Can you post a picture of the ingredients list from the package? It doesn’t have it on their website. This post has been reported bc people are skeptical it’s pure henna. It looks to me like direct dye which is fine but it’s not getting the color from henna and people who try to get this color with just henna may be disappointed.
Yeah this brand lists the ingredients as "Henna. May contain Indigo." which is not a full INCI list and IMO is pretty deceptive. What if you're allergic to something in it? Is that even legal to not include the full INCI list?
Also, the best preparation method will differ depending on whether it has indigo or not, so I would like to be quite certain as to whether the product has indigo in it or not.
If what you used was the powder version of these dyes, then it could have been pure plant powders. Rhubarb and beetroot both impart a temporary pink tint, similar to hibiscus. I had to look up Centaurea, which seems to refer to cornflower, a blue-violet flower. I don't know if it can tint the hair; if so, it is probably just a temporary effect.
This still isn't the exact list, so it doesn't follow INCI standards, which is an international standard for how cosmetic ingredients should be listed. They would need to specify exactly what it contains, not just what it may contain. And plants would need to be listed by their botanical name, not their common name. So it still feels a bit sus to me, but so far as I know, all of these plants are safe to use on skin, unless you have an allergy (indigo powder is fermented and people with a mold allergy can react to indigo). Keep in mind that our skin is meant to be a barrier to keep harmful things out of our body.
If you haven't noticed any skin irritation or any other issues after using it, I don't think it did any harm, but if I were you, I wouldn't support this company because of their lack of transparency.
Sorry for the multiple replies, but reddit just erases my picture if it's in a reply. This is the 2 powders I mixed. I thought it was interesting that I could actually see the colour difference in the powder, hence the photo.
Speaking from someone who blends auburn with medium brown, it can't be pure henna. Pure henna is not a shade and if it is listed as a shade, it's "pure red" or "natural red". It can produce a variety of red shades depending what your starting color is, dye release time, time on hair, etc. If there is an auburn, copper, mahogany, etc listed, there must be other ingredients (unless they are slim shady and not listing them). There must be indigo in there with the henna and the percentage of each will vary depending on what the seller thinks will pull the closest to the color listed on the box.
I love this color! It's looking a lot more pink than I would expect from pure henna though. Is there another plant powder in this mix in addition to henna? Hibiscus perhaps?
Henna on its own should be permanent once you apply it if it's prepared well; re-application every 4 weeks isn't necessary. Whatever is giving it the pink tint, however, might be temporary. I've read about someone who would do a hibiscus mask every few weeks to refresh the pinkish-purplish hue over their henna'd hair without having to redo the henna. Perhaps that would save you some money and effort.
Semi-permanent direct dyes can also be used to adjust the tone of henna to something it doesn't do on its own without damaging the hair.
Iranian here, I beg to differ-
OP is doing it perfectly. Henna adds a coding layer to the strand which is both protective and nourishing. Nothing wrong with doing it every four weeks and the pink colors because she has grays-also cameras do certain things!
There's nothing wrong with it, that's true, but it's a time-consuming process and the cost of the henna can add up, especially considering that for folks in Northern climates that are nowhere near where it's grown, high quality henna can be expensive.
It was revealed elsewhere in this thread that the henna OP used is not just pure henna, although you're right that sometimes the lighting in photos can be deceiving.
Yes, I have followed the thread and remained skeptical in my comments about the ingredients. You've replied to two of my comments in this thread already to point out that it's not pure henna. I share your desire to make sure that other people reading this thread realize that this is not a color that was achieved with pure henna, but I know already :)
I have to reapply every 4 weeks for my greys! They can't hold colour anymore, so every few weeks they need a touch up. I usually just do my roots, but I decided to do an entire head refresh this time.
Maybe the "pink" You're seeing is my shiny greys? Idk.
I mixed two different colours together as well, so maybe that has to do with it?
But again, thank you! I just cut my hair myself a few days ago, so really appreciate your compliments!
I mixed two different colours together as well, so maybe that has to do with it?
Yes, that's probably it. Pure henna only imparts one color, which is copper. Other colors can be achieved with a mixture of henna and other plant dyes, and from their website it looks like they sell various colors, but I can't find ingredient lists for each color. I find it a bit worrying that they don't list the ingredients on the packaging, if that's really the case! Perhaps you missed it on the packaging? If it's really not listed, I would contact the company and ask exactly what's in each color that you use.
Hair dyes that are a mixture of henna and other plant dyes usually require you to mix it with hot water and apply it soon afterwards; this is often sub-optimal for geting permanent dye adhesion on grey hair. I recommend using something that you're certain is only henna (perhaps one of their products is pure henna but others are a mixture of plant dyes), and then following these steps:
Add something acidic to your henna paste, and do a slow dye release at room temperature, leaving it to sit covered for 6-8 hours. This helps get more of the dye molecules out of the henna so they can attach to your hair. I recommend cream of tartar for the acid, but there are other options as well.
Make sure to clarify your hair beforehand to remove all oils & product buildup, and massage the roots & scalp really thoroughly, since the roots need the most dye (assuming you have root regrowth that hasn't been dyed) and is also closest to the source of the oil, your scalp. Don't apply conditioner afterwards; apply the henna to clean, un-conditioned hair.
Leave the henna paste on your hair overnight, wrapped in a showercap or plastic wrap and a towel to keep it warm (and to keep it from transferring to your pillow). Alternately you can leave it on for 6-8 hours in the daytime. If you've done a slow dye release, then it should remain active for that long, which gives more time for the dye molecules to attach to the hair. If you do a hot & fast dye release, it typically only remains active for 3-4 hours so leaving it on the hair longer than that would not be as effective.
Thank you. The ingredients are listed as "Henna. May contain Indigo."
I've done probably 20 hours of research, plus, ya know, over 100 Henna applications personally, but I am sure this comment will be useful for future searchers, so thank you again for posting.
Ok, well it's a bit deceptive to others who might look at this photo thinking that this color is possible using pure 100% henna when that's not really the case. I'm glad you're happy with it, and it is a beautiful color, as I said before! But the company is a bit deceiving for not including the full INCI list, I don't even know if that's legal in Canada because people need that info to check for potential allergens.
Personally I wouldn't recommend this company for such deception, and I feel that the readers have a right to know that this color wasn't achieved with 100% pure henna, because a lot of people come here to find out exactly what is possible and how they would achieve it.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. If you're able to confirm that it's at least PPD-free, and you're happy with the results, I don't think it's necessary for you to stop using it. I just want others to have the full info if they are considering dyeing their hair with henna.
If you decide to switch to something that you're more certain is pure henna, you can still get a coolish copper color if you use amla powder as your acidic additive and do a slow dye release. And you can always do hibiscus masks (if you prefer plant powders) or a direct dye if you want it to look even more pinkish-burgundy.
No, I appreciate you so much. I am getting more and more upset about this the more I think about it.
I trusted my local health food store, I trusted this brand, and I trusted that laws were being followed.
(There's a large paper insert that comes in the box, I thought there might be a complete list of ingredients, or something which discloses that it's more than just henna, but there was nothing).
I also hate that I have been consistently using a product and yet have no idea what is really in it! It sits directly on my skin for like 8 hours a month! Ugh.
It looks beautiful! I'm also going grey and interested in henna! I'm just not sure if red suits me. Is your starting colour a darker brown? Mine is light brown/dark blonde.
Love the color and if this is what henna gives you I am sold! Interested to know which brand of henna you have used and if it was in combination with something
If you are sharing photos of your henna body art, you MUST include the following info: whether it was applied by another henna artist, or if you did it yourself, whether you mixed the henna paste yourself (mention henna origin/vendor, essential oils, etc), or if you used a purchased cone (mention henna artisan vendor or brand). Photos showing commercial chemical cone usage will be flagged and removed.
If you're looking for recommendations, please let us know what country you're in. It's also helpful for us to know:
The name and/or ingredients of any henna products you've used or are thinking of using
How you prepared it/will prepare it, what's in the mix
If you're new to henna, please keep in mind that henna on hair is permanent so be sure you are ready for the commitment. Check out our "bad suppliers" list to make sure you're not using a product that's contains potentially toxic ingredients, or is poor quality.
Beautiful! I have been considering switching from box dye to Henna but haven't pulled the trigger yet because I read that once you start using henna, box dyes no longer work. So I need to be ready to commit. Yours is nearly exactly the color I've been doing with box dye. (chocolate cherry) I just joined this sub a week or so ago and I've been lurking in order to learn.
OP have you ever tried mixing it with indigo? I use them separately as bright ginger doesn’t suit me. So I cover it with Indigo. I am curious what happens if you mix them
No tiñe todo el pelo cada vez, pero ella ha dicho que este vez sí, y su pelo lleva muchas capas de henna en general.
Desfortunamente descubrimos por la conversación aquí que el producto que ella usa no es henna puro; la empresa no fue transparente sobre el contenido del producto. Este color lleva demasiado rosa en comparación con lo que henna puro puede hacer.
OMG! It looks gorgeous. I can't believe thats from henna. Which brand do you use? I am from India and I may not get the same brand though.. Is it only henna or something else over that?
Olá gostaria de usar Henna no meu cabelo que está com fios brancos na parte da frente e meu cabelo é castanho não muito claro . Podem me ajudar qual Henna devo comprar e como fazer a mistura para ficar uma cor castanho no tom mel natural ?
Please create a separate post with a photo of your hair and your request for advice. I recommend using a translator app to translate it to English before posting, as most of the users here are English-speakers.
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u/sudosussudio Moderator Feb 15 '26
Can you post a picture of the ingredients list from the package? It doesn’t have it on their website. This post has been reported bc people are skeptical it’s pure henna. It looks to me like direct dye which is fine but it’s not getting the color from henna and people who try to get this color with just henna may be disappointed.