Henna Hair Dye, Oh My!

Well, hello there!
Let's talk about hair today.  To be more specific, lets talk about hair dye.
I don't know about you, but I love changing my hair! I've had red hair (in various shades), black hair, plum hair, rainbow hair, highlights in various forms, and even platinum blonde!  And that just covers my hair color...doesn't even touch my hair cuts and styles over the years. 
Ahem...I might have a problem.
I love change. I crave change. And I figure with hair....it grows back and if the color is awful, then I can always just put my natural dark hair color back in. So, why not?!
I've truly loved the different colors and had so much fun with the changes over the years but you know what I always discover....I actually love my natural hair color the best.
Go figure..the color that my Creator gave to me.
So, I always end up going back to that.  Silly me.
Alas, fast forward a few years (ahem) and here I am simply wanting something healthy and sustainable to keep my natural color looking pretty and without gray.
Yup.
Gray.
Good grief...how did I get here?!
Those stubborn, determined little grayish white hairs have been making an appearance over the last few months and let's just say, I am not a fan.
My son walked by the bathroom door not long ago and caught me with my weapon in hand (tweezers), right in the middle of a full on war against the gray team.  Though I suppose plucking them out one by one as they appear is not the best long term plan.
Insert Henna.
I have always wanted to try Henna hair color because I truly truly dislike the chemicals in the hair color.  I've made great efforts over the last several years to rid of the chemicals that go into my body and on my body and hair color is the last biggie to go.
I've had this Henna since Christmas.  Every time I began to read up on it online, I was left totally freaked out and intimidated by other blogs and reviews on the whole process.
But, in true Jenny style, I decided on a whim the other day that I was just going to do it and so I did.

So, the henna powder is green...and mud-like once you mix it...and smells very earthy, but that part works in my favor because I love that.  It may not, however, work in anyone else's favor around me.

I used a product called Rainbow Henna, in dark brown.  Be careful to read the ingredients when purchasing henna hair color, just like anything else, some products have added ingredients that aren't that great for you.  This one is simply henna and indigo powder.  Henna itself gives beautiful red tones but when indigo is added, you end up with a beautiful dark brown.
I added copper highlights to my hair a few weeks before doing Henna because I wanted the highlights to show through the henna to give my color some depth.  And it worked!
The cool thing about Henna hair color is that not only is it incredibly healthy for your hair, it is not harmful to your body at all AND you have all of these fun options!

Henna Add in's:
-mix with strong brewed coffee instead of water to deepen your brown tones
-mix with red fruit tea instead of water for more red tones
-mix in cinnamon powder for more auburn tones throughout
-mix in ginger to help with the earthy smell
-mix in an egg, yogurt, or coconut oil to help deep condition your hair even more
-mix in Apple Cider Vinegar to help the henna give your gray hairs better coverage

You mix the henna in a plastic bowl with your liquid of choice until its creamy like yogurt.  Then apply using a hair color brush or your hands...wear gloves!

I used brewed coffee in place of water and added some cinnamon and apple cider vinegar,

I sectioned my hair, put on some gloves, and just used my hands to saturate my hair with the henna goop.
Then, you wrap your hair in plastic wrap, followed by a plastic grocery bag. This keeps the heat in and allows your color to set.
I kept mine on for about an hour, maybe a tad bit longer.

Then, looking all stylish, set your timer and go about your business, ignoring the many clever comments from your children.

Times up!

It's now or never...

Heck yeah! My natural color, with pretty auburn highlights throughout and my hair is silky soft!  Seriously, it made my hair look and feel so healthy.

Ladies, I will be using Henna a lot in the future. It will now be my go to and I can't wait for Fall to try some more red tones mixed in!

The one jar I purchased was less than $20 on Amazon and it will get me 2-4 more color jobs before it's gone!  Say whaaaaaaat???!!!!

Oh, and ignore the scary stories of henna all over your bathroom and staining everything in sight! unless you're just slinging the henna loaded hair color brush around like a crazy person, then I'm not quite sure how that happens.

I didn't cover everything in sight. I just wore an old t-shirt and headed to the bathroom counter and mirror.  That's it.

Now, go get you some!