Posted by Les Mauvaises Herbes
Do you know about henna? It is a dye plant traditionally used in India and the Maghreb as a hair dye, but also for temporary tattoos. Thanks to this plant, you can dye your hair naturally, while respecting the environment.
Dyeing your hair? Yes, but not just any old way…
Henna is a great alternative to conventional hair dyes, which contain many ingredients that aren't exactly clean. In addition to being harsh on the hair and scalp, conventional dyes are often loaded with ingredients toxic to human health, animals, and the environment. Who wants to put heavy metals and endocrine disruptors on their head? Not me, haha!
Henna, please
It had been at least 5 years since I last dyed my hair. Although lockdown had its downsides, my inner voice and I decided it was the per-fect time to try a henna dye!
So, I did it myself for the first time a few weeks ago, and I was VERY satisfied! Henna adds a lot of highlights and brightness to the hair. My dull hair with brittle ends became vibrant and more voluminous. It was super easy to do all by myself at home: didn’t even need my partner’s help to apply it!
What I love about henna is that it dyes gently, without altering the hair's original color (except perhaps if you are blonde or very light brown, mind you). The plant does not penetrate the hair shaft like a permanent chemical dye, which modifies and replaces the hair's natural pigments. Instead, henna coats and sheathes the hair fiber. The natural color of the hair remains underneath and blends with the plant's pigments. Plus, henna is safe for pregnant and breastfeeding women!
What you need to know before dyeing your hair with henna:
1. The color you get is random and varies from one time to the next. In my opinion, that is the beauty of it :). The color obtained will depend on several factors: your natural color, the distance between your natural color and the chosen henna shade, as well as the application and resting time. The longer the application time, the deeper the color and the more vibrant the highlights will be.
2. There are several henna shades: red, brown, and black. The origin of red henna will affect the tone obtained, ranging from bright copper to dark mahogany. Egyptian henna is more of a bright copper (this is the one we offer in our online shop), whereas Rajasthani henna is an intense copper and Yemeni henna is dark red. It’s a question of pigment percentage: the higher it is, the more intense the color. Brown henna is obtained by mixing red henna (lawsonia inermis), indigo leaf (indigofera tinctoria), and roasted coffee, while black henna contains only indigo.
3. Henna is known for covering gray hair. It is generally better to do two applications, but you can get a satisfactory result with just one as well. It’s up to you! The first application serves as a base color and the second allows you to achieve something darker and more nuanced. For example, it is recommended to apply red henna first, followed by brown henna. Be careful, black henna is known to hold poorly on gray hair!
4. Henna is compatible with chemical coloring only if the chosen henna is 100% natural and contains no metallic components. By choosing a 100% natural henna, you won’t risk ending up with greenish hair (Bibi-style) if you already have chemical dye in your hair. But this is with all due caution, haha.
5. Henna isn't just for coloring hair! It revitalizes and adds shine, strengthens and thickens the hair fiber, reduces frizz, and is even antifungal. Bye-bye, frizz <3.
6. Doing your own dye requires planning and time. Ideally, you should make the henna dye paste the day before or at least 12 hours before application so the pigment (lawsone) has time to release. It is the acidic ingredient you add to the recipe, such as lemon juice or vinegar, that helps the process. You also need to plan at least 2 to 5 hours for application and resting (you’ve gotta do what you’ve gotta do, haha). Since the application time is quite long, I took the opportunity to turn my paste into a 2-in-1 coloring hair treatment!
Henna's best friends
Although this is optional, I like to add an infusion and plant powders to my henna dye. You can choose the infusion and powders according to your hair type and its needs. It makes for a nice two-birds-with-one-stone treatment!
Plant infusion
- sage: strengthens
- nettle: strengthens
- chamomile: accentuates light highlights
- horsetail: accentuates dark highlights
Plant powders
- hibiscus: accentuates mahogany highlights, adds shine, strengthens and stimulates growth
- aloe: soothes sensitive scalp, coats, hydrates, nourishes and fights dandruff
- burdock: soothes sensitive and itchy scalp, balances sebum production and purifies
- marshmallow root: soothes sensitive and itchy scalp, softens and detangles hair, adds volume and shine
- nettle: soothes the scalp, fights hair loss, strengthens, mineralizes, nourishes and regulates sebum
