AKICIF/Lj (edited... she failed to tell me something)

[pecunium]

A friend is thinking of dyeing her hair, and was going to use Henna. I seem to recall some extra step which increases the redness, but I forget what it was (something simple like rinsing with tea, or the like).

Who among you knows the answer?

It turns out this is copper henna, which does I don't know what to the question.

Comments

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

I think you wrap your henna'd head with plastic wrap--I'm recalling this from instructions in the LUSH catalog--but I would defer to those with more experience.

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

Yup--I dug out a brick of henna I've never used--the instructions read "wrap hair in cling film for a redder look".

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

krasota's hair is intense and gorgeous, so I do it her way, which is to mix the powder with something acidy, then (after it sits awhile) slather the goo into damp hair, bend over and drop my hair into a plastic shopping bag, bunch it up at the front and tie it or rubberband it, then wrap my hair turban style with a big, OLD (stained, ratty) towel. Then I go to bed. Previously, of course, I'll have covered my pillows with old towels and maybe even an old blanket.

Then in the morning, I get up, carefully gather my hair (bag, towel, and the gritty hair that's tumbled out) into another towel very loosely, go outside, and hose my hair out. Of course, bending over into a bucket of warm water in the tub or shower will also work. When most of the chunks are out, I put the towel back on my hair, and go inside for a hot water shower, hair wash, and hair conditioning.

My medium-brown hair is intensely red with this method, but it's work.

[zoje-george.livejournal.com]

Yep, that's about what I do. Except I don't leave it on over night, my hair is light in color so four hours will give it a good grab.

As for acidy, I use lime or lemon juice or even some wine, just before I put it on my hair, I add a drop or two of lavender oil.

And... everything anyone could want to know about henna.

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

I always mix it with hot water and something acidy, often Two Buck Chuck (cheap red wine) or orange juice or leftover coffee, then let it sit for a few hours before using.

The way I used to do it.

[waterlilly.livejournal.com]

I used to henna, and what I used to do took awhile but yielded dramatic results. I learned all of this from a woman I knew who had been coloring her hair with henna for years. These instructions bear almost no resemblance to what was on the box the henna came with.

First, cook the henna. You can do this in a double-boiler or in the microwave, but get it warm enough that it turns brownish instead of greenish. Also, before cooking it, put pumpkin pie spice in it to make it smell better. Otherwise, you'll spend the next couple of days smelling like spinach.

Let it cool to the point where it was not so hot as to damage hair or scalp, and then wrap an old towel around your head and cover the entire mess with a plastic grocery bag. Leave it on for at least two hours, preferably longer.

The person who taught me this process also advised rinsing it out with water as cold as you can stand and washing the rest of the mess out with an acidic shampoo. I think the shampoo mattered a little, but I don't know that the water temperature did. (Mostly I hate cold showers.)

A couple of important caveats: Before putting henna on your head, it's a really good idea to put vaseline on your ears and the edge of your hairline so you only dye your hair and not your ears and your entire hairline area. It's also a good idea to wear rubber gloves while handling it. It will turn skin the same bright orange that it turns hair.

Also, do not use metal implements with it. Use wooden spoons, and use a ceramic container for heating it.

[bifemmefatale.livejournal.com]

The tea is red zinger. Brew red zinger tea and use that to mix the henna paste.

[bifemmefatale.livejournal.com]

What brand? Copper may just be the name of the shade. In any case, wrapping it in plastic wrap and applying low heat from a dryer will help intensify the color. So will adding a touch of lemon juice.

[pecunium.livejournal.com]

I don't know, but I think you are right. Her mother uses it, and it's a rich; dark, auburn.

When I got to the Red Zinger I said, hot, acidic, and slightly red... ought to be all that one can hope for.

TK

[feonixrift.livejournal.com]

I brighten mine with sunlight, near-boiling water, and a few teaspoons of paprika.

[feonixrift.livejournal.com]

I've also had some luck with witch hazel hand-sanitizer for getting the orange stain out of skin.

[desire-not-lost.livejournal.com]

Henna can be mixed in many ways- I learned a lot of this from doing mehndi hand painting (because my hair is red enough on it's own!), but I've done some of my friends hair with it (and fixed some highlights in mine that turned bright white), so I know it works.

First, always mix henna with hot water. I put on the tea kettle and use that.

To make the red brighter, you can mix it with a small amount of hydrogen peroxide or a larger amount of lemon juice. Chamomile tea also works, but is usually less potent.
To make the red more intense, you can mix it with vinegar- but that will also make it smell something akin to split pea soup. Paprika also works for this, but it takes quite a bit to really make a difference. I haven't tried red zinger tea, but it might be effective.
To make the henna more auburn, you can mix clove in it, or use coffee or black tea, which is how I usually do hair henna for my friends.

It's also important to not let the henna touch metal during the mixing- it can leave a green tinge, apparently- I have never tried this to find out for sure, but that is what I have heard. Use a plastic bowl and mixing spoon or spatula.

The shopping bag over the head works wonders for the intensity, too, with any shade of color- the whole point is to keep the henna warm and moist. Throw an old towel in the dryer, and then wrap it around the shopping bag over her head. I usually have my friends sit about an hour like this, which leaves good results. To keep the intensity, she should not use shampoo right away, but just rinse with water and a bit of natural conditioner to get out all the chunks of henna until the water runs clean. Then brush it out, etc., and as it dries, the rest of it will flake off. Also note that hair that has been hennaed also seems to be resistant to other chemical dyes a little more than normal, so that will be a concern if she dyes her hair often.

It will stain skin, so use some vaseline on the hairline, etc., unless she wants an orange face!

Hope all this helps!

[adrian-turtle.livejournal.com]

There are several things that increase color intensity. You can combine them if you like. Some are characteristic of the henna powder itself (fresh henna, ground to a fine powder.) For freshness, you pretty much have to trust your supplier, but the stuff sold for body art is often better than the stuff sold for hair dye.

Some improvements come from how the henna is mixed. Mix with warm, somewhat acidic liquid (up to the acidity of cider vinegar, up to about 60 degrees C.) Red wine, orange juice, lemon juice, cider vinegar, all work, and give slightly different shades of red. Using strong black tea pushes the red towards brown shades. Chamomile tea pushes the red towards golden shades. Either can be mixed with lemon. Coffee or walnut tends to mute the redness and give more of an auburn. Cloves are brown, but clove essential oil changes the henna to look darker red, like maroon. Definately do a test strand for the color, and patch test for allergy because some people are allergic to clove oil.

Timing is also important, both timing of the mix and timing of the application. The henna mixture looks greenish brown when first mixed, and it takes some time for the red color to develop. How long depends on henna freshness and grain size. Watch for the surface to turn reddish brown. I've seen it take 8-18 hours, and refrigeration slows it down. Waiting too long before using the mix (longer than 36 hours, in my experience) can make the dye ineffective. Once you have the mix, leaving it on for 90 minutes will give a stronger color transfer than leaving it on for 30 minutes. Take some hair from your hairbrush and do test strands--the intensity after 30 minutes is enough for some people.

The henna colorant does not transfer well through oil. This means hair should be clean, though it does not need to be dry. Adding oil to the henna mix will reduce color transfer. I found a rather stiff paste of henna and lemon juice became very smooth and easy to apply when I added honey...this was easy to rinse out.