Taking the colour plunge can be confusing and terrifying. There are way too many options to pick from, too many instructions to follow, and what if everything fails and you’re stuck with your crowning mess for God knows how long?! Add to this the fear of damage due to the chemicals, and you’ll be left a hair dye virgin for an eternity. So how do you get a beautiful, vibrant colour job without the harmful ingredients? The answer lies in using a combination of henna and indigo.
Contrary to popular perception, henna doesn’t have to result in flaming orange hair. When blended with other ingredients, it can deliver a rich red-burgundy hue. Natural wellness expert Suparna Trikha suggests an easy recipe that you can try at home. Burn two teaspoons of amla powder in an iron vessel, let it cool and blend it with half a teaspoon of walnut bark powder (akhrot ki chaal), one teaspoon coffee powder, 200gm henna powder and strained black tea. Soak it overnight, apply it on your hair and rinse it off after two to three hours. For best results, oil and shampoo your hair the next day.
If you have greys, apply this henna-blend every week for the first month and then once every fortnight. If you’re looking for a darker payoff, turn to the other natural dye, indigo: when mixed with henna, it gives a dark blue-black colour. But Trikha warns, “Indigo may cause unwanted reactions like increased blood pressure, headaches and giddiness. It’s best to do a patch test first. And get it done professionally.”
As with a regular colour job, hair treated with organic colour needs special care too. “Apply bhringraj oil to naturally darken your hair,” suggests Trikha. Or make your own oil blend with 50gm of brahmi powder, amla powder burnt dry in a blackened iron vessel, and 200ml of coconut oil. Simmer this concoction on a slow fire for half an hour, let it stand overnight, then strain and store it in an airtight bottle. Treat yourself to this homemade hair oil twice a week.
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