Henna Sooq’s Red Raj is grown and harvested in Rajasthan and has become rather popular since its arrival at Henna Sooq. Red Raj is a finely ground , medium dusty green powder. Red Raj is very popular with those with curly/wavy hair and is gentle enough to use on fragile hair as well as dreadlocks due to it’s intense creaminess and ease of washing out. Those with greys/silver hair have reported that Red Raj stains them a beautiful dusky rosey/rose-copper tone (which eventually turns to a deep red) and not the orange seen with many other henna powders.
Henna Sooq’s Red Raj with its 3.22% lawsone content has become one of our most popular hennas! Check out the buzz about Red Raj!
“Great Henna to color grays. I mix mine with 2tbs of Amla to keep my curl pattern. It is not as finely sifted as Jamila, but it gives my grays that reddish burgundy color that I love. It also smells a lot better than Jamila.”
“This is more of a rose red then the coppery color (at least on my greys) that I would get from the Jamila Summer Crop BAQ (which I love). Still love Jamila, but Red Raj is my go-to now. It’s definitely a different texture – a little stringy and moves almost as one big ball of henna cream after it absorbs the water when I mixed it, but it washed out easier and made less of a mess in the tub then the Jamila did.”
“This henna is awesome in it’s color and conditioning properties! The red is intense and has given me more color than any henna I’ve used so far.
I will absolutely be purchasing more of this.”
As you can can see, Red Raj is a very popular henna! Following are some tips specific to Red Raj and what to expect.
Lauren’s amazing spirally Red Raj
Texture/sift: Most packages are sifted very well, however there have been reports of small twigs in some packages. This does not reflect the performance or safeness of the henna. If in doubt, sift your Red Raj before use. Once sifted and the paste strained, Red Raj is fantastic for body art, on its own or in blends, due to it’s stringiness and intense dying power.
Dye release: With warm liquid, Red Raj can release anywhere from instantly and up to 4 hours. Please check your henna paste after mixing by applying a little dab on the inside of your palm for a minute or two, then wiping it off. If the paste leaves a bright orange stain when tested for readiness, then your paste is ready! Red Raj has a very long ‘life’ and will last a few days in the refrigerator after it has been mixed without losing potency.
Mixing: It is best to add liquid a little bit at a time. Due to the incredible stringiness (even more so than Yemeni henna), this henna takes a little more time to mix until it is smooth. It almost acts “gummy” due to the high mucilage content, so the henna balls up just like pizza dough as you’re trying to mix it. Do not worry if your henna “balls up” like dough! This is normal! Just keep adding liquid a little bit at a time and stirring until the consistency is smoother. Red Raj can absorb lots more water than say Jamila henna due to the stringy nature. Hand beaters are especially great for blending this henna with water into a smooth paste with ease, but are not necessary. Just mix mix mix until there are no lumps! It is best to add additives to Red Raj after dye release. With Cassia, Red Raj produces beautiful coppery tones, and with Indigo will produce deep burgundy tones. Red Raj is fantastic in a two-step for black tones
Application: Red Raj works great on short applications (1hr) and very long applications (overnight). For a deeper, more intense stain, leave Red Raj on the hair overnight. For a lighter, but bright ruby-like stain, leave on for 1 hour. Red Raj works wonderfully for root tough ups, glosses as well as full applications. The creaminess of Red Raj makes it suitable for those with finer hair and curls.
Tested Successful Liquids and Additives: Both tap water and distilled water have been reported successful, as well as coconut milk, yogurt, oils, juices (apple, pure cranberry, orange, berry), avocado as well as other herbs. Red Raj mixes well with other henna powders as well.
Tested Unsuccessful Additives: Due to the gumminess/stringiness of Red Raj, it does not accept Aloe Vera Powder or honey very well. Application becomes too difficult and slippery causing patchy/uneven results. Honey, vitamin E oil and castor oil has also been reported as a problematic addition due to their viscosity.
Freezing Suitability: Red Raj freezes exceptionally well. When Red Raj is mixed with a warm liquid then frozen, the dye becomes even more saturated than usual. Red Raj does exceptionally well even after refreezing.
Staining/Colour: Red Raj stains a rosey red, which deepens to a lovely rich red in approximately 3 days post paste removal. On lighter/silver hair, Red Raj stains a bright rosey red whch deepens to ruby-rose tones slightly over time. For those in search of pure copper tones would find Red Raj is fantastic for this when made into a gloss- a little goes a long way, though! Red Raj is also suitable in hennadigoes to create red-brown tones and twiostep henna and Indigo for a lovely deep rich black.
See the stain results so deep and rich right after henna paste removal
Following are some very happy Red Raj henna heads and their experience with Red Raj:
Lauren: “I mix the red raj with warm herbal tea and let dye release overnight, I then seperate and freeze it in ziploc bags. When its time to henna, I defrost it and let it sit in my hair overnight (generally 9 hours) . Rinse in the morning and smile at my beautifully hennaed hair ! Never do i plan on using another henna, it is just awesome!”
LumiereBlossom: “My hair is naturally light red. Recently I watched a movie with a woman in it and realized she had colored her hair with henna,which was absolutely gorgeous. So off I went to Henna Sooq to order some henna so my hair could as stunning as hers. The process went smoothly and I had no problems with leaves or twigs. The henna was easy to apply and easy to rinse once it was time to remove. The color after applying the product was as stunning as I had hoped for. Red raj is the most amazing henna and I would not hesitate to recommend it.”
LumiereBlossom’s Virgin Hair Before Henna
LumiereBlossom’s After Red Raj Henna
If you’ve been hennaing for a while and are looking for the perfect root touch up henna without using Indigo, or are looking for something that will not dye the orange tones, look no further than Red Raj!
A special thank you goes out to:
Lauren, LumiereBlossom, and uTT!
I LOVE the article! It is very informative. 🙂 Though my hair eventually did fade to a copper penny color but I’ve always wanted copper hair so I’m really happy. Plus the protein in red hair is much more stable than other colors so it’s harder to dye so I’m sure it’s not a problem many will have with this wonderful henna.
I have tried red raj for my first 100% henna experience today. I applied it to damp hair which i had previously washed with a paste of rhassoul mud and argan oil. It went on very smoothly and rinsed off easily without the need for conditioner. I could only leave it on for just over two hours as it started to run out from under the wrap. It is now dark so i am excited to see the final results tomorow in daylight. The smell was not at all bad or strong which i have found with the previous product i was using. My hair certainly feels nice.
Hi Lumie!:)
Glad you enjoyed the article! Your results are stunning! Thank you for sharing your experiences with Red Raj and dying red hair with henna.
My hair is dark brown, though it became somewhat lighter here and there due to sunlight. I have in mind a sort of rich dark copper or red chestnut shade, warm toned enough but not to reach a scary orange. Which henna would be the best choice (raj, jamilla?) and what is the right combination with the others?
Btw I want to keep my curls and I’ve read that amla could help here but I don’t know if it’s ok to add it in the mix. I have a quite yellow skin complexion and that’s why I am afraid to obtain a too lighter colour.
Thank you.
Hi Katha. How are you? Red Raj would be your asbolute best choice !!
Amla can tone down the red of henna but you can use amla powder as a second step to maintain your curls as well. You’ll really love it 🙂
Per the article above, it states to add other additives after dye release. Just wanted to verify as I usually add amla to maintain my curls as the henna tends to loosen them. Thanks in advance for the response.
Hi Jo. Other heavy additives but amla powder can be added in the same time with the henna powder and then sit for dye release together
am wondering what to do with hibiscus petal powder, is it safe to add with the henna or should I add it later?
Jadaa yes you can add our organic hibiscus peal powder to your recipe directly.
For the second time I took the Red Raj straight out of the freezer and mixed with hot water. The dye release was immediate and I have stained all my hands applying. I love Red Raj The colour is amazing and it is so easy to apply / rinse out. It colours my greys vivid red and is the best henna I have ever used. I love Red Raj and would never use anything else now. My only gripe is I live in the UK and the postage is expensive but worth the results.
Thank you for sharing!! 🙂 We hope we’ll have a distributor in the UK for all of you. If you know of any stores that may be interested send them our way.
I kept the Red Raj on overnight. The colour is fabulous and my hair is in great condition and so thick and shiny. Can’t stop looking at it. Must buy more incase i run out!
Hi Khadija, couple of questions on freezing henna(red raj in particular):
1) Do you actually wait for dye release before freezing?
2) If you wait for dye release, do you then add your oils etc before freezing
3) How long does it last while frozen and How exactly do you defreost (i.e. can i leave in the bottom of the fridge while at work~8 hrs and then bring to room temp before applying)
4) once defrosted can I add oils(coconut, olive, wheat germ etc) as per article some oils don’t play well with red raj.
Thanks in advance for your responses.
Hiya – I mixed olive oil with my Red Raj and never got a dye release at all. I was quite sad. I have found the best way to use it is to just use warm-almost-hot water. The Sooq may have better advice, but yep I wasted a bunch of mine trying to use oil! When I just mix it plain I get CRAZY dye release almost immediately and the most amazing color ever. I hope they can always get this stuff.
You article states this…. . “For those in search of pure copper
tones would find Red Raj is fantastic for this when made into a gloss”
How do I go about doing this? I assumed this product automatically produced a cooper color! Thx!
Hi Katrina. Red Raj yields a deeper, richer red. You can create more of a copper tone by creating a gloss, where this is with henna and conditioner mixed together as one recipe. Proportions are up to you. The more henna you use the more coppery it would be. Or you can use 50% to 75% henna with the rest being organic cassia.
Hi Rachel. Thanks for your feedback. When you mixed your Red Raj the first time, it was only with olive oil, no water at all? I’m so sorry to hear that you used only oil as as you experienced that isn’t a good way to get a good amount of dye release. Water or any liquid you choose such as ACV or green tea, should be warm to hot. That’s perfect and if you want to add oil, add only a few tbsp.
Red raj is the best! I use mixed w cassia for a gorgeous golden copper… 1tbs red raj to 3 tbs cassia. I’ve also used plain and it creates beautiful bright red toned even on my dark hair. I toy around w other hennas, but this is my go-to for sure! <3
I used the jamila henna before and this time i want to use the amla to maintain my curl pattern. I have below the shoulder hair. how much amla should i use?
You can add 3-4 tbsp of amla powder per 100 grams of henna used
Hello, I’m new to henna and have a question about rinsing.
Last week I hennaed for the first time with Red Raj. I deep conditioned right after but my hair still feels dry and is frizzier than normal.
I DC-ed 3 more times and notice a slightly orange water when rinsing or co-washing in the mornings. Is this normal? My scalp looks and feels clean… I love the color but sad that my hair feels and looks worse than before. Any advice?
I used: 2 tablespoons of Red Raj, 1 tablespoon Amla, distilled water overnight.
Thanks!
Hello
It’s normal that orange colored water might seep out for a few washes. You may want to add a small amount of conditioner or hair oil to your recipe directly. Do not allow Red Raj to sit overnight if your aim is some color results. 3-4 hours max for Red Raj
Hi Aster! I switched from Jamila to Red Raj because I had the dry, frizzy hair experience with Jamila. But I’ve never had it with Red Raj. My recipe is similar to yours except I don’t use amla, because I love the deep red that Red Raj yields. I just use Red Raj and hot distilled water. I let it sit until the dye releases (about 2 hours). Then I put it in my hair, cover with a shower cap and fleece hat to keep the heat in, and leave in for just 2 hours. I rinse, and then co-wash with conditioner a couple of times. Then dry my hair like usual. For the next few days, I just rinse my hair in the shower…I don’t use any conditioner or shampoo on it. I find that this helps the color settle in better. Hope this helps! Maybe try leaving the Red Raj in for a shorter time to see if that helps. Good luck!
I switched to Red Raj from Jamilla as well. I found that the AMLA made my hair very dry. I use a tbl of coconut oil in my mix and use either hibiscus powder or tea as my water.
I know it’s too late for the competition but wanted to share my Red Raj experience anyway.
Made it up this way – for dry curlies
Warm water and Red Raj to a thick paste and let sit till I got dye release but took about 6 hours. It will dye release without having to add nasty drying acidic stuff that is bad for us curlies. While waiting mix oil creme – there will be plenty of this left over for other things like hair oiling, sealing henna nails, skin oiling or whatever you want something super-moisturizing for.
Oil creme
3 oz coconut butter
3 oz Shea butter
2 oz tea tree oil
warm till butters are melted and pour into a jar to keep. This is not liquidy but simi-liquid.
When Henna is ready add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup to henna mix.
Now you have a very rich conditioning henna paste that will also stay put well.
Past up the head and put on shower or whatever you use to isolate it and keep it moist.
Go to bed. Get up and wash out henna.
Wonderful red like this on mouse brown hair:
also can do this as the same mix works great as body-art paste:
Hello. Few questions about mixing Red Raj for body art.
1) I am planning to mix red raj for body art for the very first time. I read on your blog/website that it is stringy. Should I still mix a bit of sugar for any other reason? Since it is very stringy, will it stick to the skin properly or slip-off? I don’t want to mix it with jamila or any other henna – I am looking for bright red color instead of brownish-red like i get from Jamila. Can you please advice the best way to mix Red Raj on it’s own, for body art?
2) Should I mix the terp-oil before dye relese or after?
3) if i use only water instead of lemon, will my color be red instead of brown?
4) How long will the cones with Red Raj stay well in the freezer?
5) How do I store the unused powder for later use?
Please let me know. I would like to be prepared for eid and would like to try at least once before eid. I am no a professional henna artist, I and my cousins just like to wear henna.
With many thanks.
Thank you Shirin for your message here on our blog.
1. You should probably still use some sugar or molasses to make it a bit sticky. It needs to stick to the skin and without it, it may crumble off very quickly. If you are able to, you can beat it by hand as much as possible to make it less stringy if you prefer that or use a hand blender if making a descent amount. Jamila BAQ henna powder if added also makes it much more creamy and smooth.
2. You usually add the EO that is your terp during the dye release process. Usually at the halfway mark and sometimes even in the beginning is fine. Personally right now I add our EO at the beginning.
3. It’s hard to say since skin chemistry plays such a big picture in the stain results, it’s not 100% for certain that water alone with give you more of a brown tone, but we really do recommend you experiment.
4. All henna paste for body art kept in the freezer will last 4-6 months.
5. Store your fresh powder in the fridge or freezer for best storage
I hope this helps!! 🙂
Will the hibiscus powder add more red to the red henna? I would also like to add amla powder to maintain my curl pattern. How much should I add?
Thank you
Is the red raj is out of stock? every time I try to buy show these msg: The selected product combination is currently unavailable.
Yes sorry. It is out of stock. We expect it by end of January 2015.
Can you answer Jo’s question from August 15 2013 on freezing Red Raj? I need to know the answer.
Good day. Sorry for the question that was missed. I’m currently on a mobile device. What was the question? Can you please repeat it here Donna? Thank you!
Hello I am an Indian / Asian women with black chrmical treated very thin hair. I am trying to achieve cinnamon brown/cinnamon red? Hair color . I need your recommendation for henna recipie . I wish to know if I use red raj/ Rajasthani henna with indigo or Moroccan henna with indigo. I do not want orange or yellow undertones . Can we mix Rajasthani and red raj to achieve cinnamon brown hues with indigo on black color hair . Request recommendation on percentage of indigo/ henna mixture.thank you
jo says:
August 15, 2013 at 2:48 am
Hi Khadija, couple of questions on freezing henna(red raj in particular):
1) Do you actually wait for dye release before freezing?
2) If you wait for dye release, do you then add your oils etc before freezing
3) How long does it last while frozen and How exactly do you defreost (i.e. can i leave in the bottom of the fridge while at work~8 hrs and then bring to room temp before applying)
4) once defrosted can I add oils(coconut, olive, wheat germ etc) as per article some oils don’t play well with red raj.
Thanks in advance for your responses.
I’m particularly interested to know if I have to wait for dye release before I freeze my red raj. also, I want to add some Hibiscus Petal Powder to my mix. When is the best time to add it?
I’m curious if a chocolate red tone can be achieved by mixing a little indigo and hibiscus powder to red raj? I just bought some red raj, indigo powder, and hibiscus powder to experiment but I wasn’t sure if it had been done already. My hair is faded red from the last time I did red raj, about 6 months ago. Thanks in advance!
Lacey, not 100% sure as the indigo might be overpowered by the Red Raj if too little indigo is added. You might not get the chocolatey results. Some use a chocolate brown recipe, and then use Red Raj over that to achieve both color results.
Can’t seem to get any answers for the following:
jo says:
August 15, 2013 at 2:48 am
Hi Khadija, couple of questions on freezing henna(red raj in particular):
1) Do you actually wait for dye release before freezing?
2) If you wait for dye release, do you then add your oils etc before freezing
3) How long does it last while frozen and How exactly do you defreost (i.e. can i leave in the bottom of the fridge while at work~8 hrs and then bring to room temp before applying)
4) once defrosted can I add oils(coconut, olive, wheat germ etc) as per article some oils don’t play well with red raj.
Thanks in advance for your responses.
Hi Donna. Here are your answers:
1. You don’t have to wait but sometimes I let the lumps dissolve a bit and then freeze.
2. You can oils at any time. Before freezing or after is fine.
3. You can freeze the henna and ayurvedic pastes for up to 6 months. Defrost at room temperature and just leave on the counter to thaw. Fridge thawing would take about double the time.
4. Any oils should be fine. Off the top, I can’t think of any oils that could interfere with Red Raj except for heavy liquids that dilute it, but this applies to all henna powders.
Hi Rhonda. Hibiscus will boost the red results but if you add amla powder to the same recipe it’ll counter the hibiscus. You can use amla powder in your recipe or alone to maintain curls. You can add of each extra powder, 1-2 tbsp per 100g henna you use.
Khadija I was never aware that amla and hibiscus canceled each other ouT.
Hi Sarah, they cancelled each other out for the coloring results the client was aiming for. The reply was for a client who said they wanted to use hibiscus for the coloring boost to the henna, and that when they were also adding amla powder I wanted to let them know the coloring properties would cancel each other out, leaving Red Raj to be it’s normal deying results. Does this make sense/help? Other then the coloring aspect, they all remain the same and get all the benefits from them.
how often can I Use Red Raj in my hair after 1st application.
Desiree, thank you for your post. You can use Red Raj every 4-6 weeks but if your hair is ok with doing it sooner, you can repeat every 3-4 weeks.
Hi there- just wondering how the people that sleep with henna in their hair, do so in a comfortable way? I have very long hair.my hair ends up as a big clay mask ball on the top of my head. Once I wrap it in syran wrap, after a little while it feels like a large weight. I feel I would not get a good nights sleep with it in my hair. Does anyone have any tips? Also– how do you not get henna all over the place? Lay down a towel over the pillow case? Thanks for your thoughts! 🙂
For Cheryl: I’m sure my hair is shorter than yours, but this is what I do. I wrap it in plastic (Saran Wrap, whatever) and fix that in place with the kind of wide, clear, adhesive tape you might use to close boxes when you move. Then I’ll put a plastic bag from the grocery store, or a shower cap on top of that. I have a long, cotton, tie-dyed scarf in shades of orange and brown, sometimes I’ll wrap that around my head, too. (Lots of layers!) Then put a large, dark towel (purple!) on top of my pillow. I don’t have trouble sleeping.
Hi Liz,
Thank you so much for sharing your experience and sorry for my delayed response to thank you! 🙂
I had been using Red Raj every 4 weeks but the warmer weather makes my hair and nails grow faster so this time (yesterday) it was only 3 weeks.
Hi Khadija,
I just recently bought this henna and it came in a clear plastic bag with air in it inside of a white paper package. I was under the impression that Red Raj came in a vacuum sealed bag. Also, I have read that lawsone breaks down in UV, and this is why Jamila comes in vacuum sealed foil. I am concerned that this will not work as well- am I wrong for thinking that? I’m worried about it because it was so much more expensive than the Jamila I usually buy elsewhere online and I was finally ready to try this, but am feeling unsure now that I see the way it’s packaged.
Hi Deb. Great to hear from you! Red Raj was always previously vacuum sealed but something went wrong with processing this time. I’m so sorry. When we received it many had some air in the packages more then others. Jamila isn’t vacuumed sealed though. We can share a photo to show how loose it is. Our Red Raj is working well and it’s just from February when it came in, and I’ve been personally using it. My hair and henna body art has been looking pretty good. This won’t ever happen again, and it’s just some of this batch recently. We look forward to hearing back on your experiences with it once you try 🙂