Friday, November 1, 2013

My Henna Hair Color Experience


I have been coloring and highlighting my hair for probably about the last 10 years.  I started doing it just to change up my color because I have naturally really dark hair.  In the later years,  it has helped cover my gray hairs.

After changing to the Paleo lifestyle, I started questioning all the chemicals I was using.  Not to mention that because I have very long hair, my salon appointment was around $200!  I started going less and less until I was really only going twice a year.

I did see quite a few people talk about henna and some loved it and some didn't.
Here are a few of the negatives that I heard from other people:

No color choices-either red or black
Too hard to apply
Really messy
Almost impossible to rinse out
Didn't last long
Could damage your hair if you didn't find pure henna

So, I started researching and I found Morrocco Method.  Morrocco Method has a great website with lots of information.  They have tons of videos to watch and learn about how to apply, what color to choose and what to expect.  

I watched ALL the videos!

I was nervous but I decided to give it a try.  The price was reasonable and I figured if I didn't like it, the color wouldn't last forever right?

When I received my order, I read all the directions (which are great by the way!) and planned my day to apply.

Doing your own henna application does take some planning.  The henna needs to be mixed with tea (what kind depending on the color you choose) and then sit for 6-10 hours.  
I mixed my henna and let it sit all day.  Finally, time to apply.  I will be honest, the color scared me a little.  It was a green-ish brown.  It also has an earthy smell (it is a plant that came from the ground!)

  I have never colored my own hair so I was worried that I wouldn't get it right.  The application went much better than I expected and I really had no problems getting my whole head covered.  Then, you have to cover your head and wait some more.  When it came time to rinse, again it wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be.  I did buy the scalp massager and I think that helped a lot.

By the time I was done with the whole process, I was tired so I just went to bed with wet hair not really knowing how it turned out.  In the morning, I checked it out and loved it!  My hair was darker and richer with a nice red tint.  It also felt really soft and thicker too.

So, yes I love my henna transformation and I plan to do this from now on.  Even if I did an application every month (which I don't need to), it would still be way cheaper and so much healthier than the salon!

I am planning on mixing more colors next time and see how that turns out.  I think it is kind of fun to be able to mix colors together and try out different shades.

Morroco Method also carries great natural chemical-free shampoos, conditioners and more if henna is not your thing.

Here is what I bought from Morroco Method

Light brown henna-I used 1/2 of one tub the first time.
Euro natural oil conditioner
scalp massager

You will also need:
gloves
plastic wrap or shower cap
tea (what kind depends on the color you choose)
lemon or unfiltered apple cider vinegar





13 comments:

  1. Oh wow, I'm definitely going to try this! I love dying my hair but never do it myself since the last time I tried it I gave myself a small chemical burn and the smell stayed with me for weeks. Thank you so much for posting this!

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  2. You are welcome Bernard! I was surprised how well it turned out!

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  3. wow , i'm drooling over your hair . Thanks for sharing this.

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  4. I have been very interested in Morrocco Method lately (ok... obsessed) which is how I found your post. I just ordered the light brown this morning, then panicked that I should have picked the blonde, but seeing your color makes me excited about it! I noticed you mentioned having some gray hair... which I too have been getting over the years. Did you find that this color worked well with the grey?

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  5. Hi Runner Girl,

    Sorry I am so late to answer your question! I have some grey and I have found that if I add the red henna (it doesn't make your hair red) to my other colors, it works well with my grey. I also sleep in my henna and do touch ups about once a month.
    Let me know how yours worked!

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  6. Your info is so useful atm, mine is same as yours (before photo) but more golden blonde,id say.
    As for the products, for some reason Im not allowed to access that website?

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  7. Hi,
    I am super interested in switching from conventional dyes to henna and your post has been really helpful...LOVE the color. I ordered the light brown from MM and was really excited to get started, but now I'm a little apprehensive. It seems you switched over a while ago, just curious about your experience now. Are you still using the henna/ loving it? Also, do you still have highlights or is it more of a flat color. Do you get a root line as its growing out or does it fade out gradually as the MM website suggests. I've gotten so much conflicting info from different sites. It seems like you can't go back to conventional dyes after using henna until it has completely grown out (although I'm hoping I'll never want to go back) so I just want to be really informed before I dive in.
    Thanks so much!

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    1. Sorry for the delay. I took a break from blogging. Yes, I still use MM and still love it so much! I don't see myself ever going back. I do mix henna colors so I have different colors (plus golden highlights for the grey coverage) It just fades gradually, no root lines. Give it a try and let me know!

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  8. Question about henna hair dying. I'm strongly considering doing this next month.. How permanent is this? Does it fade after a few months? I've heard that you can't dye it afterwards, but that you can't remove it either. So after you use henna do you just have to only use henna until your whole head of hair grows out again? I'm a little worried about how much of a commitment that is haha.

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  9. I know this post is very old, however I am wondering if you kept up with using henna for coloring your hair? I have long hair, almost as long as yours and it is a very light reddish brown. I would love to use henna to start coloring my own hair but am super scared because once I start this process, I can never go back to chemical colors ever again. I had one bad experience when I was very young with a boxed color turning my hair black, which looked aweful and thus started 4 years of bad hair until it all grew out. Do you have any current photos of your hair?

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  10. Se ve genial ..Cubre las canas ?

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