Henna is a product when left in its pure form gives you a completely natural alternative to commercial hair dyes. Commercial hair dyes have many compounds that some research has found to be a risk to health. Cancer.gov provides a lot of information about health risks attributed to prolonged use of commercial hair dyes. So henna is perfect for those with chemical sensitivities wishing to reduce the risk of off-the-shelf commercial products allergic reactions. Avoiding the absorption of chemicals through the scalp is just one of the benefits of using herbs such as henna to color your hair. Applying the thick mixture of henna paste to the hair on a regular basis strengthens the hair shaft and increases body; giving a thicker appearance to hair. And because the tannin molecules in the henna helps fill in the pores of the hair, henna-ed hair seems to almost sparkle because the porosity of the hair is reduced; the “filled in” hair shaft increases this reflective characteristic that gives henna-ed hair that special shine. Although pure henna produces lawsone, a red colorant, other herbs such as indigo can balance the bright red to variations of chestnut brown to darkest brown/black. Experimenting with other natural additions to your henna mix like brewed coffee can also produce various hues of brown and auburn.
