Light Mountain Henna Hair Color & Conditioner – Red Hair Dye, Organic Henna Leaf Powder and Botanicals, Chemical-Free, Semi-Permanent Hair Color + 4 Hair ClipsUSDA Organic

This is the best henna I’ve used. I mixed the henna with water and some apple cider vinegar and mixed to a paste in a plastic bowl (no metal anything with henna). It was drier than a pudding consistency. I covered it and left it in the dark pantry from about 11pm on a Saturday night until about 11am Sunday.I uncovered it and added some hot / boiling tension tamer tea (it has camomile in it and I didn’t have pure camomile) until it was a pudding consistency. I waited about 20 min then mixed it together one last time then started to apply it.I used a hair dye brush and started at roots and lifted up the hair as I went along, then when root area was done all over head (crown sides etc) I ran it down the lengths section by section until it was heavily coated. I piled it up on the top of my head and covered with the plastic bag they provided then on top of that I put a disposable clear shower cap over it all.I left it for four hours, and heated it with the blow dryer on low for a few minutes, maybe four times in that four hours.I then rinsed it very well, then I added a bunch of conditioner to my hair and rubbed it through to loosen any henna left behind. Then rinse that thoroughly.Oh I used gloves for the application and the rinsing out. It stains so very easily.It looks so so red. I started out medium auburn, with some lightening down the length. It’s now very red with lots of pigmentation, it’s darker at my roots a bit since my roots were darker to begin with. But it’s lovely. I froze the left overs (enough for a root touch up). My hair is past bra strap length and had enough for my whole head and the leftover for a roots only use.I just did it last night and don’t plan to wash up until tomorrow night which will be about 48 hours.I’m very happy with this. I’ll use it for good.

I started using Henna 10 years ago because I have natural Auburn hair. I wanted to use a product that would cover my grey without changing the color of the rest of my hair. I didn't have much grey then, and if I used dye, whatever it touched would change. Red hair is challenging to get back if messed up. Henna allows using it on select pieces of hair without worrying about damage or changing the rest of your hair color. Also, henna doesn't lighten your hair. That is important to know. If you are going to use it on a dark hair color, and trying to go light it won't work. It doesn't lift your current color only enhances it. Or in my case blend my grey in with the rest of my hair. If you haven't used it before, be prepared. It is difficult to use at first until you get a routine going, but stick with it, henna is worth the hassle. There are many youtube channels dedicated to the application of it, look that up until you can figure out your own way. I buy hair dye brush applicators to help. It's natural, not chemical-based. You must be careful and read the ingredients to make sure no salts or other additives are included. That is one reason I love the Light Mountain brand, it's natural. My hair is soft and my curls are bouncy afterward, it doesn't strip my hair like other brands. I used to only use the fox box which is red. Sadly, my hair has gone more white in recent years as I am 50, so now I have blended the red with spicy cinnamon. If I don't blend, my hair comes out very electric on the white pieces because those white pieces grab color so well. I also add actual cinnamon to my mix. Light Mountain has a range of colors from light to dark, so much to choose from. Do not use it on hair that is continuously swimming in chlorine! It will turn green. I use a swim cap, I don't care how ridiculous it looks, it's worth not ruining my hair. I will use henna every 4 weeks as it fades away gradually. One box from this company will cover my scalp and my greys and white (shoulder-length) hair twice. I mix it up and what I don't use, I put in the freezer for the next application or if I feel I missed some.Love, Love, Love this company's product.

I remember having a very specific color in mind and having tried a ton of natural hair lightening techniques to get my hair to be nice cherry brown in the sunlight or as I called it "Elena hair" from the character portrayed by Nina Dobrev on The Vampire Diaries, if you ever saw that show and saw her hair in different lighting you'll know what I mean by cherry brown, it's a gorgeous color. Anyway, I tried cinnamon masks and honey masks and although I noticed some change in color it wasn't significant enough or happening fast enough where I felt satisfied so I decided to try something a little more permanent and fast acting but still safe for my curls. I started researching different kinds of henna brands and Light Mountain was one of the first I came across. I liked it because the steps were simple and it had a color chart for each color in the brand and it's estimated effect on each hair color and to me Red seemed like the best option. It arrived quickly and was simple to use, I did a strand test on 3 separate strands to wash out at each hour mark, so one was left in for 1 hr, then another for 2 hrs and the last one for 3 hrs, but I seemed to have achieved the desired color in as little as one hour. When I was ready to do a full application I didn't use any metal and I only made enough for the hair below my ears essentially. My hair is about boob length and I believe I only used 3 tablespoons, I eyeballed the amount of water I needed to make a paste and I added a table spoon of apple cider vinegar. My friend helped me apply it and the excess amount I mixed with conditioner and applied to my bangs and the crown of my head to create a very subtle color change because I wanted an ombre effect, I left that in for about an hour. The first picture is the before and after from my first application on March 15 in bathroom light. A week after the first application I did it again myself and I haven't done it since. The 2nd and 3rd pictures are from the second application taken in my bedroom with natural and the final picture is from today May 8th in natural light. For the most part my hair is still essentially dark brown and only truly looks red in direct sunlight or just a very bright room like bedroom with southern exposure but I didn't want to be a flaming redhead nor did I expect that. I just wanted a really nice natural looking reddish brown that was particularly vibrant in the sunlight and it is. I was at the park with my roommate the other day and she was stunned at how beautiful the color was and I did the application almost two months ago. I'm very happy with it, the color hasn't faded but I still have some henna left that I stored in the freezer so I plan on using it again in June. I can't wait!