Want an all-natural way to color your hair and save money? Try henna. I'd never heard of using henna as a hair coloring dye until Tip Hero Rinchen chipped in with this tip:
"Over the years I have saved thousands of dollars by using henna to color my hair. I mix it with a lemon juice and what ever else is available. I purchase it in the Indian grocery. Spend $2 on henna every six months or so. I often get stopped by both men and women who love my hair color and are surprised when I tell them what it is. My hair is in excellent condition!"
I mentioned henna to my parents and my father said his mother used henna back in the fifties to color her hair. On Wikipedia, it says henna has been used as a hair dye since the bronze age. Henna is a plant that grows in tropical and sub tropical regions. It produces a burgundy die, called Lawsone, that is particularly good at bonding to skin and hair. Henna is most commonly known for it's use in body art tattoos.
Henna and Hair Color
Many people are under the impression that henna is only used as an auburn hair coloring dye but it can also be combined with indigo to create a range of hair colors including brunette and jet black.
Preparing Henna
If the henna you purchase comes in a block you will want to grate it into a powder. You will then want to put the Henna into a container, an old cool whip container works just fine, and add in water and stir until it has the consistency of yogurt. People add a variety of ingredients to their henna mix including lemon juice for highlights, or olive oil and eggs for texture. Henna doesn't have the greatest smell so many people also add essential oils like lavender for fragrance. You can also freeze any henna you don't use.
Applying Henna
You typically apply henna at the roots and work out. Most people start in the back of the head and work towards the front. It's great if you can get a friend or husband to help you apply. You want to be careful not to get henna on your forehead or neck as it is will dye your skin. One downer about henna is it typically takes 3-6 hours to set. Most people just wrap plastic saran around their hair which seals in heat to help it set, and keeps it from dripping so they can go about doing chores or other activities while they wait for it to set.
Henna is All Natural
One of the biggest draws henna has as a hair dye is that it's all natural. Most commercial hair dyes contain chemicals even if they say all natural on the package. Some people are allergic to chemicals commonly found in commercial hair dyes such as Phenylenediamine (PPD) which can cause skin irritation.
Savings
As Tip Hero Rinchen says, you can literally save thousands of dollars over the years doing your own hair coloring with Henna instead of going to a salon. You can purchase henna at most Indian grocery stores for about $3. You can also find it online and at some bath & body stores like Lush.
Pros:
- It's cheap, you can find henna for as little as $3 at an Indian grocery store
- It's all natural, no harmful chemicals like Phenylenediamine or peroxides.
- It lasts longer than most commercial dyes because henna has smaller molecules that penetrate further into hair follicles.
- You can freeze what you don't use.
Cons:
- It smells, many people add essential oils like lavender for fragrance.
- It takes longer to set, often 3-6 hours.
Applying Henna