For centuries, henna has been a reliable natural hair color, but it is not without its peculiarities. Although many people adore the vivid reds and deep browns it produces, applying henna can be challenging for some people. It can feel restrictive because it’s difficult to switch to another color once it’s in your hair.
What occurs, though, if you want to go beyond the bounds? Can you mix henna with other ingredients? Or even worse, perhaps cover it with chemical dyes? Many people ask themselves these questions when experimenting with hair color.
You’re not alone if you’ve ever been curious to try different things or if applying henna resulted in disastrous hair color. Let’s examine what actually occurs when henna is combined with other products, adding "fuel to the fire."
Although applying henna isn’t always as easy as it looks, it’s frequently considered a safe and natural substitute for chemical dyes. Although it can give your hair a bright, rich color, there are a few unspoken drawbacks that might surprise you, particularly if combined with other treatments. It’s crucial to know how henna reacts with various hair types and products before using it; adding it carelessly can have unintended effects.
- 1. Henna.
- 2. Preparation and result
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1. Henna.
Dried Lawsonia inermis leaves are used to make the dye henna (Arabic: حناء). India, Pakistan, North Africa, and many other Arab nations have long used it as a body decoration. After the leaves are gathered during flowering, they are dried, powdered, and dyed.
Natural Henna practically does not cause allergic reactions, has a pleasant herbal smell, and is green.
Somewhere in the 60-70s there were many reports about the harm of henna (particularly in the USA), and all because it was not henna but "black henna", henna was only in the name, and this dye was used for temporary tattoos, often after applying people developed terrible allergies, there were even fatal cases.
It is sad that many dye manufacturers (not only henna-based) still add PPD to dyes.
As a person who is quite impressionable and susceptible to influence, I decided to ask the henna manufacturer if they check it..
The answer gave me hope: 
After which I decided to spread henna on my hair..
By the way, they sent me a certificate of state registration without hesitation.
2. Preparation and result
For my first application, I chose to use just henna and not combine it with anything. Furthermore, adding oils or anything else to henna is said to damage its coloring properties in a large number of scientific studies about henna (yes, surprisingly many exist). Henna should therefore be applied in its purest form for the longest-lasting effect (the most important thing is to not regret it later).
I have colleagues from India, I conducted a small survey, and here"s how they do it:
1). Real Indians never buy henna (it grows in their "garden" near their home)
2). They are dyed only in the summer (because in winter – yeah, everyone would like such a winter – it"s cold
3). Henna powder is prepared from its fresh leaves at home.
4). Henna is poured with water at room temperature and left to infuse overnight.
5). Apply to hair the next morning (no need to wash) and do not cover your head with anything, and walk around with henna for 1 to 3 hours.
6). Rinse off without shampoo or conditioner, with plain water.
Since their hair is black and thick, their hair is not dyed (gray hair is slightly dyed), and they treat their hair with henna.
The henna "paste" will lose its coloring qualities the faster chemical reactions take place and the hotter the water used to pour the henna becomes. Henna will lose all of its coloring properties after 3–4 hours, but if you brew it with boiling water, the paste should be ready almost instantly and usable within the next hour.
The henna paste will be ready in approximately an hour if you brew it in hot water (60 degrees) or store it in a warm area. After four hours, the paste will no longer have any coloring ability.
And the method the Indians use: room-temperature henna mixed with water will be ready to use in 8–10 hours and will continue to color for about 4 hours after that. After 24 hours, it will no longer be suitable for coloring.
I liked the third option (the longest) in terms of its properties more, but since I did not want to wait that long, I poured henna with water at 90 degrees. And applied it after the mixture had cooled down a little.
And here are the differences in the color of the herbs and the approximate color of the finished "paste": 
Due to a misunderstanding, the photos of the process of brewing henna and coloring with henna were irretrievably lost, a couple of photos of the finished mixture remained.
This is what henna + water looked like before applying it to the hair: 
I"ll show you what happened in the end (left photo before coloring, right after): 
I liked the result, but my husband did not, so for now I do not want to dye my hair with henna anymore, and the result is no longer pleasing. Result:
Henna didn"t dry out my hair at all, my hair became thicker, heavier, my ponytail – more voluminous.
The gray hair was dyed well, at least I can"t find it now .
The ends remained soft as they were, otherwise I was worried about them.
My husband didn"t like it.
I made a couple of oil masks because I heard they are somewhat effective at getting rid of henna. I’m not kidding when I say that henna is impossible to fully eradicate—traces of the dye have been discovered in mummies’ hair even 4,000 years after it was first discovered. However, you must test it out on yourself.
| Henna benefits | Henna drawbacks |
| Natural hair dye with conditioning properties | Can dry out hair if used too often |
| Strengthens and thickens hair strands | Limited color options, usually reddish tones |
| No harmful chemicals | Hard to remove or change once applied |
| Long-lasting color | Can be messy and time-consuming to apply |
For centuries, people have utilized henna, a natural solution that provides rich color and nutrition for hair. For those looking for an alternative to chemical dyeing, this is a fantastic option.
But as with any treatment, it’s crucial to understand what you’re getting into. Long-lasting effects can be achieved by layering henna with other dyes or treatments, which can produce surprising outcomes.
When it comes to hair care, balance is key. Whether you"re using henna or any other product, always consider the health of your hair and take the time to research what’s best for your unique needs.
