Hi Sabrina, just to let you know I did my first henna treatment a few weeks ago, amazing results. unfortunately in the excitement I forgot to take a 'before' photo, but I had let my hair grow naturally for 8 weeks, and had masses of grey hair. The photos show my hair after shampoing and drying. It was very red on the fisrt day but toned down after a couple of days.

Today I got really brave and did another treatment followed by 10 minutes indigo treatment (with egg). Exactly what I used to pay £70 for at the hairdresser with a headfull of chemicals! I am really pleased with the results, it is perfect, a much softer tone, very warm chestnut brown with an amazing feel..

Can't thank you enough for the leaflet, which gives thorough step by step instructions.

I am converted!

Many thanks again,

Michèle

MICHELE 1 AFTER HENNA	MICHELE 2 AFTER HENNA

Dear Sabrina,

I went for the crunch and the results are quite amazing.

I was convinced to try because after using your Moroccan Grey Rhassoul on my hair, my hair was a different animal.

I have to order some more of the rhassoul. In fact my boyfriend said he will place the order just so he can run his fingers through my hair after using it!

My boyfriend laughed when he saw me wondering around with what he thought was glorified mud.

I was anxious the rhassoul would dry out my already dry hair, especially since the instructions advised I use the mud as a shampoo and don't condition post-mud-mask.

However my hair felt so soft and was so shiny, smooth post-mask and the mud seemed to have somehow lifted off all chemical residue as the hair gained a different texture. I have tried many shampoos, conditioners, masks - inorganic and in the last 1 year only organic, including homemade potions of honey, beer, herbs but I have NEVER encountered such a wonderful and beautifying hair mask/conditioner/shampoo as the gray Rhassoul. It is the simply the best

I did use nearly all the packet so will have to order 3 next time!

Since my hair appeared to be chemical-coating free post-rhassoul, I tempted fate and decided to go for the henna and indigo.

I placed the henna- which I mixed up with some rose oil to improve the scent- on for about 3h45 minutes. This was very tiring as my head felt heavy and I did feel grumpy with the turban on and a load of gunk on my head but I decided that since my hair was partially bleached, I really wanted to make sure I got good and intense coverage.

I washed out the henna and the colour. It was a very bright red, I did not take any photos as I was very shocked! I quickly mixed up the indigo adding an egg for extra conditioning plus plenty of ACV and placed it on my wet hair.

I left it on for about 17 minutes. When I washed it out I saw that my hair was still quite red and not dark brown as I had wanted. The dark parts of my hair looked wine-coloured and the bleached parts looked dark ginger.

I mixed up more indigo using up nearly the whole packet and praying to get it right! I left the indigo on for almost 20 minutes with trepidation in my heart.The indigo seems to develop so rapidly compared to the henna so I realised that I was walking a colour tightrope as to guessing when I should wash it out as from minute to minute to colour shifts.

I washed all the indigo out and conditioned intensely as my hair seemed very tangled and dry. By this point it was close to 12 at night as the process had taken a long time! I oiled up my hair using rosemary oil at the roots and jojoba oil on the lengths.

The next day I washed all the oil out and faced with shock, I have to say, my new hair color.

The photos do not fully do justice to how dark the hair is, perhaps the fringe photos, but the other photos were taken with flash so you can notice the lovely red undertones which seem to be prominent where my hair was highlighted.

I have been complemented on how rich and deep the color is and also how completely natural. My boyfriend loves it so is not only going to buy me more rhassoul but also more henna and indigo so that my colour will 'stick'.

I am very happy with the results and find the colour quite stunning, it seems more blue in dark light and reddish in bright lights and the overall hair, as you can see, has quite a glow to it.

My only annoyance was that despite washing both vegetable dyes out very well for a long long time, deep conditioning and oiling I did feel my hair was very tangled and I lost quite a bit combing it out once it was dry.

Since I am trying to grow my hair down to my hips any hairloss is painful to me and I generally am very careful about always plaiting my hair and taking care of it so that it sheds the least possible amount. This is time-consuming but generally worth it as my hair does tangle easily due to the waves but with good care I dont lose much hair.

I also only ever use a wide-toothed comb with large round teeth and try to treat my hair like lace. I will be oiling my hair up plenty with home-made oil infused with rosemary, thyme, rosebuds and nettles in the hope of avoiding any more hair loss.

Maybe you have some tips to avoid this next time? As this is the only thing that would put me off hennaing and indigoing again.

Apart from that I have gone from having half bleached hair with half natural hair in weird tortoise-shell-like splotches to an overall very pleasant and rich deep dark chocolate colour. The hair- despite hair loss- feels very strong almost like doll hair.

Thank you Sabrina for all your help, feel free to post my photos and comments on the net.

I hope my boyfriend will place an order for me very soon!

Kind wishes,

Kate

Hi Sabrina

Sorry it's taken me so long to e-mail you - after all your help getting henna to me and instructions on how to use it :)

I mixed the henna as per your instructions but I did add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.  I left it for a couple of hours in my proving oven (because I had to go out) and then used it.  It took me about an hour to put on as I did it myself then left it two hours before washing off.

I found the whole process easier than I expected and I found the smell pleasant - not what I was expecting at all.

The colour was pretty bright to start off with but mellowed quite a bit after a few days.  My white streak was more orange but now it blends in fine.  I'm very pleased with it and don't need to use the indigo (unless I mix some in in future to get a different colour).

My roots don't show and neither does my grey!  The colour is brighter on my previously dyed hair but looks fine too. 

I've attached a couple of photos so you can see the results.  Please feel free to publish any of my e-mails/photos on your website.  No need to change names or anything.

I'm going to try out the cassia later so will let you know how I get along next time I e-mail.

Thanks for all your help..  Jo

Hi Sabrina

Its absolutely fine if you use my name and the pictures, if its helps other people that are allergic to ppd then im more than willing because it took me 2years to find your products and i was so happy when i did it has made life so much easier!

Steph

Received 26.3.08

Hi Sabrina....
No grey hairs im only 20 so hopefully not anytime soon!! i was really sceptical about the henna as im VERY allergic to PPD so just put the indigo straight on...i mixed it with an egg yolk and some sugar first and left it on for an hour...it takes 2 or 3 days but it gradually gets darker. These phots are just to show my hair before and after. the second one id been to the hairdresser for a style so it looks quite lovely and shinier than usual but u can see the colour difference quite clearly..

The colour is quite permanent now tho i just keep redoing it every few months as it fades a bit but it is still black...

26.3.08

Hi Stephanie 

I take it you have no greys ? (!)... please see the black hair colour gallery photos on site and scroll down to the bottom. Grey hair turns bluish/green with indigo alone. If you do have any greys, and if this hasn't happened to you, it's amazing ! Please tell me more. And even on straight black hair, indigo doesn't work as well as with henna....please tell me more Stephanie, I'm absolutely intrigued !

Yes, the henna I'm sending you is absolutely PPD free - all my products are PPD/ and additive free... just 100% pure crushed plant leaves and nothing else.

I'm attaching an information sheet for your perusal.

Do tell me more about how you've been using indigo when you can.

All best wishes

Sabrina

Received 26.3.08

Hi there just wondering why i cannot use indigo on its own? 
I have done this before and it hasnt seem to have damaged my hair at all. 
Is all the henna including the yemendi still PPD free?

Thank you so much-am ok >the henna is superb quality,easy to apply,doesn t roll off and much easier to wash off too. I am so pleased with the colour too-my hairdresser and I felt like 2 witches cooking up trouble but the colour and tone s are far superior to any I have used before.

Thank you Libby

Dear Sabrina

I used your henna and indigo products for the first time last November and am really happy with the results.

For 10 years or so, I have been using commercial dyes to colour my hair. My natural colour is dark brown and I have gone black, reddish, purplish, and even had highlights. I started to find that once the intensity of the colour had worn off, my hair looked dull and uninteresting - prompting me to do something else to it.

Around a year ago, a hairdresser warned me that I was damaging my hair, so I stopped colouring altogether. Over the summer, my hair got a horrible yellow-greenish tinge to it, which I dealt with by using natural colour-depositing products from Aveda.

My mother used to use henna, and I thought I'd give it a try, for a more permanent solution to my strange coloured hair. The first time I used your products, the result was almost black (I did separate henna and indigo applications). The second time, I applied the henna and indigo together and left it for less time, and got a rich dark brown colour. I will try to send some photos.

I hope now to never use a commercial colour again, and am encouraging my mother to go back to henna!
Thanks for a great natural product,

Marie-Claire

Received 17.1.08

 Hi Sabrina

 I know this is not the best picture, but it shows the colour of my hair. I will send you a "before" picture shortly, so you will see the difference.

 (Even if these photos aren't good for the gallery, just wanted to show you)

 Thanks

MC

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Dancing with Michael Jackson !

Received 17.1.08

Hi Sabrina

Again this is not a "proper" photo, but you can see my hair colour is washed out, my hair is not very shiny and there is a weird tinge where the light hits it...

Thanks

Enlarge Image

HAIR BEFORE HENNA / INDIGO

Received 18.108

Dear Sabrina

I was thinking about my whole henna/indigo experience, and whilst I now feel "converted" to henna/indigo and am really pleased with the improved colour and condition of my hair, the only difficulty with it was the time required for colour development, and the potential for mess, when compared with commercial colours. My mother said that this was the reason for her switching to commercial colours, even though she loved the conditioning effects of henna.

I was thinking that a henna/indigo salon could be a nice idea - where customers could have their henna/indigo applied, without risking mess at home, and whilst the colour is developing, have the option of other natural treatments such as massages - so that the time disadvantage of the product is turned into an advantage.

I currently work in business consulting and am interested in being involved in small businesses - if you would like to discuss the idea further together, do let me know. I imagine you get bothered quite frequently by people with their random ideas, but I thought I would mention mine anyway!

All the best,

Marie-Claire

MC 

18.1.08

Hi Marie-Claire 

I've often toyed with the idea of a henna / indigo salon but the 2 major  problems are  funding / finance plus the fact that the end colour is unpredictable compared with conventional bottled hair dyes ! It's very hard I think to convert people to the sensibility of it all without being able to come up with a 201 shade colour chart and inviting them to pick a colour ! Also, the fact that henna indigo only darkens and deepens colour and does not lighten... that's another issue that I think gets in the way of its overall appeal to all hair colours ! I'm working on other colours for lighter colour hair - eg rhubarb root, and also acacia catechu. But I think it all needs a lot more time to really evolve in terms of overall public appeal, and colour solutions !

I'd be happy to supply to a salon that wanted to do henna / indigo, and I love the idea of setting one up... but just not sure it would work right now ! Maybe in future???
Happy to consider ideas anyway !

All best wishes, and have a nice weekend
Sabrina.

Received 18.1.08

 Hi Sabrina

Thanks for your reply, will be interested to see your products for lighter hair!

Will let you know if I know of anyone with a natural-oriented salon interested in using henna products.

All the best with increasing the public appeal of natural hair colours, I really do think you will succeed! I think that with the growth of interest in organic foods, taking care of the environment, etc. people will begin to turn against putting chemicals on their heads!

Have a nice weekend too,

Kind regards

Marie-Claire

Hi Sabrina!

SUCCESS! Finally coloured my hair with henna and indigo last Wednesday! Very pleased with the result, and will be confident to ‘experiment’.

Thanks for all your support.

All the best – be the best!

Solveiga

VISION FOR CHANGE
www.partnershipoffering.com
www.nikken.com

I bought some Henna and indigo off you a few weeks back and we have tried out 2 applications of it and so far so good.
 
Attached are 4 photos of a before and after nature, except that I forgot to take a 'before I started' photograph unfortunately - I was halfway through trying to stick the stuff to my wife's head before I remembered about it, sorry.
 
Some background info:
My wife is Thai, and she has that very jet black hair which is so characteristic of asians. She started going grey early and has been dying her hair using chemical products but we were worried about the possible side-effects - more so when I started finding out more about chemical dyes. So we decided to try a natural alternative, see what happened and if it didn't work then just let her hair go its natural colour. 
 
We waited six weeks after the last chemical dye, then twice used a Henna/indigo mix bought in a health shop but the results were dissappointing = so even if I had taken a 'before starting' photo it would have been much the same as the ones taken after the 1st application. I looked at a few internet sites selling natural dyes but decided on trying yours out first since the information you give is pretty comprehensive.
 
The problem with my wife's hair is that it is not just grey, but a startling white, there is virtually no natural colour left in probably more than 50% of it. So I knew we would have to apply it more than once before we'd start to get good results.
 
Application 1 was rather messy - I'm no hairdresser, so she had to endure me trying to plaster her head with this stuff but we got through it. The photos I took are a bit overexposed but you can see the chestnut colour that we were left with, the overexposure exaggerates it a bit, it wasn't really as obvious as that. Even though the colour was not great there was no white showing, the lighter hairs were not all that noticeable as the top had gone dark (probably got the application right on the top). Her hair felt lovely and had a really beautiful shine to it. The henna was left on for 3 hours and the indigo for 2.
 
Application 2 (four weeks later) was less messy - I'm getting better at it. The results were much better this time and I was really impressed, more because I think I managed to actually get at the hairs better and coat most of them properly - that must be the trick? Given that the hairs would be startling white otherwise I think the results are pretty good. The next one should be even better and with any luck will go completely black. This time we left the indigo on for 3 hours. The photos were taken the day after.
 
It's a bit of a palaver putting the stuff on, but really it's a small price to pay considering the only alternative is to put some pretty nasty chemicals on your head. Even if it never goes completely black we rather like the deep chestnut colour that it gives so even if that was the best colour we can get we'd be happy, but I suspect that it's my poor technique that means we're not getting a really dark colour rather than any shortcoming in the dyes. Do you have any suggestions?
 
You're welcome to use the photos on your website if you want but I'm not sure they illustrate the results well enough for that.
 
I'll be ordering some more off you sometime soon.
 
Best regards
 
Gary 

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18.10.07
 
Hi Gary
 
Thank you so much for the in depth report on your wife's henna/indigo applications, and well done for actually doing the applications yourself ! Photos are great, thanks ! Yes, I find it gets easier with time as you get more more used to repeating the applications. And I find that once you've got it all packed in neatly and wrapped up then it's easy to get on  with whatever you need to be getting on with and the hours fly ! But that's if you're a stay at home person, otherwise I guess it can be quite bothersome having to wait so long.
 
As to how to get the indigo deeper, it's difficult as results do tend to vary from person to person and it can depend a lot on the percentage of grey hair. Because the greys are taking on the shocking red orange from the henna, and because of the amount of grey hair, you may find that it's a lot harder to then tone the greys down to pitch black. You could try not covering the hair for the indigo ( but that's very awkward with a 2 - 3 hours application so try lightly covering instead and cut some holes in to the plastic wrap to allow more air to get in ), and also try adding a dash of cidar vinegar and  a tablespoon or 2 of salt to the mix before applying. Also make sure the hair is thoroughly rinsed after henna - you can lightly shampoo also after henna but no hair oil or conditioners to be used at that stage. This may make a difference.. I can't guarantee it I'm afraid but I'm sure it's worth trying. Good luck ! hope results get better and better and hopefully you'll find that the colour really starts to build up and last longer.  
 
Thank you again for taking the trouble to write in detail.
 
Kindest regards
 
Sabrina

Received 18.10.07
 
Hi Sabrina
 
Thanks for getting back to me, very nice to hear from you. Glad you were happy with the report and photos!
 
I read your suggestions with keen interest, we had covered the indigo with a couple of layers of clingfilm to try and stop leaks! I didn't realise you need to let the air get at it so we will definetely try and allow air in around it next time. I'll try the cider vinegar and salt too. One item I left out of my description, we used vaseline around the hairline which was excellent for keeping the stuff off her skin, and easily taken off as it doesn't soak in - my fingers however seem to absorb the henna too readily (even though I wear gloves), I now have the fingertips of a 100 a day smoker.....
 
No chance of leaving the head uncovered I think, my wife is hyperactive (washing dishes at midnight, that sort of thing) so it's difficult enough to get her sitting still long enough to apply the henna and indigo - I enjoy doing it for her incidentally, she's my darling and it's one of the few opportunities I get to do some pampering instead of always being pampered (which I am) - she enjoys it but I'm not sure if having mud applied to your head can actually be classed as such! I won't tell my friends however cos it doesn't fit with the butch image....hahaha....
 
One thing that occurred to me when reading your suggestion is you may have a product opportunity there. There are materials you can get which are permeable in one direction only - meaning water can get out but not in. If you were to fabricate some sort of disposable shower cap type thing of such a material in reverse you could sell it with the indigo - no water would get out but the air would get in. Not sure where the best place to start getting such a thing would be however......If it's an idea which makes you rich please give me a share......
 
 
Best regards
 
Gary

18.10.07
Hi Gary
 
You don't actually have to leave the hair uncovered to get the indigo to take, but the way it seems to work is that covering the hair once you have indigo in will bring out more red tones and leaving it open will avoid the red tones and lean more towards blue black.....there's some sort of chemistry going on there. A couple more suggestions that may be helpful - don't make your indigo too runny; if you can achieve a similar consistency to your henna paste you should be fine with that and it shouldn't drip too much. Add sugar if you need to,  just to thicken the paste out... as much as necessary to enable a comfortable application without the constant drips. And try some Vaseline on your fingers before you put the gloves on .. that might help as well. And immediately you take the gloves off , wash your hands a few times with warm water and soap and any stains should start to fade although not immediately.. repeated warm water and soap washes will speed up stain removal.
 
The hat idea is intriguing  - I'll keep that in mind ! I wasn't aware of that....interesting.
 
As for the butch thing, well the measure of a man is how he treats his wife, and a wise man once said that the best of men is he who is best to his wife ! So I reckon by doing good you're definitely on to a good thing !  May you reap abundant reward.
 
All best wishes
Sabrina 
 

Received 18.10.07

Hi Sabrina
 
That's very interesting and could possibly explain why the hairs underneath tend to be redder than the ones on top - I had thought it was because I had only managed to get enough paste on the top ones to dye them effectively cos some of the hairs really do go very dark. I think next time I will try to 'massage the hair' every so often to try and get air moving through it, or blow air through the wrap with a hair drier now and again, and see if that does the trick. I'll certainly put vaseline on my fingers next time.
 
Haha, I never heard that about how a man treats his wife! That's encouraging :o)
 
Here's a little doodle for you I did earlier while enjoying some lunch. 
 (it's another product idea!....sou'wester, mortar board and trowel!)

 

Best regards
 
Gary

Received 19.11.07

Hi Sabrina 

I've attached some photos again of my wife's hair, taken this morning, after application number 3 of Henna and Indigo last night. 

I tried your suggestions and am very happy to say that they worked. If you compare the photos to the last ones I sent you'll see her hair is very much darker than before - I had a quick look at the previous photos and they aren't very good, the reddish appearance is greatly exaggerated by the camera, it wasn't as obvious as that. Anyway, these pictures I have adjusted the colour until it is more like how the hair actually appears, the flash makes the red stand out more than it does actually. 

I made the paste thicker and added salt this time, damping the hair down with spray to help it stick, and really packed it on. I managed to fashion a sort of top-hat on clingfilm which we left completely open at the top to let the air get at it and then she sat still and watched telly for 3 hours. That really made it go very dark, although I think I had packed the top too much and perhaps it stopped air getting to some of it. Anyway, the results are fantastic, again the photos don't really reflect how good the result is this time but we're delighted with it, I'm sure you'll see the difference. 

We're just about to go to Thailand for a few weeks (on wednesday this week), she intends to get a friend to cut her hair quite short so it'll be easier to apply the stuff next time. 

Thanks for the suggestions, I'm sure next time will be even better, might even get it totally black you never know!

 Best regards
Gary

Dear Sabrina
I am writing to say how ecstatic I am with your product. I have gone a lovely (I think!) chocolate brown with red undertones colour which shines in the sun and feels great! I would never have believed that henna and indigo could do this, before the happy day when I discovered your website.  Today I am the happiest woman in Paris!!
 
I have naturally dark brown hair and started going grey around 30. I probably have about 20-30 per cent grey.  I hated using chemicals dyes particularly because they strip your natural colour out and when they fade you're left with this dull colour. not to mention the health risks and damage to hair.But nevertheless I used them because I didn't want to be too grey!
 
I'm so happy I'm trying to get everyone I think to try it! On that subject I was trying hard to sell the idea to a friend of mine who has a long curly mane she dyes red. How great would henna be on her!  She wanted to know if it is safe to use a chemical dye again after having used your henna/indigo?  I will never ask that question as I never intend to go back to using chemical dyes.
 
It may very well be that you don't wish to answer it, as you probably just don't condone ever using chemical dyes again,but I thought I would ask for her sake.
 
In the meantime I hope to drum up more business for you if I can. I love my new colour and healthy hair. Thanks a million.
regards
Jenny

5.9.07
 
Hi Jenny
 
Thanks so much for letting me know it was a success ! I hope it'll continue to live up to expectations on repeat applications. The real test is long term. I've had two people so far say that repeat applications give nowhere near as vibrant a colour effect as with the first application and that they've been disappointed with the subsequent applications ( sadly stopped using henna/indigo) although they were absolutely thrilled to bits with the first time application.( Interestingly, both ladies were from different European countries which makes me wonder sometimes if the weather has something to do with it as well). But let's proceed with caution ! Future feedback would be very welcome so we can put this to the test of time. Personally, I think it really is a matter of individual experience (and sunshine maybe). I find that repeat applications build up the depth of colour and that the colour starts to last longer. 
 
Anyway, I'm absolutely thrilled to know that this first application was an immense success and I'm so happy to be able to share your joy ! And thanks for recommending this product to Paris !
 
Regarding your friend's question, there is info. on that on the home page ( somewhere) but the short answer is yes, you can safely revert to any chemical hair dyes after using henna indigo. I will only qualify that by saying a) I recommend a wait of at least 2 weeks after henna/indigo and b) a wait of 10- 12 weeks if she's intending to perm or bleach her hair.     
 
Would you allow me to use our exchange of mails for my feedback page? I can change your name.... whatever you would be comfortable with.. let me know if that would be ok.
 
All the best, and thanks again for letting me know how you got on, I very much appreciate it.
 
Sabrina

 From Jenny, Paris

Received 10.9.07

Dear Sabrina
Sorry for my belated reply, but I can tell you that my henna is still going strong! I keep expecting it to fade quickly the way semi-permanents do (I wash my hair every day) but it doesn't. I think that it has got more auburn though, and I wonder if this is because the indigo fades slightly therefore letting the red henna through more. I'm happy anyway because I really like it when my hair is somewhere between dark brown and auburn... and I still think this product is made for me.

That is very interesting what you say that these two people found that repeated applications didn't give them the same vibrant colour.  And you don' t think it was simply that they were ' used'  to the colour by then, and therefore  the difference wasn't so great to them? In any case, I'll let you know! When I applied the henna indigo, I used filtered water (that is tap water that I'd put through my own water filter). As I couldn't wait to get started and it was four in the morning, I couldn't go and buy bottled water and thought what the hell I'll try the filtered.   I'll keep trying that for the next couple of times and see how I get on, so can be your ' Paris filtered-tap-water guineapig!  I agree that the test is long term! In my case, my hair was coloured anyway, and what I really want to see is how it will look on my real hair colour (dark brown with some grey). So I'll be eagerly scanning the top of my head on a regular basis over the coming months:))

Yes, you may certainly use any correspondence/paras or whatever you want from me on your website. You're very welcome. And yes " Jenny from Paris"  is fine!  These pics might give you some idea. I had coloured my hair fairly recently in the before pic though - so it didn't look as washed out as it often did after a few weeks of a semi-permanent, but anyway, the after pic shows that it went much more rich and darker brown with reddish lights.

I'll tell my friend that she can safely recolour over her hennaed hair assuming she would want to!I'll henna/indigo my own hair again in a couple of weeks so I'll certainly tell you how I get on!\
Cheers for now.
JENNY

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Before henna indigo	After henna indigo

Received 11.11.07
 
Dear Sabrina
 I sent in an order for henna / indigo this evening, as my next application (which I intend to do tonight!) will be the last of my current packets.  I am ordering in small amounts and more often, because the packages conveniently go through my letter box :) I have also ordered cassia this time, as it sounds like a wonderful product.

I just wanted to say that I have used henna/indigo twice I think since I last wrote. I find it a wonderful product.  I only find I need another application because of regrowth and grey hairs showing. The treated hair keeps its colour beautifully - and I wash my hair every day! - for weeks.  It is still the same shiny dark brown as it was the day I did it.  Its incredible. I never had a hair dye that was so long-lasting; the colour always changed to some disappointingly brassy colour. I find this incredible.  Just so lucky to have found your product.

I look forward to trying the cassia too.
Best wishes.
Jenny

18.11.07

Hi Jenny
 
I was just about to drop you a line to thank you for your feedback comments again - very much appreciated and thank you for taking the trouble. And I really am glad, and relieved, that's it's working so well for you. I think for the majority of people it does work well, but in a small number of cases, unfortunately, some people just don't get the long term results. And I think with any product assessment the key to whether it really works for you is the long haul ! If it stands up to the test of time, it's a success, thank God ! 
 
All best wishes
Sabrina

Hi Sabrina

I just thought I would let you know that I used the henna and cassia, then indigo in the 2- step formula over the weekend and it is fantastic.  I wanted a burgundy colour and the cassia really helps to achieve that.  I left the henna on for 3 1/2 hours then the indigo on for 1 hour. Thank you for your help! Pauline

28.8.07

Hi Pauline

Thanks very much for letting me know ! I'm so glad it worked. Just out of interest, what proportion of cassia did you use to henna (50:50?) and do you have a lot of white hair ? It's just that I've noticed that the burgundy tends to show up much better on the lighter colour hair shades than on dark hair, though on dark hair you can just about catch burgundy "glints" (!) Anyway, all the best, Sabrina

Received 29.8.07

Hi Sabrina

I have white roots around my temples and above my ears and on the top of my head but none around the back. My hair was chemically dyed black but in the last 2 months I have been using another market brand of henna which has given me auburn and red highlights all the way through and lighter roots. I used approx 60% henna and 30% cassia mixed with 10% sugar and boiling water, I left the mixture for 15 mins to allow for dye release, then I applied the mixture, covered my head with clingfilm (bonny sight) and left it for three hours. I was amazed at how well them mixture went on my head-unlike the other brand of henna I had been using which is very messy and blobs everywhere your henna went on a dream. Then I washed the henna off (very easily) and was left with orange roots! I mixed the indigo with 10% sugar and luke warm water and applied immediately. I left the indigo for 1 hour then washed it off.

I used my normal shampoo to wash both mixtures out but only conditioned after washing the indigo out. My hair was a fantastic dark burgundy. The next day because I had missed a few bits around my temples.

I made up a small mixture of 40% henna, 20% cassia (left for dye release)and 30% indigo and 10% sugar, applied immediately and left for approx 1 hour. My hair went quite a bit darker but looks a  fantastic burgundy in the sun. No doubt after I have washed it a couple of times the colour will lighten and the burgundy will become more apparrant due to the nature of the henna.

I am very proud of this mix and your product is fantastic, very easy to apply and does not give me a headache - unlike the other brand henna of which I had tried all of the colours- it must have been the cloves they use! Plus the product felt better and with no itching!

I hope this information is of help to you. Might you in the future be introducing bigger packs of cassia like you do the henna?

Thank you, and kind regards,

Pauline.

Thank you so much for your fantastic products. I am very pleased with the
outcome and cannot believe that you have got me out of the loreal trap!

Just thought you might like to know that I've finally got round to 
using a kit I purchased from you last month, and I'm very pleased 
with the results, a great colour and my hair feels back to normal 
after colouring it regularly for a couple of years due to my hair 
starting to get noticeably grey. I decided to go back to using Henna, 
something I've not used for many years, because I've become allergic 
to the chemicals in hair dye. I've suffered with a sore, burnt, 
ulcerated scalp and rashes around my hairline which has been very 
painful and irritating. I used the henna yesterday, and already my 
scabby scalp seems to be healing. I will definitely use henna again, 
just sorry I wasn't able to take any photos.
best wishes
Dawn

HENNA ON AFRO HAIR

Hi,

This is  not som much an enquiry but just a short email in letting you know that your product is absolutely wonderful.  I tried it a week last Thursday for the very first time and although very laboured and time consuming the results were amazing.  My hair (afro kinky) did turn out a little bit dry afterwards but putting a good oil steam treatment in afterwards it softened up after a few days.  I have taken some pictures before and after the colouring and am not sure how to get this to you.  Do you have a special site where people to give in info or testimonials? or is this the best method.  Please let me know.  I really really love this product

A MESSAGE FROM MARSHA AND JANICE:

SABRINA, FEEL FREE TO USE OUR COMMENTS.  WE ARE BOTH HAPPY THAT WE FOUND YOUR HENNA AND INDIGO PRODUCT.  MARSHA IS ELATED THAT SHE CAN FINALLY DYE HER HAIR BECAUSE SHE IS THE ONE WHO  IS ALLERGIC TO PPD. 

ONCE AGAIN FEEL FREE TO USE OUR COMMENTS.  WE WILL BE GLAD TO TELL THE ENTIRE WORLD ABOUT IT. 

WE RECEIVED THE NEW INSTRUCTIONS AND INFO ON MAKING THE HAIR A LITTLE LIGHTER.  AS SOON AS WE TRY  IT, WE WILL DEFINATELY LET YOU KNOW THE RESULTS.  IS ANY OF THE INGREDIENTS  ALLERGIC?  MARSHA IS AFRAID TO TRY NEW THINGS ON HER HAIR BECAUSE SHE HAS ALLERGIES BUT SHE WANTS TO TRY TO RECIPE FOR GETTING THE HAIR LIGHTER. 

AGAIN, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! 

22.5.07 

Hi there Marsha and Janice 

It's great to receive your positive feedback........ so glad it worked well for you both !! I have a feeling I was desperately trying to send you e mail instructions which kept bouncing back, therefore you may have followed the original Kit instructions and used lemon juice... not that it matters, it's just that it's so much easier and quicker  to use plain boiling hot water. I'm attaching some revised Instructions anyway for your information, and I'm also forwarding the e mail which I tried to send you originally. I do apologise for the "expiry date" - it is in fact a printing error -  unfortunately, there were a load of print errors plus other matters which I am now trying to rectify. But, thankfully, despite all that, the henna and indigo works beautifully which is the main thing ! 

Ok... hair colours... now this is the snag I'm afraid because with henna /indigo you can only go darker, not lighter. I need to know what your natural starting colour is and also how much grey you have. Generally, if you leave the indigo in for literally 5 - 8 minutes after you've hennaed you'll get a light reddish auburn - that's about as light brown as you can get. 

You can also try a cassia obovata mix in place of or after a henna//indigo mix ( stay with the henna/indigo if you have a significant amount of grey on hair colour that is not naturally blonde) - it won't last like henna/indigo, and it won't work like the hair dyes you might have used in the past I'm afraid, but it will significantly lift the hair colour towards ash blonde; the lighter your starting colour, the more impact  you'll get from this  mix  ( by the way the vinegar in this will stink the place out, so open your windows ! ) : 

Boil half a litre ( 1 pint) cider vinegar with about 3 tablespoons of chopped rhubarb root in a stainless steel pan ( sorry I don't have any right now, but will be getting some rhubarb root powder hopefully in the near future - meanwhile try a health food store ); boil and gently simmer around 10 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons chamomile flowers and 2 tablespoons marigold flowers - buy from health food store or snip a few teabags ! Add juice of 2 fresh lemons. Optional - add a few strands of saffron as Alexander the Great apparently used to dye his hair with saffron ! Cover and let simmer five mins or so. Then filter the concoction through a sieve into a glass or plastic bowl into which you put about 4 - 5 tablespoons cassia obovata and a tablespoon of honey - mix into a paste (optional : add a tablespoon turmeric powder at this point as well)  and work through your hair; cover and leave a couple of hours ( if paste is too thick, add boiling hot chamomile tea) . Wash out with cool water if you can / or tepid water. Let me know what it looks like ! Before and after photos, if you can manage it, would be fantastic for this. 

Good luck ! And thanks for letting me know how you got on. 

Sabrina 

From Marsha & Janice, USA 

Received 22.5.07

my sister and i share the same e-mail address.  i used your henna product even thoug the expiration date was 1/2007.  it still worked. my hair was dark dark brown almost black with a little grey.  after using the henna and indigo it turned a deep dark brown almost black with red undertones.  i now want to know if i can get my hair a different color using the henna.  i want my hair an ash brown or a deep blond.  how can i do this using henna.  i can not use regular hair dyes because i am allergic to the ppd in other dyes.  your henna product is AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!  AND I LOVE IT!!!! PLEASE HELP ME CHANGE MY COLOR TO A LIGHT ASH BROWN OR DEEP BLOND.  THANK YOU.  PRAISE GOD FOR YOUR HENNA. I HAVE LOOKING YEARS FOR A COLOR I CAN USE AND HAVE NOW FOUND IT!!!!!!

 ARE HENNA AND INDIGO SAFE TO USE DURING PREGNANCY?

I forgot to mention that I am expecting. Are you sure that this is 100% safe for the baby? Are there ANY chemicals in these products?

20.6.07

Hi Sheila

I am not aware of any safety issues regarding pure henna and indigo if used during pregnancy or otherwise. I'm afraid I won't guarantee that however as I'm no scientist and I'm not an expert, just someone who has used henna and indigo - safely - for many years with wonderful results and with a feeling of better health and well being as a result ( psychological maybe ! ). I have to say that it really is a matter of personal choice and individual decision, but I think you'll agree that there's nothing more harmful than a chemical hair dye, not only for the unborn child, but also for the unaware adult that uses them, and as far as I'm aware nothing is safer than pure natural henna and indigo during pregnancy and nothing else seems to make sense like henna and indigo ! Both are widely promoted as safe to use during pregnancy. I can assure you that my henna and indigo do not contain chemicals and that they are pure powdered plant leaves. That doesn't mean you won't be sensitive to them though ... the smell might upset you, and you'll have to see how you go.

Anyway, I hope you'll decide to try, and I hope it will work well for you.... I personally would definitely use henna/indigo during pregnancy without any worries, but as I said, I am not able to give any guarantees and it is very much a matter of personal choice based on your own research and your own assessment.... can I refer you to the "indigo dialogue" on our Dangers & Warnings page here which you might find useful as a basic starting point. As this is such an important question I'm proposing to put it up on the customer feedback page as question and answer ( I will of course change your name ).

Good luck !

Kindest regards
Sabrina

Hi - I just wanted to say this:

I have used henna for years and years and, as my hair has got greyer, the colour has become - well, orange is the only way to describe it. Which has not been a problem for me, but those whom I live with have suggested that I should calm it down a little.  So, your product arrived today - very impressed with the service there - in my hands two days after I ordered it. I have used it as henna followed by indigo and I am delighted with the result.  The colour is dark, close to what mine originally was, with a reddish hint. The indigo was very easy to use, I love the feel of my hair afterwards, and I will experiment with darkening it still further. It's great to have found someone who has thought hard about henna, and indigo is a revelation! Thanks.

All best

Janine

Hi Sabrina, I figured that what happened with your response; we all get so much junk mail that it's hard to keep it all straight...that's why I had sent is twice.

Actually, it arrived Tuesday and of course I had left your Email instructions with some other stuff at work. So, I thought that's just a well, because, knowing how impatience I can be about things, and would of been tempted to jump right in, so, I'll just use tonight to do my hair sample test. Well, after I mix up more henna than what I would need for my hair sample, I thought, well, really don't want to waste it, and because I had read and re-read the instructions several times, I thought how hard can this be?? It's not rocket science or brain surgery~!! I've colored, highlighted, cut, and permed (the '80s) my hair, all my life, and have lived to tell about it, so I proceeded to tackle my hair.

For whatever reason, I brewed 3 bags of chamomile tea (one bag for my original starting sample and then two more thereafter). I wanted to make sure I had a good concentrate for my whole head, when I added more . I mixed it all together with a little bit of sugar, while the water was boiling hot and then without further ado, and forgetting to wait for it to (get ripe) I just started immediately applied it to my hair. Then, I thought, wait...wasn't I suppose to let it sit for a while???? No matter, I just continued down that path... hoping that I remembered what I thought I had read, correctly that the better the quality, and the hotter the water, the less “ripping” time needed, and prayed that it would all come out in the end.

After I got the henna distributed thorough out my hair, I covered my head with a plastic cap and then with a couple of cotton handkerchiefs to keep the warmth in and wall~laa in 2 hours and 45 min (I couldn't wait any longer) it was done. As anticipated, it was pretty red in some spots, particularly over the blonde highlights I had, so I just mix up a little Indigo in cool water, (we have well-water with a softer system, so I had bought some mineral water, but then forgot about it and didn't use it) and proceeded to painted it on the red~est spots, for low lights effects. I left the Indigo on for 10 minutes, because I didn't want it too black. I left in some of the brighter red highlights in the front part for highlight effects. It turned out great! Love it!!! Love all the color and the added body and great condition. Thanks for your help and support; love your “girlfriend”approach to sales! Tracy

Hello Sabrina,

Thanks for your advice and product, I have tried quite a lot of hair natural coloring products from Suriya, Logona and some others which didn’t really work as I needed them to but looks like I have finally found what I’ve been looking for.

Kind regards

Nadeem

7.5.07

Hi Nadeem... yes, absolutely no chemicals at all !

However, the instructions should have explained that for brown hair you need no longer than 30 minutes... basically, the longer you leave it, the darker it goes. If it's too dark for you, try using henna over it - a 1 - 2 hour henna application right now might lift the colour for you; alternatively, shampoo more frequently than usual to get the colour to run out a bit. But note that you more you use henna/indigo, the more the colour will build up and the longer it is likely to last.

Kind regards

Sabrina

6.5.07

Hello

I tried out your product. I have black graying hair. The results from the henna part was as expected – the greys turned a deep orange/red. However I was rather taken aback after using the indigo. I was aiming to turn the orange/red into brown. I left it on for two hours and the result led to almost black hair! It was just like the results I would expect from a hair dye like Bigen or Just for Men (both of which I have tried but want to move away from because of the heath scares). I really cannot believe how a natural product can be so effective at turning greys into black. Are you sure the indigo powder contains no chemicals?

Kind regards

Nadeem

Dear Sabrina
I just wanted to thank you for making such a good product with such thorough instructions. Today using your henna and indigo I was able to cover my grey hairs and go back to my natural black hair colour - amazing!

Regards

- Helen

I have used the Henna and Indigo Colour for the first time and I am trilled with the results.

I have had severe alergic reaction to all chemical hair dyes, from swollen glands to face rashes and not forgetting the unbearable itchy, sore scalp.

I kept the Henna in for 3 hours and as expected my hair turned bright orange. I proceeded with the Indigo for 30 minutes and although I was delighted with the overall colour, it was a little too bright on top. Having read your comments to another Client with the same outcome, I mixed up a small amount of Indigo and reapplied it on top for a further 10 minutes. The result was perfect, a beautiful chocolate brown with a hint of auburn.

The next day I developed a mild itch at the nape of my neck, this is probably due to the fact I have Psoriasis here. The itch only lasted a day and disappeared.

Let me thank you most sincerely, you have not only helped me change my hair but you have helped to change my life!.

Joanna

I'm very pleased with the result from your Henna. It is fantastic colour, very rich, vibrant and beautiful. I was using (for some years) Light Mountain (Colour the Gray) but I can see there is BIG difference between the two.

Cor blimey Sabrina, that cassia obo wats it ain't arf the bizniss for killin dandruff !! my 2 kidz got cronic dandruff for the last 3years, and now it's gone ! Good on yer.... I'm gob smacked

Read about it here

Hello Sabrina

just used your Henna/Indigo kit for the first time, but I feel I left the indigo on too long, and I'm not too hapy with the result as it is much too dark for me. Is there anything I can do to get my hair back to a lighter brown? Will the Indigo fade in time? I liked the henna colour alone and thought about leaving it at that, but decided to proceed to the indigo and now wish I hadnt! Thanks, holly.

14.1.07

Hi Holly,
the more you shampoo with normal industrial strength shampoo, the quicker it should wash out; wash every day if you can. Don't use any hair conditioners, and make sure you shampoo with warm to very warm water - that should get the colour to run. It shouldn't last too long - generally, indigo fades/washes out at a much quicker rate than henna - thankfully ! Hope that helps.

Kind regards, Sabrina

16.1.07

Hi Holly
have you tried to henna over your indigo yet? Just wondered how you got on.

Best wishes
Sabrina

18/1/07

Hi Sabrina

Thanks for your help! I began washing it on Sunday night, and quite a bit of Indigo came out, and I was planning to henna over it this weekend. However, since then, I have started to really like the darker colour - I think I was just a little shocked by the colour at first, now I realise it looks really good - so I have decided to ease up on the washing and not henna over it.

I have to say my hair is also in the best condition it has been in for about two years. A couple of years ago I bleached my hair (naturally very curly) which made it very dry and it broke alot. Since then I have cut my hair short and re-grown it, and had regular trims, all of which has helped to restore the condition. But the Henna/Indigo has added the icing on the cake - my hair shines just how it did when I was young, there are no broken hairs visible and it doesnt get tangled anymore, even when I'm outside in the working in the wind/rain all day. I have also always been prone to getting sebhorrehic dermatitus (it runs in my family) and the henna has treated it more effectively than the medicinal shampoo I have used all my life. Im really happy, Im definietly converted to henna and indigo!

Thank you for everything, especially your prompt reply. I would throroughly reccommend buying henna from you to everyone I know.

Holly.

Hi Sabrina

well I have tried your henna renaissance and indigo and I am ecstatic with the results my hair is in the best condition it has ever been in and the colour is just fantastic I never thought I would be able to colour my hair again after my allergic reaction to permanant hair dyes as I told you in my previous e-mail after skin patch testing I am allergic to PPD which is in every hair dye and other things. It was trial and error at first next time I will mix the henna the night before I am going to apply it to save time. Also I applied the Indigo and rinsed it off after 40 minutes (just in case) however I wanted a darker brown to cover my grey so mixed another batch of Indigo and left it on for 1 hour my final colour result is the best colour I could have wished for a lushious dark brown with a hint of choclate WOW I just wanted to thank you so much and assure you I will be a lifelong customer many many thanks....please feel free to add my e-mail to your customer feedback page.......Jude.

Here is the evidence, as promised! You are welcome to use these photos on your website. Transformation!

Before:

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Henna only (mixed with lemon juice as per instructions):

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Plus Indigo:

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This was taken immediately after hair was washed for the first time. Result or what! Two days later, the colour has more of a red-brown tinge I think. In a few days, I shall try taking more photos in natural light & send them to you. Next time, I may try henna without lemon juice & use less indigo... I'm always open to suggestions! I'm sure many subtle effects are achievable with practice & experimentation. Thanks again for making your excellent quality henna & indigo available (the latter was a revelation to me). Best wishes. Yours truly, David

8.12.06 Thanks for the new instructions, which I've just printed out. I bought the kit earlier in the year & postponed using it, for a variety of reasons, until only 2 days ago... Despite, as it turned out, the unnecessary use of lemon juice, I am more than pleased with the stunning result & now feel inspired to continue experimenting (is this stuff addictive or what?!) Actually, I used henna (on its own) in the late 70s & early 80s - I show my age here! That was before I went grey... It was just standard, cheap quality shop-bought powder but did the trick. I have a dreadful feeling I might also have used (but only once) some of that dodgy so-called black henna, as well as the red kind. Anyway, I survived to tell the tale. This, though, combined with Indigo, is in a different class. Hopefully, will order more in the New Year. Best wishes, D

Dear Sabrina, As I said in my previous e-mail, my hair colour has improved still further & become warmer & more subtle on the second day after application. Here are some photos taken within the last hour in natural light:

Enlarge Image	Enlarge Image	Enlarge Image
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Of course, no photo can ever do full justice to the living actuality & ever-changing play of light... But I'm thrilled & delighted with the results.
Thanks again for making this possible,

Yours truly,
David

14.12.06

I should add that in the last few days I've experienced some skin irritation - my scalp covered in little spots or bumps, which I'm trying not to scratch. Applying some pure Aloe Vera gel has helped & I'm hoping that the allergic reaction or whatever it is will settle down.

I think what happened is this:

- I haven't used anything on my hair except for mild shampoo for years, so applying henna & indigo was quite a shock to my scalp.

- because I wanted to be sure that the grey/ white was properly covered, I probably used more henna & indigo than was necessary & I also left it on too long.

- When I washed off the henna & indigo, I didn't clean my scalp adequately. Lingering traces could have caused the skin irritation.

I should stress that the reaction didn't occur immediately. I only became aware of it this week. I'm still thrilled with the colour, which continues to evolve! Hopefully after more shampooing & time the spots will go away.

(I'm not sure if there's a link but I've been troubled by spots on my back for a while, but never on my scalp.)

Assuming nothing dreadful happens (baldness etc!), next time I'll use less Henna & indigo for a shorter period & wash it out more thoroughly.

If you have any further suggestions, I'd be grateful.

No need to include this info in my feedback, because I'm still delighted with the colour & the skin irritation is only a minor, tho unexpected, inconveience, provided it clears up & doesn't get any worse

Anyway, I look forward to seeing my head on your site!

Best wishes,David

14.12.06

Hi Davy

I'm sorry to hear about the reaction. I do have some observations to make which could be helpful to you concerning this.

Firstly, I think the lemon juice in your henna may have exacerbated, if not triggered, the condition you are now experiencing ( just surmising here as I'm not at all sure ). Secondly, it's more likely the indigo that's causing the itching than the henna. Some people - myself included - are indigo sensitive. I always, without fail, get an itchy scalp and hair ( but I can't say I've noticed spots/bumps) after an indigo application. Henna alone works fine for me, but the minute I'm done with the indigo, I'm itching. My theory on this is that indigo is astringent and astringent substances tend to cause irritation in sensitive individuals. I might be totally off track, but that's my theory. The aloe vera gel works for me too - in fact I apply it after my hair has dried following henna/indigo and then it generally settles down and after the next hair wash the irritation vanishes completely without the need for the gel. It could also be the fact that traces of indigo get left behind on the scalp and that the heat of a full head of hair combined with indigo particles left behind causes itching.

In your case, I agree that the fact that you have used the mildest of products over a number of years and cleverly/wisely stayed away from hair dyes, probably means that you are just not accustomed to tolerating any strong substance on your scalp. And indigo is a strong substance, despite it being 100% herbal ( so is cannabis). But I am concerned about the spots and bumps, and if that's an allergic reaction, it isn't a good sign. Proceed cautiously and if this problem persists you may, regrettably, have to give up indigo.

Next time, mix up your henna with hot water only. As you suggest, apply for slightly less time. Also, do ensure that you only ever use cool water to mix your indigo - or luke warm water only if it's a very cold day. Add an egg white to your indigo mix or a whole egg. Don't add salt. Also, try pre mixing your henna/indigo at a ratio of about 65 -70% henna and 45 - 30% indigo which may lessen the irritation ( though to be honest I don't find it any less irritating). Once your hair has dried, immediately apply the aloe vera gel. And that should help it all settle down

Try oiling your hair with a good quality cold pressed olive oil or coconut oil and leave it in at least 2 hours before you shampoo. Akamuti do some fantastic oils - www.akamuti.co.uk

I sincerely hope this helps. Will you please keep me posted on how it all settles down, and also on subsequent applications. I'd also be grateful if you would let me use our exchange of e mails ( I will edit as appropriate to safeguard your i/d ) on my feedback page as I think it's helpful to other henna / indigo users and to all those who are considering taking the plunge. It's, unfortunately, not all plain sailing for some and these issues are issues we all need to be aware of. I'm currently investigating another herbal substance which gives fantastic colour and which is milder than indigo but it's going to take me a while to complete some colour trials and then to find a source of supply - that may suit you better in future.

As for spots on the back - get them checked out by your doctor. Could be dry skin, mineral / vitamin related (lack of potassium?) or something else, but worth getting checked out.

Finally, anonymity assured, save I can't guarantee that the masses won't recognise you by your distinctive new hair colour ( are you sure it's ok for me to use those photos on my site ? !). You might well want to consider investing in a red floppy hat with a white bobble on the end, along with a stick on beard, which, this time of year would at least ensure that you're able to mingle and merge with the crowds without being recognised as the hennaed David ! Best wishes

15.12.06

Hi Sabrina

Sabrina

Many thanks for your advice.

think the skin reaction on my scalp will gradually settle down. I applied more aloe vera last night & will shampoo it again soon (I try to minimise the use of shampoo).

You are welcome to use our exchange of e-mails (minus my full name & e-mail address, of course).

As for photos of my moptop, published & be damned or rather blessed!

I have already taken the precaution of adopting the cunning disguise you suggested:

Ho ho ho...
Stay bright, David

9/1/07

Hi David

I just wanted to let you know that your head has now made an appearance on my feedback page. Thank you very much for allowing me to use it.

I have been pondering the issue of head and skin irritation from henna and indigo and I have had to come to the conclusion that it is very much a question of individual sensitivity and tolerance ( as opposed to danger, except of course in G6pd enzyme deficiency cases ) . No one can know if they may be henna / indigo sensitive until they try it, and even then, I do believe that any irritation - provided it is mild and provided it can be soothed with something simple and natural like aloe vera gel - is worth the risk compared to the sheer poison that comes out of a chemical hair dye. In the case of severe and persistent irritation, however, I would have to say to anyone who “suffers” that they must give up henna / indigo. As I said before, herbal does not necessarily = safe and reaction free. I'd be interested to know how you get on with subsequent applications so we can assess if this really is the long term colour solution for you.

As a matter of interest, please go to my Dangers & Warnings Page - http://www.renaissancehenna.com/dangersandwarnings.htm. Scroll down the page to about half way down and then towards the end of the page. There you will find references to 2 individuals, one of whom (Maryam) is “sensitive” and appears to be showing signs of spots and mild irritation after henna and indigo - see her before and after indigo and henna photos and look at her forehead, compared with another “sensitive individual” ( anon) who says she is not experiencing any signs of irritation at all with henna/ indigo - there are no photos of “anon” but she makes reference to this in our “indigo dialogue” which appears on the page about half way down. Maryam says that she is sensitive to both henna and indigo and experiences mild redness, irritation, and itchiness after henna and after indigo, but that she none the less loves using it and wouldn't change her henna / indigo routine for all the world ! She used to use hair dyes and was losing hair and feeling generally unwell; she now says that she feels henna / indigo has actually boosted her health overall, that it gives her an overall sense of well being, and that she enjoys healthy hair and a stronger immune system. So despite the irritation, she perseveres and feels it is quite tolerable. I think that's real the criterion isn't it - if you find it tolerable, then continue to use it, but if it's severe irritation and it makes you suffer, then don't; it means that henna .indigo just aren't for you.

I intend to post these comments up on the site, along with any further feedback from you.

Wish you all the best.

Sabrina

Received 10.1.07

Hi Sabrina

Many thanks for your e-mail. I have taken a look at the site & am thrilled to see my fab moptop there!

What good timing, cos tomorrow I shall apply a mixture of henna & indigo to my hair roots where the colour has grown out (5 weeks) - I've been too busy to do it before now, tho it needs it.

The scalp irritation is long vanished, thanks for your concern.

Will keep you posted.

David

PS belated Happy New....

Hi Sabrina

I just wanted to tell you how absolutly delighted I am with the end result of the Henna/Indigo product that I ordered & applied for the first time.

I was very very sceptical of the result as I have used henna before with little or no luck. I have 85% white hair (greying since I was in my late 20's!). So I have been using the normal home colours since then and now I am almost 50 - so that is a long time! Now a few applications ago I suddenly developed an aversion to the hair dye - I started to itch during the application first time it happened - so I just put it down to o one-off. Then 5 weeks later I tried again not thinking anything of the first signs of discomfort during the last application. Unfortunately, the this time after I'd finished washing and drying my hair, I noticed a slight swelling all the way along my hair-line. Again I thought - this is perhaps because I'd been under a lot of stress & this was just a re-action as a result of the dye & the stress.

I gave it a third try approx 6 weeks later - but this time my eyes were swollen and my whole scalp was itching & swollen badly.

At this point I thought, no! I am not going thru that again, so I tried a henna product form a well known shop - which to my disappointment did absolutely nothing to my grey hair.... It did not even put a slight colour on it. So I started my search on the web and came accross your product. When I read the testimonials I was partially convinced - especially with the before & after photos. The reason for my partial belief was that no one had a testimonial on totally grey or almost all grey hair - which is what I have.

Despite this, I thought - I must give it a go - because white hair does NOT suit my skin colour. I have a medium brown Indian complexion and I definitely do not look or act nearly 50! I am also very lucky to have very thick long hair which again, is not the norm for most nearly 50 year olds, so you can imagine how rotten I felt about my majority grey maine! If I could get away with not colouring, I would gladly do it as it is a huge chore & I am really tired of it. Especially as I have now developed an allergy to the normal dyes which work and had no faith in Henna!

Last weekend I dedicated Saturday for the application of Renaissance Henna & Indigo to really just confirm my dis-belief if nothing else. So, I mixed the henna with boiling hot water as instructed and left it to release it's colour whilst I went & washed my hair. Then I towel dried it & applied the Henna paste, left it on for 5 hours. Applying the Henna was not an issue, it went on really well. The worst part was towards the end when even though I had put my hair in clingfilm with kitchen paper round the edges, a shower cap on top of that & scarf on top of that, there was a lot of seepage. But this was only towards the last Hour of the application time, so I wasn't too stressed abut that.

Next, I mixed up the Indigo as instructed just before I was going to wash the Henna out to give the mixture some time as it says in the instructions. Then I rinsed out the Henna and looked at the colour result on the 85% white hair...... and Bingo! I was very pleasantly surprised as the colour came out exactly as described in the chart - All my white hair was now Orange!

I wasn't that ecsatatic yet - because Orange Hair is not my cup of tea ..... So I was really eager to try the Indigo next. So after towel trying my henna'd orange coloured (yuk!) hair, I started to apply the Indigo as instructed. I found the Indigo application went on realy well on my hair as I used the special hair dye brush.

As I wanted my hair colour to last as long possible with a dark brown end result, it was a gamble as to how long I needed to leave the Indigo on without it turning my hair black, so I left it on for 40 minutes. It was now time to test the final end result to see if I was going to be surprised or disappointed, and I must admit, I was also a little scared of the end result colour especially as the indigo application was turning purple as it was developing! I rinsed my hair clean and used only conditioner to finish off .... and long & behold! The colour was exactly as I like..... medium to dark brown!!!! ALL my white hair from the root was a wonderful meduim to dark brown with a lovely shine! I had my wonderfull maine of thick brown hair back! I was absolutely amazed, because it was beyond my wildest expectations after such disappointing results with other henna products. I dried & styled my hair as normal & it felt really great.

For hours after, I could not stop looking at my hair because I just could not believe it. The best thing of all was that there was NO reaction of any kind what so ever. I have finally found the solution to my problem and will defenitely order this product over & over again. Thank you so much for discovering this beautiful alternative to horrible chemical based hair dyes and CONGRATULATIONS for making it a superb colouring agent for totally grey hair.

Now I will have my hair cut so that all the horrible dry ends are removed and keep using the Henna/Indigo combination.

Next time will leave the Indigo on for a little longer & the time after that I will try the Method 2 where you can combine the 2 products - just to see the end result of that method.

Well That's all for now - sorry it was a long email, but I had to tell you of my experience so that you can publish it as a testimonial if you want. I will take pictures next time (If I remember) so you can post them to your website.

Bye for now... A believer again!

Smita

Hi Sabrina,

The pictures were taken after every stage: the first one was four weeks after having used a mixture of henna and indigo; the second one was just after henna, and the third one was taken later on that same day, having used indigo immediately after henna. I hope this is clear! I wrote some explanations in the Word document where I put the pictures, can you not read them? If you can't, let me know and I'll try to send it again.

Best

Marion

My natural colour is dark brown with some grey. I had been using Henné Noir from Sipa (Paris), 100 grams of a mixture of henna and indigo (indigofera argentea, not sure wether it is the same kind as the indigofera tinctoria that Sabrina sells) for three months, every four weeks. The results were not great: some light brown tones, no grey coverage. I had the thought that, perhaps, henna and indigo were impairing each other's effect:	Four weeks after the last application, I used 100 grams of pure henna from the brand Five 5 (Five Fives, from Egypt), mixed with half a cupful of red wine vinegar. I left it on for three hours, wrapped with a plastic bag and a towel. I got dark red tones, and the grey hair turned bright orange:	Later on the same day, I used 80 grams of pure indigo, from Renaissance Henna, with one tablespoon of sugar and one tablespoon of salt. I left it on for three hours, wrapped with a plastic bag and a towel. I got dark brown hair with red highlights. Some of the previous grey hair is still visible, but at least it is orange and not grey:

And that's all, so far! I hope this is useful.

Marion

Dear Sabrina

Don't know if you remember me. I wrote to you a few weeks ago hoping that this time it would be different because my hair never coloured black with henna and indigo.

Sabrina, my hair is BLACK!! I'm over the moon. No grays and no orange hair. After nearly a year of trying different methods (with another supplier), none of which was successful, one go with your henna and indigo and it is beautifully black.

I noticed the difference right from the start. After the henna my hair was a dark orange, however, still no good to me. The henna itself wasn't sticky or jelly-like, like the other one. I simply mixed this with hot water and left it overnight. I left it on my hair for two hours. Rinsed it off, then applied the indigo.

I mixed the indigo with cold tap water (as advised) and put in two spoonfuls of salt (used 4 heaped spoonfuls of indigo). I left it uncovered for 15 mins then applied to my hair. I was able to leave my hair uncovered. I must have got the consistency just right because it stayed on my hair very well A few times I wiped off my face, when the mixture ran, otherwise it was amazingly hassle-free, much more so than previous applications.

I don't know why my hair turned black this time, whether it was the quality of the henna (the previous supplier was apparently of good quality with a lot of happy customers), the salt (which I never used before), or mixing the indigo with cold tap water (previously used hot water from the kettle), or leaving my hair uncovered!!

Next time I'll be doing the other method of mixing the henna and indigo together and doing it in one step and see how that turns out.

Next time I'll be doing the other method of mixing the henna and indigo together and doing it in one step and see how that turns out.

I am so happy with my hair - after all this time. I knew it could be done. Thank you so much Sabrina - for your helpful advice and great products.

Kian

24.7.06
Hi Kian

I'm surprised to hear you never got the black hair you wanted with your previous henna / indigo applications - how strange. I suppose it is possible that some people just don't take the colour as well as others - for whatever reason. Anyway, let's hope it'll be different this time !

The salt shouldn't particularly make a difference - adding salt ( & a bit of vinegar) helps to get the blue black, but if you want just straight black with reddish undertones that will show up in the sun, then you don't really need salt and vinegar, and covering your hair is absolutely fine. I suggest you do a 2 hour henna application, then mix up your indigo with cool to luke warm water ( I prefer cool water), wait ten minutes, then apply as best you can into your hair - you've been through it before so you probably already know how “gloppy” indigo can be, but just do your best and then I would cover it as you'll want to aim for a long application to get a deep colour. Aim for 2 hours, or longer if you want , but 2 hours should do it comfortably. Oh, and plain tap water should be just fine - I use plain London tap water and it's great.

Despite your recent application of henna, as I'm not sure of the precise ingredients in your last colour, please do a re-application with my Renaissance Henna, then indigo - good luck ! I'm confident you'll get a result you'll be impressed with. And well done for persevering with this stuff despite poor results - that takes some sheer will !!

All best wishes, keep me posted if you can.

Sabrina.

24.7.06
Dear Sabrina

Many thanks for the info. you sent me re. using Henna and Indigo

I really hope this time it'll be different! I started using henna and indigo more than a year ago, but never achieved black hair with it. The henna always made my grey a bright orange which didn't seem to shift wih the application of indigo. (2 separate applications.) I got my supplies from Mehandi, and tried nearly all the different methods, but absolutely nothing worked. I persevered for about 8 months and in the end had to use vegetal colour which changed the horrible orange that didn't suit me at all to black again.

Of course I want to go back to henna and in the instructions there are a couple things I didn't do. I didn't add salt and my hair was wrapped up very well after the indigo application. Do you think these may make a difference now? I also used hot water on the indigo (boiled kettle water which had been through a quick filter). Shall I use bottled mineral water for the indigo this time or plain tap water?

I so want this to work this time. About two weeks ago, I used the Aubrey Organics dark brown and my whites are a coppery and in certain places orange colour. Can I just use the indigo on top of this, or do I need to re-apply the nenna again?

I'd be grateful for some advice

Thank you Sabrina

Kian.

Hi Sabrina,

decided to henna my daughter's hair last week during the spell of really hot weather - partly because of the cooling effect, and partly because I know henna is natural and safe, and also acts as a natural sunscreen when in the hair. My daughter has just turned ten. She has black brown hair - predominantly black. The results are absolutely stunning - incredible ! And she loves it as much as I do and says it's “cool” ! I I'm sending you some before and after photos - it was a beautiful experience.

Thank you

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Anisa's hair before 19/7/06 (age 10)	Anisa's hair after henna	Anisa's hair after henna 2
	Anisa's hair after henna 3
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Anisa's hair after henna 4		Anisa's hair after henna 5
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Hi Sabrina

I finally did it! I decided to go for a pure henna application and I’m absolutely delighted with the result. I love the condition and strength I’ve achieved with the henna and I’m amazed at the hues and shades of red I’ve now got. I love my hair this colour and can’t wait for another application to try and go an even deeper red shade.

I went shopping the day after and a complete stranger came up to me and said, “Excuse me, but you have the most beautiful hair colour I’ve ever seen”. I’ve never had such a lovely compliment from a stranger before and it made my day.

Thank you for your website and all your advice. Please feel free to use the pictures in your gallery

Many kind regards from a very happy henna-ed girl!

Joanne

Hi Sabrina,

Yes, by all means please use my name and emails on your website. I would also like to add to my praise that, without your website and the research you provided, I would never have considered henna but your wise words and helpful articles gave me the courage to try it out and I’ll never look back. I will also never again pollute my hair with chemicals and have already encouraged my family and friends to follow suit.

Thank you so much for all your hard work and I hope your business continues to thrive.

Kind Regards,

Joanne

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Before Henna	After Henna	Close up after henna

Hi Sabrina

Thanks for the prompt delivery. I thought I would let you know how I got on

I've used henna for many years but due to ever increasing grey hair I thought I would have to give up colouring it or switch to a chemical dye, neither being attractive options. Anyway, luckily I discovered your website before going down that route

I hennaed it today and was feeling a bit lazy so decided I would leave off using the indigo for now. I've hennaed it before, I thought! I know what to expect! But blimey, this stuff is dynamite, I've never seen such a violent shade of orange. It was either use the indigo or phone in sick tomorrow. I left the indigo in for about 15 minutes and it has certainly knocked it back, but its still quite vivid. I should maybe have left it on a bit longer.

I'm leaving it to dry naturally and its beginning to look really nice and shiny but I suspect I'm going to have a head of many colours. Experimentation is they key here really isn't it and I'll maybe try method 2 next time and see how I get on.

Overall very pleased though. I have never come across such good quality henna before, it mixed up lovely and smooth and was easy to apply. Your website is brilliant, very informative and I hope it helps to get the message out there about how harmful chemical hair dye is.

Thank you and best wishes
Julie

Hi Julie

thanks for the feedback - always helpful ! Yes, I'm sorry about the downside being that it is rather experimental. But i think you'll find that your colour will deepen as the first couple of days pass. Try the indigo about 25 mins next time, and again longer after that if you feel you need it darker still. In fact, don't forget you can apply indigo now - again - within a few days of using henna without having to do a fresh henna application first . So if it's still too orange, mix up some indigo and go for another 10 - 15 mins.

You may also want to try the method 2 application next time - pre mix your henna/indigo, following the instructions, and then apply for 3 hours. That works great as well !

All best wishes - hope the hair colour gets better and better !!
Sabrina

Hi Sabrina
Thanks for the suggestion, I may try more indigo, although it has deepened a bit as you say.
I don't mind at all if you want to quote me.
Best regards
Julie

Hi Sabrina

I've just purchased my second lot of henna from you. Just to say that after a long time using commercial products my return to henna has been amazing, and I'm really grateful for the time you took in responding to my email a month or two back to allay my concerns

I've attached three photo's for you - a 'before' shot; a shot immediately after the first henna, which I hope you'll agree looks fantastic!! - and a slightly lower quality picture of my second application, in which I used Paprika with the henna to achieve a redder look.

Please feel free to use the images if you wish

Many thanks again - you have a very satisfied customer!

and my boyfriend loves using the Indigo on his hair!!!

Best regards

Vanessa

Hello Sabrina

My story

My natural hair color is light brown. I previously dyed with a black demipermanent dye (Loreal's I think) that lasted for about a month. Then it was suppose to rinse out but it just got a little lighter, probably because it was meant for darker hair, like dark brown. I colored my hair for about a year. Before I switched to henna and indigo I didn't dye it for about two or three months because I heard that you can damage your hair if you previously used chemical dyes (but I did a test on my mom's hair, who's been perming and coloring her hair since I can remember, and her hair were fine).

use Sabrina's method 1 - applying first henna and then indigo in two separate stages. I use about 110 grams of henna and 90 grams of indigo and I've only tried it twice till now. The first time I used henna and indigo I also put about 20 drops of tea tree essential oil (I'd read on the internet that people use them in their mixes) and the second time I also added the same amount of cocoa essential oil because cocoa really smells nice. I leave henna on for about two and a half hours. When mixing indigo I don't use an egg white and the first time I put 1 teaspoon of sugar and 2 teaspoons of salt for a blue shade in my indigo mix. The second time I used about half the salt I used before and I have to say they're quite less blue now (I can take photos of my hair now). Next time I'll use 3 teaspoons. I leave indigo on for about two hours. And after I rinse it out I use coconut oil and leave it through the night and wash it in the morning. I thought I could only use water the next day, but the oil really doesn't get out without some shampoo.

I love the color of my hair and how the way they shine changes depending on how strong the light is. If the light is weak my hair get a red tone, if it's a little stronger they have a purple tone, and if it's strong a blue one. I also noticed my hair aren't falling out as much as they used to.

Maja

HI SABRINA

I DYED MY HAIR FINALLY AND I AM VERY PLEASED WITH THE RESULTS MY HAIR HAS A VERY NICE SHINE AND IT VERY HEATLTHY. HOW LONG WILL THE COLOR LAST. AFTER I PUT THE HENNA IN MY HAIR I PUT ON MY HEATING CAP AND FOR A HOUR BUT LEFT HENNA IN FOR 2 HOURS. I WAS REALLY SURPRISED WHEN I SAW THE END RESULT I LOVE MY HAIR COLOR.

THANKS SANDY

Hi Sabrina,

Hope you're doing well.

Sorry for being so long in sending you my feedback about my Henna/Indigo experience. Hope this message will be clear enough. As a French native, my English syntax can be somewhat Frenchy. I only tried it two days ago and I must say the result is amazing. I started with a full head henna application on wet hair. I had left the henna overnight in a plastic bowl .

As said before, I have a few grey hair which really started to annoy me because they are frizzy and they are just here and there like electrical wires.

After the henna, my grey turned deep orange. I rinsed my head with cool water and as mentionned in the leaflet I did not shampoo or conditiioner. My hair was so shiny and all untangled.

Immediately after the henna rinsing, I prepared my indigo with two full heaped teaspoons of salt and sugar. I got a thick yoghurt paste. I applied it straight away on my head and it did not lick at all. But the smell was so terrible that it gave me a headache. I kept indigo on my hair for one hour and rinsed it thoroughly, shampooed tree times and put conditioning for half an hour and ended with water and vinegar.

I could not believe my eyes. My hair are normally dark (very) brown almost black, now they are dark black with very lovely burgundy highlights and my grey are all covered except of a very few that appear like dark red but you really have to come closer to notice them.

I wanted to share with you and others my first experience of henna/indigo. I have been using Morroccan henna for ages and I can say your henna is the same quality as the Morroccan henna. Sorry I didn't take any pictures but next time I'll do.

Now I'm trying to convince my closest friends who often use chemicals to shift to henna and indigo. They did not want to believe that my color was a henna and indigo mix.

Anyway, many thanks again. I'll keep you updated on future applications

Take care,

Leïla, Paris

Hi Sabrina, I thought I would drop you a line to say I applied the henna this week using method 1. Henna then Indigo.

I was very pleased with both results and how well they took at each stage, your henna is of good qulaity and this has made difference. So thankyou for supplying good quality henna/indigo. I shall order some more from you when I have finished this batch.

Thank You again

Kay

I couldn't believe the outcome of your product on my hair. I think I have pepper grey hair, with more predominant white streaks (clumps) towards the forehead, although it's difficult to know as I've never let it grown out enough to see properly. I do know though that there is a very distinct difference between my coloured brown hair and my natural regrowth. I used to colour my hair with an 'unnatural product' but it was more or less the same colour as my natural hair. When I used the henna on my hair, it came out a lovely brownish red but the grey hair was clearly more orange. I had a little too much grey for it to look like just highlights and because the ends were more or less one colour and not streaked with orange tint the change was a little odd. However, when I put on the indigo I couldn't believe the result. First of all I waited ten minutes or so for the indigo to release die before apply to the hair and left for half an hour uncovered. Although it darkened the hair the grey still wasn't dark enough. I reapplied the indigo a few days later immediately after mixing it with warm water and left on for an hour, wrapped in a towel and heated with a hairdryer every now and again. The result was startling. The hair was now all one colour. There was no visible line between the regrowth and the rest of the hair. The depth of colour too was unbelievably very dark brown (almost black but no blue black and had no noticeable red tinge). My natural hair colour (not including the grey) is a little lighter than this and I am going to experiment to see if I can achieve good blended colour but slightly lighter.

Will keep you posted.

Anne

Hello Sabrina,

I don't know whether you remember me. I bought henna from you couple of months ago and found out there was a risk because I have G6PD deficiency. I spoke to my GP, about my predicament and he advised me it was safe for me to use henna. I can't tell for anybody else with G6PD deficiency. Anyway I used henna and indigo for the first time on Saturday and I was amazed at the end results. I am so happy now (without any grey hair) and like having a new life. Thanks for all your advice.

Thanks and regards Anita

Hi Sabrina,

Yes my package did arrive. Thank you! I have been wanting to write just to say how much I appreciate your products. The henna/indigo kit gave me wonderful results! When I decided to give up chemical dyes I thought I was destined to look like my husband's mother for the rest of our marriage. Thanks to your great instructions and products I once again look my age ( perhaps even a little younger).

Arlene, Mexico

Hello Sabrina, Just to let you know that I put the henna on my hair yesterday (3 hours). The colour is so lovely that I don't intend to use the indigo. It's absolutely gorgeous. Thanks so much for your valued advice over the last week. I'm definitely going to use henna from now on. Best regards, Jacky.

THANK YOU so much for the Henna, i have brown hair with lighter streaks naturally, i added the henna to my hair and left it for 5 hours, just before i washed it out i put the hair dryer on it for about 30 mins, I washed my hair with water then towel dried it, i then added the Indigo just to the top section. I washed my hair and used a natural lavender soap. I then dried it and styled it as usual. I am AMAZED I have the most beautiful nautral looking colour on my hair!!! I recently combed out my dreadlocks and my hair was thinner and dry, after this my hair feels and looks so different. My family were amazed like me. I am SO grateful to you for all your advice and support and i am NEVER going back to my old ways of chemical hair dye.
My new colour is deep warm brown with stunning red streaks. I LOVE IT, thank you so much. To anyone who is thinking about using Renaissance to get their Henna all i can say is DO IT the pack was fab with everything i needed and enough left for another application, it also arrived really fast!. It has truly changed the way i feel about my hair natural is truly the only way to be!!!!!!!!

Charlie Bray Hampshire

Hi Sabrina,

First of all I would just like to say a HUGE thank you for this wonderful product. I am allergic to PPD & have had some severe reactions, I am also allergic to chemical dyes without it as well. I was at my wits end trying to
find something to cover the awful greys.

It truly is a godsend. I put the henna on for 2 hours then the indigo for an
hour uncovered with salt as I wanted the blue/black. Amazing!!! The colour
is so rich & looks so healthy.

I did not receive any instructions in my kit but followed the one's you sent
me via e-mail.

Thank you so much once again, I will be definately having a long association
with henna/indigo.

Yours
Lindsey

Dear Sabrina

Thankyou for sending me updated information for applying henna/indigo I am looking forward to trying this out.
I have in the past used henna/indigo from another supplier, but perhaps it was'nt very good quality as even after quite a few applications it did'nt make a lot of difference, and faded quickly. I was impressed by how informative the Renaissance Henna website was and I tried your henna/indigo for the first time just over a week ago. I was amazed at the difference and delighted with the colour (black/brown with dark red glints) even though the colour changed after a few washes it is still quite vibrant. My hair now also seems shiner and less frizzy and this is after just one application so I cant wait to try it again to see what the next application will look like.
I am going to compile some photographs over time and send these to you, I hope this will be of use to you.

Thank you Sabrina

Pauline.

I dyed my hair black with chemical dyes for a year until I had a reaction (partially swollen face and head) about 3 months ago......im naturally light brown, and i was aiming to stay black, or at least dark brown...

thought id email to let u know how i got on with the henna and indigo....
(didnt get round to taking pictures this time unfortunately, but ill try to next time)
before i attempted the process, i thought id do some test strands on 'hairbrush hair', just to check, as i wasnt sure which method to use (i wanted to b lazy and do the 1 step method) my first test strand i did with just henna (just in case i got an amazing red that id want to keep!) i guess cus my hair is fair it didnt come out very dark - kind of a bright 'ginger'... the second one i did using the one step (henna and indigo) method, but it came out the same as just the henna (?!) anyway, the third i did with henna (for 3 hours), then indigo for about 1hour (all proper) and the results were a kind of darker than ive got colour - a kind of mousy brown... was bit dissapointed, but i decided (luckily) to go ahead with the full application anyway as i was fed up with my v.obvious roots against the black.
i kept the henna on for about 3 hours again, and did the indigo seperately after for 3 hours as well... im glad i decided to go ahead with it - immeadiately after (and 4 for a few days) i had a really dark, practically black colour, with a red shine (which i didnt expect on my lighter hair) its lightened now, but its still very dark redish brown on my roots and the chemically-dyed black ends of my hair have a reddy brown tint, so it all blends in completely...
sounds sad, but - im glad i found ur site! and im not pining for my lost black hair nemore - the brown ive got from the henna and indigo is really pretty and my parents are glad im not 'destroying' my head nemore :) also, my hair is in better condition, it feels... i dont need to wash it as often (im not just being dirty) it just seems nicer all round...
neway, sorry for going on so long... thanks for ur advice and everything, and i feel so much kinder in respect to my hair :)
thankyou,
nicola

Hi Sabrina,

The kit arrived and I have used it once. The hair looks fabulous, healthy and conditioned. I have never used any colours on my hair before.

Thanks.
Sue/Wales

My hair is naturally dull brown. It has been chemically coloured countless times and I've recently bleached it as well, but I hated the end result ! I'm attaching 2 photos - taken last weekend (new year's eve, 2005) of how my hair looked after my last lot of colour and bleach, and how it now looks after henna and indigo. While I'm a tiny bit disappointed that I couldn't get the bleached highlights to deepen completely to brown, I absolutely love the overall result ! I was a little scared as I'd only used my last colour and bleach about a month ago, but I was so fed up with my colour that I was prepared to try so I jumped right in and I love henna and indigo ! I'm definitely going to stick with it. I love how it feels, smells, and colours - it's fantastic ! I'm so grateful to you sabrina for introducing me to your product and for persuading me to give up on that chemical trash. It was amazing how the colour changed within a single day - initally the henna looked too red/orange but within hours it deepened to deep auburn and I actually started to like it, but thought I'd jump in and try out the indigo ! The bleached bits went a bit yellowy with the henna, but then got tonded down somewhat with indigo and as for the rest of my hair I love the shine, the gloss, and the deep brown with red bits underneath. This is an amazing product and I would recommend it to anyone even if you've just used chemical hair dyes or bleached your hair recently. Eternally grateful, Claire.

These photos were taken on 2nd January 2006 ( see HENNA HAIR COLOUR GALLERY FOR BLACK HAIR COLOUR, scroll down to black grey hair ). I wanted to show how the colour has built up and deepened since those last photos were taken in June last year. I'm totally hooked and I now regularly use henna which I normally leave in for a couple of hours or longer, immediately followed by indigo which I usually leave in about 30 mins to 1 hour. I use the colour roughly once in 6 weeks, sometimes once in 4 to 5 weeks. I'm really pleased with it ! By the way, my hair has been cut which is why my hair now looks a bit different ! Best wishes, and thanks for supplying an awesome quality of henna and indigo which continues to work wonders on my hair ! Maryam.

I opted not to use the indigo in the end.

I used 150 grams of henna mixed with the advised volume of lemon juice and water and which I left standing overnight.

My hair has been previously chemically coloured. Black ages ago and still visible on the bottom 2 inches or so and a burgundy brown in September which had faded somewhat and my roots were showing through (and the dreaded
greys!).

Henna was applied to dry hair (washed night before) and cling filmed and shower capped for 6 1/2 hours before rinsing.

The grey ones are a shade of red but I like this and there aren't what people would consider a lot (although I do!)

The after photos were taken in same spot the next morning when light conditions were about the same as in the "before" pictures (flash used on both occasions) and hair was totally dry.

Thank you, I will be ordering again soon. Kind regards, Dee x

Hi Sabrina,

Just wanted to let you know that I henna'ed my hair a week yesterday and I'm very pleased with the results.

I carried out the strand test the day before (due to me having coloured previously with Henne Colour) The strand test appeared ok, so I went ahead the next day and coloured the whole of my hair. I left the henna on my hair for approx 3 hours, then rinsed it out and applied the indigo which I left on my hair for approx 40 mins.

My hair is shoulder length and in the months that I had'nt chemically coloured I had a regrowth of about 2 inches, with quite a bit of grey. So, the result I achieved is darkish brown with mahogany glints along the lengths and coppery reddish shades on my grey regrowth areas.

Overall, I'm very pleased with the results. I found the henna quite easy to apply and not nearly as messy as I had imagined it to be.....and to be honest I quite liked the smell! Reminded me a bit of something similar to the smell of hay or grass. I felt like I was giving my hair a treat rather than torturing it with chemical dyes. My hair right now is glossy and feels really soft. I'm soooo glad that I found your website and was introduced to real 100% pure henna.

Many thanks Sabrina for all of the help and advice you have provided me with....and also for supplying me with this wonderful product. I will keep in touch, and I look forward to purchasing from you again in the coming months.

Take care and I'd like to wish you a lovely Christmastime and a great and prosperous 2006.

Helen

oh, Sabrina, thank you ! As soon as it was possible, I used the cassia on my hair, covered with a plastic bag for two hours while I cleaned the Cellar (we do that here in germany...) and, while it was hard to rinse out, the results are wonderful! For the first time in months my scalp isn't itching, my hair feels really soft and silkier than it has in ages. I used about 1/2 the pack on my thin, relatively long but fine hair. It did give a slight yellowish-reddish tinge that isn't ideal, but is relatively faint, and the overall effect makes it worth it.

When i get some cash I am definitely ordering from you!

love

Anne

Replied 6.12.05

Hi Anne

Glad you're pleased with the results ! I suspect you could have avoided the yellowish tint by leaving it in only half an hour or slightly over half an hour which is the time I normally recommend. But leaving it in longer certainly doesn't do any harm, and the yellowish reddish tint is simply reassuring evidence of the presence of the army of anthraquinones that fight for you and not against you like chemical based hair conditioners ! Most shampoos are detergent based and strip the hair of so much natural oil that hair conditioners are then resorted to, to give the feeling of putting moisture back into the hair. But in fact all they do - generally - is temporarily coat your hair with chemical residues which make it feel soft, until the next wash. The cassia obovata is a natural herbal treatment and damaged hair remedy that works as a hair booster and the results will stay with you wash after wash.

Go for a smaller area next time, like the kitchen sink maybe, that can be done in half an hour !

Best wishes,
Sabrina