Ok, so you henna-ed your hair and it actually looks great! It feels thicker, stronger and looks lustrous, but what are those fine particles falling onto the sink after brushing your hair? Could it be that fine henna powder is still in your hair? One of the important steps in using natural henna and indigo for hair color is the rinsing stage. You can rinse your henna in the shower (prepare for the henna waterfall), swirl your hair in a sink or bucket of water--mermaid-style, or even enjoy the great outdoors and use your garden hose! All of these methods work and even combining rinsing styles helps you discover the best for your hair. Most of us know the time involved in the henna process and know rinsing is an important step, so we try to get to it and finish by rinsing out the herbal paste or “mud” quickly using a good spray of water until the water runs clear but sometimes this takes a long time or isn’t enough, especially if the paste dried near the edges of the face. Those little herbal particles love to cling onto the hair shaft and root area --diligent thorough rinsing is needed. Most experts agree that washing your hair right after henna or indigo rinsing undermines maximum color absorption. If you are looking for a lighter color tint and do not need to cover gray, shampooing after henna application/rinsing should be okay. However it is best to avoid a full shampoo wash right after you color with henna or “hendigo” mixes for 3 days. This time frame allows the henna dye to oxidize and color deepen. But many people find not shampooing henna-ed hair right after rinsing leads to this herbal powder residue or “grit” left in the hair, especially near the scalp root area. A workable solution is the conditioner or “co-“ wash. You can “wash” your hair after henna using hair conditioner instead of shampoo. This methods provides a slippery surface on the hair which allows the herb powder to easily rinse off. Additionally conditioning tends to “seal” in the color which many find helps to preserve the color longer.
