How to Mix Henna for Hair

Using henna is a wonderful way to dye your hair red without using chemical dyes.^[1] Natural henna thickens hair, helps protect the scalp from sun damage, and contributes to healthier hair and scalp. Rather than chemically coating your hair, it stains it with a different shade, allowing your natural color to show through.^[2]

EditSteps

EditPreparing the Henna

1. Buy pure, natural henna. You will need about 50-100g for short hair, 100g for medium hair, and 200g for long hair. Don’t worry about being precise; it’s a pretty forgiving process. When buying henna, there are a few things to keep in mind.
   
   • Some henna comes already mixed with additives. If you have purchased a henna that describes a particular color, you may not want to experiment with adding to the mix unless you are an experienced henna user. The additions described here are intended to be added to pure henna powder.
   • Henna out of the box should be green to brown, and smell like dried plants or grass clippings. Do not buy any henna that is purple or black, or that has a chemical smell.
   • If you have severe allergies or sensitive skin, do a patch test before using. Apply a small bit of the henna mixture to your skin, wait a couple hours, and watch to see how your skin reacts.
2. Know what you're getting into. This is not a precise science. There are a huge number of variables, and you may not get exactly what you wanted the first time around. Results will vary, and your hair may dye unevenly. If you are a perfectionist about your hair, this process is probably not for you.^[3]
   
   • Pure henna can only achieve shades of red. If a product called "henna" purports to dye your hair black, it contains indigo. Some henna mixes can give you a blonde color, but it will always be a reddish blonde.
   • Rather than obscuring your natural hair color, henna blends with it. This is important to remember when mixing a color. Aim for a color you want to combine with your natural one, not the color you want to achieve. Keep in mind that very light colored hair will probably need to be dyed multiple times to become dark.
   • Because grey hair is translucent, it creates a cleaner canvas for henna. This means the mixing effect that happens with non-grey hair will not take place, and your color will be much closer to the color created by the dye. It also means it is easier to dye your hair unevenly, as hair with more dye on it will become noticeably darker.^[4][5]
3. Gather your supplies. There is a vast array of ingredients you can combine with pure henna powder to create different effects. The list is longer than can be contained in one article, but here are a few to consider.^[6][7][8]
   
   • For a bright strawberry blonde, use lemon juice, vinegar, or red wine.
   • For an intensified red, use brandy.
   • For a less intense, browner red, use coffee or black tea.
   • If you dislike the smell of henna, you can add good smelling things like essential oils, rosewater, or cloves.
   • You do not need to add anything to change the color of pure henna. Water will work fine as well, although you should add a dash of lemon, orange, or grapefruit juice to oxidize the dye. If this is your first time using henna, you may want to see how it combines with your hair on its own, so that in the future you can decide what, if anything, you want to add.
4. Mix the henna. This is a pretty straightforward process. Pour the powder into a bowl. Gradually incorporate liquid, and stir.
   
   
   • Use a ceramic, plastic, glass, or stainless steel bowl.
   • There is no way to tell precisely what amount of liquid you will need. Add it a little bit at a time, stirring until the mixture is the gloopy consistency of yogurt.^[9][10]
   • This will be a messy mixture, and it will stain any surface it gets on. It may be a good idea to wear gloves, and you should immediately wipe the mixture off of anything you accidentally smear it on.
5. Let the mixture sit. Cover it with plastic wrap and wait at least a couple hours, or overnight for best results. You will know it's ready when the henna darkens from green to dark brown. This means the dye has oxidized and is ready to be used.
   
   

EditGetting Ready to Apply the Henna

1. Don’t wash your hair for a day. Your body’s natural oils will help the dye. It is ok to shower—the water won’t remove the oils from your scalp on its own—but skip the shampoo.^[11]
   
2. Gather your supplies. Have everything you need within easy reach, so you don’t have to get up to get something mid-dyeing process. You should have a garbage bag, some petroleum jelly, the henna mixture you prepared, a towel you don’t mind getting messy, and a pair of plastic gloves.^[12]
   
3. Cut a hole in the top of a garbage bag large enough for your head to fit through. This is basically a full-body bib. Put it on. Alternatively, you can wear old clothes, or use an old towel.^[13]
   
4. Apply petroleum jelly to your skin. If this grosses you out you can skip it, but you may wind up accidentally dying some of your skin. The idea is to apply it along the parts of your skin that are next to the edges of your hair: along your hairline, your ears, etc.^[14]
   
   

EditApplying the Henna

1. Work the henna through your hair. Make sure you put your gloves on first. The most crucial thing here is to coat your hair evenly with the henna mixture.
   
   
   • Pay special attention to the ends and the roots, particularly along your hairline.
   • Err on the side of using too much.
   • When your hair is evenly coated, pile it on top of your head, and wrap your hair securely in a towel.
   • Wipe off any excess henna with a wet washcloth.^[15]
2. Let it sit. For best results, leave it in overnight; you may want to cover your pillow with a garbage bag, or something you don’t mind getting dirty.
   
   
   • If you don’t want to sleep with the dye in your hair, you can simply leave it in for a few hours. The longer you leave it in, however, the more intense the effect will be.^[16]
   • The greater change you want to effect, the longer you will need to leave the dye in.
   • It is easier to darken light hair than it is to lighten dark hair. If you have very dark hair to begin with, even leaving henna in overnight won’t make you a strawberry blond.
3. Rinse out the henna. You will want to wear gloves for this as well, or your hands will be stained orange. Be very careful; it is easy to dye things you don’t want dyed. Depending on the length of your hair, this part of the process can take anywhere from 5 minutes to an hour.
   
   • Kneel over the bathtub rather than standing in it, or you will dye your whole body.^[17][18]
   • Carefully remove the wrap covering your hair.
   • Rinse thoroughly, until the water runs clear.
   • Get into the shower. Apply shampoo, and rinse.
   • Apply a deep conditioner and let it sit for 10 or 15 minutes before rinsing.
4. Let your hair air-dry. Go check out your new hair color in a mirror! Don’t wash it or get it wet for another 24 - 48 hours.
   

EditVideo

EditTips

• Unused mixed henna can be stored for up to 6 months in the freezer, or for a week in the refrigerator.
• The instructions that come with henna powder when you purchase it are often insufficient. It is a good idea to read multiple guides before you start, so you really understand what you’re getting into.
• Be prepared for the process to be incredibly messy. It will probably exceed your expectations in this regard.
• Don’t dye your hair with henna if you have chemically altered it within the last 6 months. Similarly, don’t chemically dye it for 6 months after dying it with henna.^[19]

EditRelated wikiHows

• Apply Henna to Hair
• Henna Your Hair Without It Going Patchy
• Care for a Henna Design
• Use Henna for Skin
• Choose a Henna Powder

EditSources and Citations

• Videos provided by Fresh Lengths

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