henna hair dye

Henna is a plant found in the tropical regions of Asia and Africa. The leaves are commonly used to make a powder which is then used to make tattoo or hair dye. Ammonia in the artificial hair colors may damage the natural beauty of hair. There are almost no side effects of henna, and it renders a deep red color, with minor variations of the shade. It helps to control dandruff and covers all the gray patches, and is suitable for both men and women.

Henna Hair Color

Henna leaves are dried and ground into powder. Although, the powder looks green, the color it renders is deep red. A paste of the powder and water is made to prepare the hair dye. It is advisable to cover your hands while you mix the paste as it can also color your hands. Here is a procedure to make henna hair color.


Procedure

There are number of ingredients that influence the shade of henna hair color. So, to make it, you'll need the following ingredients.


3 tablespoons of henna (sifted)
1 Cup boiling water
1 Teaspoon eucalyptus oil
2 tablespoons of black coffee or tea


The very first thing you must do is to make a decoction of black tea or coffee. Filter this mixture. Combine henna powder and eucalyptus oil in a bowl. Now, add the decoction to the powder.


Make an even paste and keep it aside for around 12 hours.


Chamomile can also be added as another ingredient. The next thing to do is to apply it to your hair. It is very similar to applying a hair color.


The shade depends on the time for which it is allowed to stay on hair. The only thing you must remember is that you must test whether you are not allergic to henna, before you go for it.


For testing, you can apply a small amount of the paste to the inner part of the elbow, where the skin is much thinner and then leave it for some time. After a while, wash the skin and after two days, check whether you have developed any reaction. If there is no reaction on the skin, go ahead. Otherwise, you should avoid using it.



Benefits

Apart from good hair color shade, there are a lot of benefits of henna hair color. It conditions the hair properly, and renders moisturizing effect. It has antifungal properties and this makes it a popular choice in hair care products. It improves the blood circulation and soothes hair strands to the tip. Another benefit is that it fights against infection and hence, controls dandruff.

Henna has many other healing effects and is a popular herb used in Ayurveda. It is advisable that you always check for original henna powder, so as to get the best results.