There are so many different henna powders, how do we choose the one that will work best for us?
There are a few things that are a must when choosing any henna powder:
–Fresh. You must always buy fresh henna powder. If you want a great stain, don’t just grab henna off the shelf (since who knows how long it may have been sitting there) Even from crop to crop you will notice that the freshest henna powder gives the best stain results. After all, doesn’t a chef use the freshest ingredients in the preparation of our meals?
–Body Art Quality. This means that the henna powder is the best quality since they take the leaves from the top of the plant with the most dye content. It also means that it is 100% pure and natural. This term is usually used to describe henna that is also used for body art.
(Please remember that not EVERY henna powder nor herb is body art quality. Ask yourself this: Is this henna powder or herb used as a body art product or really for hair usage? This term is sometimes only used for marketing purposes. Always be well informed.)
–Finely Sifted. None of that dirt, grit, sand, nor sticks help with getting a great staining henna paste. Even if you try to sift it yourself, you lose most of the henna powder you purchased.
–Pure. Must contain no pesticides or chemicals. No PPD nor any other powders or ingredients. Only get 100% pure henna powder.
Now that we have the basics down, now comes the individual henna powders.
Ultimately the highest dyeing henna powder on the market. For both henna for hair clients, and henna artists, by far the best choice of all henna powders for those wanting gorgeous red tones, grey coverage and long lasting henna body art tattoos. This organically certified henna powder is ready to use within 3-4 hours.
Khadija’s personal favorite: Supreme Blend Henna Powder
This henna powder blend was created by Khadija herself bringing the best henna powders together for a creamy, smooth, yet flowy henna paste. She uses this henna powder on all of her clients. We love this powder especially for body art temporary henna tattoos. Can be used on hair as well. Dye release is only 3-4 hours.
Jamila Henna Powder 
Jamila henna powder yields great stains results and comes conveniently packaged in 100 grams foil packages in sealed boxes (when it is stamped with summer crop for body art usage, and is also used for hair). As of more recently dye release is only 8-12 hours for body art tattoos, and 3-4 hours for use on hair, before ready to use. It is a reliable henna powder, but not great if you need henna quick. It has the ultimate best sift of ANY henna powder. It is very popular amonst professional henna artists, and for hair dyeing. It washes out of the hair very easily, and the texture pf the paste is similar to melted chocolate. It yields deep reddish-brown tones for body art and for hair orange-red tones. This henna comes from Pakistan.
Please read our more detailed article on Jamila henna powder.
Organic Rajasthani Indian Henna Powder
In ever increasing popularity, the organic indian henna powder from the Rajasthani Region, is very well balanced. You get dye release in 8-12 hours for body art. So you can start a batch in the morning and have it ready by the evening. The stains results are some of the darkest I have ever seen. Typically reddish tones (burgundy/mahogany) and sometimes near cherry black on skin. For hair it yields a reddish-burgundy tone. For hair usage, this powder we recommend you allow it to sit from 3-4 hours, and then apply onto your hair. It is triple sifted and through nylon cloth. On lighter hair it may come out more orange-copper toned.
Yemeni Henna Powder
Note: Sadly this has been out of stock for quite some time due to political issues within Yemen. Our yemeni henna powder comes from the Sana’a region. It takes 8-12 hours to achieve dye release for body art. For hair, we recommend you allow this henna powder to sit from 3-4 hours before applying it. It is well known for being one of the stringy hennas. This henna powder is now much better sifted (since the 2009 crop), since the company has upgraded its henna processing facilities. Now many more henna artists are using this henna powder. It is absolutely one of the most popular henna powders for hair dyeing, and covers grey very well. It gives the most gorgeous, deep red tones of any other henna powder currently.
A very popular henna powder for both body art and hair, this henna is found in the Western Sahara. It has the quickest dye release. It is best to let this henna sit at least 2-6 hours for body art. For hair usage, only allow to sit for a maximum of 1 to 2 hours and then apply it. The dye can demise quickly if left out too long. It’s not a good henna to freeze as a henna paste. It is also a stringy henna. It has great color, usually very bright and becomes quite dark suddenly (on skin). We usually recommend this henna powder for achieving brown to black tones along with indigo, when used in hair dyeing because the least amount of red tones will show through on your hair. We recommend it because it has a fast dye release, and alone on hair it gives orange to red tones.
We do hope that this guide has been helpful to you, please let us know if you have any concerns or further questions by contacting us directly at info@hennasooq.com. Please shop with us online at : Henna Sooq
Thank you for your post Polina. For some people it does fade but others it sticks really well. You can try that method out as you’ll have the henna base still there which is true BUT the henna will also be growing out at your roots and might not catch or stick to your hair without henna being on the virgin parts/new growth.
i used to dye my hair with loreal professionals red for dark hair. now that i am doing jemila henna i have awefully contrasting roots. I am naturally a dark brown. I love the way the henna colored over the old dye. here is a pic of my hair right after : http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3518318&l=9b58f1d400&id=823081597
but imagine that with an inch of black looking roots. i used baq jemila henna.
would it be worth a shot to do my roots with the dye?
For deeper red tones I’d recommend you actually use Yemeni henna powder, and also do a few applications for deeper results. The henna will build up and you’ll notice the deeper red will catch up as you do a few applications.
If it really isn’t pushing it enough for you, then it is safe to do a root touch up with dye but try your best with the yemeni henna powder
I hope this helps Emily!
hello there, i am interested in purchasing some henna. I know that most henna deposit a red color but i was wondering which one can give me the darkest color without using indigo (i do have a few white hairs in the front of my hair.)
Hi Kathleen, thank you for your post. Do you mean darkest as in a dark red? This does depend on your natural hair color but people who want a vibrant red choose yemeni henna powder, and if you want dark as in burgundy then indian would be a good choice. For dark as in brown then no this would not apply to henna, and you’d need to use either amla, katam, or indigo to darken it up some.
Another “Body Art Quality Henna” merchant directs their customers to let the henna ‘rest’ OVERNIGHT at room temperature before applying it to the hair as it is the best wait time for dye release. I purchased the Yemeni from your site and plan to use lemon juice as the acidic base, but your site directs customers to only wait 2 hours for the Yemeni to release the dye before applying it to the hair. Can you explain the difference between waiting 2 hours to overnight for dye release? What would happen if i let my Yemeni henna rest at room tempurature overnight before applying it? I have med-dark brown “3c” texture hair and seek optimal dye release to achive a deep red color.
(Also wanted to say you guys have Grade A customer service, thank you!)
Thanks for your post Kristen.
When someone gives advice on henna powder and herbs, it’s good to know or if they mention which henna powder they are speaking of, as every henna powder has a different dye release time that is needed. So the guidelines we have are for specific types of henna powders and you can let yemeni sit from 2-4 hours if you’d like. Then for hair usage it keeps dyeing in your hair and dye releasing, but jamila is the only one that needs 12 hours or overnight. If it’s Moroccan then that one will demise after 12 hours, so that isn’t effective to generally say leave a henna powder overnight for dye release. Moroccan henna powder has the fastest dye release.
You can let yemeni sit overnight but not longer, as you don’t want to lose dyeing properties.
Thanks for the compliment! Have a good weekend
Hi, I have only used henna once, after years of chem dyeing, with good results. I have natural wavy/curly dark brown hair and I am of Iranian descent (chem dyes are pants for my hair- but henna did well!)..
I would like to achieve brown/deep red tones for my hair, while maintaining my curl pattern- I read adding Amla powder helps. However, I also read Amla takes away the red tones!
What to do?
Thanks for your post Shirin!
Achieving brown tones or a deep red, would be two different recipes though. Yemeni would give you the best red results, and adding about 3-4 tbsp of amla powder would tone it down just a bit. In order to maintain your curl pattern, you’d need amla powder more then likely. I would say that the red should come through relatively nicely with that small amount of amla powder in it. I hope this helps!
neeeed the jamila buh out of stock uqhhhh
Thank you for your post Aleyah. It is back in stock! Thank you for shopping with us.
I would like to which brands of henna give a really dark stain for henna tattoos on the body? Ive heard rajasthani henna, moroccon etc. I would like to know the name of the brands. And i would also like to know the brands for good terps.
Hi there, I’m looking for a henna that lasts long, has the darkest colour brown to black and easy to apply, what do you recommend
Thank you for your post Rehana. The best henna powders for body art would be jamila summer crops and organic rajasthani indian henna that we sell at http://www.hennasooq.com
They yield reddish-burgundy tones. Sometimes thicker designs up to black cherry.
Thank you Suenos. We sell excellent henna powders for professionals. The best ones are Jamila and Organic Rajasthani indian henna that we carry, and we have a line of essential oils for terping. Enjoy! http://www.hennasooq.com
I have been using Henna from Lush for years, and even though their Brun (Brown) was quite orange on my grey hair, by not doing an overall dye, I could cope with it. People thought I had highlighted blonde hair. My natural colour was very dark.
I recently used Colora Brown Henna with disastrous bright orange results. The colorist at Colora told me to use their Watercolors, which gave me the regrowth streak and didn’t deal with the orange problem. I then used Colora Henna Creme, blondine with no effect whatsoever.
I am thrilled to discover your website and learn that Henna dyeing is an artform and would like to build my confidence to gradually reclaiming my original very dark colour (a strange mix of blue black and chestnut).
I have chosen Moroccan henna to minimise the orange, with indigo to cover the grey (and the Colora orange). I am hoping to do this in a one step process.
Please can you confirm that I have made the best choice and give an idea of how long delivery takes to British Columbia, Canada.
Many thanks
Hi
I’m over a century old and wondering what kind of Henna product I should use for highlighting my white hair to get dark brown highlights.
Thanks
Anna
Thank you for your post Lynne. I emailed you a reply.
Anna, thank you too for posting. For dark brown results you’d need henna and indigo combined together at 60% indigo and 40% henna ratios to create dark brown tones. You may have to do hair strand tests just to be certain your hair soaks up the color well since it is white and it can be a bit more resistant to dyeing. I hope this helps!
I have grey hair and have been using approx 1/3 indigo to 2/3 yemen henna. I find the color to be a bit on the orange side whereas I would prefer it to be a deeper richer red. Too much indigo seems to make it more brown than I would like. Do you have any suggestions?
I have grey hair and have been using approx. 1/3 indigo to 2/3 yemen henna. I find it is a bit on the orange side and would prefer a deeper richer red. I find that using too much indigo makes it browner than I would like. Do you have any suggestions?
Thank you for your post Shirley. How many times have you used the herbs? Because over time the color builds up and the redder should get redder, and richer. What color is your natural hair tone?
Hi, I have dull not-so-black thin natural hair. What should I use to have darker, glossier, thicker black hair? But I do not want jet black hair because it looks fake. Thanks in advance.
I will be a first time henna user and am trying to figure out what to order. I would like a medium ash brown result and have about 80% grey. My priority would be coverage of grey and then the ash tone of the brown. Would the Yemeni or the Moroccan be better for me. Should I be using Alma to help with the ash, and finally is a 50/50 ratio henna/indigo best for medium brown. Thanks so much for any advice.
(Continuation from above)
Also, what do you recommend I purchase monthly to upkeep the resultsof my desired hair? Do I have to do it on a monthly basis? Thanks for your advice.
Thank you for your post.
Pauline, you can use 60% indigo, and 40% henna to give you a rich, dark brown. It won’t be jet black but it’ll be close to being very dark for you, and you want an extra boost, you can also add amla powder (about 3-4 tbps).
Pat, yes a 50/50 proportion would be good for med. brown along with 3-4 tbps of amla powder in your mix as well. Moroccan would be better as it isn’t as red as yemeni (it blends well to create brown to black tones), but if you wanted red to peek through then use yemeni.
I’d recommend you get yourself the same products at least so you can do it every 4-6 weeks as needed (depending on how fast your hair grows). If you like using natural shampoos, then our shampoo bars are amazing, and hair oils. Some of our hair oils are also great for the skin and have anti-aging properties, like our camellia oil.
I have thin black frizzy hair. What should I use to have more lustrious THICKER easier-to-maintain, more-to-life black hair?
THANK YOU ADMIN
Thank you for your post Asian.
For your hair color, you can use henna and indigo at about 60% indigo and 40% henna ratios with some amla powder. Similar to some of the recent posts here.
But since you have dry hair, I really recommend you moisturize as well. Argan oil (Moroccan oil) is perfect for your hair as herbal hair treatments can be drying. Our shampoo bars are also handmade, and natural. They are superfatted and have extra oils in them that would be great for your hair type.
Thanks admin, but which henna are you referring to? And am I suppose to mix the argan oil with henna?
Asian, I am referring to the henna powder we carry. We have four kinds. You would have to choose the one that would best suit your needs. In particular, jamila or indian henna would be a good choice. Our shop is at http://www.hennasooq.com
I almost forgot, the argan oil is usually used after you finish your herbal hair treatment. Use a dime amount at a time, rub it through your hair, adn brush through.
Read more here:
https://hennablogspot.com/henna-sooqs-cold-pressed-argan-oil/
Hello! I’m new to henna 🙂 I want to use henna to dye my hair a med/dark brown with orange tones not red. I have some grey about 10%. I just want to cover the grey and add richness to my already med brown hair. Help me, please!!
Thanks for your post Christina.
If you want more of an orange tone, then red, then you can use cassia with henna for that tone as the cassia will bring out more orange from the henna as it’s diluted. I hope this helps. Let me know if you have other questions.
I have naturally strawberry red hair color, now with about 30% gray. What kind of henna to restore me to a blondish strawberry blond and how to mix. Thanks so much.
Thank you for your post Carolyne. For a strawberry blond you’ll need 70-60% cassia for your recipe, and 40-30% henna powder. The henna powder that would be good for you is either jamila or moroccan henna
Hello,
I recently colored my hair with half henna and half indigo and LOVE the results (was going for natural brown to cover emerging gray). The only problem is that I had a horrible allergic skin reaction. I waited several weeks for the reaction to fade and then patch tested (I know, should have done this before I dyed) and found the culprit is indigo, not henna. Gives me horrible skin welts, which I think is rare but alas, I am an allergic soul (or so says my natural doctor).
At any rate, my question is: can you recommend a henna that will cover gray but not make my hair too reddish? And will amla or buxus help?
Many thanks!
Thank you for your post Kelly. Actually with indigo powder it’s not really that rare to be allergic. Being allergic to henna is more less common, but indigo I’d say for sure at least about 10% of clients I have dealt with over the last 5 years have said indigo bothered them. I am sorry to hear that! Especially since you liked the results.
Absolutely I would say a combination of both amla and buxus (katam on our site is what we call our buxus, its the original arabic name since it’s from yemen), added to your henna will definetely help you achieve that! At least katam for sure. But amla also tones down the red so I’d recommend something like this: 50% katam, 40%-35% henna, and the res amla powder. You want to see too if you are sensitive to katam, just in case. I hope this helps!
Thank you for your thoughtful response. Will try it!
Best,
Kelly
I’d like to order samples of Moroccan Henna, Katan, Indigo, and Amla. I can order these samples for $4.99 if I understand the samples rules, which I’m not completely sure I understand LOL.
I want to be sure I’m not allergic to any ingredients, especially the indigo. Also, I want to make sure I do NOT become too dark brown with a mix of 1/2 Moroccan Henna, 1/4 Indigo, 1/4 Katan, and some alma (assuming I’m not allergic to anything). My middle-aged skin is too light colored to return to my natural color without looking harsh and fake. I’m hoping a medium brown over the grays will end up looking like mild highlights.
I’d prefer my grays with as little red/orange as possible. IMHO, I don’t look nice with pink or orangy highlights.
To make things more challenging, I have chem dyed hair beyond my 2″ roots — med-dk auburn with an annoying brassy undertone. But I’ll wait to see how my sample-test goes before asking questions about that LOL
Thanks!
Thank you for your post Shreela.
The samples work like this: they are 1 cent each so that shipping can be applied in our system, and then shipping applies on top of the samples. So $4.95 to ship your samples to you, and also 1 cent each. 1 per person, per order.
Sure absolutely! Once you get a chance to use the samples then let us know if there are any questions. Just order online and then we’ll get them out to you. Thank you!
Order placed, also added a sample for shikaikai, but I won’t mix that into the other samples.
Tentative plan:
Mix 2 parts Moroccan henna with strong tea, wait for dye release as indicated by skin on wrist dyed orange after leaving on 1 minute.
Mix up 1 part katan, then 1 part indigo, then mix in with prepared henna.
Add amla – not sure how much, 1 part? 1/2 part? then add to main mixture.
Apply to small hidden strand with both gray and natural dk brown, as well as chem dyed auburn, with some on surrounding skin to test for allergic reaction.
Rinse well after 2 hours. Wait how long to see if allergic? Wait how long to see how color turned out?
Please correct above as needed. I’ll take cell pics of strand to assess color, in case the chem dyed area requires different percentage or timing.
Assuming all goes well, and I get my chem dyed hair matching my s/p after 1-2 applications, I won’t need the hand-holding anymore LOL
Thanks SO much!
Thank you Shreela! I hope you like our products. Just to make a quick note on moroccan henna powder, be sure to let it sit for dye release only 1-2 hours max for hair usage as it doesn’t need to sit longer then that at all or the dye will demise.
With amla 1/2 part would be good, or up to 1 part. The color would be slightly different between 1/2 part to 1 part.
The way your going about it, is excellent. I really appreciate your effort in this to make sure you get the results you want, and to make sure of any allergies. I’d love to share your experience with others here on the blog if you should be interested.
You’re welcome! Have fun!
Hi again, first test results had no allergic reaction, but my ratios didn’t cover my gray very well. Had enough sample leftover to do another color test, but a glass shard in my foot postponed things. It’s finally out today, and once it doesn’t hurt to walk, I’ll resume testing to get the color I hope for ^_^
Shreela, thank you for the update. I hope you feel better soon!
My Mom has asked me to dye her hair. Usually she makes me use chemical stuff but this time I asked her if we could use henna instead. She has given me the okay. The only thing is that she wants black hair, so I need to use Indigo. But I have read that using Indigo will give people blue-ish highlights. We have olive-toned skin and blue isn’t the best highlight for our hair. So I was wondering which Henna and how much should I mix with the Indigo to have a slight red tone instead of the blue? She has Long Mid-Back Curly Hair and it is pretty thick, so because of this I would also like to mix in some Amla for her curls as I think that it would help her hair.
Thank you for your post Brittany.
No the indigo doesn’t usually give blue-ish highlights unless you really use a lot of it with the henna as well. You just have to use the right proportions. When people apply it a lot and often it does possibly make it this blue-ish type of tone on the hair.
Moroccan henna and our organic indigo would be your best choice. Some amla powder would add volume/maintain her curls to her hair as well, and it promotes hair growth. Yes so absolutely, you’ve been doing great research!
I’d recommend she use at least 200 grams of powder. So 100 grams moroccan, 100 grams indigo, and 5-7 tbsp of amla powder
i have medium to darker brown hair, last time died was last october… my roots are a medium mousy brown about an inch of growth… i wanted to use henna to give it a more rich colour with red undertones but i don;t want my hair to fade to an orange colour, wondering which henna to use.. thanks so much
ps.. my hair is about 3 inches past my shoulders and is fine and wavy
Thank you for your post Olivis. Do you have any grey hair? It wouldn’t go orangey unless you had some grey as it does that for some. For a nice red tone you can try either Jamila henna or Indian. Those would be good henna powders for your hair color. You’ll need at least 150 grams of powder