Henna hair dye

[LolaandTim]

So I've been using the Lush henna bricks to dye my slowly greying hair - it's great because it tones nicely, doesn't have that chemical smell and it sort of wears off rather than growing out leaving massive roots.

Does anyone else use this? Or do I bite the bullet and just start having it done at the salon?

However doing at home is traumatic - so unbelievably messy even when using hairdresser's brushes etc.

Interested in this. What colour does it make the greys - is it a red colour? And how long does it last OP?

Salons generally won't do henna because it takes so long to develop and is such a pain to prepare. So if you switch to a salon you'd be looking at chemical dyes, which (especially if you want red) fade much quicker than henna. Chemical dyes and henna do not play nicely together at all, so you'd have to wait for a while until you're confident the henna has pretty much gone.

I've tried salon dye and henna and I love henna, despite its flaws. It lasts, it's kind to my hair and it's cheap. I just accept that every six weeks or so, my bathroom will look as if I've hosed down every surface in coffee grounds

@sycamore80

Interested in this. What colour does it make the greys - is it a red colour? And how long does it last OP?

So my natural hair colour is a sort of light brown / mousey shade. The lush stuff comes in a few shades from red to black. I usually go for the cacoa brun which is a medium brown. I find it turns my grey hair a dark blonde shade which when scattered through the brown looks quite natural. They recommend layering the red and brown if you have very fair hair.

@OutrageousFlavourLikeFreesias

Salons generally won't do henna because it takes so long to develop and is such a pain to prepare. So if you switch to a salon you'd be looking at chemical dyes, which (especially if you want red) fade much quicker than henna. Chemical dyes and henna do not play nicely together at all, so you'd have to wait for a while until you're confident the henna has pretty much gone.

I've tried salon dye and henna and I love henna, despite its flaws. It lasts, it's kind to my hair and it's cheap. I just accept that every six weeks or so, my bathroom will look as if I've hosed down every surface in coffee grounds

Do you use the lush stuff or a different brand?

There are so many pros, it doesn't dry my already sore scalp either. Just the cow-poo explosion in the bathroom

I have used lush in the past but would love any recommendations for powders which can replicate the caca brun shade as chopping up the henna blocks from lush is quite annoying and messy- I wonder if a finer powder mix would be easier to apply as well…

I do love henna but not the bright red - the caca brun from lush was great at strengthening my hair and giving it a lovely shine.

I used lush for several years and have switched to powder after a period of not dying it at all.
I'm now using light mountain henna in red, which looks slightly more orange/yellow on my mousey blonde hair than the lush blocks.
The powder is a million times easier to deal with, and much cheaper.

I don't find henna too much of a hassle. I just put a towel over the sink and that covers most spills.

I used to use the Lush henna

Pros:
You can mix the blocks to come up with your preferred shade
Your hair is in amazing condition as the henna coats your hair permanently

Cons:
It is a total faff to do and takes ages
If you use Lush henna I disliked the overpowering smell
I got better at containing the mess but there is still a risk of enormous mess

Now I just embrace the grey

Is there a Henna colour for dark cool brown?

If you mix henna with indigo powder you usually get a lovely dark shade. Experiment with different ratios to find your preferred tint

Also amla powder. Basically indian gooseberry. The vitamin c in it darkens reddish henna

Both amla and indigo are natural

I used to henna my hair years ago as a teenager and despite the smell of cow poo and the mess, I really really oved the colour and the shine and condition - I used to have the red.

I found that getting a hairdresser to come to the house was more practical as you have to leave henna on for some time. Styling it out in a busy salon and then going home with what appears to be a cow pat on your head takes some chutzpah (I know, I’ve done it).

Or, the lowest mess way of doing it at home: henna powder (I buy the body art quality organic stuff on line) mixed with something acidic like lemon juice or vinegar, left overnight or until a dark skin forms on top (that’s your dye release) then don’t even bother trying to use a tinting brush; line your bathtub with old newspaper, put on latex gloves and get your bowl of henna mix and squidge it well into your hair, roots first. When you’re done, clear up both paper and the inevitable splats all in one go. Been henna’ing my hair for years.

Has anyone used this Holland & Barrett henna dye? I'm new to henna but looking for a natural alternative to cover my highlights and greys. This looks less faffy that the blocks that OP describes.

Would be interested to know if anyone has tried this?

www.hollandandbarrett.com/shop/product/it-s-pure-organic-herbal-hair-colour-dark-brown-60050656?skuid=050656

Not tried the H&B hair dyes but they won’t be pure henna and may contain chemicals or other ingredients that could react on top of henna.

I used to use Lush and liked it a lot, though it was a faff with the bricks. I now use the powdered one from Khadi in nut brown. It's easier to use and a better match for my natural colour. I use it to cover the greys I'm getting around my temples.

I used to use Lush Henna , it is a faff but it did give really good condition, though I never got the mirror glass shine that some people get .

I did the melting in a Pyrex bowl over simmering pan of water .
Let it 'cook' a while .
Apply warm and keep it warm with a clingfilm hat and a towel wrap

To remove , stand in the showe , start your removal with a load of cheap conditioner to loosen it , then after it's rinsed clear use shampoo.
(Then clean the shower )

Don't wash your hair for 48 hours .
I quite liked the smell of the Lush one , powder henna I tried in my youth smelled like stale dirty ashtrays ! Lush smells like Turkish Delight .
And it isn't pure henna , lods of conditioning ( oils and cocobutter IIRC)

I stopped using it because it was a faffy old procedure .
Tried some colour free henna last year but it made my hair so dry it took ages to recover .

Have you looked at Daniel Field Watercolours ?
I haven;t tried them but you could email and ask about use over henna .

Or theres Glaze (available from Superdrug) in various colours .

I have used ready mixed cream henna many times. It just goes on the same way as regular hair dye. I used to use Surya henna but it became difficult to get hold of. I get it occasionally on eBay and always use a a dark chocolate brown or black.