Henna Hair Color // Before + After (Video)

I'm thinking of doing henna on my hair again -- and then I looked for my post on how to do it. It was on my old family blog. So! I'm posting it here again. Also because it was one of the most requested posts on that site, so I don't want to cut off access. Enjoy!

I've been coloring my hair since I was 12 years old. That's 18 21 years! The last time I used my favorite box dye, my scalp felt disgusting and the color washed out super fast. Frustrated, I searched around and decided to give henna a try. I love the idea of a natural, chemical-free "formula" -- all with the added benefit of stronger hair and longer lasting color.

So, I ordered some Lush Caca Rouge red henna color, and I waited through two snowstorms + various shipping delays for it to arrive.

And here's my coloring experience:


// SCENES


Cutting + mixing together the henna wasn't nearly as difficult as I had assumed. It probably took 10 minutes to achieve the "brownie batter" consistency described in the instructions. Slathering it on wasn't terribly different from using my regular hair color, except as the henna dried, it did tend to crumble a bit. I covered everything with a nice layer of plastic wrap and let sit for 2-1/2 hours.

Washing it out had sort of scared me, as other reviewers said it either took out their hair or stained everything, but I didn't have either issue. Overall, I'd say my coloring experience was really positive -- I just didn't like having to wait that long for the color to take hold. I think it's worth it, though, because I'd rather wait than use dangerous chemical developers.

// RESULT


The red color is subtle, yet definitely vibrant, shiny, and noticeable. I'm really happy with how it looks. Not shocking, but certainly a change. My hair feels well conditioned versus dry or broken or just weird. My scalp isn't tingly or injured like it becomes when I use box dye.

In short: I love it!

// WHERE TO GET

I definitely think I'll be sticking to henna from now on, despite the time commitment. I used to think you could only dye your hair red with henna, but LUSH makes several different colors. I know there are cheaper henna dyes out there, but LUSH gets their red henna from a source that has less orange and more true red tones. Very important!

Here's the whole line:

• LUSH Caca Rouge (Red)
• LUSH Caca Marron (Dark Red/Brown)
• LUSH Caca Brun (Brown)
• LUSH Caca Noir (Black)

Note: These bars went up in price considerably on Amazon since I first shared this post. Go check them out on the links, but I suggest buying at Lush stores directly.

// QUESTIONS?

If you guys have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them. Obviously, I'm not an expert, though I think after going through the process once, it's pretty easy to catch on. My color is still deepening and becoming richer even hours after, so I'll be interested to see in a week what it looks like!

Mostly, if you regularly color your hair -- either at the salon or at home -- I think it's worth giving more natural colors/methods a try. I'm always trying to make an effort to purge out those nasty chemicals from my life with what I eat, the products I use to clean my house and body, etc. So, I'm surprised it took me so long to try this whole thing out!

Do you dye your hair? How long have you been doing it?

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