The Product
A couple weeks ago I picked out a henna-based hair color by Logona Naturkosmetic at my local Whole Foods. I've never used henna before and had no idea what to expect, so I was super nervous to do it. Especially when I realized the 'Tizian' shade that I bought was on the darker end of the spectrum.
The Internets to the rescue! I browsed tips and tricks from Detoxinista, Henna for Hair and a couple others. I read a lot about additives and recipes and was quickly overwhelmed. Add sugar. Mix in hot coffee. (??) Watch out for metallic salts. Oil (or egg or yogurt) for conditioning.
Sounded more like a cooking lesson, one that I would most assuredly fail.
Well guess what! Logona has completely taken the guesswork out of henna mixing. Their product is pre-mixed, with all the recommended sugar, citric acid, essential oils and other great botanicals. Ready-to-go, out of the box.
If it's fool-proof, it's for me.
The Process
Wasn't much of a process. As recommended, I used a thick cream around my hairline and ears to keep the henna from staining my skin. I applied the color, starting in the back and working forward. Then I covered the whole thing with the provided shower cap and let it set for about an hour. The instructions said 30 minutes to two hours, and I read online that some people leave it overnight (!) but I was really afraid of overdoing it.
Can we talk about how NICE this product is? Not runny at all. Not stinky at all. Nothing about needing an advanced ventilation system to keep the fumes from causing an explosive reaction. The clay ingredients actually feel GOOD on my scalp, unlike chemical hair dye.
The Result
After about an hour, I showered to rinse out the henna. It took about 5-10 minutes until the water ran clear. A small amount came off on the towel, barely enough to notice.
My hair smelled GREAT. Felt good, too. And voila! I'm a ginger once again.
I don't love the color, but for a first-time result it's not bad. Part of my problem was hap-hazard application, and part of it was covering hair that essentially had no pigment to begin with.
But that's an easy problem to solve. The best part of this henna creme is that you can save whatever you don't use. The 5 oz tube (at about $20) would last me through at least 3 full-head applications (because my hair is so short), more for just roots. SUCH a good value.
I definitely plan to go over it again to shoot for a darker, richer color, as soon as I can figure out just how gentle this stuff is. Maybe even tomorrow!
I LOVE Logona henna and can't recommend it enough to redheads (real and wannabes). Why would you fry your hair and scalp with harsh chemicals?
UPDATE: I'm retracting my recommendation of this product based on its '5' rating in EWG's Skin Deep database. Too high for my taste. Other Logona shades have lower ratings, and I encourage you to try one of those instead.