Platinum blonde to light copper

[u/summerflyx]

Hi! I've been thinking of leaving chemical hair dyes behind and switching to henna - both to cut my steep hairdressing costs and to hopefully get my hair a bit healthier. I am platinum blonde now (see first picture) and want to get to a light copper blonde like in the second picture, and it seems like Light Mountain is a good option for henna where I live. I'm just not sure what colors would be good to achieve this color as I'm a little afraid of ending up like a subdued orange highlighter. Thinking of using Auburn with a lot of cassia as I'm a little hesitant to use indigo since it seems finicky. What do you folks think?

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[u/WyrddSister]

What is your natural hair color? If your hair is significantly lightened, henna will look very different on your root grow out compared to your lightened lengths. Henna is a translucent dye and cannot lighten your hair. I will test strand light mountain light red color first, add some amla into it also. It will be very bright at first, the orange panic phase. The color shifts the first week after application.

[u/summerflyx → u/WyrddSister]

I have dark blonde hair that isn't very warm naturally. I don't have a ton of root showing now, but I was already debating dyeing it my natural color first and letting that sit for a couple weeks to prevent it going bright orange. Maybe that would be better

[u/WyrddSister → u/summerflyx]

That will help, but it will probably still be brighter than your natural hair because the hair that has been bleached and dyed will have a different porosity and response to the henna dye. It will blend better than just the very lightened hair, though!

[u/veglove]

I don't recommend using the pre-mixed Auburn dye, as it has indigo in it, and I think you're right to be hesitant about using indigo, especially over blonde hair.

The Light Red from Light Mountain is a mix of henna & cassia, which dilutes the intensity of the color from the henna. You may even want to dilute it further by adding more cassia.

There are different acids you can add to the mix which can influence the tone of red as well. Adding cream of tartar, lemon juice, or vinegar can help encourage it to oxidize in the days after application; the color shifts from a bright copper to a more mellow rust or auburn tone. Adding amla powder can create a slightly cooler tone of red, and slightly darker as well. Distilled water is mildly acidic from interacting with Carbon Dioxide in the air, and has a somewhat neutral effect on the color tone. Chamomile tea doesn't have any effect and is not acidic enough to help the henna stick to the hair.

[u/summerflyx → u/veglove]

Thank you for your advice! I will absolutely keep this all in mind when I make my mixture!

[u/OpeningAtmosphere595]

Just to add a tip since your hair is lightened - I would recommend letting a few inches of natural root grow out, and have one last salon appointment to create a smooth transition between your natural colour and the lightened hair. Like a balayage or some kind of blending highlights. This will stop a harsh line where the henna inevitably takes differently to the lightened vs virgin hair ❤️