Looking for an organic, all-natural hair dye that won’t leave your hair feeling dry and damaged? Henna is the way to go! Not only can you create gorgeous tattoos and freckles, you can also use henna for hair and get beautiful, healthy locks.
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Henna Hair Dye for Beginners
Ditch the chemicals and treat your hair the way it deserves to be treated - naturally! Not only does henna help you avoid the chemicals that make your hair dry and brittle, it also is anti-microbial, anti-fungal, and binds to the keratin in your hair. This means your scalp is better protected, your hair is stronger, and the color stays longer.
If this is your first time using henna hair dye, be sure to take a minute to fully read the instructions before starting. We have a few extra Pro Tips just for you:
- Start with clean hair. Wash out all product, oil, and conditioner with just shampoo. You want to keep anything from getting between your hair and the dyeing power of henna.
- Test it first. Dye a small sample of your hair from the underneath before fully committing. You’ll need to let it fully intensify for two days before you see what the actual color is.
- Do not combine with chemical hair dye. Wait at least one month since your last chemical dye before using henna on your hair.
- Avoid eyes and mouth. If the dye gets in your eyes, flush with water and contact a physician if irritation continues.
- Protect your skin and clothing. Wear an old tshirt or cover up with a towel to keep the henna from staining anything but your hair.
- Heat helps the dye release. As you wait for the dye to transfer, wrap your head in a towel to keep the heat locked in, and blow dry your hair afterward.
Step-by-Step Instructions
What You Need:
- 1 cup of distilled warm water or freshly brewed black tea
- Glass bowl
- Spoon
- Cling wrap
- Plastic gloves
- Shower cap
Steps:
1. Pour desired amount of henna powder into your bowl and slowly mix in water or tea until pudding like consistency is reached.
- Short length hair - 4.5 tbsp
- Shoulder length hair - 8 tbsp
- Mid Back length Hair - 100g
- Mustache - 3 tbsp
- Half Beard - 4 tbsp
- Full Beard - 8 tbsp
2. Mix paste until clumps are gone. Cover with cling wrap and let sit for 8 - 10 hours; this will allow for full dye release.
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3. Once ready, apply henna paste directly to dry hair with gloved hands.
4. Section your hair and starting from your roots, work the paste evenly through to the ends.
5. Gather your hair on top of your head and cover completely with a plastic shower cap.
6. After 3 hours, thoroughly rinse your hair with cool water to remove all henna. Wash until water runs clear (do not use shampoo).
7. Use a blow dryer for 10 - 15 minutes.
8. After 24 hours, you can use color safe shampoo to lock in color. Avoid oil based conditioners for one week.
9. Hair color will darken and reach full intensity within 48 - 72 hours.
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Where to Buy Henna Hair Dye?
Create your own henna hair dye from Mihenna’s USDA-certified organic henna powder. You can trust it on your hair because it’s the exact same powder we use for our henna tattoo kits - meaning it’s body art quality and triple sifted. Our Rajasthani henna is organically grown with no additional chemicals - just pure and completely natural.
Our henna powder comes in 100 gram quantities and is vacuum sealed to keep out all moisture. In powder form, you do not need to freeze it. Our illustrated instructional card will walk you through the steps for dyeing your hair with henna, and you can find even more Pro Tips above.
We'd love to see how your henna'ed hair turns out! Tag us on Instagram @mihenna.bodyart and we'll be sure to feature your stunning new hair color. While you're at it, follow us for giveaways and new product releases.
Frequently Asked Questions
1) Is henna hair dye organic?
Not all henna hair dye is organic, but Mihenna is certified organic by the USDA. We’ve tested everything from the soil our lawsonia inermis plants grow in to the final product. See our full report here.
Before you use any henna hair dye, read the ingredients for any additives. Then test a strand of hair before fully applying.
2) Why is henna hair dye powder green?
Henna hair dye is made from a plant! The leaves of the lawsonia inermis are dried, grounded, and sifted into a fine powder. That’s why henna is the best dye product for your hair - it’s natural and organic without any harmful chemicals that strip nutrients from your hair.
The green powder, once mixed with water and allowed to set, will react with your hair to create a red - brown color.
3) How long does it take to henna your hair?
Approximately 15 hours from start to finish. The freshly-mixed henna hair dye will need to set for 8 - 10 hours before you apply it. We recommend mixing it the night before. Once your hair is fully coated, the color will take 3 hours to absorb into your hair. Plus a couple hours for showering, mixing, and drying, we estimate 15 hours.
4) Can henna hair dye cause an allergic reaction?
Allergic reactions to henna are very rare. Mihenna uses USDA-certified organic henna powder that is body art quality. If you have sensitive skin, do not mix your henna hair dye with coffee or tea. Just use water and a color-safe conditioner to keep your scalp free of irritation.
If you’ve experienced allergic reactions with other henna hair dyes, it’s possible you may be allergic to the additives. Other brands sometimes use an acidic component (such as lemon juice or apple cider vinegar) to create a stronger color; however, these can leave your scalp dry and itchy. Invest in a conditioner to help your scalp heal.
5) What color is henna hair dye?
The final color will depend on your original color, what ingredients you include, how long you leave the henna hair dye on, and how well you care for your hair afterwards. A general rule of thumb for each factor:
- Brown or black hair will get red undertones. Blonde or grey hair will be red or orange.
- Adding coffee or black tea will create a reddish brown color.
- The longer you leave on the henna hair dye, the darker the color will be.
- If you avoid washing out the dye for the first 24 hours and continue to condition your hair, the color will be more intense.
Please note. It will take 48 - 72 hours for your hair color to reach its full color intensity. Wait until after this period before adding additional dye.
6) How often can you henna your hair?
Wait at least a week or two in between full henna dyes. You can do touch ups as needed. The more frequently you fully dye your hair with henna, the darker the color will become.
7) Will henna hair dye fade?
Henna is a permanent dye, and more long-lasting than other dyes. There will be some fading after about a month, but the color will not fully wash out. You can keep the color vibrant by reapplying every two weeks or as needed to maintain your preferred color.
8) How to remove henna hair dye?
If it’s time for a change, you can bleach over Mihenna’s hair dye. But this is not true for all brands! Henna hair dye that uses chemicals can reach with the bleach and damage your hair. Our pure, organic henna is safe to use with bleach. We recommend contacting a professional stylist to handle the bleaching for you since henna is harder to remove than other dyes.
9) Can henna hair dye be used for tattoos?
Henna tattoos made from henna hair dye will be less vibrant and will fade more quickly. In order to be gentle with your hair, we suggest only using our pure henna powder mixed with water. But to create dark, long-lasting henna tattoos, we recommend another set of instructions specifically for skin. You can also purchase our ready-to-use henna paste and avoid the mixing.
Please note. The henna tattoo mixture should not be used on your hair. It can cause drying and an itchy scalp. Even for skin, you should keep henna tattoos moisturized with coconut oil.
