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!
As you can see it's all natural and free from any nasty additives!
The package comes with gloves and a plastic cap (but I recommend picking up better quality gloves)
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.
2. APPLY COLOR OR TREATMENT
- 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.
I waited the full two hours and indulged in a little birthday cheesecake and coffee ;) Don't forget to protect your couch during your processing time!
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.
Avoid shampooing for 24 hours.
Avoid leave-in oil-based conditioners
for first week. Henna-based dyes will take up to 48 hours to express
true colors and undertones. Undertones can range from light red to green
to blue before fully maturing—very normal (most blend within hours).
You can reapply as often as you like. It’s all natural, safe, and gentle
to hair, scalp, and skin.
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 :p
If 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
