Natural Roots is made from the two most powerful plant-based hair dyeing ingredients in the world: Lawsonia Inermis-Henna (RED) and Indigofera Tinctoria-Indigo Powder (BLUE). Mixing these two ingredients in the correct ratio will help you achieve your desired shade. This blog post will teach you how to mix Henna (RED) and Indigo Powder (BLUE) to get gorgeous natural tones of auburn, different shades of brown and black.
Now imagine you are back in elementary school art class, and you’ve been asked to mix red and blue together. You mix equal amounts of red and blue paints and get a perfect medium brown color. If you add more blue, the color will get darker ie towards darker brown. If you add more red, the color will turn towards auburn tones. And that is exactly how you will mix Henna (RED) an Indigo Powder (BLUE) to make your desired color.
Formulate Your Mix
Knowing what color your hair is, and what color your want, you can begin to create your formula.
If you mix Henna & Indigo, you can create a range of brown to auburn tones.
Mixing Henna Paste & Indigo Paste for Your Desired Color
First, mix your henna with water the day before you want to dye your hair so the dye is released. If you freeze leftover henna in little packages, thaw some out. You can measure the proportions out in spoons of finished paste or by powder. Precision isn’t important, so “close enough” is generally good enough.
Following are the proportions of Henna Paste+Indigo Paste to get your desired color:
- 90% henna and 10% indigo = auburn
- 75% henna and 25% indigo = brownish auburn
- 50% henna and 50% indigo = medium brown
- 80% indigo and 20% henna = dark brown
- 10% henna and 90% indigo = nearly
How much should you mix? These are approximate amounts for the total amount of Henna+Indigo Powder according to hair length. If hair is tightly curled, use more to compensate for the actual length of the hair.
- 50g will dye short hair or cover one month’s growth of roots.
- 100g will dye collar length straight hair.
- 200g will dye mid-waist length straight hair.
Step by Step Guide to Prepare Your Hair Dye
First, mix your Henna with water the day before you want to dye your hair so the dye is released. Add the water gradually, stirring it in. Make a pudding-like consistency and cover for 10-12 hours.
What does Henna dye release look like?
The surface of your henna may be slightly browned when there has been dye release. Stir the paste; it will become smooth and creamy. The texture should be about like toothpaste or pancake batter. Adjust the texture of the paste with more water if it seems too thick. The paste should slowly flow off the spoon.
If you want to save time, mix a lot of henna at once, spoon the extra henna in bags or ice cube trays and freeze it. Then, you’ll have henna ready any time you need it. Frozen henna will keep for months in the coldest part of your freezer. Just thaw, and mix with Indigo paste and your dye is ready!
When your Henna paste has released its dye and you’re ready to dye your hair, mix your Indigo Powder with water in a separate bowl. Add distilled or filtered water gradually to Indigo Powder stirring after every addition. Stir until there are no more dry lumps in the indigo paste. It takes some determination to get all the Indigo Powder wet.
Protect your hand with gloves given inside the box. Apply paste to clean, slightly damp hair from roots to tips. Remember to section your hair & cover roots properly. Wear the plastic cap inside the box. Make sure all hair is covered with cap so the paste doesn’t dry out during wait time. The dye gives better result when paste is moist. To rinse, work through sections of your hair just as you did to apply. Rinse until water runs clear, then wash with shampoo followed by conditioner.
Enjoy your gorgeously colored hair, full of strengh, shine and volume with every application!
Storage: Skin Deep Henna-Indigo Paste mixture, and Indigo Paste can not be saved for later use as they will lose their effectiveness. Henna Paste can be frozen for upto 2 years. Keep remaining Indigo Powder packet sealed with a cling film at room temperature.