Outofstress.com

How to Color Hair Naturally With Henna Hair Dye

Humans have been using henna as a natural hair dye for thousands of years. It is known that the ancient Egyptians were familiar with its uses as a dye for hair, body and nails.

The henna hair dye is a completely natural dye extracted from the leaves of the henna plant (Lawsonia inermis) and made into a powder which once mixed with water, fruit juice such as lemon or sometimes egg will form a paste that can be applied directly to the hair.

Which color results can I get from henna?

Henna has only one color result – red/orange. The leaves of the henna plant contain a substance that causes this effect. If you buy a product that claims to be pure henna and says it can offer any other color result then beware! Many products that are sold as henna contain other ingredients. These can sometimes be other plant or natural derivatives (known as ‘henna rangs’) to change color results but are more likely to be chemicals that can be the kiss of death for the health of your hair. Some will contain PPDs which are known to cause severe allergic reactions in many people.

Facts About ‘Black Henna’

As explained above this is a misnamed product. The product that is sold as ‘black henna’ is actually an indigo dye derived from the plant Indigofera Tinctoria. This is also a completely natural product if sold in its purest form. Ensure the powder you buy is green when dry. If it is any other color then it has something mixed with it, quite possibly of the harmful chemical variety.

Indigo, as henna, is a permanent dye and will last until it grows out. Some people choose to reapply every few months to brighten the effect.

The Benefits of Using Henna as a Hair Dye

Pure henna is extremely good for the hair and has no side effects. It will condition it and make it shiny. Where people claim that henna has damaged their hair, this is nearly always due to the fact that they haven’t purchased pure henna.

In addition to making your hair glossy, henna can also help with dandruff and some claim it is an effective treatment for head lice.

Many henna users claim that using henna helps with thin or flyaway hair. Henna is completely safe and effective in covering grey hair too.

Buying Henna Based Hair Dye

Where you buy your henna hair dye is a serious consideration for those wishing to use it to full effect and without the risk of damaging the hair or even worse causing a severe allergic reaction.

Ensure you buy your dye from reputable sources and be very suspicious of packages that don’t list ingredients.

Many people claim that once they have used henna as a hair dye they would never use anything else ever again. Be aware that henna is a permanent dye and that it cannot be removed from hair once applied but will need to grow out naturally.

Article by expert author ‘Deneice Arthurton‘