It smells like spinach baby food.

I think they make a neutral henna, but it would not change all of your hair to one color. I think your hair is probably pretty anyway.

Henna coats the outside of your hair, and in the long run it will be much cheaper than hair dye from the store. I spent twenty dollars, counting shipping for a pound of the ground up plant. It actually takes longer than I described. You mix the ground up plant matter with water or lemon juice, or I did coffee, since I wanted the color more brownish. You have to let that set a while to cause the dye to come out of the plant matter.I let mine set a couple of hours. You put it on your hair just like regular dye, although it is more like a mud. You leave it in anywhere from two hours on up, covered with plastic wrap or a plastic grocery bag. The longer you leave it on, the better the color. Most websites also say that you will see the color change or oxidize during the next three days. Henna provides a protein treatment and a sealer for your hair, but you should use pure henna, not "henna compound". If you need to darken it, you can buy indigo to mix with it--another plant dye, bluish black. Mix henna with lemon juice for lighter hair. My hair is thick, and shoulder length. I mixed six tablespoons of henna with 8 oz of coffee, and had more than enough for my hair. It coats each hair shaft individually, so it looks much more natural as each hair takes on its own color.

I am going to save this discussion, because I did find a site with a video and I much rather do this. If the time being consumed is nothing more than letting the mixture sit and then the time it sets on my hair, that's fine, I can do my math while waiting..And it is better for my hair..Thanks, G.G. can you provide the link to where you purchased yours? and the twenty dollars worth of henna, is that for more than one job or just the one time?

I am predicting that my pound of henna will last at least one year. You can get smaller quantities, but with shipping, and not knowing how much I would need I wanted to get plenty. I ordered through Amazon, so I could use the money I earn from Swagbucks. Yes, the time involved is only waiting time and you can do all kinds of other things while doing it. Some people stir in cinnamon to make it smell better. The paperwork I got said not to use it on color treated hair, but other sites said you could. You may want to do a strand test. www.organzabagg.com is the website. I am going to go over to Amazon and leave feedback now.

A lot of people say coloring hair makes it thicker.

I don't know why it never occurred to me that you hadn't seen my head 'au naturale'. lol I'll have top send you a picture. Because unfortuntely, thicker wouldn't help when there is nothing on the top to thicken. But when I wear hats, the part of hair that is seen could be nicer if I used it.

I knew you had mentioned that you were losing your hair, I just forgot. My sister has started having regrowth but always had really thin on top hair.

I can't wait to try this, because my natural color is brown with golden red highlights, so this henna stuff might make my hair not only look like it use to, but also feel like it use to..I wonder if it gets rid of curls though?? For some weird reason, my hair when I was younger was completely straight, but now it has begun to curl at the ends, naturally...

I have a lot of gray hair. When I used a commercial dye the first time and used auburn, my hair turned fuschia. That was not henna. It might make your gray look kind of orange the first day, that is why I mixed mine with coffee. It looks like a copper penny. The other thing I like is I can reapply it as often as three days if I missed any gray.

also, does it cover grey? or do you know?

That is my goal, strong hair that does not show the big clumps of gray and looks natural. Some of the websites suggested oil in it or after it. I put some grape seed oil in it today, which is what I usually use. I buy an organic conditioner, called Jasons. It smells good, like peppermint. I know there are henna shampoos that help maintain color and shine.

That is true. Simple, one or two ingredients that you know where they came from, and how to say them. I have even read that you should not use shampoo on your face.

Hiya GG, Eucalyptus and Rosemary Oil I think are good ones too or a mixture of both. That´s what it puts on this Shampoo that is from America actually and it lasts for ages it really does perk your Hair up no end. Grapeseed has to be a good one too. Those kind of Shampoos are really hard to find around where I live probably in the big Cities there is no problem. This Shampoo from over there actually has no parabens or anything like that it is the most natural thing I have come across yet. What a wonder to find something without a huge list of I don´t know what on the label. xxx

I'll be sure and tell her that, thanks.

Using Mayonnaise or olive oil are ways that we used at the preschool to help kill head lice as well. Since you daughter has colored her hair she will want to be sure to get pure henna, not a henna compound. I like the fact that it coats and strengthens the hair. Yes, the procedure takes more time that what we are used to, but it just seems to be so much healthier for hair and for the environment. Depending on what you mix it with, the color comes out a little different as well.

Oh, I can imagine how people react. I put the coffee in mine so it would not be flaming. Of course today young people enjoy putting koolaid in their hair, and it does not wash out really well, either.

I understand that because it is not as predictable, henna is not favored by salons. And it does not mix well with some chemicals.

I ordered the henna online, through Amazon, as that is what I do with my swagbucks earnings. I checked health food stores here. I have heard of placenta, and I have also just used hot olive oil on my hair for treatments. A girl who was a model said that is what she used. I put the link I used to order in the first response.

Swagbucks is another site where I earn. I redeem in Amazon gift cards, ten or fifteen dollars most months.

I see. Thanks.

This is not time consuming to apply, you just have to let it stay a long time. I am not familiar with manic panic. I do not feel like I have time for curling irons. Wow, your hair is long.

I can see how the egg white would be good with it too. It seems very versatile. I am happy with what has happened so far. It seems to have covered my gray hair really well. I have a mixture of dark hair and gray hair.

I did my research before I ordered, and that helps. There are many "henna compound" products out there, and they do not do well on color treated hair as they have other things in them. My hair has had commercial dye on it, so I knew to look for pure henna. It seems what you mix it with affects the final outcome as well, and how long you are willing to let it sit. I have fair skin, hazel eyes, and freckles when I get in the sun.The color that shows where my hair had a lot of gray looks like a copper penny in a way, and it reminds me of pictures of me as a child.

I feel like this really helped. I will use grape seed oil on my hair and face for dryness, it seems to soak in really well.

The chemicals we use are a lot faster and not real messy, so many people prefer it. I like reading that our friends from India use it and they have a lot of flexibility. Your hair is a beautiful color.

Yes it would make your beard red. Is it pretty hot where you are? Would you really want to have beard in the summer?

I live in Kansas. This Summer the temperature seems to be trying to do itself one better each day. We had our first 100 degree Fahrenheit temperature in May. We had 7 days of 100 Degrees or above in June, and just until today I think that the temperature has hit 100 degrees at least 10 times. Yes it is just too hot to be having a beard this Summer. Maybe I will just wait until it cools down a bit. Like maybe in October or November.

Actually there is a big interest in Henna tattoos here in the US as well. Renaissance Faires often have people doing henna tattoos and I guess our public library had an evening teenage activity where they learned about henna tattoo. I have seen pictures of the tattoos that are traditional and they are lovely.

I put a link in the first response on this. I have heard that it lasts a lot better than chemical dyes, and you can touch up anytime or use it as often as you like.

Hmmmm, the websites called the tree something else. I have heard of Mignonette, it could just be what different places call it. I have had lots of streaks of gray for a long time.

Lawsonia inermis is what the first sites I went to called it. My dad had seen the term Mignonette before I was born, but made up a different spelling for my middle name. After reading here I went to more sites and did read some descriptions of mignonette.

Its Latin name:Lawsonia inermis L.

Hi, Joyce, welcome to Mylot. I like the herb smell of the henna.