Test a patch of skin.
To be sure that you won’t have an allergic reaction, test a small amount on the inside of your elbow. Let it sit there for 24 hours. If you experience any irritation or itching, stop using henna on your hair and consult a doctor.
Prepare your supplies and workspace.
- Put on rubber gloves.
- Be sure to have enough of the henna powder to cover all of your hair, including the roots and ends. If you have long or thick hair, it may take more than one container of henna powder to do all your hair!
- Place a plastic bag over your head (or use an old t-shirt or towel) so that you can contain any stains from spilling onto other areas in your home. This is especially important if you are using natural dyes like henna as they will stain much more than chemical dyes would! The good news is that many times these stains wash out easily with soap and water—but sometimes not so easily!
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Mix the henna.
- Add in the henna powder.
- Use your hand to mix the ingredients together. You want to make sure that you get a good consistency that isn’t too thick, but also not too runny. It should be a smooth texture and easy to spread through your hair.
Coat the head.
You should work from the roots to the ends of your hair. Make sure you have enough henna to cover all of it, but don’t go too crazy. If you want to cover your whole head, use a little more than if you’re only doing highlights. I recommend using an applicator brush for this step because it will help get every inch covered evenly and prevent messiness!
Now that we’ve got our hair coated in henna, it’s time for some waiting! Let me tell you something about my own experience with this stuff: there will be some redness in response to whatever chemicals are present in your particular brand of henna powder (whether that’s from chemical dye or an additive). Don’t worry—it will fade within a few hours (or overnight), so don’t panic!
Let the henna dry and then rinse it out.
The henna powder should set on your hair for around an hour. Check with your package to see how long it takes, as every brand is different. Once the time is up and you’re ready to rinse off the henna, there are a few ways to do this:
- You can pour water over your head or use a spray bottle filled with warm water and let the mixture run through your hair until all of it has been removed.
- You can also buy rinsing caps from beauty supply stores (they are pretty cheap) or even make one out of plastic wrap! If you don’t want to spend money on a cap, simply wrap plastic wrap around sections of your head so that no water gets into your face or ears when you rinse out the henna dye.
Henna is one of many products you can try at home to get a new look!
Henna is one of many products you can try at home to get a new look!
Step 1: Do a patch test before applying henna to all your hair. Apply henna just to one strand and leave it on for 24 hours. If it doesn’t cause any irritation or discomfort when you rinse it out, then you’re good to go!
Step 2: Gather the ingredients that will make up your mixture. These include water, lemon juice, and henna powder (which can be purchased online). You’ll also need some plastic wrap or foil if you plan on covering up an area of your head while letting the product sit on top of other parts of your head (some people prefer this method because they feel like their hair gets too dark if they apply the dye directly onto their scalp.)
Step 3: Mix together 1/2 cup each water and lemon juice in a bowl until combined well—then add in 3 tablespoons of henna powder per cup of liquid mixture until it’s light brownish green color appears again (this should take about 5 minutes). You might have leftover mixture after following these steps; save any leftovers in an airtight container for later use!