Henna is an herb with high dyeing power, excellent for covering grey hair.
The plant called henna, Lawsonia Inermis , has a single colour, red, but thanks to the addition of various dyeing herbs, it is possible to obtain different shades of brown, from the lightest to the darkest and most intense.
Index
Brown henna how to prepare it
You can obtain a brown herbal dye using herbs such as Katam , Walnut Hull , Catecù , Indigo , Camphor to mix with Red Henna to fix the color to the hair and improve its hold over time.
In fact, red henna is the only dyeing herb that can bind to the hair's keratin, thus ensuring that the color stays on the hair for a long time.
If you prefer to avoid mixing the various herbs yourself to obtain brown tones, you can use one of the ready-made mixes available on the market, with herbs already mixed in the right proportions.
You can find light brown henna, dark brown henna but also copper brown or ash brown henna, which you can further mix together to create your own custom color.
To prepare the henna, remember that brown dye pigments do not like acidic pH and it is therefore best to prepare the mixture only with hot water, avoiding acidic substances such as lemon, karcadè, lemon, tea and various infusions; these substances could in fact reduce the dyeing power of brown henna and would make everything turn towards warmer and coppery tones.
The perfect water temperature is between 50° and 60° , to keep the colouring power intact and avoid highlighting the copper/orange tones.
It is not necessary to let the prepared mixture rest, since it is not necessary to let it oxidize to obtain brown tones: you can apply it immediately , leaving it to rest only for the time necessary for the mixture to become lukewarm.
Gray hair coverage
To cover gray hair and get brown tones, there are various options.
If you have a few gray hairs , you can apply brown henna directly to your natural base. Depending on the recipe you choose, the gray hair will remain lighter, with golden or copper highlights, but will blend well with the base;
If you have a lot of white hair , if your natural base is very light or if you have bleached your hair , you need to do a two-step coloring: a first step with only red henna to pigment the hair and create a uniform base, and a second step with your mix for brown hair.
In this case, you will need to prepare a first red henna , to be left on for at least 45-60 minutes, as always covered with a cap and towel to keep everything warm.
Once you have finished this first application, rinse with warm water, towel dry your hair or dry it if you prefer and apply your brown henna . If you are more comfortable you can also do the second step the next day!
The double pass is not always necessary, there are hairs that are able to absorb the pigment better than others and have excellent results already with a single pass; later you can decide to do the double pass only on the regrowth touch-ups, so as to optimize and reduce the processing times!
Important : if your natural base is blonde, natural, dyed or bleached, it is necessary to do a first pass with pure red henna, to avoid having strange greenish shades.
Permanent coloring
Henna is a permanent color that binds to the keratin of the hair. The pigments that help to have brown tones, go away quite easily after several washes. For this reason, it is easy for copper highlights to start to appear on the whole hair after a few weeks.
If you want to destratify the henna or if you want to lighten the tone you obtained with natural colorings, you can make compresses based on oils and butters that help the color to discharge more quickly.
The best brown henna
Want to get your dream brown ? Here are our favorite brown hennas, perfect for ease of use and the results they allow you to achieve!
Ready-made powders with a fine texture, which blends without leaving lumps, based on only natural ingredients, for beautiful and healthy hair!
Do you have questions about the world of natural dyes? Discover in this article all the most requested FAQs about henna !
Visit our section dedicated to all the guides for henna and dyeing herbs to discover all our tips on natural hair coloring!
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