Here are some simple recipes for mixing your natural hair products. Please visit www.forums.longhaircommunity.com and www.longhaircareforum.com as you will find a wealth of information, along with techniques and various recipes. You can even ask questions on their forum! Please remember when using any new hair product it is always recommended that you do hair strand tests first!
Important: Please keep in mind that everyone has their own unique hair texture. Herbal treatments can be drying for some, and it is recommended that you add hair oil to your recipe, or deep condition your hair afterwards. We recommend that everyone keep an open mind when using henna and natural herbs on their hair, and use the recipe that works best for you!
Henna, also known as lawsonia inermis
Mixing henna for healthy hair and beautiful red tones:
-Mix henna with warm water, or warm lemon juice, and allow the paste to sit from 2-12 hours (as this depends on the dye release of your henna powder chosen). Add enough liquid to make a paste the consistency of pancake batter.
-After dye release has been achieved, then apply the henna paste to your (damp or dry) hair by sections starting from the back and moving forward. Make sure you wear gloves when applying henna, as it will stain your hands.
-Wrap your hair and allow to sit from 1 to 6 hours. The longer you leave the henna in, the more dye will penetrate your hair.
-Rinse or wash the paste out.
-Your hair’s color will settle over the next 2 days.
Optional
- For redder tones you may add hibiscus or paprika.
- For browner tones you may add coffee, black tea, or even amla powder (this will tone down the red dye and give you great volume all at the same time).
- You may also try out a henna gloss. You can do this by adding some henna powder to your conditioner and let it sit in your hair for 30 minutes as a deep conditioning treatment and be able to achieve a less amount of dyeing.
- Feel free to add orange blossom water, rose water or essential oils to leave your hair smelling great!
How to store your powder: freezer.
How to store your henna paste: freezer.
Indigo, also known as indigofera tinctoria
Mixing indigo for jet-black hair:
-Follow the instructions on how to henna your hair first, then you will indigo your hair as soon as you have rinsed/washed the henna out of your hair.
-Mix indigo with warm water and allow to sit for 10-15 minutes. Add enough water to make the paste the consistency of pancake batter. Optional, add some salt (1 tsp per 100 grams of powder) to help darken the indigo or add CMC to thicken up your paste.
-Apply the indigo paste to your hair be sections starting from the back and moving forward. Make sure you wear gloves when applying indigo, as it will stain your hands.
-Wrap your hair and allow to sit for 1-2 hours.
-Rinse or wash the paste out. Some prefer to use only conditioner when washing the paste out.
-Your hair’s color will settle over the next 2 days.
-This method is called a two-step process.
How to store your powder: fridge, or cool dark place.
How to store your paste: throw leftovers away as indigo paste does not freeze or keep well.
Mixing indigo for brown hair:
-Prepare the henna paste as directed.
-Once henna is ready, mix your indigo as directed (with warm water and allow to sit for 10-15 minutes). Mix these two together. The more indigo you add the darker the brown.
-Apply the paste to your hair by sections starting from the back and moving forward. Make sure you wear gloves, as it will stain your hands.
-Wrap your hair and allow to sit for 1 to 6 hours.
-Rinse or wash your paste out
-This process is called a one-step process.
-Your hair’s color will settle over the next 2 days.
Optional: You can also add CMC (Carboxyl Methyl Cellulose) to your indigo paste as it tends to be drippy. This will thicken your paste up, and is used to thicken up store-bought salad dressing and in the making of silk paper. You only need 1 gram per 100 grams of indigo.
How to store your powder: henna in your freezer and indigo in your fridge or cool dark place
How to store your paste: throw leftovers away as the paste does not freeze or keep well.
Thank you for your post Karen
I’d recommend that you do henna everytime as you have to at least make sure the indigo sticks to your new growth. But if you want to cover your length that has already been henna’ed then you can try to, but it may be more consistent to do all of your hair at once so the color is all the way even at the roots
hi
Just recovering from Breast Cancer and have a brand new head of hair about 1/4 long. Natural colour used to be med brown now a salt pepper mix. I would like to use henna/indiogo to achieve a med brown and cover up the greys. Also how do I avoid build up- don’t want to get too dark as I’m 47 and it would be very ageing.
thanks
Lorna
Thank you for your post Lorna. Wishing you a strong recovery!
Henna is what really builds up with the red mainly and indigo is a bit fading for some, So we’d just want to avoid the red in your case correct?
The moroccan henna with indigo at 50/50 wouldbe a good mix for you. Speak soon
Hi I dark brown hair with a hint of red under sunlight and am trying to get a Burgundy/Sherry type red color for my hair with Henna. Which Henna powder would you recommend? Also would I need Indigo. I was looking at using the USDA certified organic Rajathani henna. Would that work?
Thanks
Malvika
Also I wanted some volume and extra conditioning in my hair. SHould I mix some Amla and oils with the henna during application? How long should I soak the henna and indigo and other oils before I mix them together and apply them.
Thanks
Malvika, thank you for your post.
Organic Indian henna or Yemeni henna powder would give you the best red results. Especially since your hair is a bit dark.
I don’t think indigo would be necessary as it’ll take out the red a bit more then you might like, unless you have grey hairs to cover.
Amla powder does add volume to your hair and about 3-4 tbsp per 100 grams of powder that you use would be nice.
Hair oils can be used afterwards for moisturization if you’d like. Thanks!
Please do let us know if you have any other questions.
What type of henna powder & indigo do i need to use to cover my grey hair.
Sheena, we only have organic indigo for hair, and the choice of henna powder is up to you. We carry 4 kinds and they all cover grey very well.
Hi, I have light red hair with gray roots. currently I am covering the roots by chemical hair product How can I achieve an even red hair color with all roots covered same as the rest of my hair?
I must add that currently my hair is chemically treated. 🙁
My other question is if I can add essential oil or other oil such as olive oil, directly in to henna after it has released its color and before applying it to my hair.
Thanks for your post Fstan. You can add oils to your henna and it doesn’t have to be right before you use it. you can actually put it in right at the beginning and let it soak in with it, which is great! You can use the herbs along with your chemical treatments or just stop using the chemicals.
It might take 2-3 henna applications to get a real consistently color as we have to let your natural hair grow out. What tone of red were you looking to achieve. if you can attach the picture in an email directly to us via contact us.
I started with chemically treated hair and some bleached. We mixed henna with yogurt. The same batch colored my daughter’s hair beautifully, my granddaughter’s hair the way she likes it, but mine was orange. So we redid it 36 hrs. later using yemeni mixed with lemon juice,which I thought would be darker but it is bright, red, my roots are georgeous but the rest is glowing red. Do you have any suggestions until my hair grows out completely?
Thank you for your post Val. I am surprised how your roots weren’t bright red all over, but perhaps on the darker areas it was darker then all over. I am glad you did a second application to deepen it. I really recommend you continue with this regimen, BUT add indigo as part of your henna recipe to darken some of the henna to at least a reddish brown to brown, as long as that’s what you wanted. What color exactly had you wanted?
When you use yoghurt with your recipe it does dilute it so that is probably why the tone was so orangey.
Hello, I love the wealth of information here. I am interested in henna’ing my hair and am trying to find the right combination to achieve the best results.I have also been researching amla and shikakai powder. I believe they both are good for strengthing your roots and promoting healthy hair growth, and more. If possible I would like to incorporate the henna with the powders to get the color and conditioning needed. My hair is natural, kinky/curly(hair type 4b/4c)& black and I would like to know which is the best henna to use to get a red color. If I mixed amla with the henna would that interfere with getting the red color that i want. thank you!
Thank you for your post Mimiyams. So glad you are enjoying the information here.
Yemeni henna powder is the henna powder that will give you the deepest red results. I’d definetely recommend that one.
Amla powder will tone down the red of the henna some. So try not to add too much, like about 2-3 tbsp per 100 grams
good morning, did I mention that I’m new to your site and I love it! I plan to sample all of your products especially the hair oils and shampoo bars as I can afford to. I do have another question. I read somewhere about “terps” being added to henna and how it can cause headaches and nausea due to the larger amount of henna being used on your hair vs. your body for art. Would that depend on what kind of “terps” you use? Also is your henna body art quality henna? Please forgive me for bogging you down with my questions, I’m new to the henna world and I prefer to use natural products to achieve healthy and natural results. Thanks again!
Thank you, much appreciated!
Terps are usually used for body art paste more so. But if someone can get headaches or are sensitive to a large amount of henna, then a nice essential oil for scent can be added to help with that. We use sweet orange oil a lot as it’s invigorating and not irritating like some, but it depends on the person. (This would be pertaining to a hair recipe).
Our henna powder is body art quality, but not all of them. Becuase Jamila for hair, is not to used for body art, it just wouldnt’ work well, so that term is not always a proper one when trying to explain 100% pure or organic henna powders. Because not every henna powder is good enough for body art but it doesn’t mean it’s not pure enough. For body art you need a really finely sifted, smooth henna powder and not something that should be used for hair.
I hope this helps!
Not being used for hair: meaning something that isn’t finely sifted, or is specifically labelled for hair usage as it may be an older crop. But Jamila summer crop henna powder, and organic henna powders, ours at least are fine for body art and hair usage. Our Moroccan is great for both too, yemeni so-so for body art as it’s not as finely sifted as the others. But they are all fine for hair usage 🙂
Hi again! I understand exactly what you are saying. I asked the question because I thought there was a higher dye content/release in body art quality henna which would be great for getting the color I want in my hair. Thanks for taking out time to answer my questions and prompt I might add 🙂 I’m going to put my order in for the yemeni and cocoveda or amla oil. By the way, if I use the amla powder at any time after I put the henna dye in my hair, would that take away from the life of the color(3-4 wks)or darken the results, and what if I use the amla oil instead? I’m asking because I would really love to try the amla and shikakai powders to strengthen my hair and I really need something to soften/moisturize so that I can navigate through it a little better than I do now lol….thank you!
Is there a different reaction in the henna if you use lemon juice vs. water?
Thanks Mimiyams. anytime! It’s my pleasure. Amla powder may darken the results even on its own. I’d say it’d be safer to use amla oil without color change.
You could add at least 1 tbsp of amla and/or shikakai to get benefits and minimal color change.
Lemon juice can be drying so if you have a dry scalp or hair, I’d recommend against adding too much, just a splash is good. Water is my favorite addition and I feel that warm water with a splash of lemon juice works great BUT if you add amla powder it is already acidic so you don’t need lemon juice. As lemon juice/amla powder can give the dye release a good start because it’s acidic.
Thank you for your help and I’m sure I will have more questions when I receive my order of henna. Take care!
Hi
I received the Henna Indigo yesterday and used it as 2 step process last night. The process was tedious but the results were awesome and covered my grey hair. My grey hair turned dark brown but not completely black which is ok with me but it there anything else i can do to make it darker. By the way I followed the instructions sent with it. Henna + Coffee + Apple Cider for 4 hrs and once the dye was released applied to hair and left for almost 5-6 hrs then washed my hair. Indigo + salt for 10-15 min and applied to hair and left it for 3 hrs.
IS it required to apply Indigo immediately right after washing henna or can it wait? If yes how long can i wait to apply Indigo after washing henna’d hair?
Thanks Sheena for the feedback! Much appreciated.
For your second application it’ll probably stick better. Amla powder can help make it darker as well. Let the indigo sit in hot water seperately for at least 30 minutes, and you can apply it within 24 hours of henna’ing your hair, in my recommendation if you don’t have time to do it right away.
I applied Henna-Indigo paste in 2 step process last friday and its not even a week the color on my grey hair started fading (i haven’t washed my hair). Its turned into brown-red tones. In order to make it darker do i have to apply henna-indigo again or just indigo would be ok? Also can you recommend what shampoo-conditioner to use that keeps the color longer.
Sheena, thanks for your post. This is your first application correct? Sometimes it fades a bit at first, and needs time to get used to clinging to your hair strands. Did you add a pinch of salt to your indigo?
To make it darker, you can use henna and indigo together, and then indigo as a two step process, seperately for darkest results.
I recommend our shampoo bars and they are so moisturizing you probably won’t need a cconditioner, unless you have an oily hair type.
I just want to say how great Khadija and Nadine are. First, I appreciate how Khadija responded to my inquiries so fast and I’m sure you all can relate. I ordered some henna, amla and amla oil from her about a week ago and the package arrived oil soaked. Upon opening the package I found that the cap of the amla oil had not been securely snapped shut. I called Nadine and let her know, she was very apologetic and courteous. She even answered some questions I had about henna and amla powder. She said that she would send me a replacement and I received it less than a week later. I had to let everyone know that these are genuine people and even if the products don’t work for me, which of course I hope and pray they do, it has been a pleasure doing business with these wonderful people. The customer service is impeccable! Thanks guys!!!
Thank you Mimiyams for this amazing post! really makes my day.
We want feedback like this because issues like this happen, and we just got to do what we have to, because no one wants to receive damages products or goods. I am glad we fixed the situation exactly as you would have wanted us to.
Enjoy!!! -Khadija
Hi,I have natural hair 4b.What henna would u recommand for my hair type? I want some color in my hair, my hair color is off black. Thank U..
Hi Tessa, thank you for your email. You want red tones from the henna, not brown to black correct? For the deepest red tones I’d recommend yemeni henna powder.
Hi!
Basically, i have been trying to grow out my natural hair for the sake of its health.I had been doing a pretty good job at growing out the damaged highlighted/colored part when I went absolutely crazy, bought garnier “ammonia free” color…and dyed it dark brown like my natural hair. I loved the color when it first came out but now a week or two later, i can tell its loosing its lustre 🙁
My question is…what can I use on my hair to get some nice golden tones that will add strength and shine to my hair while im trying to grow the damaged parts out? I want my hair to be the healthiest/thickest possible. I am afraid of being a total ginger and having black hair. Should i do a henna/amla mix?? Please help! Thank you 🙂
Thank you for your post Yvonne. Unfortunately you can use much of any natural products to lighten your hair. As hair lightening is done either by chemicals such as stripping off the color of your hair and re-coloring it with dyes. Most likely to be completely natural you’ll have to work with your natural hair color, or use henna for reddish tones. What is your natural hair color and what tone would you like that’s similar to your natural hair tone that we could work with?
I am not looking to lighten my hair but to add some golden tones to it when the sun hits it. Naturally it is a very long dark brown with lots of golden highlights from the sun but i have covered it to fix my “professionally done” highlights with a store bought dark brown that kinda makes it look ashy/gray indoors and just a little chocolate color when i am in sunlight. Mainly i want to strengthen it and have it look/feel/ and actually be healthy. I just ordered some Fresh Organic Rajasthani Indian Henna Powder, cassia & amla powder, your organic brown kit and some other goodies. I was hoping the henna powder would have a sort of deep deep red, not orange, and i could mix a bit of indigo so that it was more purply red or brown. I dont know, we’ll see. It will be a fun experiment 🙂
What is the difference between :
Rajasthani Indian Henna Powder for Hair
and
Fresh Organic Rajasthani Indian Henna Powder?
Can the latter be used on hair? and aren’t they both organic?
Thank you for your post Arti. At this time, no they aren’t both organic. You can use either on your hair and they are great powders for hair. A product can only be organic when it is USDA approved organic or made with organic ingredients, etc. But it has to be approved and meet certain requirements to be organic, or else everyone would use the term freely.
Hi,
I don’t know if anyone already asked this, but I am wondering about indigo after henna.
I hennaed 1 week ago, and now I wonder if I want to colour it black… Is it still possible to use the indigo and not get blue hair? Or should I mix a little henna in my mix..?
How long should I leave indigo in my hair? Same as henna?
Thank you for your post Hufsa. I would have preferred that you would have used the indigo closer to the henna application so that the indigo would have clung to those hair strands better. You can put some henna in the recipe of your indigo but it will dilute the indigo and it won’t be as fully black as it could be. The indigo should stay in your hair about 2-4 hours.
Yvonne, I really hope it turns out amazing with the products! Please let us know, if you get a chance.
Hi,
i used indigo last week and i got a really bad headchae after,what should i do to keep using indigo powder to color my hair and not get a headache? and also is it safe to use indigo powder during pregnancy?
Hi,ive been reading abit about henna and iam confused on what colour i need,Iam naturally blonde but have dyed my hair copper blonde in the last 8 months and was using a natural product called herbitant from the health shop,at the moment my hair is a light copper blonde.can i use just henna alone to give me the same results as copper blonde?and i also have gray hair in middle of scalp and side of face,would i need to buy indigo for the grey hair.thankyou
Hello, I have a couple questions…
First off…the henna is permanent, right? But is the indigo? If not how long does it last? How many times will I have to reapply within a year? My hair is very dark brown, by the way.
Also…what if I want black hair for a while then I want to go back to red. Would I just wait for the indigo to fade or would I apply henna over it? If I apply the henna over it will it be as intense or will the indigo underneath make it a darker red…?
Thanks for your post Sophie
Yes henna is permanent and indigo as well. Indigo only fades for some people, and can resist grey hairs for some people. It usually lasts as long as it takes the hair to grow (it grows out). Darn brown would be 60% indigo and 40% henna.
You may have to wait for the black to fade out before going red as the black tones are darker then red. When you want to do that, yes just use henna over the indigo. It won’t make it a more intense red, but yemeni is a very good choice for red tones.
Thanks for your quick response! I realized I have another question. I know you can add salt to indigo to make it take better, but how much should I use per 100g? Thanks in advance. 🙂
For salt you can ad about 1 tsp for 100 grams of indigo. that should be sufficient
Hello Jas. Thank you for posting. Yes it is safe to use our organic indigo for hair during pregnancy. With the headaches, you might be really sensitive to scents right now, and the weight of the herbs on your hair. For me during pregnancy, the same thing happened. So I just added an essential oil to make it smell better, like sweet orange oil. That really helps make a big difference. I hope that helps!
I am almost 100% grey and have chemical brown/blond highlights for years. I have about 1/4 inch roots and thought I would start with just the roots henna/indigo mix.
I am sooo scared, never done this. Do you think I could just transition with doing just the roots? and grow into my new henna color?
Thank you for much needed help,
Sam
Hi Sam. Thank you for your post. I’d really recommend to start off that you do a full application to match the hair tone you have already because then you might a more visible line between roots, and the other dyed areas of your hair. If you do it all over and match the rest of your hair, then it would blend better and look nicer as well.
It might take 1-2 applications to really get it completely one color. Is that what you’d like? One tone? If you do henna alone it will come out orange-red, or with indigo more brown to black tones, all dependingon your proportions used of each herb. Once you get a good recipe going for yourself, it’s really easy and you’ll love it and you’re hair will love you for it!
Thank you for your post Annette. For copper blond you may want to use cassia and henna together and that would also cover your grey hairs. If you use indigo it would be darker. Here are some recipes and I hope this helps:
https://hennablogspot.com/how-to-use-cassia-obovata-and-henna-together-detailed-recipes/
Thank you so much for your helpful reply. Right now I have a reddish brown base color and blond highlights. I love my hair color, but not sure if this can be achieved with henna. I would prefer what I have now than one color, but I will do the full hair application as you advise. Perhaps I can call you and order your products to figure out how to get started.
Thanks again, Sam
Welcome Sam. Please do call us as that is the quickest way to reach us. Our new number is 410-579-4543 and I am sure we can help.