Henna Powder For Applying Mehendi & Hair Colouring

Hello Friends, let us understand the importance and uses of one of the most extensively selling herbal products, Henna Powder. To begin with, the word Henna is an Arabic word, which is better known as Mehendi in the Indian subcontinent. It is basically a dye prepared from the plant called Lawsonia inermis, also known as the henna tree or the mignonette tree depending on the regions it is grown.

Henna or Mehendi can also be referred to as a temporary body art from the staining of the skin by applying dyes. This mehendi art especially drawn on hands and legs is a common ritual observed in Hindu festive occasions. The bridal henna art of Indian weddings is a memorable event.

Henna stains or mehendi shade reach their peak color in a day or two after application, hold on to the shade for a few days, and then gradually start to wear off by way of exfoliation. This process is naturally within one to three weeks of application. There are various substances that help to darken the Henna shade.

We are fortunate to have henna herb from Mother Nature which has several important characteristics. Henna powder or dye is a cheaper and safer option in comparison with chemical based hair colors available in the market. It gives you natural-looking hair color. You can also use different plant based ingredients along with henna to prepare different shades in black and brown.

The book titled “Henna for Hair” by Catherine Cartwright Jones published in the US, describes henna powder to be the best natural dye compared to several types of chemical formulations available for coloring. Also, it mentions the combinations of cassia and indigo along with henna to obtain different types of shades.

Friends, If you are planning for a new look for your hair, try using henna powder as a dye rather than synthetic chemical-based dye. Because apart from being natural, the henna powder is free of alkali, PPDs, harmful acidic elements and chemicals.

We have solved your efforts to find the best organic henna powder for your hair. I have carried out detailed research on every leading seller of this ancient herb both online and offline and compiled a list of 10 best henna powder manufacturers considering all important aspects in selection. Check out the further section for details of these premier players producing the pure and organic mehendi powder.

Naturenna Natural Henna Powder is an excellent product for dyeing your hair. The Henna powder is found to have a good cooling effect on the hair scalp. It has antimicrobial properties, which helps to maintain scalp health, improves your hair texture and also nourishes your hair. It helps to balance the ph levels and seal the hair cuticle which results in improving the hair elasticity. I have rated this product as the best henna powder brand in India since it comes from the company that is based in Sojat, Rajathan – a popular place for henna manufacturers as well as it has positive customer ratings from all the users on the internet.

Key Features:

• It is 100% organic henna leaves powder. It helps fight off scalp conditions like dandruff
• It is an excellent hair conditioner. Safe to use for all.
• Free from chemical additives and PPD.
• It enhances hair growth and reduces hair fall
• It provides a rich reddish dye tone to hair and also balances oil production and ph levels
• It has no additives, PPD or metallic salts
• Can be applied as mehendi on hands and feet

Godrej Nupur Henna (Mehendi) is a popular brand choice among consumers in India. Its henna powder is extremely good for hair care needs as wells as for applying Mehendi on hands and feet. Godrej Nupur provides us with the purest quality Rajasthani Henna that’s recognized globally for its superior coloring, hair care and conditioning capabilities. The henna powder is a 100% pure product. Godrej Nupur is an established brand as of date for the beauty and hair care segment in the Indian market.

Key Features:

• It is 100% pure and natural
• Helps to make hair soft and silky
• It helps to maintain scalp health and treat dandruff
• It has hair conditioning and nourishing property

NatureBay Naturals have their Henna fields in the Sojat region of Rajasthan, India. Their henna powder is prepared by processing the leaves of fresh henna crops. It is pure cloth filtered henna powder. It gives natural henna color, which is reddish-brown. This powder is suitable for hair, hands, and feet for both men and women. As per my analysis, this is a 100% pure and natural product and free of any harmful chemicals or preservatives. This henna powder pack is cheaper and economically affordable, one of the highest selling products on Amazon with exceptional product reviews.

Key Features:

• It is 100% natural henna (mehandi) powder
• It is cloth filtered and free of synthetic chemicals
• It does not consist of binders or additives
• It can be used on hair, hands and feet

Carmel Organics located in Neemuch, Madhya Pradesh is another trusted source for purchasing your henna powder pack. The company processes fresh henna leaves and delivers the latest batch to your doorstep. Carmel Organics Henna Powder is totally natural as well as certified for all its processing techniques.

Key Features:

• It is certified organic, non-GMO & kosher tested
• It is a gluten-Free and vegan product
• It is a natural conditioner of hair
• It is free of chemicals or added preservatives
• It strengthens the hair and helps to reduce dandruff

Kerala Ayurveda is an experienced player in the production of henna powder. It has wide expertise of over 70 years and is an ayurvedic authentic full spectrum-listed company. The various products offered by this brand are widely used in clinics, hospitals, wellness resorts and parlors. Henna Leaves are also known as Madayantika in Ayurveda. The dried leaves of the henna herb are first compressed and then processed into a fine powder.

Key Features:

• It is an organic ayurvedic powder for hair care
• 100% pure and natural
• It helps to balance the pitta dosha of the body
• It provides excellent hair nourishment
• No chemicals or added preservatives traced

H&C Herbal Ingredients Expert Henna Powder is a favourite brand of almost every natural hair care enthusiast. Along with the hair coloring function, it is beneficial for hair health as well. It is advantageous for hair conditioning, treating hair damage and balancing the pH levels. It is a perfect brand to get the finest quality of pure and natural herbal powder for your overall hair needs.

Key Features:

• It is 100% natural and organic henna powder
• It is prepared from freshly cultivated henna Leaves
• It is free from any chemicals or PPD
• Suitable for all types of hair
• Powder particles are very fine and can easily be mixed with other ingredients

Indus Valley Herbal Henna Powder is excellent for your scalp care and hair strength. Friends, this comes from the product reviews from across the wide customer base of users. It is 100% natural henna powder along with several natural herbs with tremendous hair benefits. This product is successful for making the hair shiny and soft. It acts as an excellent conditioner apart from natural colorant. It heals the hair shafts and combats the hair breakage by repairing. This herbal henna powder is free from ammonia and loaded with amla and shikakai contents.

Key Features:

• It is 100% organic & natural henna powder 
• It does not contain any chemicals
• It provides strength and richness to your Hair
• It is hypo-allergenic in nature without any pesticides or synthetic chemicals
• It consists of fenugreek, amla, shikakai, reetha and other essential herbs
• This powder is certified by many global certifications like USDA Organic, Ecocert, India Organic and Halal, etc.

Khadi Omorose Mehendi Henna Leaves Powder is an excellent herbal hair conditioner and natural colorant. It nourishes the hair and makes it shiny, soft and silky. It prevents flakes, prevents premature hair loss and protects from pollution.

Key Features:

• 100% natural henna leaves powder
• It is free of harmful chemicals
• It can be easily mixed with water to form a paste
• Suitable for hair dyeing and for making hand designs

Kama Ayurveda from Rajasthan provides 100% pure and organic henna powder. The henna is prepared from organic leaves and processed in the traditional method by not tampering with its initial herbal properties. Its organic powder is certified by the Ecocert India Pvt. Ltd. This product comes in the luxury beauty segment, which is expensive but worth every penny spend. If you are looking for an organic version of pure henna powder, then do give this brand a try.

Key Features:

• It is safe for all types of hair and skin
• It is 100% pure and organic powder
• It imparts rich color, texture and shine
• It prevents hair damage from pollution
• Suitable for both men and women

Few Cons:

• Packing Size is limited up to 100 gms only
• It is slightly expensive compared to other product brands

Last but not the least, Himalaya’s Henna powder is a unique blend of 9 ayurvedic herbs processed along with the purest quality of Rajasthani henna leaves to give you intense hair conditioning and rich colour shade. It comprises essential herbs which results in providing darker shade, lustrous, soft and shiny hair. It consists of bhringraj, amla, curry leaves, methi, shikakai, bahera, harad, neem and green tea as minor ingredients.

Key Features:

• It is 100% pure and natural
• It has several herbs which provide exceptional hair benefits
• It provides a long-lasting colour
• It balances ph value and reduces excessive oil formation
• It is free from PPD, ammonia and other harmful synthetic chemicals

These were the 10 best henna powder brands in India which I handpicked for you based on my research and findings. Do give them a try and am sure you will be happy with the quality of these brands.

Let us now focus on different benefits which many of you are unaware of – the natural ayurvedic henna for its essential properties.

• Henna is known to improve your scalp’s health for its cooling and antimicrobial properties
• Henna is said to be a natural conditioner for your hair
• It fixes the hair fall issues and also strengthens the hair
• It helps to balance the pH value of the scalp
• Henna is helpful to reduce the flakes and dandruff
• It is helpful to boost your hair growth
• Henna powder gives a different shade effect in accordance with your original hair color and hence is popularly used as a natural hair dye option. The colour can be brownish, pale brown, blackish, reddish-brown or even a tinge of orange at times.

Let’s understand a few simple methods to use natural henna powder.

Henna for Hair Coloring

You can prepare the henna paste at home with few basic ingredients which are easily available.

1. Take 2 cups of natural henna powder in a bowl
2. Strain the powder with a sieve so that it has no lumps
3. Add 3-4 tbsp of black tea to the mixture
4. Add 2-3 tbsp of coffee powder to the mixture
5. Now add a cup of curd if required for nourishment
6. Add a cup of almond/ olive/ sunflower oil to it
7. Mix the mixture well and prepare a thick paste without lumps and leave it overnight
8. Apply it to your hair the next day and let it set for two hours
9. Wash it off with lukewarm water
10. Dry your hair naturally and if your hair feels a bit rough or dry, then apply some hair oil to your hair.
11. Wash your hair with a mild shampoo and conditioner after two days for best results.

Many Muslim men use henna powder as a dye for hair and most particularly their long beards. This is considered as Sunnah, an admirable tradition of the Prophet Muhammad. Also, a hadith (narration of the Prophet) says that he encouraged the Muslim women to dye their finger nails with henna to reveal femininity and differentiate their hands from those of men. Thus, some Muslim women in the Middle East region apply henna or Mehendi paste to their finger and toenails.

Henna for Hair Conditioning

Mix the pure henna powder with fresh curd or water to prepare a thick paste and apply it all over the head by wearing hand gloves. Let the mixture dry naturally for an hour. Rinse the mixture off your hair with warm water. You might have to wash your hair again to get rid of all the henna contents from your hair. Apply coconut oil to your hair post-wash for enhanced gloss and shine.

Other applications of henna powder are as follows:

1. Henna and Banana Hair Pack – Henna powder and banana hair pack are beneficial to make your hair look glossy and more manageable. It also improves hair elasticity and keeps it conditioned for a longer period.

2. Henna and Amla Hair Pack – This combination is a protein-rich nourishing hair pack that prevents hair fall and promotes hair growth. The fenugreek powder is a rich source of protein that boosts hair growth while the henna and amla powder curb hair loss.

3. Henna for Hair & Eye-brow – Henna powder is an excellent ayurvedic and herbal conditioner and colorant. It nourishes the hair making it shiny, soft and silky. Henna basically repairs and seals the cuticle, which is useful in healing the hair shaft; this, in turn, prevents the hair fall. Henna powder or mehendi is well known to balance the pH of the scalp, thus, preventing premature hair loss, graying and flakes. It also prevents the dryness of scalp skin due to too much machine drying, dyeing etc. Henna also has anti-fungal properties. Apart from its wide use as a hair dye, henna powder is nowadays used as a rich and healthy substitute to eyebrow pencil or even as eyebrow embroidery. Since Henna powders are organic and free of any harmful chemicals or preservatives, it is highly preferred in the wellness and beauty industry.

Henna for Body Art

Friends, before getting into details ahead, you must know that henna as a whole or raw unbroken form does not stain on the skin. For body art or mehendi stain, the henna leaves should be dried and crushed. Only then the lawsone molecules are released from the leaves and these are responsible to bind the paste with proteins to form stain on the outer layer of skin.

The henna powder which is dried, milled and sieved is mixed with liquids like water, lemon juice, strong tea depending on different traditions and requirements. Many times sugar is also added to darken the shade of henna stain. Professionals use different essential oils like cajuput and lavender in the henna paste.

The henna paste can be applied on the body with several traditional and innovative tools, starting with a basic stick, twig or even syringe. A plastic cone which is similar to the pipe icing cokes for cakes decoration is widely used in the Indian subcontinent. In the western world, cones are very common.

A light henna stain will be observed within minutes of application, but the longer the paste is left on the skin, the darker and longer lasting the stain will be. To prevent the applied Henna paste from drying or falling off the skin, the paste should be coated by a thin layer of sugar or lemon juice mix over the dried paste or directly adding powdered form of sugar to the paste itself.

Once the applied paste is dried, it can simply be brushed or scraped away. The paste should be kept on the skin for about four to six hours generally. However, for ceremonies or requirements of darker shades, henna paste could be left overnight as well. The dried powder removal and skin cleaning post application should not be done with water, as it interferes with the oxidation process of stain development.

When thinking of henna shades, you must know the initial henna stains are orange in colour when the paste is dried and removed, but the colour darken in 2-3 days to a deep reddish brown shade due to the oxidation process. Soles and palms have the thickest layer of skin and so they arrest most henna, and take it to great depth of skin, so your hands and feet will have the darkest and most long-lasting henna stains.

Some people have found that steaming or warming the henna pattern will darken the stain. However scientifically it is not proven or approved for all types of skin. Once the stain reaches its peak color (2-3 days), it stays for a few days and later gradually starts to wear off by way of exfoliation, typically within one to three weeks depending on various factors.

Process:

• Mix the henna powder with warm water
• You can add lemon juice, sugar syrup or essential oils depending on your requirement
• Prepare a thick paste and pour into pre-rolled or simple cones for easy use
• Light staining or orange shade is achieved within 20-30 minutes of henna application

1. Natural Henna

Natural Henna is pure and organically produced by processing the lawsonia leaves. Natural henna powder generates a rich reddish brown stain which darkens after a few days of application. It is referred to as “red henna” to differentiate it from other dyeing products in the market, which does not contain original henna, but are rather prepared from other plants or chemicals.

Benefits of Red Henna:

• It promotes hair growth, reduces hair fall
• It reduces dandruff and flakes on scalp
• It boosts blood circulation

2. Neutral Henna

Neutral Henna is different from original henna powder; it does not change the color of hair after application. It is the powder of the plant Senna italica or Cassia species. Neutral Henna is found to have good hair nourishing properties and helps to reduce dryness of scalp and thus used in production of many cosmetic products for hair care.

Benefits of Neutral Henna:

• It helps to make hair shiny and strong
• It improves the texture of damaged hair
• It nourishes the scalp region

3. Black Henna

Black Henna powder comes from indigo (Plant source: Indigofera tinctoria). It tends to contain dyes and chemicals like para-phenylenediamine (PPD) which is well known for quick staining of skin in black shade. It may also cause severe allergic reactions and permanent scarring if left on the surface for more than 48 hours. The FDA in the US has banned Black Henna for direct skin applications.

Dried indigo leaves that are partly fermented are considered as black henna. These powder results in blackish and darker shade for hair, and thus used for hair dyeing purposes.

Benefits of Black Henna:

• Henna mixed with Indigo can dye hair to dark brown and black shades
• It protects the hair from harmful UV sun rays

Please Note: The above-recommended products are Natural Henna variant only and free of any harmful chemicals or PPDs

1.  Where is henna grown? 

Henna is the dried powder of the plant Lawsonia inermis, a small bush grown in hot climate countries like India, Egypt, Sudan etc. The powder or dye produced from the Henna leaves is useful for hair conditioning and hair colouring.

2.  How long does the henna colour last on hair? 

It basically depends on factors like growth pattern, the number of hair washes, nature of work, mixing elements, etc. If general instructions are followed, around 2-3 weeks is the average duration of henna colour hair.

3. How to store henna?

Natural henna is a perishable product and thus it must be stored properly to retain the properties. Henna leaf powder can be stored in a cool and dry place for 3-5 years. Whereas the henna paste must be stored in the refrigerator only. As per some experts, the henna paste can be stored in the freezer for about 4 weeks without any change in usage results.

4. How much essential oil is permissible in henna?

Essential oils help to make the henna stains significantly darker, but only the right oils will help your henna paste get darker. Essential oils basically need monoterpene alcohols to obtain the darker henna stains. These terpenes are nothing other than hydrocarbon solvents and that release more dye in henna. 

Some important essential oils that can be used in henna are tea tree, lavender, cajeput, ravensara and geranium. Generally you require about a few drops of any essential oil for 100 grams of henna powder. Essential oils can be the most expensive part of your henna paste preparation, so using the least amount of oil, you will save more money. They are also a very powerful ingredient in your henna paste which has a tendency to cause a reaction if used in excess. So for having the mildest possible henna mix, always use the minimum amount of essential oils in the recipe.

5. Why are essential oils used in henna paste?

Essential oils add scent to your henna paste and also help to make the paste fine and silky. They act as preservatives of henna paste for a longer duration. Studies have found that the henna paste prepared with adequate essential oil lasts about four times longer than normal Henna paste with only water.

Have more questions? You may find your answers in this wikipedia article on henna.