Henna: A Healthy And Natural Way To Dye Your Hair
Henna is an all-natural product that is not only a natural way to color hair but also strengthens it, and it does not have the harmful effects of chemical dyes. In this article, we will tell you how to dye your hair with henna and where you can buy it.
What is Henna?
The Latin name for henna bush is Lawsonia inermis . The natural henna color is made from the leaves of this plant that have been dried and ground. This powder can be added to hair to color it, but it can also be used for temporary, natural tattoos on the skin.
Henna – a natural way to color hair
The benefits of henna
Henna is a completely natural product without any additives. Henna benefits for hair:
- Gives hair a natural color.
- Gives hair back its strength, making it a great option for those with damaged hair.
- Gives hair shine and makes it radiant.
- The color lasts in the hair for about 3 months and it gradually fades.
- Covers gray hair.
- Henna gives a reddish color, but it can be combined with other plants to create different shades. Neutral Henna contains no color and is used like a hair mask.
- Henna can be used as often as you like.
Risks of chemical dyes
When we use henna, we not only benefit our hair by using a natural product, but we also avoid the damaging effects of chemical dyes as they contain peroxide and ammonia. They are two chemical substances that damage the hair and can cause the following symptoms when used:
- Scalp irritation
- An imbalance of natural oils in the hair, which makes the hair either dry or greasy
- Fragile and damaged hair
- Bifurcated hair
How is henna used?
Always follow the instructions that came with the product.
Here are general instructions:
- Mix the ground henna with lemon juice into a uniform paste. Lemon juice helps the color settle better.
- Leave the mixture in a plastic, covered bowl for at least 8 hours. You can prepare it the night before if you use it the next morning.
- Wash your hair well, do not use conditioner. Dry to towel dry.
- Divide the hair into sections and start adding color from the roots, completely covering the hair.
- Once you have covered your hair with color, wrap your hair in plastic and still cover with a towel.
- Allow to settle for one hour or the time recommended in the product instructions.
- Wash your hair normally.
As we said earlier, henna is also used to color the skin. It is absolutely essential to keep the gloves on hand when working with Henna to avoid stains on clothes that are difficult to remove.
To avoid discoloration of your forehead, add a thin layer of Vaseline around the hairline before you start coloring.
Lastly, be careful when using henna as it will stain your clothes easily.
Where can I Find Henna?
Henna can be purchased at health food stores or from websites that sell health products. You should choose a quality henna product that does not contain any chemical ingredients and that is completely organic. There are many products that are said to contain henna as an ingredient, but which are not completely natural. Note whether the product is pure henna powder or contains only henna, as there is a big difference between the two. In this article, we are referring to pure henna powder, the use of which is a completely natural way to color hair.
Photos: Miss Pupik and Jade
