5.0 out of 5 stars Natural coverage for gray hair

S. · October 2, 2021

This was my go to henna brand for 4+ years. Began using it when the gray hair began stand out. I have 2b/c curly hair and it worked great to tame the frizz and condition it, not affecting my curl pattern at all. I also have some slight red to my hair so it blended well. I loved that after dying it no one asked me if I dyed my hair. It just had a natural look to it and with my grays, it almost looked like highlights after the color settled.My process was to just using hot water, mix the entire package in a glass pie pan, cover it in plastic wrap, and set on top of the fridge overnight. I then divided up it, using 1/3rd the mix for root touch up and freezing the remaining in 2 1/3rd sectioned ziplock bags. Freezing never damaged the product for me and made it easy to use the next time I needed a touch up.I found the easiest application was to use one of the tube brush applicator from a commerical root touch up dye kit that I re used. It does stink, best I can relate it to is wet hay or alfalfa. The smell lasts 2-3 washes, about as long as it takes for the color to fully settle, but is only noticeable when the hair is wet. The color was a little orange the first few days, esp on the gray hairs. I always dyed with that in mind, doing it on a Friday night or a week or two before big events.I would leave it on for 6-9 hours depending on my day and do a mermaid rinse in a bucket to wash out the majority of it. This helped to break down any grit and to really get it soaked for rinsing in the shower.I only stopped using it when I wanted to be able to dye my hair bright colors again. I spent over a year growing my hair out and cutting over a foot of hair off. Using dye with developer to hold me over on gray coverage. The henna hair didn't react to the dye as predictably as my natural hair, often turning darker than expected. I also used olive and coconut oil, vitamin c, and dandruff shampoo in rotation to pull the henna out as much as possible. Because so many henna product can contain metals I was worried about bleaching over it, since I've heard horror stories of hair breakage and smoking hair. However, after a test strip and no concerning reactions I felt safe to bleach. I've done 3 bleach baths on it but with no extreme change compared to how my natural hair responded but also no damage to make me question the authenticity of this product. I can't speak to what a full strength and timed bleaching process would do as I haven't tried it.If your looking to henna your hair, I fully recommend this product, just be aware that there is a commitment to it that lasts much longer than any other type of dye, basically as long as you still have that section of hair. If I ever decided to go back to henna this is the product I will be purchasing again!

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic product

H. · March 10, 2023

I've been using this product every few months for 2 years now. It is the first henna purchase I used on my hair hoping to achieve a natural red colour without harsh chemicals, and I'm extremely happy with it. I apply it onto my auburn/red colour. If my salt & pepper roots are showing it covers all well and evenly. I also add 1/4 cup lemon juice to the mixture to lighten the outcome a bit. I think it may also give one lighter red or gold highlights. It does for me. Be careful not to use too much unless a light orange, even yellow colour is your goal. I have thinner long naturally curly hair so use 2 packets each colouring. At first my mixture was very thick, so I found it harder to apply and have slowly added more warm water to achieve the desired consistency. When researching henna use for colouring hair, at first I thought I was to leave on 6 hours or overnight but after looking into it further I find that 3 hours is fine, at least for myself. Though henna gives my hair a renewed soft healthy look & feel, following the treatment I use a good amount of conditioner after rinsing as henna will dry hair out and mine is already dry enough. I also don't shampoo for a couple days hoping the colour will last longer.

5.0 out of 5 stars Been using this product for 2 years now; Dirty Blonde > Bright Copper

V. · February 22, 2020

First off, I really don't know why other purchasers felt the need to dilute it with other additives, any one who's used it over the years can tell you that you don't need to add anything and in my experience, it doesn't make the color as good.Just follow the directions on the package. Add water til it looks like yogurt, slop it in a plastic ziploc bag and set it in the sun (on a crappy towel in case you're paranoid about leaks) I usually leave it for roughly 24-30 hours (usually because something always comes up at that 24 hour mark when I attempt to plan to do my hair).Stand on a crappy down to protect your bathroom floor from stains and get someone to help you if you have long hair. You really want to saturate the hair and please, please wear gloves. You can use vaseline at your hairline if you like but I always forget to pick some up and to be honest I've never had issues with staining. BUt make sure you take a wet rag and wipe along your hairline and clean your ears off after application. I usually make a giant mess out of myself and the room around me as I do my very long hair by myself so my application process is a bit like a naked, panicked stooge.Wrap your head in saran wrap, throw the dirty (probably wet, how does it always get this wet?) towel in the washer/dryer and sit for as long as you can bear it. My goal is always four hours but as it heats up from your natural body heat, it begins to drip usually within an hour. I can usually last about 2.5 to 3 hours.Rinse well, with shampoo and condition.This is a great bang for your buck and it's a reliable color process. It definitely adds a very earthy smell to your hair (for at least a month everytimes it gets wet, in my experience).