• Home
• Projects
• Blog
• Snippets
• Board
• Community

Email: Password:

Not registered yet?  or  Login with Facebook

• All
  • Bath
    • Hair
      • Coloring
• A to Z
• Contests
• Crafty Superstars
• 

Share on: Facebook | Twitter | StumbleUpon

Add to a List Add to Favorites Add Your Version

1. 

   

   Get your BAQ henna from wherever you had it stored (or take it out of the bag if you just got it! =D) and take a few minutes to sit and look at the pretty packaging, and contemplate your decision.

2. 

   

   Plonk all your ingredients on a easily-cleaned surface.




3. 

   

   Put your henna in a NON-METALLIC bowl. (This is VERY important, we don't want any nasty reactions! =D ) I'm using 100g of Jamilla Henna from Henna Boy.

4. 

   

   I like to add some Paprika to my mix, as it's supposed to intensify the colour (and adding stuff is fun ^_^)




5. 

   

   Add lemon juice! Some people make their whole mix with just lemon juice, but this can be quite drying on your hair, so go for about 1/4 of all your liquid additions as lemon juice.

6. 

   

   Add warm tap water to dilute the lemon.

7. 

   

   I also like to put some yogurt in mine! =D It helps to soften your hair :)

8. 

   

   Olive oil is also a great thing to add, as it makes washing the mix out of your hair easier.

9. 

   

   Mix it all up until it's somewhere between the consistency of mashed potato/brownie mix. I make mine quite hard, it makes it more difficult to apply and the henna doesn't go as far - but it means it doesn't drip as much while it's on.

10. 

    

    Cover your henna mix with cling film, and put it in a warm place. (As you can see, mine's in front of my LCDTV, another idea is in the airing cupboard, or in warm water in the sink) You will need to leave your henna until the dye releases, depending on your batch, and how warm the area you've put it in is, it can release in anything from about 2-24 hours. Mine took 6 hours, and 3 of those were in a warm sink :)

11. 

    

    This is what your henna will look like once it has seperated. Note the difference in colour from the henna on top and the henna underneath.

12. 

    

    Double check for dye release if you're cautious. Pop a blob of henna on your palm, and wait a few minutes.

13. 

    

    As you can see, after a couple of minutes, i washed off the henna, and it has left a stain, meaning the dye has released and we're ready to go! =D

14. 

    

    DO A TEST STRIP IF YOU'VE NEVER HENNA'D BEFORE. This is SO IMPORANT i cannot stress how important it really is. You do this to ensure your henna is BAQ, as if it isn't, it could turn your hair green, black, or it can even break off!!
    Pop some of the mixed henna on a strip of your hair, and wrap it up in cling film.

15. 

    

    Keep the strip nice and toasty (note the hat ;) ) and check on it again in a couple of hours. Put your henna somewhere cooler now the dye has released so it doesn't spoil.

16. 

    

    If your test strip came out ok, you're good to go! =D Wash your hair using a clarifying shampoo to get all the product out of it, and then thoroughly towel dry your hair. Apply the henna carefully, this stuff is messy! Not to mention it won't drip through your hair like regular dye, so you really need to smush it on thick!
    Once that's all done, wrap your head up nice n' tight in cling film, and pop a hat on it to keep it warm and moist (note the hat, again). You can leave your henna for as little as 2 hours for a lighter stain or as long as you can stand it for a deeper one! Some people keep it on as long as 24 hours!

17. 

    

    Wash the henna out of your hair. If it's being stubborn (and if it dried at all while you were applying, it will be. Try to avoid that happening!) use generous amounts of conditioner to work the henna out of your hair.
    The image to the right is my hair before henna, this is a chemical colour over bleached hair. The colour was 2 weeks old, and as you can see it was faded, dull, and lacked and oomph.
    The image to the left is my hair the morning after henna, nice and rich, highly pigmented (seriously, the shine and glimmer is blinding! =D), soft, and generally just lovely!
    After about 3 days my colour will have oxidised and will be slightly deeper than this. But aside from that, a voila! Happy Henna'ing! =D
    
    *****For more information on Henna and the benefits of using it on your hair please visit Hennaforhair.com*****

By Ezme

See more Product Making

Comment

Sorry...

You need to Sign Up and log in to leave comments

Cat Morley

19 Jun 13:05

Great how-to, I tried this when I was younger, but I would like to try it again. Thanks for sharing!

Alexandria Sherbert

19 Jun 13:33

Definately give it a shot, i should have done it a lot sooner than i have! :)

Shivi

19 Jun 13:51

wow, I will definately get into thi in the future,very interesting

Jennie D.

19 Jun 18:36

I've been using henna to dye my fringe for a couple of years now and I loooove the intense red colour! Better than any chemical based stuff plus it leaves your hair so smooth and it smells gorgeous.

Alexandria Sherbert

19 Jun 19:30

Yay another henna head! Do you have pictures of yours? :)

Polly

19 Jun 20:18

I like the olive oil tip-always find it so difficult to wash henna out. Coffee (of the fresh, ground variety, not instant) also helps to intensify the colour, though you have to mix it in well or you get little gritty bits.

Alexandria Sherbert

19 Jun 20:25

I had heard about the coffee thing! =D I may try it soon, but i really fancied a nice orange tinge to this batch ;D

Zombie Soup

19 Jun 21:59

Thats awsome! I would totaly use it, but my hairs already red (naturly >3 even though it means old ladys like to compliment it in restuaraunts) XD

Alexandria Sherbert

19 Jun 22:08

Lucky! =D I'd love to have naturally red hair :)
Even still, henna is great for just condition! But you'll probably want to use a different mix so it doesn't colour!

Lindsay F.

19 Jun 23:07

*sigh* I love henna. I use it to tattoo. (Bat Mitzvahs = money!) I add different things to my terp like black tea and stuff, but I LOVE doing it. I have yet to dye my hair with it though! Adding it to my 'to-do' list as we speak!

Alexandria Sherbert

20 Jun 17:48

Hurrah! It is LOVELY to use on your hair, the best part (bar the fact it's animal friendly) is the shine! I swear, i could blind myself with it ;D

KattyRa

23 Jun 15:32

Soo cool!

Charlotte

24 Jun 15:18

I have used Henna before and i am thinking about doing it again. The olive oil tip is a good idea because it takes ages to wash out of my hair.

stephie N.

01 Jul 17:07

My mom saw this and was telling me how she used to do this a lot when she was a teen! I've got 2 try this, but not in red because i dont think it'll look very good on me, maybe a cinnamon color :D

Ezme

02 Jul 15:18

henna is amazing it is great to use as body art as well if you pipe it onto your skin and then let it dry then peel it off, you can see the patten on your hand... amazing!

CourtneyCatastrophe

25 Jul 22:00

I've started a habit of dying my hair red every summer. I was hoping there would be a better way to do it! I never though of using Henna. How long does it last though?

JennJennJenn

05 Aug 07:42

Is red the only color? I kinda want a light brown.

Musette

04 Oct 12:34

I so want to try this. I'm trying to get one of my friends to help me, cos I have a LOT of hair, and I think it would be to hard to do on my own! I'm not having much luck tho :(

Mi.ezekatze

22 Oct 08:30

For -years-, I've just used plain henna... So, after reading this, I can't wait to add some fun stuff into the mixture next time I dye! xD
But my hair is too dark for a nice outcome right now.....

P.S.: I always use my mixture right away!? What's the reason for letting it sit that long before actually putting it on?

Aaaaand another tip: I rinse my hair with warm water with a spoonful of kitchens vinegar before washing it all out. I heard it helps the colour to stay in.

milomade

12 Nov 09:13

I've not henna'd my hair in ages, but this has prompted me to go and get some this week and colour my hair again. Thanks for all the tips about adding stuff to the mix - will definitely try those. One thing I do though is rub vaseline all around my hair line and over my ears as it stops the henna dying the skin - that's my tip to add to your list.

Alexandria Sherbert

17 Dec 19:53

Oh wow, it's been far far too long since I've been on here!
In response to your quesitions and lovely comments;
CourtneyCatastrophe: Henna is permanent. And it's properly permanent too! Not like chemical dyes. It sticks to your hair and it doesn't fade or wash out :) it's fab!
JennJennJenn: No, red isn't the only colour, you can make all sorts! :D www.hennaforhair.com has a whole page full of tonnes of different colour mixes.
Musette: Don't let having lots of hair put you off, just make sure you put an old towel down on your bathroom floor and get your slop on! You'll be fine, it's totally worth it! :D
Mi.ezekatze: You allow the henna to sit so the dye is released. This ensures the colour sticks and doesn't fade or rinse out. It technically shouldn't even work without this step, unless it releases on your bonse (which can happen!) but that way makes the colour less vibrant sadly :( I always let it release :)
milomade: Vaseline is a great tip, but for a veggie alternative, regular oil works really well as a barrier too! I love to use coconut oil as it smells so yummy! :D

Thanks again everyone! I'm so chuffed y'all loved my tutorial :)
Alex X

Candy Sparks

18 Sep 23:48

i love henna i used chamomile tea...

♫ BecSTAR ♫

22 Sep 20:21

I've only recently heard about using Henna to dye hair red. I'd love to do this, but am slightly on the cautious side.

I haven't dyed my hair for months now, perhaps over a year and I'm sick of the crappyness of normal hair dye, doesn't make my hair that red.

I have VERY dark brown hair, do you think Henna will work?

♫ BecSTAR ♫

22 Sep 20:21

I've only recently heard about using Henna to dye hair red. I'd love to do this, but am slightly on the cautious side.

I haven't dyed my hair for months now, perhaps over a year and I'm sick of the crappyness of normal hair dye, doesn't make my hair that red.

I have VERY dark brown hair, do you think Henna will work?

♫ BecSTAR ♫

22 Sep 20:21

I've only recently heard about using Henna to dye hair red. I'd love to do this, but am slightly on the cautious side.

I haven't dyed my hair for months now, perhaps over a year and I'm sick of the crappyness of normal hair dye, doesn't make my hair that red.

I have VERY dark brown hair, do you think Henna will work?

Posted By:
Alexandria Sherbert »
June 19, 2008 12:53

See the projects A-Z »

Popular tags: Painting & Decorating, Revamping, Dressmaking / Tailoring, Clothing & Fabric, Gothic, Christmas, Decorating, and Halloween

Get the latest projects!
Become a Fan on Facebook
or
Follow us on Twitter