General Questions
Yes. The pigments and herbs selected are time-proven and effective on all hair types: Caucasian, African, Asian, Straight, Curly, Frizzy, Beardy, Thick, or Thin Hair. The pigments react to the biological ingredient found in all hair: Keratin (protein).
Pure henna is only red (with variations ranging from red-orange to auburn to deep red depending on source region).
Henna Color Lab™ sells pure henna hair dyes and henna herbal dyes. Henna herbals are a blend of pure henna (as the foundation) and a mix of other natural, time-proven, hard working herbs, fruits, and plant elements. From Amla to Indigo, the additional ingredients allow us to mix and match nature’s plant-based color wheel and get you Natural shades in a spectrum of great, organic, all natural colors.
Safe to Mix: you can mix among the 10+ henna herbals to keep you inspired for a lifetime. Add a Tbsp of Indigo to darken any existing color a shade, or add some additional Henna to bring in more red—completely Safe, Fun, & Awesome.
Note: always speak first to your doctor or healthcare specialist before you apply henna if you have cancer, are being treated for cancer, or are a cancer survivor on cancer-treatment medications. That being said, henna is a great natural alternative for the individual looking to steer clear of nasty chemicals and keep all toxins out of their system. A terrible fact is that many traditional synthetic hair dyes do contain nasty chemicals that have been linked to the development of certain cancers. Our products contain NO irritating, synthetic chemicals. All plant-based, organic, and natural.
Note: always speak first to your doctor or pediatrician before you apply henna if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. That being said, henna has been used for pregnancy body art for thousands of years. The pregnant figure, the rounding, developing bellies, are regularly painted with body art henna in India and the Middle East. And have been for thousands of years. Unless you have specific allergies to henna-based products, dyeing your hair while pregnant will cause zero problems. There are No harsh, noxious chemicals like traditional, conventional hair dyes. All plant-based, organic, and natural.
This depends. The first few showers post application may have some washout, it’s normal until you shampoo for the first time, and that’s similar to retail chemical brands. Other factors are more specific: application process, existing hair health, previous coloring procedures, and so on. Healthy hair will bleed very little after the first washing. Henna, Indigo and the accompanying herbs like to bind to healthy hair proteins, on smooth naturally lubricated shafts of hair. If you have damaged hair, ravaged by chemical processes—prior to your henna treatment, then you may have more color washout vs. a head of healthy hair. Your protein(keratin, etc.) simply require more time to restructure and restore proper pigment retention abilities. Understand: you will still have pigment absorption, but it will take time for max pigment uptake. As you apply additional henna treatments, and as your hair breaks away from the chemical baths of before, your hair will bleed less and peak faster in pigment retention.
Tip: use old dark colored towels for the first few showers (as precaution). Henna & indigo can stain fabric, but most heavy stains will come out in wash. Straight, Pure Henna will have the least amount of washout.
All pre-mixed henna products (paste or liquid) contain chemicals and preservatives. Henna, once in liquid or mixed with liquids, reacts, releases its pigment and can quickly lose color potency. This can be counteracted by adding retarding chemicals and artificial dyes (essentially making it an industry standard, chemical-based hair dyeing product). Fresh henna/henna-herbal powders are the purest, most effective way to naturally dye your hair. They allow great shipping and storing flexibility—without compromising our (or Your) purity standards. After being seasonally grown and harvested, they are ground and immediately placed into an air-tight bag. Then foil packed to keep it from UV light & moisture. Every harvest date and sourced region is labeled, marked, and tracked. Beware of all “pre-mixed” henna coloring products. If they’re “pre-mixed”, then they will, they must, contain potentially harmful chemicals.
Body Art Quality Henna(BAQ) simply refers to the grade/quality and the processing procedure of the henna crop. Like produce (fruit & vegetables) or coffee beans, henna has a selection tier. And BAQ Henna is the first-chosen crop, selected for its hearty growth characteristics: deep red stems and crimson leaf-vein network—both ensure rich lawsone(henna pigment) content.
Fine Powder & Triple-Sifted: Additionally, these crops are milled to a super-fine powder and triple-sifted for best body art tattoo application; the fine powder enables easy passage through tattoo applicator and abundant surface area expresses max lawsone(pigment) release. These two benefits also carry over to Hair Dyeing in similar ways: 1) Finely milled powder increases surface area of pigment and enables max henna hair color release & herbal fusion. 2) Triple-sifted powder ensures clean, uniform, predictable application for pigments & treatment benefits. Our products exclusively use BAQ Henna; it’s the hearty base for all our colors.
Note: Body Art Quality Henna is a trade term that is abused often; there’s no such thing as “Better than BAQ Henna” or similar. These are simply misguided advertising statements that have zero value.
Keep in mind: We don’t add any perfumes, synthetic fragrances, or fragrant essential oils to our Hair or Beard dyes. We kept them out to let you control the experience (many of these additives are known allergens and cause adverse reactions—not what “natural product” customers want).
Henna, indigo, and all the additional herbs, have their own natural scent. All ingredients are green plants and flowers, so they will smell like powdered plants. Hey—they’re a zillion times better than inhaling the chemically strong, noxious scent of traditional retail brands. Many retail brands have warnings about esophagus and lung burn potential if chronically inhaled!—yikes!
HCL™ always recommends to apply without added fragrances. However, if the natural scent disturbs your henna coloring process, then you can try adding some all natural, organic essential oils*; fragrances range from lavender to clove to patchouli. Careful: add just a few drops prior to application as you mix your henna powder.
*some essential oils can react with the lawsone pigment release in henna (make darker stain and/or alter shade) and provide unpredictable results. Go easy and a strand-test is always recommended.
Lets clear the air, henna is red (with slight variations depending on origin source). Neutral henna is actually Cassia Obovata. Potent botanical remedies are harvested from the leaves, pods, and seeds of this flowering Senna legume tree. Cassia conditions the hair, and shares in some of the hair treatment qualities of henna, but it does not dye the hair like henna. It can boost blonde colors* and undertones, or stain gray hair slightly blonde; brunettes and redheads won’t notice a color change. Consider it a conditioning henna clear coat for the hair. Mix and apply to hair just like henna and henna-herbals. It’s excellent for a conditioning and shine boost.*Some gray & blonde hair customers order specifically for the light golden dye results.
Do a simple strand and spot test. Mix a small amount of the product and dye some harvested hair from your comb or brush. And locate a safe place on your skin (behind ear, forearm) to spot test the skin. Remember, make the sample the consistency of ketchup and wait the appropriate transition period to truly see the actual final product (48 hours). Skin problems/irritations rarely occur. If any should occur, do not continue with the hair/beard dye application.
PPD is short for Paraphenylenediamine(PPD); a chemical substance widely used as a permanent hair dye, textile/fur dye, dark colored cosmetic dye, and temporary tattoo dye. It can be chemically engineered in three different ways, but its really one chemical. PPD is primarily used as a component of industrial engineered composites and polymers: printing inks, black rubber, oils, greases and gasoline.
It’s nasty stuff. An industrial-grade additive that should Not be on your skin—ever. In fact, the CDC even lists PPD as a contact allergen. Exposure causes throat irritation, bronchial asthma, and sensitization dermatitis. And it was voted allergen of the year in 2006 by the American Contact Dermatitis Society (um, not a positive trophy). So try to avoid like the plague.
Sulfates are detergents (lather makers) used in many cosmetic products: shampoos and soaps. The main nasty to avoid is Sodium Lauryl Sulfate(SLS). Sulfates can irritate the skin and scalp with regular use. Many blame SLS for the rise in dry skin disorders and dandruff problems. The detergents are just too strong for regular use; they simply yank all natural, protective oils from the skin and hair. These detergents are used often in industrial products, and although they may clean the toilet bowl well at the mall, you don’t want them on your skin, scalp, and hair. Additionally, their harsh cleansing power just strips the color out of your hair well before its natural cycle. Use Only organic, plant-based shampoos (coconut oil, olive oil, & sunflower seed oil detergents) if you want Max color with Zero side effects.
Metallic salts are metallic compounds used in nearly all standard store-bought hair dyes. They’re sold as “progressive” hair dyes that blend and “look more natural over time.” These dyes are metallic-based. The colors are produced by a reaction between metallic salts and the sulfur in your hair protein. The metallic salts interact with the sulfur in the hair protein(keratin) and then turns the protein to the engineered shade.
Here’s the problem: metallic salts, aside from being chemical manipulators, do not mix well with any other chemicals. If you color your hair with a metallic-based dye, you will be limited on changing your color or adding deep treatments. The adverse reactions to other chemicals could result in hair chemically smoking/burning and potentially melting off. And these added bonuses: dry out the hair, damage the follicles, dull the sheen, and make the hair become overall brittle. Just stay away.
No, Henna Color Lab™ sells exclusively online. If we sold in retail chains our products would sell for twice the price. By distributing directly to you, we can cut out many middle men, keep costs lean, and still maintain a stable profit to keep sourcing high-quality, all natural ingredients. Most retail chains strong-arm smaller manufacturers with crippling NO-profit margins (online retailers too). As a result, many manufacturers begin to implement inferior, cheaper ingredients to drive down costs—simply to stay in favor with the big chain retailers. Invariably, the product declines in quality and the customer suffers—happens all the time in this industry.
That business model doesn’t work for us: We’re a hard-working passionate group that enjoys creating great products that we personally use and can be super proud to sell. So, unfortunately you can’t find us in your local retail store, but we strive to make your online experience as swell as possible. Our daily goal is to improve (in ALL aspects of the business) one order at a time.
Henna Hair Dye
The Quick & Simple: Henna is a flowering plant that’s been used to dye skin, hair, fingernails, leather, and wool for thousands of years. It’s actually a tall shrub (small tree) and grows natively in the tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, southern Asia, and northern Australasia in semi-arid zones. India commercially cultivates the most high-quality henna crops in the world. Henna is also used for temporary body-art tattoos. As a natural hair dye, it dates back over 6000 years: Cleopatra, Nefertiti, and ancient Romans used henna as a hair dye. More about Henna Here…
Not really. If you’ve dyed your own hair before at home then this will be very familiar to you. Just read through the included application instructions thoroughly, or review on the website. The Consistency, Scent, and Rinse-out will be the three key differences. (1)Consistency: it will be thicker than your traditional chemical dye (ketchup/pudding consistency). (2)Scent: instead of reeking of noxious chemicals, it will smell like plants and herbs (strong & earthly while mixing, fades as you apply). You can add fragrance essential oil to the mix if desired; we keep it pure since many people have allergies to synthetic perfumes and they’re usually toxic poisons too—yuck. (3)Rinse-Out: our henna based dyes are powders. After mixing with water, they apply as a pudding-like paste. As it dries it will thicken (best consistency to administer all pigment & treatment qualities). So when you rinse, it will take a little longer than the chemical dyes. Use conditioner to make the process easier; just condition twice as you rinse-out. Other than that, it’s very similar—minus all the chemicals & synthetic nasties.
- Use quart size mixing bowl per 3.5oz packet(100g) and a spoon to mix.
- Cover any surfaces that may stain: untreated wood, carpet, fabric, etc.
- One packet colors straight, shoulder length hair (approximate). Thick and curly hair can require 25-50% more.
- Pour henna powder into bowl. Add hot, not boiling, water (approx 122º F) gradually to the powder.
Note: There’s no exact amount of water to add, just add little at a time to get to applicable paste consistency.
Similar to thick pudding or cake batter consistency.
Get the Full Henna Hair Dye Application Page HERE.
Application Questions
Not really. If you’ve dyed your own hair before at home then this will be very familiar to you. Just read through the included application instructions thoroughly, or review on the website. The Consistency, Scent, and Rinse-out will be the three key differences. (1)Consistency: it will be thicker than your traditional chemical dye (ketchup/pudding consistency). (2)Scent: instead of reeking of noxious chemicals, it will smell like plants and herbs (strong & earthly while mixing, fades as you apply). You can add fragrance essential oil to the mix if desired; we keep it pure since many people have allergies to synthetic perfumes and they’re usually toxic poisons too—yuck. (3)Rinse-Out: our henna based dyes are powders. After mixing with water, they apply as a pudding-like paste. As it dries it will thicken (best consistency to administer all pigment & treatment qualities). So when you rinse, it will take a little longer than the chemical dyes. Use conditioner to make the process easier; just condition twice as you rinse-out. Other than that, it’s very similar—minus all the chemicals & synthetic nasties.
- Use quart size mixing bowl per 3.5oz packet(100g) and a spoon to mix.
- Cover any surfaces that may stain: untreated wood, carpet, fabric, etc.
- One packet colors straight, shoulder length hair (approximate). Thick and curly hair can require 25-50% more.
- Pour henna powder into bowl. Add hot, not boiling, water (approx 122º F) gradually to the powder.
Note: There’s no exact amount of water to add, just add little at a time to get to applicable paste consistency.
Similar to thick pudding or cake batter consistency.
Get the Full Henna Hair Dye Application Page HERE.
This is very normal immediately after the coloring process.
The pigments are awaiting entry into the hair protein & to oxidize—performs both at varying rates.
NOTE: Your base color will setup immediately & be lovely. Undertones/highlights will transition longer.
CONSIDER: Henna and Henna-Herbals need(s) time to oxidize and settle into the hair shaft. This absorption process can take 12-24 hours and peaks at 48 hours (that’s why NO shampoo after coloring). During this transition period, the pigments oxidize with the air and hair elements to express your deepest unique color. Everybody will express their own henna color (slight, but unique variations). Many factors dictate: (1)Current hair-shaft health, (2)Quality of application, (3)Time left on hair, (4)Minerals in water & hair, (5)Temperature. After it completes the 48 hour transition, you’ll be super pleased (and amazed) by these natural, hard working pigments. And remember, color and hair health only improve with each additional application.
Please Note: Your hair will be ready to hit the town immediately after your application. The base color will be applied and gorgeous. You may simply have slight transitioning undertones or highlights. Most highlights & undertones transition and blend within hours on healthy hair. Simply allow 48 hours for best color maturity.
One week is advised ideally after using Hair Treatment Henna or Cassia Obovata hair treatments. Both treatments have Ayurvedic botanicals that can linger on the shafts of hair for a few days. They continue to nourish and restore the hair during that interval, but may inhibit proper henna-pigment uptake if you try to color too soon. One week and a couple shampoos should be adequate to remove remaining (hard-working) treatment herbs and have freshly prepped hair for color. Note: Amla and Shikakai treatments won’t require a week between; best to allow 24 to 48 hours after their use before coloring.
Root Coverage. Be sure to get down to the roots of your hair as you color (this is common for all hair coloring practices). Henna has a thicker consistency than chemical dyes, less runny, and may require a little more attention to ensure that it’s touching and coloring all hair on the scalp. You want it there too—henna conditions the scalp while it colors. Detoxes the follicle-root junction and nourishes the scalp…so massage it deep to the scalp—go heavy, it’s worth it all around for color richness & treatment benefits. A hair coloring brush will definitely assist with roots, but is not paramount for quality henna hair application.
The best way to prevent staining is to apply either lip balm or petroleum jelly around your hairline and neck. Then coat back and top of ears. Just a light application is needed and it will keep the henna from absorbing into the skin. Most stains will fade within 8-12 hours. *as long as you promptly wipe off all excess henna, you shouldn’t have any skin staining.
Easiest way is just time. Most light stains will fade by morning, but if you have a deep, dark stain (you left skin fully exposed and immersed in henna) well, you can only really speed up the fade time by applying nature oils (coconut, olive). They may help fade the stain faster and along with some direct exposure to UV(sun) light. Best advice: wash up very well after finishing hair application. If it stays on the skin for too long, it’s simply going to stain (for a few days in worst case[full exposure & left on skin for 2 hours]).
*The Pure Henna will stain longer (up to 2 weeks). Just wash up well to avoid.
Henna Beard Dye
Quick answer—Yep! Gentle, safe, and all natural.
Super-sensitive skin? The best practice is to spot test prior to application—no matter how pure the ingredients. Apply a small amount behind the ear or neck with a cotton swab. Wait 10 minutes. Observe results. Reactions to henna dyes are very rare.
If no adverse reaction, proceed with full application. And have confidence, it will actually nourish and mildly exfoliate the skin while it colors the whiskers—it only contains our proprietary Henna/Indigo/Herbal fusion. You’re in good hands.
We appreciate gents that like it simple & direct. Below is a recommended program to keep your beardy-face proper.
Many guys perform a “Thursday Night Ritual” (keeps you Weekend-Ready).
- come home from work Thursday evening.
- mix up a quick batch of HCL™ beard dye after eating dinner.
- apply to beard, goatee, or mustache (and/or hair).
- watch 30-60* minutes of favorite Sporting Program. *60 min for initial application
- shower before bed (NO soap on face, just warm water).
- wake up Friday morning and resume normal washing routine.
You’re now Weekend-Ready & all set for a full week of Beardy-Awesomeness!
Coverage. You have to cover all the whiskers for the full application term. If it’s not covered, it will not get color…it’s that simple. So, take your time, and apply to all the tricky spots. Use a combo of your gloved hand and a fine-toothed comb. If in doubt, apply more product.
*Super stubborn gray whiskers? Consider two back-back applications initially (Two 30 min treatments each).
No, most will be gone with your initial rinse. And then any trace will wash off easily when you shower (or wash face with soap).
Consider: We don’t add any synthetic perfumes to our products (many are known toxins & allergens). All HCL™ products are unscented—just the natural plants, flowers, and herbs that are crushed and milled. Hey, they’re a zillion times better than the chemical alternatives (many retail brands have warnings about esophagus and lung burn potential if chronically inhaled—Yikes!)
No, you should be fine. An organic, natural product is always recommended to maximize and maintain best color expression. And be sure to wait at least 24 hours before applying directly to dyed whiskers.
Quick Note: most aftershave products do contain alcohol. And it can be a little drying to the whiskers (dry, brittle whiskers won’t hold color as well). So try to avoid heavy splashing on your beardy-parts.
No, after you apply the dye, wait set time, and then rinse, it’s locked in.
Allow 8+ hours(overnight) to mature the color, and THEN wash face as usual.
You can kiss, eat, and rub all you want without worry.
This depends on a few factors; average beard color duration is about 10-14 days.
Factors that determine color longevity:
1. Whisker quality (coarse or soft) and overall health (protein content in whiskers).
2. How well you clean the whiskers prior to application.
3. How long you leave the product on your whiskers (min 60 min first application).
4. Rate that your facial hair grows (super fast growth may require weekly touch-ups).
5. Frequency of face washing & products used (less washing and mild detergents increase duration).
The Best Practice: Make it a routine. A weekly application. 60 min for initial; then 30 min for touchups.
Beard Dye Questions
Quick answer—Yep! Gentle, safe, and all natural.
Super-sensitive skin? The best practice is to spot test prior to application—no matter how pure the ingredients. Apply a small amount behind the ear or neck with a cotton swab. Wait 10 minutes. Observe results. Reactions to henna dyes are very rare.
If no adverse reaction, proceed with full application. And have confidence, it will actually nourish and mildly exfoliate the skin while it colors the whiskers—it only contains our proprietary Henna/Indigo/Herbal fusion. You’re in good hands.
We appreciate gents that like it simple & direct. Below is a recommended program to keep your beardy-face proper.
Many guys perform a “Thursday Night Ritual” (keeps you Weekend-Ready).
- come home from work Thursday evening.
- mix up a quick batch of HCL™ beard dye after eating dinner.
- apply to beard, goatee, or mustache (and/or hair).
- watch 30-60* minutes of favorite Sporting Program. *60 min for initial application
- shower before bed (NO soap on face, just warm water).
- wake up Friday morning and resume normal washing routine.
You’re now Weekend-Ready & all set for a full week of Beardy-Awesomeness!
Coverage. You have to cover all the whiskers for the full application term. If it’s not covered, it will not get color…it’s that simple. So, take your time, and apply to all the tricky spots. Use a combo of your gloved hand and a fine-toothed comb. If in doubt, apply more product.
*Super stubborn gray whiskers? Consider two back-back applications initially (Two 30 min treatments each).
No, most will be gone with your initial rinse. And then any trace will wash off easily when you shower (or wash face with soap).
Consider: We don’t add any synthetic perfumes to our products (many are known toxins & allergens). All HCL™ products are unscented—just the natural plants, flowers, and herbs that are crushed and milled. Hey, they’re a zillion times better than the chemical alternatives (many retail brands have warnings about esophagus and lung burn potential if chronically inhaled—Yikes!)
No, you should be fine. An organic, natural product is always recommended to maximize and maintain best color expression. And be sure to wait at least 24 hours before applying directly to dyed whiskers.
Quick Note: most aftershave products do contain alcohol. And it can be a little drying to the whiskers (dry, brittle whiskers won’t hold color as well). So try to avoid heavy splashing on your beardy-parts.
No, after you apply the dye, wait set time, and then rinse, it’s locked in.
Allow 8+ hours(overnight) to mature the color, and THEN wash face as usual.
You can kiss, eat, and rub all you want without worry.
Yes. Your head hair will match up lovely with your beard hair. Henna-based dyes keep your natural highlights and natural color deviations (beard or hair). Beards generally come out slightly darker than the head, but they’ll match up great & look very natural—do it, you’ll love it. NOTE: Gray hair may require a few treatments for best color.
No. But, you can slightly adjust the mixture/consistency to fit your specific application needs.
For example:
1. Thin, sparse facial hair: May require a thicker toothpaste consistency to keep adhered for term.
2. Thick, full facial hair: Traditional ketchup/thick pudding consistency will work well.
*The goal is to keep all whiskers covered with the paste for the full application time.
This depends on a few factors; average beard color duration is about 10-14 days.
Factors that determine color longevity:
1. Whisker quality (coarse or soft) and overall health (protein content in whiskers).
2. How well you clean the whiskers prior to application.
3. How long you leave the product on your whiskers (min 60 min first application).
4. Rate that your facial hair grows (super fast growth may require weekly touch-ups).
5. Frequency of face washing & products used (less washing and mild detergents increase duration).
The Best Practice: Make it a routine. A weekly application. 60 min for initial; then 30 min for touchups.
Policies & Procedures
Nope. Henna Color Lab™ coupons are not case sensitive. Simply enter the letters, numbers, and/or symbols in the proper order.
An “Order Confirmation email” immediately follows your completed payment with HCL™.
A second “Shipping Info email” will follow after your order is shipped.
Order before 4p.m. PST (Mon-Fri) ships same day, after 4p.m. PST ships next business day. No shipping Sat & Sun.
You’ll find a Tracking Number within that second “Shipping Info email.”
Simply click the blue link following “Track Your Shipment”.
For Ex: “Track Your Shipment: 14uMWA!XOXO&THX!”
Your carrier info and delivery details will open on your web browser.
Note: Allow 3-6 hours for carrier dispatch details & updates to initially load (from time shipped).
Goods damaged in shipping will be replaced.It’s a simple process:
- Email us at: sales@hennacolorlab.com and note “DAMAGED RETURN” in subject line. Simple return form will be completed.
- We’ll email the Return Merchandise Authorization(RMA) information (claim number & return shipping label).
- Repackage the product, adhere label in correct location, and drop off at noted freight carrier.
When we receive the damaged goods, we’ll promptly ship out a new package (plus hugs & kisses).
Henna Color Lab® will assume all responsibility for improper address information (incorrect by our error, negligence).
Important! If the Shipping Address matches your order “Ship To” entry, we cannot issue a refund (products or postage). Customers must be accountable for address information and accuracy.
