Henna

BelassiBelassi Member, PCF student
in Hair
A 500g sample of henna just arrived from India. I intend trying it as a temporary hair tint in shampoo. There's also another natural product I'd like to try, hibiscus flowers (deep purple-red) used commonly in the drink called 'Jamaica' here.
I realise this probably isn't going to work but I learn from failures as well as successes.
Has anyone tried these ingredients for hair tinting and could give advice, eg about pH to use, etc?
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Comments

  • ngarayeva001ngarayeva001 Member
    edited February 2019
    Henna isn’t that temporary. It’s actually more permanent  than some dyes and I learned it the hard way.
  • BelassiBelassi Member, PCF student
    I've just been reading up on it. OK, I see how it works now, it binds with keratin.
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  • DoreenDoreen Member
    Hibiscus is quite acidic and can lower the pH significantly. (I didn't use it in hair products however)
  • BelassiBelassi Member, PCF student
    Interesting. I will try it.
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  • DoreenDoreen Member
    Good luck and keep us updated! :) 
  • ngarayeva001ngarayeva001 Member
    Binds with keratin in hair? That explain why it's impossible to get rid of it. It stains pillowcases, it stains everything. Even worse, it is impossible to apply any other dye except for black after it.
  • Unknown Member
    I used hibiscus powder in shampoo and henna; it does not give either a temporary or permanent color, but dries my hair. :)
    The henna in shampoo may slightly change the shade of the hair over time, depending on the concentration, but it can be removed. I also advise you not to ignore such grass as indigo. Indigo adds shine and silkiness to hair and does not dry hair, as does henna. 
  • Unknown Member
    Binds with keratin in hair? That explain why it's impossible to get rid of it. It stains pillowcases, it stains everything. Even worse, it is impossible to apply any other dye except for black after it.
    You can get rid of henna, but not to the state of a platinum blonde. The only herb that can be removed only with scissors, if it is tightly tied with keratin, is Basma.
  • BelassiBelassi Member, PCF student
    Thank you all for the useful comments.
    Cosmetic Brand Creation. Concept to name to IMPI search to logo and brand registration. In-house graphic design inc. Pantone specs. Cosmetic label and box design & graphics.
  • AVisotskyAVisotsky Member
    Also, henna works best in acidic pH. But it can stain the skin
  • Hina_AlamHina_Alam Member
    Belassi said:
    A 500g sample of henna just arrived from India. I intend trying it as a temporary hair tint in shampoo. There's also another natural product I'd like to try, hibiscus flowers (deep purple-red) used commonly in the drink called 'Jamaica' here.
    I realise this probably isn't going to work but I learn from failures as well as successes.
    Has anyone tried these ingredients for hair tinting and could give advice, eg about pH to use, etc?
    Depends on what you are intending to do with it 
    if you want it for color don’t use it in shampoo .
    make a paste with hot water and little lemon juice and it will give a deep orange to red tint 
    mix it with indigo powder and it will give brown to black shade .
    i have used it since the time I was a teenager and wanted to experiment with hair colours 
  • amitvedakaramitvedakar Member
    Heena Paste along with some other herbs are used for coloring hair.
    Other ingredients are tea powder, Amla powder, Aloevera Etc.
    The color tone is reddish depends on how much time you keep on hair.
  • Bill_TogeBill_Toge Member, Professional Chemist
    the active ingredient, lawsone, is chemically very similar to a number of synthetic semi-permanent dyes, which is why it works the way it does

    Indian Standard IS 11142:1984 describes a number of test methods for checking the purity, quality and lawsone content of henna powder; you may find it useful, as adulteration is a common practise even now
    UK based formulation chemist. Strongest subjects: hair styling, hair bleaches, hair dyes (oxidative and non-oxidative) I know some stuff about: EU regulations, emulsions (O/W and W/O), toothpaste, mouthwash, shampoos, other toiletries
  • BelassiBelassi Member, PCF student
    I tried this and don't understand. I prepared a 5% henna shampoo, using boiling water to activate the henna. The green powder became a dark green liquid.
    I gave it to my wife to try and her hair took on a pale green tint.
    So much for the expected red/brown colour.
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  • svensven Member
    @Belassi. Hope your wife was not too upset.

  • ngarayeva001ngarayeva001 Member
    You need to leave it for several hours until it becomes brown and only then apply.. some leave overnight 
  • BelassiBelassi Member, PCF student
    Oh. I see. 
    There was another issue. My wife said it made her hair too dry.
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  • ngarayeva001ngarayeva001 Member
    Yes, it makes hair dry. I had quite a negative experience with it (the shade was nice though), it stained everything and it’s impossible to apply any other dye on top of it. Another proof that natural does not mean good.
  • BelassiBelassi Member, PCF student
    I think I will abandon this experiment. Sometimes you learn as much from negative results.
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  • BelassiBelassi Member, PCF student
    And the final issue: It falls out as a brown sludge beneath a very unattractive-looking dark brown liquid that looks as if it might be distilled poo.
    Cosmetic Brand Creation. Concept to name to IMPI search to logo and brand registration. In-house graphic design inc. Pantone specs. Cosmetic label and box design & graphics.
  • GuntherGunther Member
    AVisotsky said:
    Also, henna works best in acidic pH. But it can stain the skin
    Too bad. I was hoping to make a "natural" beard and mustache (and even scalp hair root) frequent use dye someday, but if it stains skin too...


    You need to leave it for several hours until it becomes brown and only then apply.. some leave overnight 
    Did you mean leaving henna soaked in boiling water overnight, is room temperature water fine?


    Belassi said:
    Oh. I see. 
    There was another issue. My wife said it made her hair too dry.
    Maybe a semi leave-on / rinse-off conditioner will work better than a shampoo (and can be left on longer than shampoo without drying hair too much)?


    Belassi said:
    I think I will abandon this experiment. Sometimes you learn as much from negative results.
    Please don't, I still believe that there's a niche market for natural, gray hair retouch formulations for those who don't need exact shade matching.
  • ngarayeva001ngarayeva001 Member
    Bad idea, henna turns grey hair orange (orange like a fruit)
  • svensven Member
    Girls here in ZA mix Henna powder into conditioner and rinse off after a couple of minutes
  • PiousPious Member
    Yes henna turns grey into orange. But if it is applied in black hair it can give a dark brown shade. Henna shd be added to normal water/strained tea (caffained) with little bit of yogurt, amla powder, coffee powder and should be brought to a paste consistency keeping it overnight and applying the next morning. It shd sit for 1 or 2 hrs before rinsing. Shd not apply shampoo while rinsing. If u follow all these procedures then it will colour your hair and won't dry them. otherwise henna doesn't leave a darker shade and it's not permanent as it goes off within 4 to 5 washes(with shampoo) 
  • MX_scienceMX_science Member
    I have extensive experience with henna for hair dying purposes. I have been dying my hair with it for over 10 years.

    It sounds like the original poster has abandoned the experiment, but for others who have an interest I will add some information on this topic.

    • Henna is the powdered leaves of a plant
    • Henna powder is notorious for being ADULTERATED, especially if you buy a product specifically for the hair. Even if it says only henna under ingredients, it may still contain heavy metal salts added. IF YOUR HAIR IS ALREADY COLOR-PROCESSED and you use adulterated henna this is known to turn hair GREEN! So you must be careful to acquire it from a reputable and trusted source. I advise using body-grade henna, even for hair use. This is not a guarantee of purity, but it is less likely to be adulterated.
    • Henna paste is perishable like food. One week in the fridge. Frozen for months and months. I make a big batch, put it in cones, freeze and thaw when needed. A preservative I do not think will help here because the powder is plant matter & "bug food," but even if you could keep the paste from growing nasties, I do not believe the preservative will help with the degradation of the dye molecule itself, only bug growth.
    • It is mixed to a paste under specific conditions that will release the dye molecule
    • (a) boiling water is too hot - this will damage your final dye content, use warm liquid
    • (b) using an acid (lemon juice, tea or coffee are traditional) helps to release the dye
    • (c) dye release is not instantaneous, it may take 30 minutes to 24 hours, depending on the quality and age of your stating henna powder
    • (d) you want a consistency of yogurt. too dilute (5% is def too little) will not really get you anything
    • (e) powder if fresh should be a light alfalpha green, be greenish when first mixed, and turn brown or blackish if/when the dye release is a success. You can test dye release on the skin (be ware it can stain skin up to several weeks) by putting a drop of paste for a minute on the skin. wipe it off, you should see a bright orangy spot
    • It is permanent. Yes you may go through some process (unknown to me) to remove strip it, but barring that the color stays on the hair (with some fading - and it fades from grey hairs faster)
    • It will stain skin and clothes, so take precautions, use gloves
    • It is advised to mix it in glass / wood and not metal bowls or spoons
    • Henna responds to heat and takes TIME. Some people leave it on overnight for the dye molecule to penetrate and absorb. Wrapping your henna-pasted head in plastic and covering with a heating pad will help it go faster. I do not think a brief rinse out product like shampoo or even conditioner will get you any color.
    • Henna dye takes time to DEVELOP. the color you get right after treatment will be brighter, and more orangy. The color will deepen and darken over 36 hours, becoming more auburn than orange.
    • White hairs take on a more orange tint. This can be countered by adding some Indigo to the mix. Indigo will not survive the freezing process 0 it has to be added fresh, just before use.
    • It does make the hair feel rough/dry especially when trying to rinse it out of the hair but hair is shinier and conditioned afterwards. I rinse out the bulk gently, slather on conditioner and rinse again to counter this.
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