Henna Powder for Hair-The 100 % Natural Way to Color Hair

Henna powder for hair is an all-natural product that is derived from a plant and that has been used by women all over the world for centuries. Henna comes from a plant called lawsonia inermis. The henna powder is made from the crushed leaves of the plant. The Egyptian Queen, Cleopatra, used henna and indigo to dye her gorgeous hair.

Henna is one of natures products and contains no chemical additives or preservatives. It is an organic product that is used to stain fabric for clothing, make mendhi tattoos, and used as a natural hair dye. The best henna powder for hair is the henna labeled as "body art quality". Henna Powder for Hair

This is the purest form of henna available. Henna does not come in different colors, do not be fooled by products claiming to be henna that comes in a variety of colors. This type of product is made with some henna and metallic salts which may burn hair that has been color-treated with commercial dyes. The natural color of henna is a copper red color. To get brown or black colors you must add indigo to the henna mix to dye hair darker colors.

Hair Dye 

A painting from the late 1800s showing the artistic fashion for henna-enhanced hair.

Cosmetic henna for colouring hair.Henna has been used as a cosmetic hair dye for 6,000 years. In Ancient Egypt, Cleopatra and Nefertiti were known to have used it. It was commonly used for many centuries in areas of India, the Middle East, and Africa.

In Europe, henna was popular among women connected to the aesthetic movement and the Pre-Raphaelite artists of England in the 1800s. The fashion for Orientalism led young women with a bohemian inclination to begin tinting their hair with henna.[10] Dante Gabriel Rosetti's wife and muse, Elizabeth Siddal, had naturally bright red hair. Contrary to the cultural tradition in Britain that considered red hair unattractive, the Pre-Raphaelites fetishized red hair. Siddal was portayed by Rosetti in many paintings that emphasized her flowing red hair.[11]The other Pre-Raphaelites, including Frederic Leighton, Evelyn de Morgan, Anthony Frederick Augustus Sandys, and French painters such as Gaston Bussière (painter) and the Impressionists further popularized the association of henna-dyed hair and young bohemian women.

Opera singer Adelina Patti is sometimes credited with popularizing the use of henna in Europe in the late 1800s. Parisian courtesan Cora Pearl was often referred to as La Lune Rousse (the red moon) for dying her hair red. In her memoirs, she relates an incident when she dyed her pet dog's fur to match her own hair.[12] By the 1950s, Lucille Ball popularized "henna rinse" as her character, Lucy Ricardo, called it on the television show I Love Lucy. It gained popularity among young people in the 1960s through growing interest in Eastern cultures.[13]

Thinking of trying henna for hair? Natural henna products are good for your hair and improve the feel and texture of curly or course hair. Here are some product suggestions for 100% natural henna products.

100% Natural Henna Hair Dye

I recently started reading about henna powder for coloring hair. I have been coloring and bleaching my hair for years and it felt like straw. I came across the henna page at Mehandi.com and started learning as much as I

could about henna. There are many misconceptions about what true henna is and is not.

My mother always used commercial dyes to color her hair a brilliant auburn. She had told me never to use any henna products because it would burn the hair right off my head. She said that you could not use henna on hair that has been bleached or dyed, it would have to be cut off. Years later, I found out that this is not entirely true.

My first attempt at using a natural product to color my hair turned out pretty good. I tried Surya Brasil Henna Cream with good results and wrote a review of it. Surya Brasil makes organic products and their henna cream is a good product. The only downside to it is that because it is a cream it washes out. My hair felt good and was very soft but eventually the color washed out and I needed to recolor my hair. Therefore, this time I thought I would take the plunge and try using henna powder this time. I had read all about how to mix it and prepare it on the henna pages. I knew using powder would be very messy and a pain top wash out, but I wanted a natural looking color that would not come out in my bathwater every time I took a bath.

Henna powder is best used by mixing it with an acidic liquid such as lemon juice. Mix the dry henna powder with enough lemon juice to make a thick paste. The amount of liquid will vary depending on how much henna powder you are using. It should be the consistency of pudding. The henna paste will need to sit for 4-12 hours after mixing for dye release. Some prefer to mix it and let it sit overnight. Apply to the hair using gloved hands. Cover with a plastic shower cap to hold in the heat. The longer you leave it on the darker the color will be. It will be messy but the end result is well worth it. A beautiful copper red.

This is a henna powder tutorial that shows the process step by step. Surya Brasil Henna is also an excellent product and is 100% vegan henna.

Using henna powder takes a little practice, but it is easy once you've done it a few times. You can expect it to be messy because it will but it cleans up easy and the results will make you never want to use regular commercial box dyes again. Thank you for reading.