is the same as using commercial dyes.
I’d recommend you use 100% pure henna powder without chemicals, and metallic salts. I hope this helps!
Good afternoon,
I was just wondering if I need to wash my hair before putting in the henna? Also, is it ok to mix the paste with green tea or aloe vera juice instead of water?
Hi Felecia. Your hair should be clean, but not frehsly washed, if you don’t want to. Usually damp hair makes the application go on easier. Yes you can use those liquids to mix rather then water.
HI, just came back to let you know how my henna went. I think it went well for the first time but there are things I shouldn’t have done and will change next time around. I used dextrose and EO’s to terp which I later found out is if you want to use it for body art. I left it on for 5 hrs and didn’t really go out during the first 3 days so the colour/tint wasn’t as strong as it might have been (as my hair is natrully dark). On the other hand my hair felt really strong and the curls were really defined! I will definitely be making this part of my hair regimen to hopefully do once a month.
Thx again for the help and advice!
CC thanks for letting us know! I am glad it really well. Keep up the great regimen! It’s all about learning and being open minded with the henna and herbs (recipes and such).
Hello!
I recently tried henna for the first time and was wondering if I might have done something wrong. I have dark brown to black hair and was hoping to add some reddish highlights using henna, but sadly there really wasn’t any change. I had a few spots that were bleached blond a few years ago and those parts turned an interesting chestnut brown color, but the rest stubbornly stayed completely dark brown/black.
I used the Yemeni henna with some lemon juice, water, a bit of olive oil and paprika following instructions that I found online. I mixed up the paste and let it sit overnight. The next day I thoroughly spread the henna through my hair and then let it sit for 5 hours. I washed it out conditioned my hair, and that was that! This was two days ago, so do you think the color would have settled by now? Also, should I not use shampoo to wash out the henna paste? I was kinda worried about that afterward. Also, how long should one wait between henna applications? Do you think I would get more of a reddish tint if I used it again?
I did really like the henna treatment though. I have insanely thick hair that used to be kinda coarse and after the henna it has really softened noticeably. Yay!
I would definitely love to experiment with henna again more in the future!
Hi Amy
Was it our instructions and Yemeni henna from us? I just want to make sure so I get a good idea of what to expect.
I use yemeni myself, and it’s one of my faves since I have dark hair and I want red to show through and a nice red, not a dark red like burgundy-ish. I like a more real red, like yemeni gives.
In my opinion and the way I use yemeni, I would change the time you let it sit out. I only let yemeni sit out for about 2-3 hours, and then use it. Maybe cut that down and it should have more dyeing properties to color your hair better, and also a second application sometimes help bring it out.
I am glad you liked the treatment! Speak soon
Oh! I must have just waited too long to use it. Darn. Well, now I will know for next time! 😉
I did get the Yemeni henna from your website, but I wasn’t quite certain how long to wait after making the paste. Most places I read said to let it sit over night, so that is what I did. I think next time I might try a different recipe as well since I really did not like the smell of paprika. I think I will try the hibiscus tea instead.
I will definitely be using henna again in a month or so (most likely the Yemeni again). It really has made my hair so much nicer in texture/manageability.
Thanks!
Hi Amy. Hibiscus tea sounds really great! Yes do adjust your henna recipe. Some sites and people do say let it sit overnight but the thing is that they don’t mention what henna powder they are speaking of, and it does vary between powders.
Enjoy!
Hello All, I have psoriasis on my head and the commercial dyes just kill me. Is there anything special I should know when using hennas?
Thanks for your post Wendy.
What color would you like to achieve, firstly? And as for your scalp, you’ll also need to moisturize. Camellia oil that we carry works amazing for your scalp and especially for psoriasis. Otherwise with henna and herbs just make sure to moisturize afterwards to treat your scalp and hair.
Hi, my hair is black and I want to use henna to make it a slight dark red. Is this possible? If so, how can I achieve this?
Thank you for your post Lisa
Yes it is possible. The yemeni will give it red tone that will come out especially in the light. For dark hair if you want to see some red, then yemeni will be your best choice. You can also add hibiscus powder to boost the red. I hope this helps!
Thank you for responding. Where can I order the yemeni and the hibiscus powder?
Welcome Lisa. Henna Sooq sells it at http://www.hennasooq.com
I hope this helps!
Hi, i bought some Jamila henna today, but it say at the bottom in red ‘summer crop 2007, MFG:June 2007 EXP:May 2010’ I noticed this before i bought it and told the lady who said it was still fine to use, which i also thought it would be, but does henna actually go off at some point at all and if so what will the effects be? Thanks, Sarah
I am looking to use Indigo for darker color than my already dark brown to black hari. However I am still confused on which Henna to use pre-Indigo…I am thinking the Morocan Henna.
Also, am I combining the Indigo (after being mixed in its own bowl) with the henna (that has been sitting for hrs) and applying it as one application?
(i would like to order ASAP)
Thank you for your post Tray. Moroccan yields the least the least amount of red tones and has a fast dye release so people going for darker tones do tend to use this henna powder. Sure you could combine the indigo with the henna but since you want it darker, do you want it dark brown or black. If black then you need to do a 2 step process, and if it’s dark brown then a one step process with henna and indigo together at proportions of at least 75% indigo and 25% henna. I hope this helps!
hello, i have dyed my hair with the brown henna and mixed it with a bit of red , it was nice at first but then every time i washed it, it would turn more red (lighter and lighter)… i now want my hair to be a nice chocolate brown with no traces of red but im scared that the henna will give a red tinge …. will it?? how do i get it to not ???
Ruth, thanks for posting on our blog. What is your natural hair color? Sounds like you’d have to dye it again. You should be using it at least every 4-6 weeks and if your hair grows fast then at least 3-4 weeks and some people also do a root touch up. But if it’s the indigo that’s not sticking well then I’d recommend you use moroccan henna with indigo. The indigo we have clings very well to the hair strand. This will give you better results. You can find these products at http://www.hennasooq.com and click shop
Hi
I’m going to do my first henna today! I just have one concern. I heard that using straighteners or curling irons over hennaed hair will darken it. I don’t want my hair to get too dark! Does the darkening stop once its oxidized, or will repeat straitening just keep making it darker and darker?
Will the 2 step henna/indigo make my hair look a dull black or shiny black. What steps would I take to get a dark dark chocolate brown intead of black?
I ordered the indigo and moroccan henna.
Thank you Shamika. It will be a shiny black as the herbs and henna really make your hair shine. For chocolate brown you’d do a one step process which is henna first and mix it for dye release, and then once it’s ready, mix your indigo for dye release and then put the two pastes together and then you’ll have a chocolate brown. Proportions for that would be 75% indigo and 25% henna
Thanks! One more question, it is ok to use shampoo and deep condition after the treatment? I understand they make make your hair feel dry. Or should I co-wash the the treatment out?
Most people who have drier hair prefer to co-wash afterwards only. You would probably prefer that.
Still waiting on my henna and indigo to arrive! Cant wait! I am going for a rich dark chocolate brown color. I understand that I need to mix them in seperate bowls, then after dye release mix them together. How long should I let the henna and indigo mix stay in my hair?
Also, should I wash my hair before doing the henna/indigo ans apply to wet hair? Or dry hair?
Hi Shamika. I hope you love the products and experience when you receive them. I know you will!
Absolutely, that’s right. Mix separately and then put the pastes together. You can let it stay in your hair from 3-4 hours, or half that time if you have heat.
Putting the paste onto damp hair works easiest, and your hair should be clean, but it doesn’t have to be freshly washed, just clean.
Veronica, sorry for our delay. I actually was never told directly it makes the henna darker with heat like that. I haven’t seen that from experience at this time. That’s really interesting. Which henna are you going to be using? Use a more vibrant red henna to make sure it stays more consistently red then going too dark as some can go darker over time and applications as well.
Hi Khadija, I have a unique question that I’ve never seen posted anywhere regarding mixing henna. I have really bad shoulders and mixing henna is sometime very painful for me. Are there any quick/easy ways to mix henna? I’ve thought about using a hand-held mixer, but I’ve never read about anyone using that to mix their henna. Thank you.
Hi Andrea, Yes actually a mixer is fine. A lot more henna artists use mixers then hair users. So go for it. Let us know how it turns out and I hope it makes the process MUCH easier 🙂
hi…
I used moroccan henna for a gloss. I used 1 tbsp henna, 1/2 c. Chamomile tea, 1/2 c. Conditioner. dye release 1 hour and on my head 1 hour before washing & conditioning. It was perfect, but has darkened considerably. I had light brown hair with blond and copper highlights, but now it is a darker brown with a hint of copper. Should I try jamilla henna for a lighter red?
Hello Caroline, jamila would be a cool red so yes you can definitely try that one. You may also want to use some cassia in your recipe.
How often can I henna and indigo treat my hair? I have greys and don’t want them right now.
Caula, you can use henna and indigo every 4-6 weeks to cover grey and color your hair. You can also use it to do root touch ups if your hair grows faster more often.
Hi! I’ve been hennaing my hair for a while now and I have hard time getting even color, because the root area is always lighter than the rest. I’ve been trying to do the roots only to avoid build up of color on the length but it’s quite difficult not to get that stuff on previously colored areas. I have dark blonde hair naturally, and my roots are light copper and the rest of the hair is reddish light brown, maybe I would call it auburn or dark copper or somewhere in between. I’ve used indian henna (Sojat & Punjabi Prime) previously. So what should do I do? Do the roots twice? Get stronger henna (like Yemeni henna..?) Ideally I would like to get stronger red tone, but I would be satisfied with strong copper colour if only I could achieve even colour on the roots & length. Thanks in advance if you can answer my question 🙂
Hello, I love your blog and you website! I am thinking of starting using henna and indigo. How long should I wait after applying henna/indigo mix to shampoo my hair. Can I wash my hair daily (I usually do that)? Thank you very much in advance.
Yulya
Thank you for your post Dita. Yemeni would be ideal but it’s not in stock and most don’t have this henna powder at this time because it’s very hard to import in right now since they are having a lot of political issues there and fighting going on. So you want the roots to be a richer red correct?
Yulya, thank you for posting. Thank you so much for your comments! Some that are just starting out co-wash the herbs out so that the color sticks really well and settles down. Once it settles within 2-3 days then you can use your shampoo. Unless you use a mild shampoo or natural shampoo that does not strip color. Yes daily after that is fine, but let the color settle and see how your hair holds on to the color. I hope this helps!
First, thank you so much for your website, products, and care for your customers! I’ve been using henna for almost 2 years now, usually with indigo. I used indian henna 4 days ago, no indigo, and my hair has much more orange than I prefer. Without coloring it again right away (I need to order more henna), are there any herbal rinses/ treatments you could recommend? I do have amla powder on hand. Thank you!
Welcome Kristi. Thank you for being a client for so long.
I’d say if you could do an amla treatment it might tone it down but it’s hard to tone it down without coloring it again, unless you can also try this rinse: https://hennablogspot.com/chocolate-brunette-hair-rinse/
This should tone it down some, and you can make it less strong if you prefer
Thanks so much! I’ll give them both a shot!
I’ve used henna twice today being my second time. My first application I did not put enough henna on my hair. But the sheen I received was outstanding. I can’t wait until this evening to see the outcome of my second application.