I decided to take the plunge and order some high quality henna online. I ordered from Henna Sooq. Upon reading all the useful information on the site, I decided on 2 types of henna; the Rajasthani and Red Raj. I want to eventually have a deep brown / burgundy color that will cover my greys. And speaking of greys, I would like for them to be more in the wine family rather than stark pumpkin orange.
I had been experimenting with henna and indigo from the local markets. But, upon reading all the reviews and seeing pictures of other users, who ordered their henna online, I decided to follow suit. Since I have been researching henna recipes all over the place, I also tweaked my recipe and simplified my application method somewhat.
And this is how:
Henna Sooq Rajasthani Henna 64 g (1/2 cup)
Red Raj Henna 64 g (1/2 cup)
Indigo 32 g (1/4 cup)
16 oz Strongly brewed hot Raspberry tea
1 Lime (Juiced)
1 Tbs Conditioner
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 Tbs Sea Salt (for Indigo)
_________________
- Mix hennas, tea, and lime juice in glass bowl
- Leave to dye release in bowl covered in plastic for at least 4 hours. Afterwards, add yogurt and conditioner to henna mix
- Mix Indigo with warm water only (allow 15 minutes for dye release)
- Add salt to Indigo past and mix into Henna paste (mix really well and then mix some more)
- Apply to damp hair and put on a plastic shower cap. Place woolen cap over shower cap
- Leave on for at least 5 hours and then wash out
- Do not wash again for 48 hrs
There were a few very key points I observed this time around:
1) The henna powder was really finely sifted and was almost moist. However, the moistness could be attributed because I kept my main batch in the freezer to prolong its life.
2) The Red Raj was more prone to becoming doughy, but in the end, it did mix well.
3) Once both hennas were mixed together, the smell was not as offensive as the cheaper henna I had been using. The Rajasthani hardly had any smell at all while the Red Raj had a stronger grassy smell, but neither smelled like any hint of manure. I was VERY grateful for this!
4) There was almost immediate dye release. As I was mixing it, it was already starting to turn brown and mixing it with the raspberry tea should help bring out the red tones in both hennas. However, since the vendor recommended to let it sit and release for 4 hours, I wanted to follow the instructions as precisely as possible since these hennas were substantially more expensive than my usual stock.
5) When it was time to mix the indigo, it was also much more "fresh" looking and did not smell on the stale side. I let it sit for 10 minutes and I could see the blue / black layer sitting on top of the green paste. This was something I had not experienced before with my store bought indigo. I was definitely beginning to feel I had made the right decision by splurging on the better stuff.
6) The product was a bit less dense than the previous henna, but it was much easier to apply. It penetrated the hair in a much different way. It wasn't just sitting on top of the hair, but it was getting under each layer of hair. The mix was thick enough not to be drippy even if it was more like warmed commercial cake frosting rather than Greek yogurt.
7) Application overall was much neater and went much faster than usual. In the end, cleanup was a breeze and I didn't have henna all in my ears, all over my forehead, or dripping down my back...yay!
I did have about a quarter of the mix left over, so of course, I bagged it and froze it. I must admit that these 5 hours of waiting are a bit unnerving. I am now thinking that the change will be much more dramatic than I may have originally anticipated. I am also hoping for much more of a color blend in the different shades my hair has in it. Previously, there was such a stark demarcation line from where the old chemical dye was growing out and my virgin hair. I am definitely getting a serious trim in the Spring to start decreasing some of this much lighter area.
The color ended up much darker and closer to my natural color than I thought it was going to. I only used 1/3 cup (43 g) of Indigo, but next time I will reduce it down to 1/4 cup (32 g). I really like the color I ended up with and the greys at my temples were covered, which is what I was hoping for. The grays are a little on the orange side, but they do blend in well with the rest of the hair. I am assuming with future applications they will intensify towards red rather than remain orange.
Overall, although the better henna is more expensive and that increases even more with shipping, it was a good investment. The intensity in saturation is so much better. I really could not believe the difference. My hair was having a hard time catching the color off of the bargain henna, and the results were really disappointing. This time, the color is bonding to my locks!
I had been experimenting with henna and indigo from the local markets. But, upon reading all the reviews and seeing pictures of other users, who ordered their henna online, I decided to follow suit. Since I have been researching henna recipes all over the place, I also tweaked my recipe and simplified my application method somewhat.
And this is how:
Henna Sooq Rajasthani Henna 64 g (1/2 cup)
Red Raj Henna 64 g (1/2 cup)
Indigo 32 g (1/4 cup)
16 oz Strongly brewed hot Raspberry tea
1 Lime (Juiced)
1 Tbs Conditioner
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 Tbs Sea Salt (for Indigo)
_________________
- Mix hennas, tea, and lime juice in glass bowl
- Leave to dye release in bowl covered in plastic for at least 4 hours. Afterwards, add yogurt and conditioner to henna mix
- Mix Indigo with warm water only (allow 15 minutes for dye release)
- Add salt to Indigo past and mix into Henna paste (mix really well and then mix some more)
- Apply to damp hair and put on a plastic shower cap. Place woolen cap over shower cap
- Leave on for at least 5 hours and then wash out
- Do not wash again for 48 hrs
There were a few very key points I observed this time around:
1) The henna powder was really finely sifted and was almost moist. However, the moistness could be attributed because I kept my main batch in the freezer to prolong its life.
2) The Red Raj was more prone to becoming doughy, but in the end, it did mix well.
3) Once both hennas were mixed together, the smell was not as offensive as the cheaper henna I had been using. The Rajasthani hardly had any smell at all while the Red Raj had a stronger grassy smell, but neither smelled like any hint of manure. I was VERY grateful for this!
4) There was almost immediate dye release. As I was mixing it, it was already starting to turn brown and mixing it with the raspberry tea should help bring out the red tones in both hennas. However, since the vendor recommended to let it sit and release for 4 hours, I wanted to follow the instructions as precisely as possible since these hennas were substantially more expensive than my usual stock.
5) When it was time to mix the indigo, it was also much more "fresh" looking and did not smell on the stale side. I let it sit for 10 minutes and I could see the blue / black layer sitting on top of the green paste. This was something I had not experienced before with my store bought indigo. I was definitely beginning to feel I had made the right decision by splurging on the better stuff.
 |
| Sorry for the super greasy roots, but I wanted to show my natural color in its virgin state |
.JPG) |
| Lower half of length still has remnants of past chemical dye and previous henna applications |
6) The product was a bit less dense than the previous henna, but it was much easier to apply. It penetrated the hair in a much different way. It wasn't just sitting on top of the hair, but it was getting under each layer of hair. The mix was thick enough not to be drippy even if it was more like warmed commercial cake frosting rather than Greek yogurt.
7) Application overall was much neater and went much faster than usual. In the end, cleanup was a breeze and I didn't have henna all in my ears, all over my forehead, or dripping down my back...yay!
I did have about a quarter of the mix left over, so of course, I bagged it and froze it. I must admit that these 5 hours of waiting are a bit unnerving. I am now thinking that the change will be much more dramatic than I may have originally anticipated. I am also hoping for much more of a color blend in the different shades my hair has in it. Previously, there was such a stark demarcation line from where the old chemical dye was growing out and my virgin hair. I am definitely getting a serious trim in the Spring to start decreasing some of this much lighter area.
The color ended up much darker and closer to my natural color than I thought it was going to. I only used 1/3 cup (43 g) of Indigo, but next time I will reduce it down to 1/4 cup (32 g). I really like the color I ended up with and the greys at my temples were covered, which is what I was hoping for. The grays are a little on the orange side, but they do blend in well with the rest of the hair. I am assuming with future applications they will intensify towards red rather than remain orange.
 |
| It's not as black as the picture shows. It's a very dark brown with a very intense burgundy sheen |
Overall, although the better henna is more expensive and that increases even more with shipping, it was a good investment. The intensity in saturation is so much better. I really could not believe the difference. My hair was having a hard time catching the color off of the bargain henna, and the results were really disappointing. This time, the color is bonding to my locks!
