Anyone used henna or other natural hair dyes?

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I would like to try it, but I am worried the process will be to smelly or gross to handle. Some of the reviews I've read talk about a strong smell and finding it hard to wash out...I'm a little worried it will be like the time a friend talked me into a mayonnaise hair treatment in middle school and I almost vomited from the smell. And then the smell lingered for days...

Is henna at all like that?

Yes I use the henna blocks from Lush. It can be kinda messy but I’ve got the knack of it now. It comes in a solid block which you melt in hot water, I only use a couple of squares of it for my just above shoulder length hair, leave it on for a couple of hours wrapped in cling film and then was it out (which does take awhile!) it takes longer than chemical dye but I much prefer it, partly due to it being natural, it’s really conditioning and seems to last much longer on my hair than box dyes. It covers grey well as well.

It definitely takes longer to wash out, and I wear gloves as it feels kinda weird. I don’t mind the smell and react more to a chemical dye smell but the henna does have a distinct smell as well.

My favourite brands of henna are Colora and Light Mountain (the ones with animals on the box).

The smell is very earthy. If you find it bothersome you can add 10 grams of cinnamon or ginger, or a bit of essential oil in a scent you like, to make it more pleasant.

To avoid a lot of mess I usually put garbage bags down, wear gloves, use two boxes worth so it's in a thicker paste I can 'glob on', use plastic clips to keep hair off my face, have a shower cap just for henna, use dark towels around the shoulders and for the first few showers. I also put a dark towel on my pillow case when the henna is brand new.

It's a bit of work but much easier once you've done it the first time. And, henna makes such beautiful colours with shiny, healthy hair.

Just a reminder to those who want to try henna out: Henna is extremely permanent. If you want to get it out of your hair, it is going to be a long and extensive process and the henna bonds with your hair. You have to be very sure you want to use henna to dye your hair and like the color.

Henna can also have a reaction to the chemicals that are in some hair dyes and literally melt your hair off if you or your hair stylist is not careful about which hair dye you use, should you try that route.

Anyways - I personally am not bothered by the smell of henna. The brand I used to use had a pleasant, earthy smell. I just like the smell of dirt I suppose.

That's a really good point @honeytoast.

A friend passed on a tip that I really appreciated when deciding whether or not to use henna: she said to gather loose strands when I combed out my hair to make a little 'hair sample' over time. Then I purchased the henna, mixed it and left it on the sample for about 6 hours so I could see what it would look like on my hair, before I actually committed to putting it all over my head.