About Morrocco Method Henna

- WHAT IS HENNA (LAWSONIA INERMIS)? -

Henna, also known by its scientific name; Lawsonia inermis, is a plant. This plant is native to Northern Africa as well as Western and Southern Asia. We grow our Henna in New Delhi, India.

Before leaves are crushed, they do not stain the skin. In order to become a staining or dyeing agent they must be mixed with a liquid in order to release the dye from the leaves. Common mixing liquids are those such as Apple Cider Vinegar, Black Tea, and Lemon Juice. This mixture must sit for an allotted amount of time in order for the dye to completely release and become effective. Morrocco Method Henna is recommended to sit between 8 and 12 hours before use.

Henna on its own, is Red. In order to make Brown and Black shades, it must be mixed with Indigo. Indigo, or Indigofera, is also a plant. Each packet of Brown Morrocco Method Henna has a small pouch of Henna, and a small pouch of Indigo. The ratios of the two differ for each shade. For example, Light Brown has more Henna than Indigo, and Dark Brown has more Indigo than Henna.

 Henna Plant

- HOW DOES HENNA WORK? - 

 Henna Powder

Henna works by staining and sticking to hair and/or skin. It does not alter or chemically change the genetic makeup of the hair. Because of this, Henna will fade a bit quicker (8-12 weeks) than chemical dyes, however that also means it is much healthier and safer for your hair.

Because Henna sticks to hair instead of altering its genetic structure, you can only go DARKER with Henna, not lighter. For example, if you have Dark Brown hair and try to use Light Blonde Henna on top of it, you will not see any sort of difference. If you have Dark Brown hair with White strands however, it might lighten those white strands and impart natural type highlights.

The Black Shade works a bit differently, in that it is a two-step process. You start by applying the Henna on its own and then later applying the Indigo on its own. This will create a Black shade because of the fact that they stick to one another and stain what's underneath. This is different from the Brown in that after the Henna has sat for 8-12 hours, the Indigo is mixed into the Brown Henna before applying.

 - PICKING THE RIGHT SHADE OF HENNA -

We recommend choosing a shade that is the same color as your natural hair color, or a shade lighter when starting with Henna. (Unless you are trying to achieve a totally different shade than your current hair color)
 
If you choose a shade and it comes out lighter than desired, you can add another application to darken the tone, however if the initial shade comes out darker than intended you cannot go lighter.
 
You may experiment to achieve other shades in between our delegated shades, however the outcomes are not guaranteed.
 
Each henna product page shows our shades of Henna on actual hair, so that you can select a color. Please keep in mind that these shades will vary depending on your current hair color, amount and type of greys, as well as time you give the Henna dye to release during prep.
 
What if I don't want any red tones? Fortunately, there are ways to tone down the Red and cool the tones, however it is rare to COMPLETELY rid the Red tones as Henna itself is Red. Using a Red base before your Brown or Black, as stated earlier in this page, can help prevent Indigo from fading, making it more of a true Brown than Red. We also sell Amla Powder that when used in this dyeing process, can be an additional way to help Indigo stick. You can check out our Amla Powder here: Amla Powder.