Henna The Natural Alternative Hair Dye

Henna The Natural Alternative Hair Dye

WHAT IS HENNA?

Henna has been used traditionally for centuries as a natural hair dye. However in recent years synthetic dyes have become more widespread. These dyes are made from many different chemicals and therefore can cause problems with some people. Dyes using ammonia and peroxide break down the protein within the hair each time you colour, eventually breaking the hair altogether. Protein treatments are popular with people who colour regularly, and can replace some of the protein lost, but this is no replacement for keeping the protein in the hair initially.

Henna can be used as a natural alternative and has many advantages over commercially available synthetic dyes. The henna plant (Lawsonic Inermis) is crushed to make a powder or paste, which contains Lawsone. When henna comes into contact with your hair the Lawsone 'migrates' into the follicle where it binds with your hair's natural keratin. When henna is mixed with a natural plant dye, the colour of the dye is absorbed into this keratin, to create the desired colour. Synthetic dyes conversly penetrates the cortex of your hair to alter your natural pigment. In order to penetrate the cortex, the hairs cuticle must be lifted, which is why ammonia and hydrogen peroxide are used.  Repeated lifting of the cuticle can lead to the hair become weakened, leaving it dry looking, broken and lustre-less.

Unlike synthetic dyes, henna does not lift the cuticle of the hair to allow colour absorbtion, nor does it break down the protein structure of your hair. Instead, when the lawsone and keratin combine the hair is strengthened. Henna coats each strand of hair with a translucent layer which enchances and enriches its natural colour ('neutral' henna contains no pigment and can be used as a conditioner).

A BIT OF HENNA HISTORY

The use of henna as a hair dye dates back to at least 1900, when it began being imported from Turkey by European countries. At that time, the Turks already used 15,000 pounds of henna hair dye on an annual basis.

The people of the cities of Istanbul and Smyrna would buy their henna hair dye at the same place they bought most other goods: at the city's bazaars. The best selection was at the main bazaar, where henna producers would sell many henna blends, or "rastiks," which could produce several shades of hair colour.

When European traders saw how popular henna hair dye was in Turkey, they started bringing it back to their native countries to sell. Due to the abundance of exotic stories surrounding the Middle and Far East at the time, interest in products from the area was already high. Combined with women's universal desire to make themselves look better, this caused great demand for the henna products. Needless to say, Turkish henna producers were glad to supply the import-export trade with hair dye and other henna products.

Kinds of Henna Hair Dye

In modern times, there are a few main kinds of plant-based dye sold as "henna hair dye." The true henna hair dye, made from the plant scientifically known as Lawsonia Inermis will turn the hair into a reddish-orange shade. It has the unique property of combining with your natural hair shade which means that each person who uses it ends up with a final result that is truly unique.

Black henna actually includes a different plant: Indigofera Tinctoria, commonly known as indigo. It is often mixed with red henna to give more colour options for darker hair.

Neutral henna is made of yet another plant: Cassia Obovata. This will not stain the hair. Neutral henna is said to have anti-microbial and anti-fungal properties, and to be good for improving damaged hair.

All of these can be combined with other ingredients like different plant dyes or minerals to give a wide range of possible colour variations. Due to early botanical ambiguities, the particular species name for the Lawsonia may vary. "Inermis" is the currently-accepted scientific name, but the names "alba" and "spinoza" are still seen as well.

Why Use Henna Hair Dye

One of the main reasons people still use henna hair dye is that it's natural. Instead of using harsh man-made chemicals to do its job, henna's dying power comes from the plant itself. Henna compounds that offer other colors often use other plants or minerals to make their variations. A proper henna hair dye, unlike traditional chemical dyes, can actually strengthen the hair. Regular chemicals, on the other hand, weaken hair.

The use of henna hair dye also provides social benefits. Henna and its variants can be grown in places that aren't viable for other crops. It is also possible for people to successfully grow it on small family farms. This makes it a good way for small-scale farmers to support themselves even when they don't have the land for typical crops like corn or wheat. Henna and similar dye crops are also ecologically-friendly to grow.

When Not to Use Henna

One of henna hair dye's more notorious properties is the way it reacts with traditional chemical hair treatments. It also reacts oddly with certain metallic compounds, which can be found in some pre-boxed "henna" products. This property is where stories of hair turning green or other odd colours come from. Someone who has used other hair colouring products should wait at least a month before using real henna in order to avoid this type of surprise.

For anyone else, henna is a great choice for a hair dye. It's long-lasting, natural, and is even environmentally-friendly. Mixes containing other plants instead of metallic compounds give a range of colour choices. Plant-based hair dyes are generally good for the hair rather than harming it like "chemical" dyes do. Proper application of henna hair dye gives a good-looking result that leaves your hair shiny and easy to manage.

INGREDIENTS IN HENNA HAIR DYE

Our henna hair dye powders contain pure henna as well as a variety of other plants, such as indigo, depending on the colour. There are no heavy metals or other toxins. We take pride in our range of natural henna and you can view full ingredients listings for each colour on their individual product pages. 

The fiery red and mahogany dyes also contain sodium picramate. It is not physically possible to achieve these colours on hair without a small amount of this chemical to help lift the natural hair colour and allow the henna to take. These colours are the most popular in our range. 

If you would prefer to use 100% plant dye please choose from the following colours: Chestnut, Copper or Black  

What is Sodium Picramate?

Sodium Picramate is the sodium salt of Picramic Acid. Picramic Acid is a dark red crystalline material. Both Picramic Acid and Sodium Picramate are widely used throughout the world in hair dyes and colours. They have both been deemed safe for use on the hair by a large range of experts. 

Henna Hair Dyes