Real People, Real Henna: "Andy"





Andy's simple henna mix


I've always wanted to try something different with my hair color, but didn't want to use chemical dyes because of the harmful effects they could have on my hair and my health. Henna seemed like a good alternative, especially for someone who likes to grow her hair long and donate it, like I do. I needed something that would help keep my hair strong while it was long and make it look nice, so after looking at a lot of different mixes on the internet, I decided to give henna a shot.

For my mix, I purchased 100 grams of Ancient Sunrise henna. I mixed a mildly acidic liquid into the henna in a ceramic bowl with a plastic spatula until it was a little thicker than glue. Because I live in a warm climate, I decided to leave the mix in my garage overnight to help the dye release. I let the henna sit for twelve hours and then had my mother help get it all in my hair. The mix I had created was a bit too thick to be easily worked into the hair, so we enlisted the aid of my niece and had her spray my head with a water bottle in places so as to soften up the henna.

I would suggest adding more of the liquid portion of the mix in order to get it to a thinner consistency. After my hair was thoroughly hennaed, I wrapped it in aluminum foil and a towel and lazed about in the sun for an hour or so. I wouldn't suggest the foil - it became uncomfortable after about three hours. Next time I'll try saran wrap.

Four hours later I washed my hair and blow-dried it. The color is iridescent and absolutely beautiful. The picture was taken outside in the sun - indoors and in the shade, my hair is a lovely dark auburn that's not too different from my original dark brown. My hair has always been very healthy, but the henna has made it even shinier and smoother than before. It has also weighed my short baby hairs down and given my hair a sleeker look.

Notes and References
Henna: https://www.mehandi.com/Mehandi-com-Ancient-Sunrise-Henna-for-Hair-s/121.htm
Don’t have fruit juice on hand? Keep some fruit acid powders in your cupboard.
Mildly acidic liquid: https://www.mehandi.com/Fruit-Acid-for-henna-dye-release-s/299.htm
More info on mildly acidic mixes: https://www.tapdancinglizard.com/henna-and-acidic-mixes/
Ancient Sunrise henna for hair kits with everything included: https://www.mehandi.com/Mehandi-com-Ancient-Sunrise-Henna-for-Hair-Kits-s/124.htm
Chemical hair dye allergy: https://www.tapdancinglizard.com/henna-for-hair-2/ pp. 18-26

Video How-To
Going red with henna: https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/739464950