I must say after getting rid of all the chemicals in my home and personal care products, I was a little panicked when I started getting those "gray" streaks in the front of my hair. At first I just plucked them out and pretty soon, I had too many to pluck out. I am not going gray at my age so I had to find a natural solution to cover those grays. My favorite herbalist, Rosemary Gladstar, lives by henna for the hair but all I could think of was "I Love Lucy" red, after all she was the henna queen. After weeks of studying about henna and reading over and over the henna section of Rosemary Gladstar's Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health and even a couple phone calls to Mountain Rose Herbs. I finally decided to take the plunge and just do it.
What is Henna?
Henna is made from the crushed leaves of the Henna shrub or Egyptian privet (Lawsonia inermis), native to the Middle East, Asia and Africa. Most people only think of red when they think of henna but by blending different parts of the plant that are harvested at different times, a whole range of colors are created, from black to neutral and every where in between.
How to Choose a Shade?
Henna works very best on darker colored hair but can be used for dark blond and even gray (if applied correctly). My hair is a medium brown so I can use any henna shade without precautions. For dark blond, light brown or gray hair I would suggest reading the hair section of Rosemary Gladstar's Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health for more details on choosing the correct shade. Mountain Rose Herbs carries a large quantity of shades such as: black, red, sherry, mahogany, burgundy, dark brown, medium brown, light brown, copper, strawberry blonde and marigold blond. They also have a neutral henna that is colorless but many use it for a conditioner once a month to add body and shine.
How to Apply?
Just to be clear when using henna, this is not a typical hair coloring solution, it is an herb and therefore don't expect to mix up a batch of colorant and apply this creamy, nice smelly solution to your hair. First of all, it is green and when mixed up, is anything but creamy or nice smelling (but add some hair care essential oil and this can be improved a bit). The texture will be like mud and I personally think it smells like seaweed, but have come to appreciate the smell because I know how great my hair will feel afterwards. Now you know what to expect lets go through the steps for some fabulous hair:
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STEP ONE - Mix Your Henna
Decide on a shade, my hair is medium brown and I wanted a hint of red to it so I used a mix of dark brown (next time I will be getting medium brown though because the dark brown is a bit too dark) and burgundy. The first time I used henna I used half and half because I was afraid it would be too red, instead it was really dark with only a hint of dark red in the sunlight. I found I like a mix of one part dark brown and three parts burgundy for an auburn look, I could even do a little more burgundy if I wanted. For my long hair I used 3/4 cup burgundy and 1/2 cup of dark brown, but I recently cut it to shoulder length and this time I used 3/8 cup burgundy and 1/4 cup dark brown. Mix together in a bowl or large measuring cup and pour in boiling water until the henna is the consistency of oatmeal. I used a little too much water for this batch so make it a little thicker. Add 2 Tbsp. of apple cider vinegar (I use my herbal vinegar hair rinse) and 30 drops of essential oil of your choice. You can choose one from the hair care list, I like to use rosemary essential oil.
Decide on a shade, my hair is medium brown and I wanted a hint of red to it so I used a mix of dark brown (next time I will be getting medium brown though because the dark brown is a bit too dark) and burgundy. The first time I used henna I used half and half because I was afraid it would be too red, instead it was really dark with only a hint of dark red in the sunlight. I found I like a mix of one part dark brown and three parts burgundy for an auburn look, I could even do a little more burgundy if I wanted. For my long hair I used 3/4 cup burgundy and 1/2 cup of dark brown, but I recently cut it to shoulder length and this time I used 3/8 cup burgundy and 1/4 cup dark brown. Mix together in a bowl or large measuring cup and pour in boiling water until the henna is the consistency of oatmeal. I used a little too much water for this batch so make it a little thicker. Add 2 Tbsp. of apple cider vinegar (I use my herbal vinegar hair rinse) and 30 drops of essential oil of your choice. You can choose one from the hair care list, I like to use rosemary essential oil.
Unwashed, mousy brown hair with streaks of gray in the front.
STEP TWO - Prepare Your Hair
Your hair does not need to be clean and washed, in fact Rosemary Gladstar discourages it. Just dampen your hair and towel dry. Massage a small amount of coconut or olive oil into your hair - especially the ends.
Your hair does not need to be clean and washed, in fact Rosemary Gladstar discourages it. Just dampen your hair and towel dry. Massage a small amount of coconut or olive oil into your hair - especially the ends.
STEP THREE: Gather Your Supplies
- Plastic gloves
- Brush for "painting" on your henna - you can use an actual dye brush or I just used an actual paint brush
- An old towel you don't care to get stained
- Plastic wrap or shower cap
STEP FOUR: Applying the Henna
Separate your hair into 1" sections and "paint" the henna on beginning at the root and moving to the ends. Apply is thickly all over and continue until all your hair is completely covered. This would be a great girls night activity since it is much easier having someone do this for you but I always do my own. "Grease" it thickly over all the hair and then cover with plastic wrap or a shower cap and then cover with a towel. Leave on 90 minutes up to 2 hours, I just watch a movie while I wait and know I am finished when the movie is over. If you have lots of gray though you only want to leave it on for 30 minutes.
Separate your hair into 1" sections and "paint" the henna on beginning at the root and moving to the ends. Apply is thickly all over and continue until all your hair is completely covered. This would be a great girls night activity since it is much easier having someone do this for you but I always do my own. "Grease" it thickly over all the hair and then cover with plastic wrap or a shower cap and then cover with a towel. Leave on 90 minutes up to 2 hours, I just watch a movie while I wait and know I am finished when the movie is over. If you have lots of gray though you only want to leave it on for 30 minutes.
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STEP FIVE: Rinse and Wash
Wash out the best you can knowing that you are not going to get it all out. Let your hair dry and then brush through it real well, outside, believe me lots of henna that was left will now come out in your brush and on the ground. It will usually take a couple of washes to get it completely out.
Wash out the best you can knowing that you are not going to get it all out. Let your hair dry and then brush through it real well, outside, believe me lots of henna that was left will now come out in your brush and on the ground. It will usually take a couple of washes to get it completely out.
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Here is my hair two days later, after drying and combing well to get all the henna out. This shows the color in both indoor lighting and outdoor shade. Best of all, no gray streaks, just "highlights". Your hair is going to feel thick, strong, healthy and look great! Henna not only colors your hair but it thickens it, protects against damage and split ends and nourishes the hair follicles. It will naturally fade out within 8-10 weeks so plan on re-applying about every 10 weeks or so.
Where Do I Get the Supplies for a Henna Rinse?
Mountain Rose Herbs has the largest selection of henna colors to choose from. They also carry organic, good quality henna. Rosemary Gladstar warns about getting a low quality henna because the colors can fluctuate and you never know what you will get.
