Henna hair dye for hair: How to make it and use it for grey hair – Times of India

Henna hair dye is a natural colouring product, wherein you can colour your hair without employing any chemicals. This ancient dye has coloured hair for centuries and, at the same time, conditions the hair. In the following sections, we will deep-dive on how you can prepare and use henna hair dye, how to make it work on grey hair, and how to prepare it for optimal results.
What is Henna?
Henna comes from the leaves of the Lawsonia inermis plant, widely available in North Africa as well as parts of the Middle East and Asia.When dried and powdered, these leaves can be mixed with water to get a paste which colours hair. Henna provides a very deep red-brown colour, which, depending on your actual hair color and quality of the henna used, sometimes is much darker.

Benefits of using Henna for hair
Natural dye: Henna is a natural dye so it is safer in comparison to chemical dyes whose ingredients can be pretty rough.
Conditioning properties: Henna conditions hair, making it shine and feel healthy.
Antifungal properties: Henna helps combat dandruff and ensures proper health of the scalp.
Long-lasting colour: Most chemical dyes don’t stay for long, but henna offers an almost permanent result as it stains rather than coat your hair.
How to prepare Henna Hair colour
Ingredients
Pure henna powder: Good-quality, organic, no additives powder
Water: Mixed with henna
Acidic liquid: This is optional. Lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, and even tea can help the dye to come out.
Essential oils: You may add lavender or tea tree for fragrance and other benefits
Preparation steps
Choose your henna: There is really good henna mix. You sieve it so that the paste will be smooth.
Mix the henna paste
Mix 100 g of henna powder with water in a non-metal bowl to get a thick paste. If you are using an acidic liquid, add about 2-3 tbsp as it releases the dye.
Mix well till you get a smooth, pudding-like consistency.
Let it sit: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit for 4 to 12 hours. This way, the dye will fully release from the fabric. The longer it will sit, the more intensified the colour will be.
Test the dye: This would be a sensible thing to test the dye on a strand before actually applying it to the entire head. Get a small portion of your hair, apply the paste, wait some hours to see what colour you get.
Applying henna for grey hair
Preparation
Gather supplies
Henna paste
Gloves
Old towel or cape
Applicator brush or spoon
Shower cap or plastic wrap
Prep Your hair: Wash your hair with mild shampoo to remove any products, dirt, or oils. Towel dry it so that your hair is damp but not dripping.
Application steps
Divide your hair: Divide your hair into four sections to make the application simpler.
Glove application: You should wear gloves as it will protect your hands, and henna stains on the skin are awful.
Apply the henna paste all over your hair, applying from the roots to the tips of each section using an applicator brush or even your fingers.
Do not miss even one strand of hair in your effort to cover every grey portion of your hair.
Wrap your hair: After applying the paste in all sections of your hair, cover all the hair that you have on top of your head by using a shower cap or plastic wrap. This keeps the paste warm and moist-a further aid in the process of dye.
Let it set
Allow the henna on hair for at least 1-4 hours as long as desired intensity of color is obtained. In case you want maximum grey coverage, it may have to be applied throughout.

Rinse out the henna
Rinsing: Allow the duration to pass and then rinse your hair under lukewarm water. No shampoo is required; just let the water run down through your hair to remove the henna.
Condition: If you must condition, use a gentle conditioner. This may help to make your hair feel softer when you wash out the henna.
Dry naturally: Let your hair air-dry. You may see the colour when wet that is darker or deeper, but it will lighten as it dries.
Don’t shampoo for 24-48 hours: It just allows the colour to fully set.

Use only sulfate-free products: And if you need to use commercial hair products, get some that don’t contain sulfates.
Maintain hair moisture: Henna dries the hair, thus, it’s very essential that you condition your hair frequently with a deep conditioner.
Henna not only perfoms the colouration job but also conditions the hair. Therefore, preparing and applying the henna is the best way to get vibrant, long-lasting colour on your hair. Beautify with henna and look more gorgeous with healthy shiny hair!