Beauty DIY - Going Natural with Henna Hair Coloring
Welcome back ladies!! Today's topic-Henna Hair Coloring :D Ditch the chemicals and go natural with your hair color!!
Now I know there's a lot of fear regarding Henna being as it is SO hard to remove, the commitment level is pretty extreme. However there are some great options out there now so you're not just stuck with the one ginger shade. I will say that there is an element of surprise when it comes to Henna, you're not in any way guaranteed that your color will process to your ideal shade, therefore, if you're the type who likes to know EXACTLY what they're going to get or prefer a full coverage one straight shade type look, this is not the stuff for you!
So assuming you're like me and were curious about Henna as a hair coloring option for quite a while, you've probably done a lot of research (as I did :) ) I found some helpful information and I also found some very scary reviews. So I'd like to cover a few of those opinions before jumping in to my experience with the product.
One issue I read on more than one occasion was a damage related review, someone who had previously dyed their hair with chemical dye warned not to use Henna because it would cause breakage: yes and no...so basically the run down on this is that not all Henna is created equal! Not all Henna Hair Coloring products are created equal either! There are companies out there who offer Henna blends for coloring that are not all natural, some of them contain ingredients like: Metallic Salts, Ammonia, Para-Phenylenediamine aka PPD or other synthetics. These ingredients can have a bad reaction with previously chemically treated hair and should be avoided!! (Side note: you should always wait 4 weeks since your last chemical color before using Henna no matter the ingredients)
My advice, ONLY use Henna products that are ALL NATURAL! That's really the point of using Henna anyway isn't it?? ;)
Next issue: Smell and application complaints. So this is true to a degree, there is a smell associated with Henna dyes. It's an earthy, herbal scent and some people aren't fond of it. I personally didn't mind it, (at least with the brand I used), compared to the traditional chemical dyes I found this stuff much easier to tolerate. The application is pretty messy but with the proper prep, that's easy enough to deal with. Not a deal breaker in my opinion and I found it kind of therapeutic in a way :P
So that covers the most common complaints that I've read, there were of course the additional issues regarding the unpredictable nature of the color you'll end up with, due to Henna being a stain instead of a "dye", the color you start out with will really affect the finished look. Something to keep in mind :)
Phew!! So now that we're done with the potential negatives regarding Henna hair coloring, I'd like to outline a few of the BENEFITS before taking you on my Henna journey.
Henna can make your hair strong and nourish it from the roots for silky, shiny hair, it makes hair glossy, healthy and voluminous. It repairs the damaged hair strands and restores the acid-alkaline balance of the scalp. It is an amazing conditioner for hair that protects the hair strands by building a protective layer and locking in the nutrients and moisture. It is by far the best and safest way to color your hair that has no ammonia, chemicals, or nasty toxins. Can promote healthy hair growth and reduce breakage. Henna can be used to treat and heal dandruff and scalp infections.
I'M SOLD!! Compared to traditional chemical hair dyes, this was an easy decision for me!! Particularly because I suffered from bad reactions to chemical dye, they did a number on my scalp, often burning it :( and leaving little scabs for many days after, ick!! I also suffer from Alopecia Areata due to immune system issues so my hair loss and regrowth cycle was always bothering me and it just seemed logical that I should take better care of the hair I do have! :)
Okay so if you're still reading, you've either decided you're gonna take the plunge and would like more information regarding the application process (and my after pics :P) or you're still unsure and are curious what exactly is involved! Either way, thanks for sticking around and I hope you find all of this information useful :)
Which product I used:
I bought Wine Red Henna from Henna Color Lab http://hennacolorlab.com/ I love their service and products!
Preparation is key!! If you want to save yourself from the back breaking chore of trying to remove Henna from surfaces that are stained then, preparation, preparation, preparation :p
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| Sink Protection |
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| Floor Protection |
I recommend picking up a plastic table cloth/protector and draping it over your sink and keep some paper towels and a mix of baking soda and dish soap in water handy, just in case!
To protect your floors I suggest picking up shower curtains or table cloths from your local dollar store to prevent staining bathroom tiles!
You can keep these for next time, just give them a rinse, let air dry and store in a plastic bag.
So now you're ready to begin: These are the exact instructions that came with the product. I've added in red my additional tips and some of my own pics. But for the most part I followed the instructions pretty closely.
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS (HAIR DYE & TREATMENTS):
This is a safe and simple process. Before application: Shampoo hair to remove all excess dirt and oil—no conditioner. Towel dry hair. Put on a smock or place a towel over shoulders.
*Recommended to strand test a section of hair before full application. (See below for details.)
*And spot test the skin to ensure no allergic response. (See below for details.)
1 pack colors/treats shoulder-length hair. 2 packs for hair to mid-back. 3+ packs for hair to waist. → One pack exactly did my shoulder length hair, so I think it's safe to say this is accurate
1. MIX & PREPARE
- Use quart size mixing bowl per full packet (3.5 oz/100 g) and a spoon to mix. Use a plastic bowl and spoon, metal may interfere with the processing (so I've heard LOL better safe than sorry though ;)
- Cover any surfaces that may stain: untreated wood, carpet, fabric, etc.
- Pour powder into bowl. One packet colors/treats straight, shoulder length hair.
- Add hot tap water (approx 120ยบ F) gradually to the powder. NOT BOILING WATER
- Add little water at a time to get an applicable paste consistency.
(thick pudding or cake batter). - Prepare hair for color or treatment. Divide hair into four sections:
front, left, right, back.
- Apply directly to towel-dried hair using gloved hand or hair dye brush. I used a combination of both!
- Using gloved hand, scoop and apply the paste on back section (if crumbly, add water).
- From scalp and root of hair, work evenly to top of hair. Try for complete, even coverage.
- Methodically apply from back to front section. Take your time. Massage well into hair. I applied from front to back piling hair my hair on top of itself as I went along, found that doing it this way helped avoid getting the henna all over my neck!
- Work all hennaed hair into a mound on top of head. Touch-up along all hair lines.
- After getting it all applied I took a fair bit of time working it in like a shampoo to be sure I got even coverage!
- When done, cover head with included plastic cap. Leave on for one to two hours.
- I used the plastic cap, patted it down onto my hair so it stuck to it and wrapped a bandanna around my head to keep the heat in, which is good for Henna to process better.
- Note: Treatments peak after one hour. Colors deepen up to two hours.
3. RINSE & CONDITION
- Rinse out thoroughly (no shampoo) until all product removed. Then use conditioner.
- Note: Paste rinse-out may take a little time. Conditioner will help removal of dried paste. Requires a fair bit of conditioner, so I suggest buying a cheap conditioner just for this :p
- Blow dry hair for 10-15 minutes to accelerate natural color-changing process.
- Remember: It’s 100% natural. No added perfumes. Earthy scent will fade after rinsing.
So as you can see it's pretty straight forward, I really LOVED the process and how my hair turned out! My hair has many shades of dark red and I'm okay with that, I've always loved multi-tonal hair...check it out ;)
Immediately after rinsing:
A few hours later:
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| SO SHINY!!! :D (with a camera flash) |
And how it looks now (No camera flash for these pics):
I LOVE IT!!!!!
I have yet to wash my hair it's been a few days, so I'm hoping I won't lose any of this rich red color. I'll keep you all up to date with my Henna journey, so far I'm ecstatic and as long as it lasts at least as long as the chemical crap dye than I'm a happy girl :pIf you have any questions I'll try my best to answer them, I'm no professional by any means but I'm helpful when I can be ;)
Wanna try it out yourself?? Here's your link http://hennacolorlab.com/ I'm in no way affiliated with Henna Color Lab and I don't receive any kind of incentives! Just like to be thorough when I'm trying to help LOL :p
Beauty DIY-Eyebrow Tinting at Home :)
Hello ladies!! As promised I shot a quick video outlining how to tint your eyebrows at home. It's my first video so please be kind, I was awful nervous :p
So before we get right to the video I'll share with you what you'll need and which product I use to tint my eyebrows:
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| What you will need! |
List of what you will need:
Glass or plastic bowl
Vaseline
Q-tips and Cotton swabs or pads
Fine tipped brush
Tinting product: I use Augenblick by Berrywell
Bowl of warm water for removal at the end
So as you can see I use Augenblick by Berrywell, mostly because it was the only eyebrow tint available at my local beauty supply store. If you chose a different tint, please check the mixing ratio as it may be different than my product.
Okay so lets get started :) :
I
hope you enjoyed the video and if you have any questions please let me
know, I'm happy to answer them to my best ability! This is super simple
to do and will save you a TON of money if you are currently getting your
eyebrows tinted at a salon!
If
you would like to see the actual application than I can post another
video later of me actually performing the task of tinting, just let me
know that you'd like to see more.
Till next time ladies, Live, Love and Tint Your Eyebrows!! ;)
Also: Super weird seeing myself on video :s lol and you can also view this video on youtube at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAexIMeQPoo&feature=em-upload_owner
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Beauty DIY-Home Hair Coloring Process and Tips
I'm a big fan of at home hair coloring, when done correctly that is! There are many things to consider before embarking on the sometimes tragic task of coloring yourself. First ask yourself if you're truly comfortable coloring your own hair, if you're at all unsure, chances are you should probably go see the professionals ;)
Still interested? Okay, lets do this!
Choosing your at home color can be a daunting experience, you take a trip to the local Walmart, Shoppers Drug Mart or what have you (Canadian here :p) and you face the aisle of Loreal, Clairol, Garnier and Revlon's color bombardment. What color brand should you choose? Well that's not an easy answer, many things contribute to your experience with any given color. Hair texture, hue preference, virgin vs. previously colored hair, your natural undertones all come into play when deciding which to choose. I'm going to do my best to research and try different brands in upcoming blogs to really outline the pros and cons of each brand (stay tuned for that!), however until then I'll outline the process, provide tips and assume you already have a favorite brand.
What you need:
Tinting/Dye Bowl (unless you like the bottle in the box)
Gloves (provided with dye)
Tint/Dye Brush
Towel or Professional Styling Cape (can be purchased at local beauty supply stores)
Vaseline (apply around entire hairline to protect skin from dye)
Preferred Home Hair Color
Now decide if you can get away with a simple root touch up, as this is the least harmful to your hair.
Root Touch Up:
Color match the best you can, if you have a hard time picking out a color that best matches yourself, bring someone with you who can visually compare the box to your hair for you, or ask the stores cosmetician to give you a hand with that.
Mix up your dye following the directions provided, and get started.
Start with the most visible part in your hair and brush the dye over your roots (be generous and don't forget your front hairline)
Then separate your hair with the end of the brush, lifting upward to expose the roots underneath your hair in approx. 1/2 inch sections and apply dye to exposed roots.
Continue this process till all of the grown in roots are covered (save remaining dye)
Allow to process till 5 minutes before you need to wash the color out and take remaining dye and apply to remaining hair (this ensures a more even color and will refresh the old color)
Finish the processing time, rinse and allow the provided conditioner to soak into your hair for a few minutes before washing it out.
All done! Hope you love the color!!
If you're trying to lighten your hair color from your current color, only use a home coloring kit if you're going a shade or two lighter. Otherwise seek out a professional as home blonde colors are hard to perfect and color correction in a salon can be an expensive trip! Better to pay before, than after the damage has been done.
All Over Color:
So this is pretty straight forward, follow instructions on the kit, however I have some tips for achieving a better all over color.
Tips:
If your hair is shoulder length or longer, grab a second kit (better to be safe than sorry ;) )
Apply color to roots first, approx. an inch from the scalp or however much re-growth you have (your roots are going to dye slower, they need to be dyed first)When finished, apply color to the ends
If using a brush, be sure to apply plenty of dye and work it in with your hands to ensure maximum even coverage.
Now this one is important:
We all like to pile our hair on the top of our head while we wait for the dye to process, don't we? DO NOT pile your hair on the top of your head, instead allow it to hang freely (make use of that towel or cape), this is important because the hair dye requires oxygen to process properly, so as you can imagine the pile of dyed hair on the top of your head will not get the required oxygen (at least some parts of it anyway) which will result in an uneven color.
So with all of that being said, I hope it all worked out well for you and you love your color!
Please also use the professional products that you can buy from a beauty supply store with caution, there are mixing measurements that MUST be followed closely. Again if you are unsure or uncomfortable, consult the professionals ;)
Happy Hair Dyeing Ladies ;) xo
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