Natural Hair Color

Looking for a natural, safe and effective alternative to chemical hair dye? Look no further - we found the best resources for truly pure chemical-free henna.

Heard bad things about henna? The henna plant is an imported product. Unless it is tested for purity by the receiving company it has a high potential to be contaminated. Healthfood store henna products can contain hidden chemical impurities including metal salts like lead acetate, which can react poorly when used on hair that was previously colored with mainstream hair dyes and bleaches. Pure henna (body art quality henna), however, has higher purity standards. Body art quality henna doesn't have any of the negative qualities and is an excellent natural hair dye; Check out the below links for more info;

www.hennaforhair.com:
  • How to Henna - A link to an awesome free e-book on how to dye your hair with henna and much more. Includes before/after pictures, plus step by step application photos. Shows you how to dye your hair red, brunette, black and more using pure plant henna.
  • Basic Henna Mixes - a page full of people's before/after dye photos and personal henna mixes used. Once you click on this link - scroll down to see the photos.
  • www.Mehandi.com - US Online source for pure chemical-free henna, indigo, amla, and cassia and other hair coloring supplies. Based in Ohio.
Henna Before/After Photos from Pure Complexions customers:

Before Henna Day 1 Day 4
"Before henna - I had been chemically coloring my hair for years (to cover the grey). My hair was becoming dry and unhealthy and I was starting to get scalp irritation. I got the Mehandi.com website from Pure Complexions and ordered 200g Rajasthan henna & 100g indigo."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 To dye my hair I followed the "How to Henna" instructions from the Mehandi website.

Formula: 2/3 Henna (100 g) & 1/3 Indigo (50 g) + lemon juice & water. I used a kitchen scale to weigh the henna & indigo.

To process my henna mixture: I used enough lemon juice till the consistency of henna looked like mashed potatoes. Then I let it set (to release the dye) at 78 degrees F x 6 hrs & then at 95 degrees F for 2 hours (to achieve the hotter temperature I put it in a small bathroom with a portable heater.)

Once the henna was done setting. I added the indigo per Mehandi instructions and applied the henna-indigo mixture to my hair. Wrapped my head in saran wrap and then a towel and left the henna-indigo mixture in my hair for 5 hours.

"These Day 1 photos are what my hair looked like the first day I hennaed my hair.  These are outside shots. Inside, not in direct sunlight, my hair looks darker, less orange and more auburn.  The instructions said not to judge the color by the first day - frequently the first day is much more orange-coppery than the 3rd or 4th day. My hair already feels healthier though." 

 "I love my henna hair, the color has deepened now and looks great - it feels really healthy and is much softer in texture than my previous chemically treated hair. I didn't experience any scalp irritation at all. I plan on using amla in my next formula to give it a cooler tone (since I have cool skin tones). I also plan on ordering some lavender flowers for my next batch to help disguise the natural earthy smell of the henna."

Sincerely,

S.S. from California.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Q&A:
  1. Is the henna hair color brand "Light Mountain" safe?
    • Unfortunately, we cannot support Light Mountain products (neither their Original line nor their Color the Gray line). Henna hair companies that warn you not to use metal containers or spoons with their henna products are suspicious for using metal salts in their formula. Aside from increasing your exposure to heavy metals (lead, aluminium, etc...), metal salts also interact poorly with mainstream color treated hair. These interactions can cause green hues or brittle texture. Pure chemical-free henna does not cause this reaction - it only strengthens hair and deepens your color. Currently, only pure "body art quality" henna is free of metal salts.
  2. Does Pure Complexions (dev.purebodysolutions.com) sell body art quality henna (for hair)?
    • No, not yet. Henna is best purchased from fresh sources, we recommend online sources like www.Mehandi.com. If you'd like us to carry the pure body art quality henna, indigo, amla, and cassia, please email us a request. If we get enough requests, we'll start to carry it.
  3. Can you use henna to color your hair while you are pregnant?
    • Mainstream hair color is full of chemicals (paraphenylamine(PPD), ammonia, peroxide, etc) that are easily absorbed through your scalp and inhaled into your lungs - ultimately reaching your unborn baby. Studies are limited as the effects these chemicals have on a developing fetus. Our philosophy is to be safer than sorry. Most doctors recommend waiting until the 2nd or 3rd trimester (when baby is less vulnerable to outside factors) to chemically color your hair. Vegetable dyes, like pure henna, however, are chemical-free and generally considered to be safe during pregnancy. Of course, this is a personal decision and we highly recommend discussing this topic with your physician.