Hair colouring has been popular both as a style statement and also as a fun way to hide your greys. Although in most cases, people resort to store-bought hair colours which contain PPD (p-Phenylenediamine), formaldehyde, resorcinol, ammonia and DMDM Hydantoin. These are harmful chemicals that can cause serious side effects. Just for the benefit of looking good, you end up paying lots of money to add colour to your hair at the cost of your health.
But will you believe me if I tell you that there is a way cheaper and unharmful substance that will colour your hair naturally?
It is none other than our age-old henna!
Unlike the artificial aroma of hair dye, henna has no harsh chemicals and the organic dye has a pleasant scent which most people like and is safe for you.
It is mostly applied on hands to give it a nice orangish-red tint and additionally acts as a cooling agent for your body when applied. When used for hair, it adds colour as well as conditions it, protecting the scalp and hair strands from damage. But in this article, we are going to see how to apply henna to Indian hair
Follow these simple steps, to get dark brown hair
- Soak an organic Henna Powder (100 gms for short hair, 200 gms for shoulder-length hair, 300 gms for long hair) with water in an iron or glass or ceramic bowl. Additionally, you can add a teaspoon of Katha powder or tea water, or coffee water for vibrant red color. Add Yoghurt or Egg for extra conditioning. It should have the consistency of a thick pudding or yogurt.
- Let it sit overnight which will oxidize the dye and make the red color of henna more visible.
- On the next day, get ready to apply the paste on product-free hair that has not been washed for a couple of days.
- Before applying, use some petroleum jelly or coconut oil to your forehead, neck, and ears to prevent staining. Wear gloves to protect your hands and nails and wear old clothes that you are okay staining.
- Part your hair in the center after combing it thoroughly to remove all the tangles.
- Take small sections of hair and apply henna paste liberally from the roots towards the tips using hands. Make sure you apply thoroughly and cover it with a shower cap or towel.
- Leave the henna on for 1-3 hours, depending on preferred intensity.
- Rinse well with water, repeating as many times as you intuitively need. Do not use shampoo.
- Wash your hair the next day with a cleansing shampoo and condition it for the best results.
You will find your hair is smoother, shiner, and thicker, with a beautiful shade of red that is picked up by your natural henna coloring.
