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Hey there, today I will talk about natural hair dye as you can see I dye my hair
natural dyes are henna and indigo
you can find them as powders, it's the powder of the dried and ground leaves of the plants
Henna is the plant of lawsonia inermis and pure henna (100% lawsonia) gives a copper-red color
you can find blonde, brown, black henna, but pure henna is only the red (lawsonia)
to make other shades they mix henna with other plants
these other plants can't dye the hair very well so they need to be mixed with henna to make the color stable
if you use henna to blond hair you will get a blonde-red color as you can see down here
if you use it to brown hair you will get a brown-red color as you can see near the roots
if you use it to dark black hair there will be no color result, maybe some reddish highlights outside in the sun
you can find "neutral henna", this is not henna but Cassia Obovata
It has the same properties as henna but it can't dye the hair
so it can be used as a mask for its proprieties
it is used (70-80%) to make the mixture of "blonde henna" with other powders like chamomile,zinger and of course some henna (lawsonia)
"blonde henna" can be used to dye blond hair only (it gives a blonde-red color)
you can't use "blonde henna" to dye brown or dark hair
because you can only get darker hair with henna so if your hair is dark you can't make them blonde!
and every time you use henna your hair will became more darker!
"brown and black henna" is a mixture of henna and indigo
the color depends on the percentage of indigo, more it's in there, darker it will be the color
because indigo gives a blue-black color and it is used to cover white hair also
it is not very stable so it needs to be mixed with henna
or you should first henna your hair and then dye it with indigo
henna is very good for hair, deposits on hair and makes them stronger, harder and thicker
at the same time makes them soft and it doesn't dry them
cassia has the same thickening properties too
you can also find synthetic henna, and most henna on the market is synthetic!
synthetic henna is added with metallic salts to extract the henna color fast and make the color more vibrant
you should be very careful if you have dyed your hair with chemical dyes
In this case you shouldn't use synthetic henna because can create strange reactions and your hair may turn green
so at least the first time don't use synthetic henna, use only pure henna
pure henna can be used as often as you like, it doesn't ruin your hair
if you have used pure henna and then you want to use chemical dye you can do it. - If the henna was synthetic, you shouldn't!
there is a way to find out if your henna is pure
when you mix henna with liquid wait 5 minutes and then put some of the paste on your finger for 1 minute
if after 1 minute your finger turns orange that means henna is starting release color
That's synthetic henna! There are metallic salts in there!
pure henna cant color immediately, it needs hours after mixing it with water to release color. From 3 to 24 hours!
so it is impossible to stain before 3-4 hours
the most important thing to know and understand is when the henna is ready to dye
how long you have to wait for henna paste to release dye so it will stain
it depends on the weather! If room temperature is 30 degrees Celsius henna needs 4 hours to get ready,
if it is 20 degrees Celsius henna needs 24 hours
for intermediate temperature, for example 25 degrees, needs 12 hours
so 30 degrees - 4 hours / 20 degrees - 24 hours
some tips to reduce waiting time. If it is colld and you cant wait 24 hours
- warm up the liquid you use to mix henna, it shouldn't be too hot, because very hot water can ruin henna
-somebody put henna paste on the radiator for 4-6 hours
- somebody put it into the oven, fist warm up the oven (not too hot) and then after you turn off the oven you can put henna paste in
there is a way to find out if henna paste is ready to put it on hair:
when the surface has become dark brown and you can see the green paste beneath if you pull some back with your spoon
you can find various recipes about henna paste, with lemon juice, vinegar, yogurt, honey, aloe gel
somebody thinks that it should be mixed with something acidic and somebody else thinks that it is not necessary and all it needs is water
you should try by yourself and find out what you think it works for you
I will make the recipe suggested by the store I have purchased it I get it from "henna-boy" and I will put the link in info box
I get Jamila, from Pakistan, and everybody says that this is a very good henna
high quality, finely sifted, and this is very important because if it is not finely sifted it will be difficult to wash it away
in 5 minutes a washed away this one, of course I have short hair, but it is really easy to wash away
I also get this "extra red" it is Rubia Cordifolia, and they say it helps get more red color
because Jamila gives a dark red color but I prefer a more vibrant red so I wanted to try to add this extra red
jamila makes a soft velvety mixture, like yogurt
and when you put it on it doesn't leak down and you don't get dirty
I am very satisfied with Jamila, I put it on and I went to bed, (I have used plastic wrap to protect my pillow and bed)
next morning I woke up and there was no falling out or dirty, then I washed away henna in 5 minutes!
before you put on henna your hair must be clean, use a shampoo and dry your hair , then you can put it on
henna smells really bad, when I put it on and for all time I had it on (8-10 hours) it didn't smell a lot and it wasn't a big problem
but every time your hair is wet it smells bad, you have to wash your hair 4-5 times before the smell goes away
this smell is like wet musty herbs! But as I said smells only when the hair is wet,
you should be prepared to get dirty, henna paste is like mud, it is difficult to manage
the henna I used is easy to apply because the mixture is soft and velvety
and if you don't make it very runny you will not have any problem
so I put on henna and I went to bed, you should let it on for at least 5 hours, try to keep it on as long as you can even 10 hours
as long as you keep it on better it will be the result
and this way you have less probabilities to fail because if you have put it on and it wasn't ready it will not stain your hair
so for example you put it earlier and for the first 5 hours can release the color, but it will release it for the rest 3-4-5 hours
to wash it away I use water, I don't use shampoo and conditioner
if you have long and dry hair you can use conditioner (or shampoo)
I suggest do not use shampoo because henna works for 3-4 days
after you wash away henna the color will be very vibrant red-orange but day by day becomes more darker and more stable
here you can see the color, indside it seems brown with dark red highlights but outside, as you can see in photo, is more reddish
you can't get the same color as I have, every hair is different and the henna gives a different shade ad every one
it depends on your hair shade, if it is thin, thick, oily, dry....
all you have to do is try it to your hair, you can also try various brands, everyone is a little bit different
you will need pure henna powder (I use Jamila), I use extra red, but it is not necessary you can substitute it with water
a plastic container and a wooden spoon to mix, lemon juice, gloves,
an oily cream, I use my homemade beeswax cream, to apply all around your hairline and ears to protect them for color stain
a brush to apply henna mixture, a hairdressers cape, plastic wrap, cap
(70-80g, of henna powder) warm up the lemon juice into the microwave (not too hot, you should be able to put in your finger)
add little by little the lemon juice to make a very thick paste
when you get this thick texture cover it with plastic wrap and close the container
now you just have to wait
to check out if it's ready, put a little on your finger for 1 minute, if your finger becomes orange it's ready
I will add extra red but you can substitute it with water,
add the liquid little by little to avoid a runny paste, you should get the yogurt consistence (not thick not runny)
if its runny it is difficult to put it on and you will get dirty
this is the consistence you should get
apply the cream to protect your skin, put on your gloves and apply the paste as a normal dye
first do the roots and then all the hair, massage well to put it everywhere
cover your head with the plastic wrap, cover very well so it will be no fall down
put on a cup to keep the paste warm
if the paste is falling down you can use some kitchen paper under the cup
If you have question use the comment bellow to ask me, ciao