Amber (Portland, Oregon) on 03/17/2009
Many people (including myself) use natural plants to color thier hair, such as Henna (for Orange/Red color, and adds brilliant shine to hair), Henna with Indigo (to achieve brunette to black colors), and Cassia; a plant that can be used to add shine or add a bit of golden color to very pale blond or white hair. There are other plants and spices that can enhance tone as well. (for more on this, read on) About the results: I am a dark blonde who used to lighten my hair. I have colored my hair all types of ways, and most recently I decided to 'go dark'. Well, I can tell you that nothing colors and strengthens my hair like the henna. And I now use the henna + indigo mix to achieve a very exotic dark color, that fully saturates (dyes used to wash out easily), shines, and is actually healthy for my hair! The shine you can achieve with the use of henna is head-turning and like no other. Henna binds with your hair, so it is much different than a dye. You can also use chemical lighteners or dyes over it, or apply it over chemically dyed/lightened hair, and as long as you are using PURE henna, you will get nice results. The horror stories you may have heard only relate to people using 'compound' hennas, again, like you would buy in the store, mixed with other ingredients.
How it basically works: Henna can be combined with an acid (lemon juice, apple cider vinegar) and left to sit for 12 hours to release the dye. It can then be added to color the hair (usually for 2 hours) or it can be diluted and/or applied for a lesser duration, to add just a touch of tint and gloss to the hair. Indigo can be mixed with water and mixed into the Henna, or applied seperately after a Henna treatment. Cassia can be applied alone, or added to the aforementioned mixes. These plants should be purchased in a pure form (not in mixes from the beauty supply).
Where you can find out more: You can find a wealth of information at this website: www.hennaforhair.com about how to color your hair with these plants, and a very interesting history. There are also personal mixes, techniques, forums where you can ask questions about your specific hair type/goals, and order the products. You can also order small samples very inexpensively so that you can experiment on 'brush harvested' hair. I can't say enough great things about the women who run this website. If you are curious, and check it out, they offer all the info and help you need to become confident about trying this.
I have also since read on many natural health and hair sites that Honey can be used as a natural lightener. So if you are a blonde, perhaps that will work for you, as well as lemon juice. One could also use the cassia to get the brilliant shine that henna gives, without turning into a redhead! If I ever grow my natural hair out again, this is what I will do!
One last thing I want to say, is that it feels very good to get off of the chemical-dye train, to find natural plant dyes that achieve colors and results so beauteous that nature could only provide. It may seem time-consuming at first, but after learning and becoming experienced with the use of these dyes (and it doesn't take long!) it has become a nice beauty ritual; it feels more natural and personal...and has become something I look forward to doing, taking time to relax while the mix does it's magic, and the hair is always more beautiful each time! It has been about 2 years that I have been using these plant dyes, and I am glad to be able to share this info on earth clinic, so that perhaps others can start using this too.
Replied By C.S.M (VERO BEACH, FL) on 03/18/2009
Yes!!! I am thrilled, too, to be off chemical hair dyes!!!Using information from Long Hair Community--Henna Forum, I bought pure Body Art Henna.
I tried numerous experiments using hair from my brushes until I found the result I was looking for.
This product colors my grey hair as no previous boxed henna could. I mix it with cassia to give me a beautiful, brilliant, non fading strawberry blond. Leaves hair stronger. I am amazed!
Thank you Earth Clinic for being here!
Replied By Nooree (Miami, Florida) on 07/30/2009
Thanks! for this post. I have been using Henna to Dye my hair for a long time but I do not know what Cassia is. Where can I get it and how much to use with henna. It seems like Cassia mixing with Henna will give a nice shine to your hair. Even though Henna itself gives a little shine also. I have been mixing henna and keeping it for just few hours before using in my hair. I will keep it soaked for over night now before using it, to enhance the color. Thank you Amber and C.S.M. both for this knowledge. Thanks you every one on Earth Clinic to make life easier with natural products and God bless Ted for being an Angel for us to research and bring the remedies for us. Thanks alot. I learned alot of this site.
Replied By Amber (Portland, Oregon) on 08/06/2009
Hi Norree: Cassia is another plant that can be used for hair color. It has very little dye in it however, just a small touch of golden which will show up on only the lightest hair colors. It will add shine and gloss, and is often used to dilute the color of Henna, for achieving a less red-orange color. A great site to visit and learn all about these haircolor methods and uses is HennaforHair.com
Replied By Tricia (Ireland) on 08/07/2009
Amber, I have been looking into this thru a few different websites. I cannot find the answer to this question on any of them and there doesn't seem to he any professional henna-ists in my area. Although I am totally grey haired because I have been using a permanent chemical colourant on my hair the main body of hair is chemically browned and I have one inch in lenght of total grey regrowth. If I use a BAQ henna plus mix to dye it brown will my grey hair be the same colour as the main body and if not how do I go about making sure that the two are the same?. If you don't know the answer you may be able to send me in the right direction. Henna for hair website which I found the most informative only seems to cover the topic of grey interspersed throughout the hair and not regrowth. thanks.
Replied By Lorie (Chico, California) on 02/09/2010
Just a note to be careful with Henna products. I own a salon that uses 97-99% plant derived hair color so we often have guests who come to us because they want organic color. We have had a lot of experience with guests who have Henna on their hair. It's fine if they are staying dark or going darker. Where Henna causes problems is when you are trying to lift the color out of your hair. With Henna, the more you try to lift the color out the more you push the red molecule in - resulting in brassy reddish/orange hair. Once Henna is on your hair, there is no way to lift it out, you have to let it grow out. Also be careful with Lemon Juice to lighten hair. Lemon juice will lighten your hair about a level. If you are already light it can lighten it to a nice blond color. If you are dark enough where you still have a orange undertone, lemon juice will just lighten you enough to take you to a brassy blond. Any time you are coloring or lightening your hair you have to think about the undertone you are exposing and whether or not you want to enhance it or neutralize it. That being said, it helps to know what products you will need to achieve the results you want. What works for one person may not work for another.
Replied By A (Pdx, Or) on 02/09/2010
this is not quite true: that might fit with the 97% grade henna used in that salon, but it should be pointed out that there are two grades of henna: pure, henna and compound henna (this is the stuff you see in boxes at salons and is mixed with chemicals)
pure henna DOES lift, and easily. this is widely known. search hennaforhair.com forums and pages for more info.
it is INDIGO that is permananent. henna can be lightened with peroxide or bleach, and can also be lightened with honey. i have done blonde highlights on my henna'd hair no problem, and this is widely understood about being able to lighten henna, but NOT indigo.
just wanted to set things straight. if you are considering adding henna to your hair, it is extremely important to use pure 100% henna (body art quality).
Replied By Prakash (Mumbai, India) on 03/03/2010
where to buy indigo in india? though henna is easily available I have 80percent grey hair, only henna makes my hair orangish would love to have brown colour using plant dye
Replied By Ranjana (Mumbai, India) on 03/17/2010
My aunt has 80% grey hair and she uses Herbal powder which has catnip, nettle, horsetail & indigo. She mixes this powder with mehndi and she gets beautiful burgundy colour.
Replied By Prakash (Mumbai, India) on 03/18/2010
Dear Ranjana, From where does your aunt get this catnip, nettle, horsetail and indigo powder which she mixes with henna please reply i'd be highly obliged I 'm dying to colour my hair naturally dark without using chemical dyes which are anyways very harmful in the long run and I'm not happy with my hennaed orange hair I get conscious of my hair and it affects my life and career
Replied By Pr (Houston, Texas, Usa) on 03/18/2010
Prakash, I am using henna for my hair and I am happy with the results. Be sure to get the best grade henna you can find. I found mine by typing in food grade henna or organic henna on the internet. I than call the companies to be sure they were selling the best grade which will be more expensive, but worth it. Don't buy pre-mixed packaged henna at health food stores as these also contain heavy metals; at least here in the USA. I am pretty sure the company I get my henna from imports it from India.
Replied By Ranjana (Mumbai, India) on 03/20/2010
Dear Prakash I' m really sorry to know that grey hair is affecting you so badly I asked my aunt about the herbal powder she mixes with henna and she said she gets home deliverd by calling on this number 9757393383 Hope this helps. I'd like to tell you don't be so conscious of your hair and grey hair doesn't look that bad in fact on some it looks great maybe you are one of them. All the best
Replied By Zo (Gaithersburg, Md.) on 03/27/2010
Hello,
I am using henna but its soo orange, Im surprized that there are hundreds of natural colors that are used when making rugs, but all we have for our hair is henna. Isn't there any natural BROWN hair dye out there? my hair is brown, and the roots are bright orange..help
Replied By Amber (Pdx, Ca) on 11/18/2010
Hi Zo: Check the Henna for Hair website and forum for info on Buxus and Indigo, both natural plant dyes that can be used on hair and mixed with Henna to create anything from dark blonde to dark brown. Tons and Tons of mix ratios, photos and mixes abound there! I can say firsthand that I've achieved many dark blonde to brown tones from using Henna and Indigo mixed together and left on for a short time (45m - 1hr) (considered a 'gloss) and my hair is light blonde (I'm growing the roots out verrrry gradually from a Henna/Indigo jet black) so it really does work. Once I've grown out more of my natural color I will turn to lightening it with honey. Info on this can be found on the Long Hair Community Forum. They've done lots of research and basically have it down to a science. I can't wait to try!
One more comment is that since I've been using body art quality (it's VERY important to avoid 'compound' mixes usually found in salons) natural hair dyes in the last 4 years it has become a beauty ritual and a nice habit of slowing down and doing something that makes my hair way more luxurious and shiny... As opposed to slopping smelly chemical stuff that burns the skin and waiting it out... For natural haircolor, research and reading need to be done first, but the benefits are very hard to outweigh once you get the hang of it.
Replied By Zee (Johor Bahru, Malaysia) on 12/21/2010
Organic henna when mixed with tea becomes dark red or burgundy depending on how long you leave them on your hair. Organic henna with coffee becomes dark brown. I tried them and the color is very stunning.
Replied By Raven (Fresno, Ca) on 12/26/2010
I purchase powdered henna from the Indian Grocery and add a bit of lemon juice, cinnamon, and coconut oil to heated water. It comes out as a very natural looking reddish brown. You'll avoid chemicals, have healthy hair, and save a ton of money.
Replied By Savannah (Jacksonville, Florida) on 10/07/2011
Hey!! I dye my hair black.. My hair is naturally strawberry blonde, [so reddish] well, I am so ready to be off chemical dyes, so I would LOVE to have a direct, exact measurement recipe for dying hair black with the henna and indigo, and also how to get pure henna and indigo. I am clueless on all of this so I need all the info I can get. I know your post is almost a year old but I would love to hear back from you with step by step intructions. Thankyou!!
Replied By Bess (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) on 10/07/2011
Hi Savannah - I'm not the original poster (Amber is) but she recommended an excellent Web site dedicated to using henna. It will tell you what you need to know. Everyone's hair is different (texture, colour, amount of gray, etc. ) so you may have to do a test using hair collected from your hairbrush and adjust your henna mix accordingly.
http://www.hennaforhair.com/
I use henna but I just get the premade stuff online because, well, I'm lazy. Even then it took a while to get the right mix (probably because I have a lot of gray). I use light brown (which isn't, really - it comes out much darker) and a bit of marigold blonde. I tried adding some red henna to the mix but I looked like Ronald McDonald.
The best things about henna are the incredible shine and lustrous colour. However, it is quite time consuming, messy and, for a few days, your head smells really "earthy" - even if you put fragrant spices like ginger or cinnamon in the mix.
Good luck! Cheers, Bess
Replied By Savannah (Jacksonville, Florida) on 10/10/2011
hello~ thankyou so much for that reply, I found everything I need. Really appreciated! : )
Replied By Sam (North Miami Beach, Florida) on 10/12/2011
Hello... Is there a Salon in Miami, Florida that can do the correct process using Henna turning a Grey head to a Black head. I am VERY sensitive to chemical dyes and can only use Beautiful which doesn't last past one wash. THANKS for your time
Replied By Yogesh (Mumbai) on 07/03/2015
Hi, Ms.ranjana
Just gone thru the posts.I am also trying to find herbal hair blackner without chemicals, but so far I couldn't. Ms.Ranjana I tried the number you have mentioned but it is out of order. Is there any other number please?
Replied By Lili (Nashville) on 07/04/2015
Henna is too orange looking and it's hard to make indigo stick for long. Indigo also gives me terrible body aches no matter what brand. I've read a lot and went with companies said to have pure indigo. I just ordered an innovative hair color solution and will give it a try when I get it. It uses natural ingredients to restore hair to its natural color and texture when you were in your 20s. Only thing is it lasts 2-6 months. It seems a long process of three applications and takes about one hour but that's less than 1/3 the time of henna and indigo. Price is a little high too, $40 for a box but I was told you can 1/2 or 1/3 it but need a digital scale. The company is called Hairprint and just recently launched. I will post back if it works. Would be nice something without ingredients that could send one to the hospital.
Replied By Serena (Laguna Hills, CA) on 09/10/2022
One of your contributors erroneously states that horror stories about henna are only from people using mixes. This is false. I have developed an allergy (irritation and hair loss) to using henna and indigo on my hair. I only use pure organic powders, and combine the two plants myself. It is dangerous to mislead people, just because the writer has not experienced a problem. Other people have also experienced irritation and hair loss from henna and indigo as well.