henna faq
What is Henna?
Henna (Lawsonia inermis), also called Mehandi is a small tree that grows about six meters high. Henna grows in warm and dry climates and it is common throughout India, Pakistan, Middle East and North Africa.
The leaves of the henna plant have a red-orange dye (lawsone). It has been in use as hair dye and conditioner for centuries. Henna stains your hair red-orange. Henna is the best hair conditioner provided by nature. It will make your hair thick and silky.
Dried henna leaves are crushed to make a fine powder. This powder is mixed with water to make paste which when applied on the skin leaves a stain. And the same paste can be used to dye your hair.
What is Indigo?
Indigo (Indigofera tinctoria) is a plant that has blue dye in its leaves. Indigo was originally used to dye jeans naturally. People have used indigo in combination with henna to dye their hair black for thousands of years. Indigo powder in green in color and smells like frozen peas.
Henna and Indigo in different proportions give black, Dark Brown, Medium Brown and Light Brown tones. If you want to dye your hair without chemicals, Henna and Indigo are the products you need to use. The Indigo (which is green in color) start releasing blue color within a few minutes of mixing with water.
What is Neutral Henna ?
Cassia obovata is often referred as Neutral Henna. It is not henna. It doesn't stain hands or hair. Just similar to henna, it is an excellent conditioner and makes hair thick and glossy.
What is Kala Mehandi?
Natural Henna (or Mehandi) is never is black in color. The so called Kala Mehandi is either brownish black or black in color. It is neither Henna nor Indigo. It is probably PPD and other toxic chemicals that makes it black.Use of Kala Mehandi is very harmful and may cause severe reactions. We don't sell or suggest to use Kala Mehandi.
All our hair dyes/colors are 100% natural.
How much henna powder do I need for my hair?
One packet of Henna powder (100 grams) will do one to three applications depending on the length and thickness of your hair. Boy cut style hair will need about 35 gm (about 1/3 of the packet).
If your hair is about shoulder length, it requires about 65 grams (2/3 of the packet). If your hair is of Mid back length, it may require 100gm (one full packet).
Can I use the left over henna paste?
When pure or herbal henna paste is left over, it can be refrigerated for future use. The left over henna based hair dye paste that has Indigo in it will just need to be thrown away.
I have African American Black hair, and I want to change my hair color to a red tone, so could you please tell me what products I should use?
You may use "Natural Red Dye" to tint your hair red. It may takes a few applications to get the tint. But, it will not completely change your hair to red since your hair is black.
What is the best color for my hair?
Choosing a natural dye close to your natural hair color is the best. These henna based natural dyes will only dye hair that is lighter than the color used. For instance, by using Natural black, brown hair can be turned black. But, by applying Blonde dye, you can not change the color of black or brown to Blonde color.