Chestnut Brown Henna Hair Dye

This stuff is great. I have very very fine and thin hair thats about chest length. I was really worried because the instructions recommended more that a package for a full head of hair but because my hair is so thin I only needed one. ( Id still recommend getting 2 packs if your hair is past shoulder length and normal thickness, if its past your mid back you may need 3. Try to find the chart of how much you need, its shown on the back of the the package.) I like this pack compared to buying henna and indigo separately because you can choose the color option that already has the perfect ratio of henna and indigo to give the desired color, rather than guessing because too much indigo = black and too much henna = red I was going for brown hair and i bought miraculous medium brown for 15.99. This was a drastic change for me because my hair has been chemically processed (to be blonde) a lot before this. I decided to go brown to I can stop worrying about brassy hair. Blonde hair is a lot of work to take care of and I could never keep it the cool ash shade I wanted without constantly putting in chemicals. The process is messy and smelly and takes a long time but its so worth it. I mixed the powder with half water and half apple cider vinegar and got right to work Covered my entire head and waited 2 hrs. As soon as your done make sure to wipe off everything before it stains. Wash your hands and ears and forehead and neck after if you see any henna on them. IT WILL STAIN YOUR SKIN if you leave it. I didn't wash of my hands and they were green and no matter how much you scrub it wont go, it will also really dry out your hands. Although I used the gloves at first I was having a hard time using them cause they are huge for my hands so near the end I used my bare hands to make sure everything was covered -bad idea. I did this a week ago and there is still a little green in the cracks of my knuckles and my hands are very dry were I left the henna. This was of course my fault and won't happen to you as long as you wash after using it. So many have complained about the smell. I laughed at the people who just add water and complain about the smell, I would like to see their reaction to smelling it when adding vinegar. Granted, its not a smell most would like in their hair, the smell of the powder itself is an earthy muddy planty smell. Adding vinegar will of course make the smell worse but helps a lot because henna works well with pHs around 5. The smell reminds me of matcha tea powder. If the smell is really that terrible add essential oils to make it better. Result: My hair absorbed the color very well, too well actually. It was more of a dark brown, probably because my hair was dry and light to start so it took in the color more. I'm still happy with it because it covered my brassy hair. I'm also happy because my hair actually does look thicker. Some people said it dried out there hair but as long as you condition well after you wash it out it shouldn't be a problem.

Recently, I developed an allergy to hair dye. I'm 44, so have a lot of gray, and need to color my hair. I have no idea why it suddenly happened, but, I was getting burned and scabs in my scalp and it was really scary, so I wanted to find something more natural(and it didn't matter what I used, even stuff from Whole Foods, it must be the PPD chemical in them all). Anyway, I first went to the indian salon and had them do it the first 2 times so I could learn, then I decided I could probably do this myself. YES, this is messy, but, not more so than regular dye. This is my 4th application (my hair needs to be done every 3 1/2 weeks) or you see a skunk stripe. I LOVE THIS! I tried Auburn before, but, it turns your hair like RED I mean, the color red. No. I used brown tonight and it's great. I completely covers your gray. And some people say it doesn't. Yes, it does. You need to put the vinegar in and you have to let this sit and stir it a few times for at least a half hour. That part is critical. I have gotten pretty good at this for being a newbie. You can watch youtube, but really, you can just mush it into sections of your hair and you'll be fine. If you get the consistency right, it's very easy to do. I went to Sally and bought the cotton tubing you wrap in around your face to prevent drips and I know this is crazy, but I happened to have the Turbo Twist I ordered years ago and never used from those infomercials and it works GREAT for covering the cap and keeping your head warm which is part of the curing process. Expect that your hair, 2 weeks in, will look awesome. I get all kinds of compliments on my hair. And, it's thicker and in the most beautiful shape than years. And my grays are 100% covered, in fact, I think it's better than when I dyed. Looks way more natural and so much more healthy. I am so grateful I found this. Plus, you can do it over and over the same day if you don't like it, with no harm! Another thing - I don't wash my hair every day, as I don't have oily hair, and that really helps it to stay and cure onto your hair. You can also be in the sun without covering your hair as it actually likes the sun. I will be trying this on vacation next week to see that first hand. Normally you'd have to take your hat along for FL. Also, you need to use shampoo without SLS (sodium laurel sulfate) that will strip the hair of this. And another little tip. If you're not keen on the fresh cut flower stem smell of this, add a few drops of your favorite essential oil, which really helps with that. I don't mind the smell though, but I do add lavendar and a little jojoba oil for softness. Please ladies, do your research before you do this, but I can not be more thrilled. I will NEVER dye my hair with convential (bad for you) dye again. Indian people have been using this for hundreds of years for a reason - because it works.

I researched using henna as hair dye for months because I had bleached my hair 9 months ago and severely damaged it, thus unable to use chemical dyes. I have salt and pepper roots and med. brown, chemically dyed hair. Well, after watching videos, reading reviews, and blogs, I decided that this would be my best choice. WRONG! I mixed the henna powder with black tea, as some suggested, added a little salt to darken, added a little olive oil, and a little vinegar. The smell was horrendous. I prefer natural, earthy scents but this was almost overbearing. But that was ok...the henna left my hair a beautiful, rich dark chocolate iridescent brown. I was in love with the color. The funky smell did not wash out. I rinsed my hair with sulfate-free herbal essence conditioner (the only brand I've found that keeps my damaged hair from feeling like straw) and all the grittiness came out...but the smell did not. I did not wash my hair for 48 hours fearing the color would fade. It did not leave my hair shiny AT ALL. It was/is actually more dull than before. After washing my hair for the first time after coloring it, IT WAS/IS HORRIBLE!! I honestly did not think the condition of my hair could get any worse than after bleaching and frying it. I was so wrong. My hair was starting to heal after the bleach job (after tons of homemade treatments) and now it's way worse than before. I can't brush through it, I have to leave conditioner in my hair constantly, the amount of breakage is nuts!!! and it's dull. It's horrible. I've NEVER had hair this bad. And the only good thing that came out of this experience (the amazingly beautiful color) has faded to a hideous orangey, brassy, reddish, gross color after just TWO WASHINGS, just over a week! Also, I forgot to mention, it not only didn't cover the gray, but it didn't even phase the light brown roots that haven't turned white. IM CONSIDERING SHAVING MY HEAD AND WEARING A WIG. ITS THAT BAD. I kept reading about those who've had awesome experiences with this stuff but honestly, I'm not sure if it's worth trying, if you're considering it, because of the chance your hair will turn out like mine! MY HAIR IS OFFICIALLY RUINED. My only other option for hair coloring now, is black walnut hulls. Then I give up.

So, it's like a mud mask for your hair. It smells like some kinda mud and feels like a mud mask. It gives your hair that rusty nail color. It also makes your hair shiny. I don't like the fact that it stains your scalp orange for a few days and that you need to keep it on for 5 hours. The first application isn't dependable so a second application is needed for an even color. That's 2 nights of sleeping with mud in your hair, not fun. My scalp was a little irritated from this product. It will dry out your hair if you don't mix in a Tbsp of olive oil. I don't know if I like it, seems like a lot of work to keep it maintained. The only positive is that it's chemical free and it makes your hair shiny.

Love the color and easy to use

I'm a henna novice and gave this product it's first try today. I had researched a bit of info, since the instructions appeared vague. For many years I've seen a professional colorist to give my medium brown hair with many grays a touch up. I've grown tired of using chemicals and have chosen a cleaner lifestyle. This product seems to fit the bill. I learned that most people use steeped black tea (about a cup) or brewed coffee to mix the henna powder and the salt is necessary to develop the deep rich color. Some add lemon to bring out the red. I chose to skip that step, was not feeling like taking that risk on first application. I mixed the tea in pretty hot and by the time I had the paste ready 1-2min's later, it had cooled enough to apply on my head. Felt like a nice warm mud pack being applied. I applied it by myself, but the henna dries up and the paste gets difficult to work with after few minutes once it starts cooling down. Pretty quickly needed to ask my husband for help to finish the job. We're both not trained in gray root coverage, so we gave it our best shot, but 3h's later I did notice we missed some spots. Not bad for a first try. I let the mass sit on my head for 3h's used the hair cap and also wrapped my head in plastic wrap and just sat and hung out. One thing I did not miss was that "fried" feeling that your scalp starts to develop after having chemical dye on your head for about 25min's. Also didn't sting the eyes, just felt comfortable. I did go into the sun for a few minutes to get a bit of a redish result, but I think you really have to sit for longer if you wish for a more red glowing tint. Another lesson learned. :) The gloves in the box are flimsy, do invest in a good pair of professional hairstylist gloves. Within a few minutes it became a bit messy the gloves wrapping around my fingers and partially coming off. My husband chose to use his hands and ended up soaking his fingers in lemon juice, they are still partially stained but it will get better. 3h's later I rinsed with water, conditioned using Alba Botanicals coconut conditioner and love the result. The scent of the henna powder is not bad, some folks choose to add essential oils to cover it up. I didn't, but might do so next time. It's a great product, will try again.

First time using any henna product. I have medium brown hair with natural golden highlights. I have a little bit of gray that shows up on my part and above my ears, so I wanted to cover that. I hAve been using regular store bought hair dye for this but want to stop using all the chemicals. This has pretty simple instructions, scent is not too bad. Smells a heck of a lot better than the regular stuff. Not too hard to apply. I thought that it would be easier on the thicker side. I have long thick hair so I could have used some help. I left it on for about 1.5 hours. Didn't really notice a difference after rinsing, could still see grays. After I blow dried it a bit I could see the difference. It did cover the grays partially. The healthier part of my hair was a bit lighter, the dryer, a bit darker, but not really noticeable. Very silky and shiny, only conditioned once. My skin was super soft and shiny after the product had run down my body. That was unexpected. I should have done my roots first and left on for an hour, then the rest for 1.5 hours. I really appreciated the soothing, clean feeling. No burning or itching. No staining the towels or floor. I gave it 4 because it does work with a little trial and error. For what it is, it works well and is a good product. Will use again.

So far I really liked my henna experience. I watched a YouTube video by Henna Maiden about the process so I felt pretty good going in. I wanted to try this a while ago, but got scared off because I've chemically treated my hair and what if I wanted to go back to that. My research reassured me that I could go back if I wanted to as long as it had been a month or two. (By chemically treated, I mean I spent most of my life dying my hair with all the bad chemicals, then for the last 7 months used a brand that was free of 7 or 8 of the major chemicals.) I skin-tested and strand tested yesterday. I didn't notice much of a change after 90 minutes on my hair test, but my skin had a non-itchy red spot after the test. I applied argan oil and it went away. I tend to be sensitive anyways (peroxide in hair dye makes my scalp burn), so I wasn't too worried. This morning I applied the whole packet to my head and waited two hours. I did not experience any burning or itching whatsoever. It wasn't too messy applying (I put down paper towels, wore gloves, and an old shirt along with a towel over my shoulders). I placed the enclosed cap on my head as well. To me, the smell is earthy like grass. This does not bother me. In fact I kind of like it. I thought the shower was going to be a wreck as I washed it out, but it didn't stain anything. I applied lots of SheaMoisture co-conditioner and left it in for about 10 minutes. I then ran a wide-toothed comb through my hair before rinsing. My hair felt dry and straw-like, so once out of the shower I applied an argan/hemp oil creme before styling my hair as usual. My hair is wavy and it seemed to hold curl better than usual. It isn't exactly soft, but I've been having lots of issues with brittle hair since major back surgery. The grassy smell lingers a bit, but I'm ok with that. As for the color, I went in with medium-dark brown hair and it still medium-dark brown, but with way more red undertones now. I did add the recommended salt in the directions, to tone down the blue-black and bring out more red. I can especially see the red in natural light and by my roots. I think next time I am going to try something with even more red in it. Overall, I liked this experience and am willing to give it a go for a while and see what happens.