Discover Enigma!
Henna (Lawsonia inermis, also called caca tree[1]) is a flowering plant used since antiquity to dye skin, hair, fingernails, leather and wool. The name is also used for dye preparations derived from the plant, and for the art of temporary tattooing based on those dyes. Additionally, the name is misused for other skin and hair dyes, such as black henna or neutral henna, which are not derived from the plant.
3 types of henna are generally use : Inermis, Alba and Spinoza
The henna plant is native to tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, southern Asia, and northern Australasia in semi-arid zones. Henna's indigenous zone is the tropical savannah and tropical arid zone, in latitudes between 15° and 25° N and S from Africa to the western Pacific rim, and produces highest dye content in temperatures between 35 °C and 45 °C. During the onset of precipitation intervals, the plant grows rapidly; putting out new shoots, then growth slows. The leaves gradually yellow and fall during prolonged dry or cool intervals. It does not thrive where minimum temperatures are below 11 °C. Temperatures below 5 °C will kill the henna plant. Henna is commercially cultivated in UAE, Morocco,Algeria, Yemen, Tunisia, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, western India, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Turkey, Somalia and Sudan. Presently the Pali district of Rajasthan is the most heavily cultivated henna production area in India, with over 100 henna processors operating in Sojat City.
The main constituents of the henna plant are fats, resin, mannitol, volatile oil, fixed oil, lawsone (a natural pigment) and hennatannic acid (a natural protein).
Henna has been used since the Bronze Age to dye skin (including body art), hair, fingernails, leather, silk and wool. In several parts of the world it is traditionally used in various festivals and celebrations. There is mention of henna as a hair dye in Indian court records around 400 CE,[3] in Rome during the Roman Empire, and in Spain during Convivencia.[4] It was listed in the medical texts of the Ebers Papyrus (16th c BCE Egypt)[5] and by Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya (14th c CE (Syria and Egypt) as a medicinal herb.[6] In Morocco, wool is dyed and ornamented with henna, as are drumheads and other leather goods.
Henna coats the hair with a semi-permanent translucid vegan protein called henna tannic acid.
Heat causes the tannic acid to cling to the proteins found in the hair (or nails and skin, if desired). Because henna coats and seals the hair shaft, it helps protect the hair from external enviromental effects of sun, salt, chlorine, wind and pollution in the environment.
In addition to protecting the hair shaft, henna will tighten the hair cuticle and create a more solid surface which reflects light; the result is shinny hair. The darker your natural color, the less drastic the change will be in your natural color.
Because the color from henna is translucid or 'see through,' henna cannot lighten dark hair; it will however, add highlights to dark hair and can darken the color of lighter hair.
also depend of how much density of white or gray hair the color will be brihgther
To determine what henna mix is best for you , a consultation is important.
Hair dye
.[10]Dante Gabriel Rosetti's wife and muse, Elizabeth Siddal, had naturally bright red hair. Contrary to the cultural tradition in Britain that considered red hair unattractive, the Pre-Raphaelites fetishized red hair. Siddal was portayed by Rosetti in many paintings that emphasized her flowing red hair.[11]The other Pre-Raphaelites, including Frederic Leighton, Evelyn de Morgan, Anthony Frederick Augustus Sandys, and French painters such as Gaston Bussière (painter) and the Impressionists further popularized the association of henna-dyed hair and young bohemian women.
Opera singer Adelina Patti is sometimes credited with popularizing the use of henna in Europe in the late 1800s. Parisian courtesan Cora Pearl was often referred to as La Lune Rousse (the red moon) for dying her hair red. In her memoirs, she relates an incident when she dyed her pet dog's fur to match her own hair.[12] By the 1950s, Lucille Ball popularized "henna rinse" as her character, Lucy Ricardo, called it on the television show I Love Lucy. It gained popularity among young people in the 1960s through growing interest in Eastern cultures.[13]
Muslims also use henna as a dye for their hair and for the beards of males--following the tradition of their prophet Muhammad, who used to dye his beard with henna. It's considered a "sunnah" and akin to something fortunate/good. In one narration by him, he encouraged Muslim women to dye their nails with henna so their hands can be distinguished as feminine & from the hands of a male. Hence you will see this tradition greatly in the Middle East and Africa where women apply henna to their finger and toe nails, as well as their hands.
Today
Commercially packaged henna, intended for use as a cosmetic hair dye, is available in many countries, and is now popular in India, as well as the Middle East, Europe, Australia, Canada and the United States. The colour that results from dying with henna can fall into a broad spectrum, from auburn, to orange, to deep burgundy, chestnut brown or deep blue-black. To achieve a colour that is more brown or black, the user must use indigo hair dye as well as henna. The henna is applied first, to coat the hair. Once dry, the indigo is used. The following factors determine the hair colour that results from using henna:
user's original hair colour
freshness of the henna
region of origin of the henna
amount of time the henna is left on the hair to process
whether it remains wet on the hair, or is allowed to dry
the amount of heat retained on the head during the dying process
In this form, it is generally mixed with herbs and perfumes during manufacturing to give it a pleasant fragrance. It is prepared for use much the same way that it is prepared for body art: it is usually sold in block form, and is used in the quantity required for the desired shade of red, brown or black. This will vary according to the user's natural hair colour. The henna is grated into a non-metal container (metal may chemically interact with the henna and ruin the dye) such as a glass bowl. Then hot water is added to it, and the mixture is stirred with a non-metal tool such as a spatula. Once dissolved, the henna is spread onto clean, dry hair. The hair should then be covered with disposable plastic wrap to hold in the heat and moisture, which help the dye to activate. Since any henna that drips will dye skin or clothing, many users will then put a dark towel or a shower cap over the plastic. The henna typically requires at least four hours of processing time before it is washed out. Once hair is dyed with henna, the colour will gradually fade, but it will do so slowly.[14]
HOW LONG DOES HENNA LAST?
its hard to say with exactitud how long will stay , it will be depend of hair porosity,shade label,type of henna,gray or white hairs,how many coats or how many times and how often you have henna done.
in my personal opinion henna stays with you untill you cut your hair even if is color is not as intense you need to understand that henna works diferent as traditional hair colors.
henna molecules are bigger and thas why it coats or stain the hair vs conventional colors
that usually molecules are smallers,peroxide open cuticle layers and then your natural pigment is modified from inside the hair.
henna can enhaced your natural color making it looks very natural.
you need to embrace henna for what it can do for you, i am amazed by the fact of it been a plant is able to make beautifull unic shades.
henna has limitations ,pro and cons.
Henna DOES NOT lighten hair
It make take from 1 hr to 3 average for gray coverage or even longer for brunetts shades.
Health effects
Henna is known to be dangerous to people with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency (G6PD deficiency), which is more common in males than females. Infants and children of particular ethnic groups are especially vulnerable.[23] Though user accounts cite few other negative effects of natural henna paste, save for occasional allergic reactions, pre-mixed henna body art pastes may have ingredients added to darken stain, or to alter stain color. The health risks involved in pre-mixed paste can be significant. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does consider these risks to be adulterants and therefore illegal for use on skin.[24] Some pastes have been noted to include: silver nitrate, carmine, pyrogallol, disperse orange dye, and chromium.[25] These have been found to cause allergic reactions, chronic inflammatory reactions, or late-onset allergic reactions to hairdressing products and textile dyes.[26][27]
Regulation
The FDA has not approved henna for direct application to the skin. It is unconditionally approved as a hair dye, and can only be imported for that purpose.[24][28] Henna imported into the U.S. which appears to be for use as body art is subject to seizure,[29] though prosecution is rare
Permed hair may be more porous, and thus absorb more henna than non-permed hair; the chemicals used in the perm may also react with the henna in unexpected ways. In addition, henna may loosen the curl of your perm, or the perm may remove some of the color of the henna. (If the later happens, the henna can be reapplied after a few washings.)
IS IT SAFE FOR WOMEN EXPECTING?This is not a dye, but we do not want to put ourselves in the position of a physician. So please check with your medical doctor first.
WHY DO I HAVE A GREEN CAST ON MY HAIR?
A green cast usually means that there has been an interaction with chemicals or metals.
that why i recommend a hair detox before any henna to remove minerals,silicones or any other coats
By choosing the right shade of henna, you can provide natural highlights, deepen an existing shade, change your hair shade or just provide the natural conditioning action of a henna treatment. Even those with gray hair can enjoy the coloring and conditioning benefits of henna.
1. Red/Brown
Henna: Lawsonia Inermis
Walnut: Juglans regia
Catechu: Acacia catechu
2. Blondes/Yellows
Cassia obovata: also called “neutral henna”
Catechu: Ourouparia gambir
Saffron: Crocus sativus L.
Chamomile: Anthemis nobilis
Rhubarb Root: Rheum rhapoticum
3. Blacks
Vashma: partially fermented indigo
Karchak: castor bean
4. Blues
Indigo: Indigofera tinctoria
Woad: Isatis tinctoria
It has been recorded historically that ancient civilizations dyed their hair using plants. Some of the most well known are henna, indigo, Cassia obovata, senna, turmeric and amla. Others include katam, black walnut hulls, and leeks [6].
Presently, there are some companies that do sell alternate based dyes for people that are sensitive to PPD, a chemical found in most hair dyes.
There are also said to be non-toxic safer products that avoid the side-effects of chemical based dyes. The safer alternatives generally have fewer chemicals or are plant based and do also have temporary, semi-permanent and permanent options. However, these products typically do not last as long as chemical based dyes.
Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plant of the ginger family, Zingiberaceae which is native to tropical South Asia . It needs temperatures between 20 and 30 deg. C. and a considerable amount of annual rainfall to thrive. Plants are gathered annually for their rhizomes, and re-seeded from some of those rhizomes in the following season.
It is also often misspelled (or pronounced) as turmeric. It is also known as kunyit (Indonesian and Malay) or haldi or pasupu in some Asian countries[2]. In medieval Europe, turmeric became known as Indian Saffron, since it is widely used as an alternative to far more expensive saffron spice.
Its rhizomes are boiled for several hours and then dried in hot ovens, after which they are ground into a deep orange-yellow powder commonly used as a spice in curries and other South Asian cuisine, for dyeing, and to impart color to mustard condiments. Its active ingredient is curcumin and it has an earthy, bitter, peppery flavor and has a mustardy smell.
Sangli, a town in the southern part of the Indian state of Maharashtra, is the largest and most important trading centre for turmeric in Asia or perhaps in the entire world.\
Cosmetics
Turmeric is currently used in the formulation of some sunscreens. Turmeric paste is used by some Indian women to keep them free of superfluous hair. Turmeric paste is applied to bride and groom before marriage in some places of India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, where it is believed turmeric gives glow to skin and keeps some harmful bacteria away from the body.
The Government of Thailand is funding a project to extract and isolate tetrahydrocurcuminoids (THC) from turmeric. THCs (not to be confused with tetrahydrocannabinol, also known as THC) are colorless compounds that might have antioxidant and skin-lightening properties and might be used to treat skin inflammations, making these compounds useful in cosmetics formulations.
Dye
Turmeric makes a poor fabric dye as it is not very lightfast (the degree to which a dye resists fading due to light exposure). However, turmeric is commonly used in Indian clothing, such as a chira.
Amla
The Indian gooseberry (Phyllanthus emblica, syn. Emblica officinalis) is a deciduous tree of the Euphorbiaceae family. It is known for its edible fruit of the same name.
Common names of this tree include amalaka in Sanskrit, amla (आँवला) in Hindi, amlaki (আমলকী) in Bengali, and amala in Nepal Bhasa
Indian gooseberry has undergone preliminary research, demonstrating in vitro antiviral and antimicrobial properties.[4] Experimental preparations of leaves, bark or fruit have shown potential efficacy against laboratory models of disease, such as for inflammation, cancer, age-related renal disease, and diabetes.[5][6][7
A human pilot study demonstrated reduction of blood cholesterol levels in both normal and hypercholesterolemic men.[8]
Although fruits are reputed to contain high amounts of ascorbic acid (vitamin C),[9] the specific contents are disputed and the overall antioxidant strength of amla may derive instead from its high density of tannins and other poly phenols.[10] The fruit also contains flavonoids, kaempferol, ellagic acid and Gallic acid.
Popularly used in inks, shampoos and hair oils, the high tannin content of Indian gooseberry fruit serves as a mordant for fixing dyes in fabrics.[22] Amla shampoos and hair oil are traditionally believed to nourish the hair and scalp and prevent premature grey hair.[citation needed]
In Hinduism, amla is regarded as a sacred tree worshipped as Mother Earth.
Juglans nigra, commonly known as black walnut or American walnut
is a tree species native to eastern North America. It grows mostly alongside rivers, from southern Ontario, Canada west to southeast South Dakota, south to Georgia, northern Florida and southwest to central Texas.
The extraction of the kernel from the fruit of the Black Walnut is difficult. The shell is covered by a thick husk that exudes a dark, staining, strong-smelling juice. The juice will often be a yellow brown at first, then rapidly assume a deep black-green color upon exposure to the air. The shell often protrudes into the meat, so that whole kernels often cannot be obtained.
Indigofera tinctoria bears the common name true indigo. The plant was one of the original sources of indigo dye. It has been naturalized to tropical and temperate Asia, as well as parts of Africa, but its native habitat is unknown since it has been in cultivation worldwide for many centuries. Today most dye is synthetic, but dye from I. tinctoria is still available, marketed as natural coloring. The plant is also widely grown as a soil-improving groundcover.
True indigo is a shrub one to two meters high. It may be an annual, biennial, or perennial, depending on the climate in which it is grown. It has light green pinnate leaves and sheafs of pink or violet flowers. The plant is a legume, so it is rotated into fields to improve the soil in the same way that other legume crops such as alfalfa and beans are.
Dye is obtained from the processing of the plant's leaves. They are soaked in water and fermented in order to convert the glycoside indican naturally present in the plant to the blue dye indigotin. The precipitate from the fermented leaf solution is mixed with a strong base such as lye, pressed into cakes, dried, and powdered. The powder is then mixed with various other substances to produce different shades of blue and purple.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigofera_tinctoria"
HENNA
Henna, Lawsonia inermis, produces a red-orange dye molecule, lawsone. This molecule has an affinity for bonding with protein, and thus has been used to dye skin, hair, fingernails, leather, silk and wool. Henna's indigenous zone is the tropical savannah and tropical arid zone, in latitudes between 15° and 25° N and S from Africa to the western Pacific rim, and produces highest dye content in temperatures between 35°C and 45°C. It does not thrive where minimum temperatures are below 11°C. Temperatures below 5°C will kill the henna plant. The dye molecule, lawsone, is primarily concentrated in the leaves, and is in the highest levels in the petioles of the leaf. Products sold as "black henna" or "neutral henna" are not made from henna, but may be derived from indigo (in the plant Indigofera tinctoria) or Cassia obovata, and may contain unlisted dyes and chemicals.[3]
Henna is commercially cultivated in western India, Pakistan, Morocco, Yemen, Iran, Afghanistan, Somalia, Sudan and Libya. Presently the Pali district of Rajasthan is the most heavily cultivated henna production area in India, with over 100 henna processors operating in Sojat City.
Though henna has been used for body art and hair dye since the Bronze Age, henna has had a recent renaissance in body art due to improvements in cultivation, processing, and the diasporas of people from traditional henna using regions. [4]
The word "henna" comes from the Arabic name for Lawsonia inermis, pronounced /ħinnaːʔ/ or colloquially /ħinna/.
In the Bible's Song of Songs and Song of Solomon, henna is referred to as Camphire.
Henna for sale at the Egyptian Bazaar in Istanbul
In the Indian subcontinent, there are many variant words such as Mehndi in North India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. In Telugu (India, Malaysia, USA), it is known as Gorintaaku. In Tamil (South India, Singapore, Malaysia, Sri Lanka) it is called "Marudhaani" and is used as ground fresh leaves rather than as dried powder. It is used in various festivals and celebrations and used by women and children. It is left on overnight and will last one month or more depending on the plant and how well it was ground and how long it is left on.
Henna has many traditional and commercial uses, the most common being as a dye for hair, skin and fingernails, as a dye and preservative for leather and cloth, and as an anti-fungal.[5] Henna was used as a hair dye in Indian court records around 400 CE,[6] in Rome during the Roman Empire, and in Spain during Convivienca.[7] It was listed in the medical texts of the Ebers Papyrus (16th c BCE Egypt)[8] and by Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya (14th c CE (Syria and Egypt) as a medicinal herb.[9] In Morocco, wool is dyed and ornamented with henna, as are drumheads and other leather goods. Henna will repel some insect pests and mildew.
The United States Food and Drug Administration has not approved henna for direct application to the skin. It is unconditionally approved as a hair dye, and can only be imported for that purpose.
Henna imported into the USA which appears to be for use as body art is subject to seizure, and at present it is illegal to use henna for body art in the U.S.,[11] though prosecution is rare.
The fast black stains of “black henna” are not made with henna, but are from
p-phenylenediamine. This can cause severe allergic reactions and permanent scarring.
No henna can make a black stain on a torso in ½ hour.
P-phenylenediamine can stain skin black quickly, but the FDA specifically forbids PPD to be used for that purpose.
Black henna
“Black Henna” is a misnomer arising from imports of plant-based hair dyes into the West in the late 19th century. Partly fermented, dried indigo was called “black henna” because it could be used in combination with henna to dye hair black. This gave rise to the belief that there was such a thing as “black henna” which could dye skin black. Indigo will not dye skin black. Pictures of indigenous people with black body art (either alkalized henna or from some other source) also fed the belief that there was such a thing as “black henna.”
In the 1990s, henna artists in Africa, India, the Arabian Peninsula and the West began to experiment with para-phenylenediamine (PPD) based black hair dye, applying it as a thick paste as they would apply henna, in an effort to find something that would quickly make jet black temporary body art. PPD can cause severe allergic reactions, with blistering, intense itching, permanent scarring, and permanent chemical sensitivitiesEstimates of allergic reactions range between 3% and 15%. Henna does not cause these injuries[27].
Henna boosted with PPD can cause lifelong health damage. [28]
Para-phenylenediamine is illegal for use on skin in western countries, though enforcement is lax. When used in hair dye, the PPD amount must be below 6%, and application instructions warn that the dye not touch the scalp and the dye must be quickly rinsed away. “Black henna” pastes have PPD percentages from 10% to 60%, and are left on the skin for half an hour.
Para-phenylenediamine “black henna” use is widespread, particularly in tourist areas. Because the blistering reaction appears 3 to 12 days after the application, most tourists have left and do not return to show how much damage the artist has done. This permits the artists to continue injuring others, unaware they are causing severe injuries. The high profit margins of ‘black henna” and the demand for body art that emulates “tribal tattoos” further encourage artists to ignore the dangers. It is not difficult to recognize and avoid para-phenylenediamine “black henna”:
if a paste stains torso skin black in less than ½ hour, it has PPD in it, and little or no henna.
if the paste is mixed with peroxide, or if peroxide is wiped over the design to bring out the color, it has PPD in it, and little or no henna.
Anyone who has an itching and blistering reaction to a black body stain should go to a doctor, and report that they have had an application of para-phenylenediamine to their skin.
PPD sensitivity is lifelong, and once sensitized, the use of synthetic hair dye can be life-threatening [29]. These injuries are not caused by henna, and a person can use henna as hair dye.
How do manufacturers of "henna hair dye" make all those different henna colors?
Boxes of commercially produced “henna for hair” come in a range of colors.
Henna, itself, DOES NOT come in a range of colors.
The only dye molecule in henna (Lawsonia Inermis) in sufficient quantity to stain hair is Lawsone , which is a red-orange molecule. Any company that claims they create the wide range of henna colors with 100% henna, using roots, bark, or other parts of the henna plant to achieve their colors is …… lying or seriously ignorant. Only henna leaves are useful for dying hair, and other parts of the henna plant do not dye hair other colors. Chemicals, metallic salts or other plants must be added to henna to make any color other than red.
These pre-mixed colors are compound hennas. If you buy a box labeled henna that claims to dye hair blonde, brown or black, there is something other than henna in that box.
Compound Henna Dye
This is a term that refers to hair dye marketed as henna, and is formulated in different colors.
These mixtures may contain additional plant dyes, may contain metallic salts, and may contain para-phenylenedmine.
Compound henna may damage your hair.
Metallic salts alter and fix a dye stain. Many “henna colors” are created with metallic salts. The most frequently used material is lead acetate, though silver nitrate, copper, nickel, cobalt, bismuth and iron salts have also been used.
Dyes with lead acetate gradually deposit a mixture of lead sulfide and lead oxide on the hair shaft.
When you hear that henna has “metal”, “lead”, or “coats the hair” and “leaves it brittle”, that refers to a compound henna dye, full of these metallic salts.
Hair bleach, permanent hair color, and permanent wave solution are a disastrous combination with compound (metallic salt) henna dyes. These can result in green, purple, or totally fried hair.
Some pre-mixed hennas have PPDS
i use 100% pure henna, indigo, cassia and amla without using pre-mixed "compound henna".
If there's silver nitrate in the henna you've been using, there will be no change in hair color, because silver is coating the hair. However, silver nitrate leaves a greenish cast to your hair, so you can tell by that.
If there's copper in the henna you've used, your hair will start to boil, the hair will be hot and smell horrible, and the hair will disintegrate.
Why do some boxes of "colored henna" have no declaration of ingredients?
Some countries where these products are initially manufactured do not have laws requiring the declaration of ingredients in cosmetics. So, they can put anything they want in that box and they don't have to tell you what's in it. If someone in the USA imports these mixes, they are not required by law to go back and discover what's in the bulk mix that was passed through customs marked as "henna", and they don't have to declare it on their package. This is how a company can have a dozen "colors of henna" from blond to black, and sell them without listing their ingredients .. and they usually do.
Many products labeled "herbal henna" actually contain para-phenylenediamine. If you're allergic to chemical hair dye and you use "herbal henna" you may to have an allergic reaction to the chemicals in it. The claim of "no ammonia, no peroxide, all natural" does not mean you're getting safe, pure henna.
You can add other plant dyes to henna to create hair dye colors:
Mixtures with other plant dyes with henna, to create other dye colors, are called “henna rangs”.
Indigo, Indigofera tinctoria
Is a plant that produces a dark violet blue dye, which we are familiar with as the color used to dye blue jeans. Indigo can be used with henna to dye cloth and hair from brown to pure black, depending on the proportions of henna and indigo. Though you can use indigo to dye skin blue, you cannot dye skin black with indigo.
Want to know more? http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/med-aro/factsheets/INDIGO.html
Walnut, Juglans regia
The leaves, or green walnut shells from walnuts can be combined with henna to create brown hair dye. Walnut dye is juglone, 5-hydroxy-1.4-napthoquinone. This is a larger molecule than henna. It is not a long-lasting dye in hair, so is usually used with henna. . Many people are allergic to walnut! Walnut is often mixed into henna powder for skin. It makes a very fast dark stain, but it does not penetrate as deeply as henna, and is far more likely to cause skin irritation or an allergic reaction.
Want to know more? http://www.uga.edu/fruit/walnut.htm
Cassia obovataMany “neutral henna” products are actually cassia obovata. There is no henna that is “neutral” just as there is no henna that is “black. Its dyes are anthraquinones, and also has flavonoids and resins” Cassua dyes a blonde-gold color, and “thickens” hair.
Want to know more? http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/s/senna-42.html
Catechu, Ourouparia gambir and Acacia catechu Catechu is from two different species, Ourouparia gambir and Acacia Catechu. Ourouparia gambir makes a yellow dye, and Acacia catechu makes a dark brown dye. These are tannin dyes. Extracted tannins from these dye plants are added to henna to create other various shades of henna, blondes, browns, and dark browns.
Want to know more? http://www.ibiblio.org/herbmed/eclectic/sayre/acacia-cate.html
Saffron, also called Sadr, Crocus sativus L. Saffron is used to create blonde hair dye
Want to know more? http://www.iran-export.com/exporter/company/sadr/products.htm and http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/med-aro/factsheets/SAFFRON.html
Chamomile, Anthemis nobilis is used to create blonde dye colors, but is not very effective or permanent.
Want to know more?http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/c/chammo49.html#com
Rhubarb Root, Rheum rhapoticum is sometimes used with henna to create blonde tones.
Want to know more? http://www.allfiberarts.com/library/howto/ht01/how_dye_rhubarb_roots.htm and http://www.rhubarbinfo.com/rhubarb-history.html
Vashma is partially fermeted indigo, and Karchak (castor bean), are both used with henna to dye hair black.
Some henna hair dye sellers have a range of henna colors
Others claim all the "colors" to be 100% pure henna, and that is simply botanically impossible.
The plant based "henna colors" are generally something like this:
This is the list of ingredients used by Henara, a henna hair dye company that produced various “henna colors”.
Their ingredients were published in “Henique” trade publications, and are typical of commercial all-plant henna mixes.
Natural red: henna Brown: henna and woad Golden: henna and sadr (saffron) Chestnut brown: henna and woad Dark warm brown henna: karchak and vashma Black henna: karchak, vashma and indigo
So, if you've been wondering how the manufacturers are coming up with "henna colors" ... that's one way its done.
However .....
henna.
Zizyphus Spina Christi (Sedr)
Zizyphus Spina Christi is a desert plant. The leaves were powdered and used to wash hair before shampoo was available. It leaves hair clean, shiny, healthy and well conditioned. It does not leave any color in the hair.
Zizyphus Spina Christi is ideal for:
people who have light colored hair and would like the conditioning of henna, but with no color change
people who can't use any soap or detergent to wash their hair.
people who have fine, limp hair and would like more thickness and texture
people whose hair needs extra protection from water, sun and dust
AMLA
Emblica Officinalis
Amla Powder
Emblica Officinalis, Amla powder, is tan, with an acidic astringent smell like a combination of raw cranberries and oak tree bark. The paste makes hair glossy and silky, enhances waves and curl, and leaves a clean, healthy scalp. Amla can make henna and indigo dye your hair a cooler brunette. When you scrub your face with the paste, your skin feels firm and tight.