Use Sage and Henna to Darken Your Hair

Don't you want to have dark, beautiful hair and eliminate gray naturally? Why not use Sage and Henna?

Many people view gray hairs as a sign you are getting older, even though premature gray hair can start showing up in your twenties. Some people embrace their graying hairs and wear them with pride, while others will go out of their way to cover, alter, disguise and hide their gray hairs.

When considering covering your gray hair, you will be tempted to go to your local salon or drugstore to buy chemical dyes, since these are quick and very easy to use. But chemical dyes are harsh and can damage your hair, so instead of those chemical-based dyes, why not consider trying natural alternatives to darken your hair? These methods can also cover your gray completely, while still retaining a natural look. Sage and henna are both used frequently, and are easy to find. Sage has been used for hundreds of years, and henna, for about six thousand years.

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   Using Sage to Darken Your Hair

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   Sage really works wonders when taking care of

   

   all those pesky grays in your brown hair. Using sage as a natural hair darkener is excellent, especially if you wish to achieve natural-looking coverage. If you want your grays to blend in with your natural hair color, instead of dyeing your entire head of hair, Sage is the solution. To cover your gray hair using Sage, simmer half a cup of dried Sage in two cups of water for about 30 minutes. Allow this mixture to steep for approximately three hours before you strain it into a basin. Once the mixture is no longer boiling-hot, simply tilt your head into the liquid. You may also use a cup to evenly pour it onto your hair. After you've poured it all over your hair, wring your hair out to avoid dripping everywhere, and fasten your hair up if it's long enough. Allow this mixture to completely set on your hair strands until it dries, and then rinse it thoroughly. Repeat this process as often as you can to achieve the best results. This is a slow process. Don't expect instant results from this method because it doesn't work that way. But with constant use, you can see your normal hair color return and your gray strands eventually fade within a few weeks.

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   Henna to darken your hair

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   Henna is probably the best type of hair

   

   darkener, because it will leave your hair in better shape than before. Henna is also great for changing the shade of your natural hair color. This plant-based natural dye provides you with a semi-permanent color and contains nutrients and vitamins that will help soften and strengthen your hair. Today, Henna is available in three colors: red, brown and black. Before applying Henna, read the instructions carefully. One brand will vary from another. If you want to completely cover your graying hair in just one step, or you want your entire head to achieve a whole new color, henna is your perfect choice.

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   Saffron

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   This is another natural solution, but only for redheads and blonds with

   

   graying hair. Boil half a teaspoon of saffron in two cups of water and let it steep until it cools to room temperature. Strain the saffron before you pour the 'tea' through your hair.

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There are lots of home remedies you can consider to color your hair. Why go for those hair dyes with harsh chemicals when you can find the best home solutions right in your kitchen?

When it comes to finding the best solutions for hair darkening, most people tend to be undecided should they seek a professional hairdresser, or attempt the coloring on their own, using natural method? Of the many types natural hair-darkening solutions, Sage and Henna are the best options.

Sage is a wonder herb and through time, has been recommended for the treatment of all sorts of ailments. It contains medicinal qualities that help in healing. Sage has a very sweet aroma and can help ease breathing problems. It can be used to dry mother's milk after she's finished nursing her baby. But in this instance, Sage is also a wonderful home remedy to return your hair to its natural color.

When using Sage to darken your hair, you can use it in combination with other herbs such as rosemary for darker hair, and calendula and chamomile for light-colored hair. Although these solutions won't cover your gray hair immediately, regular use of them can slowly help regain your hair's original color. Steep 4-5 tablespoons of powdered Sage or a cup of fresh leaves in a pot of hot water. Add two tablespoons of chamomile (for light colored hair) or powdered rosemary powder (for darker color). Simmer until the liquid becomes dark. Strain the concoction and keep in a spray-bottle. Make sure to refrigerate before use.

Before you wash your hair, spray the mixture from your scalp to the very ends of your gray hairs. Leave it on for about fifteen minutes and then wash your hair as usual. After weeks of regular application, you will notice your gray hairs beginning to darken. Repeat this procedure until you achieve the desired shade. Not only will you be able to cover your gray hair, but your hair will smell wonderful.

Henna is a colorant not only used to make wonderful temporary designs on your skin, but it's been used for six thousand years to color hair. Henna works differently than the commercial colorants you see in the stores. Henna is chemical-free and comes from the powdered leaves of the Henna plant (Lawsonia inermis). While a chemical dye penetrates the deep levels inside the hair shaft, Henna stains the hair.

When buying Henna, it's important to know it comes in several shades and usually normally the package is labeled in a similar way as chemical hair colors. There are will black hennas, blonde hennas, etc. Henna is typically red however, if you they use mix different parts of plants, you can achieve either lighter or darker hair color, depending on your original hair color. Apply Henna the same way you would apply any other hair color. Your hair must be sectioned for even distribution. Start from the roots, and then work your way down the hair shaft. After you have covered all of the sections, cover your whole head with the leftover paste just to ensure it has been thoroughly applied. Next, cover your hair with a shower cap or a plastic wrap and leave it on for about two hours. Now rinse your hair thoroughly, and use conditioner. You can repeat this whole process until you achieve your most desired shade.

At some point, people will have the urge to change and enhance their hair color. However, most of them are not willing to use those harsh and even potentially harmful hair-dye chemicals that are normally found in most color rinses and commercial dyes. If you are concerned about the hazards these hair-color ingredients present, you'll be glad to know you can still achieve results similar to a beauty shop products, inexpensively, quickly and safely.

With the use of inexpensive, natural plants and herbs, you can lighten your hair, darken your hair, add red, cover gray and add some highlights and shine.

How do natural dyes work? With the exception of more potent natural dyes like walnut hulls and henna, most herbal dyes work gradually. Meaning, you have to use the product repeatedly until you achieve the desired shade. Furthermore, there are also herbs and plant-based colorants that will work like bleach to highlight, lighten, and even cover the gray in your hair.

However, despite their versatility and health benefits, herbal infusions can really not match the strength of commercial preparations. At the same times as they are easier on your hair, there effects are not as intense as you might like. Also, herbal dyes are not permanent, so, like a commercial color, you have to keep up the process when roots show up, or when the color fades.

For more than 5,000 years, Egyptians have used powdered Henna to give their hair and their beards an auburn tint. Today, you can buy Henna powder from different herb supply houses and some health co-ops and food stores. Henna powders are known to be a safe and healthy alternative to chemical dyes, and since Henna dyes the hair by coating the hair shaft, you'll end up with hair that feels richer, thicker and healthier.

Red Henna must be used with care. If your hair is too light, or you have a high percentage of gray or white hair, although the brown hair will have a lovely auburn cast, all the blonde or white hair on your head will end up with an orange-red shade, especially when you use it without any other shades. Thus, it is best to mix the powder with some lighter herb like chamomile. One important thing to remember is that henna is very strong. Therefore, it must not be used at all by people. Blondes should avoid the read, as well as anyone with more than 15% gray or white hair.

It is helpful to conduct a timed strand-test before actually putting Henna on the rest of your hair. This will prevent you from ending up with weird-looking, bizarre orange hair like Carrot Top. You may try mixing the Henna with other herbs to change the shade. Measure two parts of powdered Henna and one part of powdered chamomile into a non-metal bowl. Add boiling water and stir into a thick paste. Add a tablespoon of vinegar as this will help release the plant's natural color, and let the mixture cool for a few minutes before you apply it. It should feel warm, but not uncomfortably hot.

Darkening your hair is easier, as there is less that can go wrong.

In Hollywood, it seems like black, or brunette, is the new blond. In fact, hairdressers across the globe have reported a sharp increase in the number of women wanting to become an exotic brunette. Ordinary women, professionals, actresses, and even celebrities, have become obsessed with darkening their hair. Among the trendsetters returning to their brunette 'roots' include Angelina Jolie, Natalie Portman, Penelope Cruz, and even First Lady Carla Bruni-Sarkzy, of France.

There are some important things you need to know before you dye your hair, even if you're using natural colors. Here are some of the most important ones.

People have been changing and enhancing the color of their hair long before the invention of chemical dyes. People want to darken or lighten their hair, or achieve various colors, highlight and cover their gray. Chemical dyes are harsh, and hard on the hair, and dangerous to eyes, and reported to be carcinogenic. It's good to know there are alternative methods to achieve virtually the same results, without the risks. Even something as simple as blondes putting lemon juice on their hair, and then sitting in the sun to lighten their hair...although too much sun will damage your hair.

There are a lot of alternative methods to darkening your hair. Unlike chemical dyes, the natural dyes are safer, less expensive, gentler on the hair, and are often reversible. Everyone's hair is different, however, so the strand test will let you know how your hair will react to the natural dyes you want to use on it.

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   Natural Henna Dye

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   Henna is an all-natural, semi-transparent hair treatment that can offer you varying results. Therefore, it is important to do a strand-test before you apply it to your hair. Henna performs differently on each person, and if you are adding other herbs, well, there is not way other than a strand test to give you a clue to the results. Henna principal pigment is orange-red. When using henna on your hair, simply mix the powder with some citrus juice in a container. You should achieve a yogurt-like consistency with your concoction. Allow the mixture to sit overnight at room temperature so you can use it the next day. Now you are ready to apply the henna on your hair. Leave it on for about two hours, depending on the color intensity your looking for. When the color looks right, wash your hair thoroughly and apply some hair conditioner. Henna often dries like clay, so make sure you get it all out before you condition it.

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   Coffee for Hair Darkening

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   Coffee can stain your hair and may actually make your hair appear darker. To use coffee as a hair stain, start by brewing coffee, ideally the darker blends, and allow it to cool down. When in the shower, just wash your hair like you normally do, and use the coffee mixture as your rinse, making sure that your repeat rinsing your hair several times. To achieve a deeper color, repeat the process many times. The best results are achieved when you have light brown hair that you want to be a richer shade of brown.

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   Carrot and Beet Juice for Darkening Hair

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   A great alternative for Henna when adding red and darkening brown hair is mixing ½ cup of carrot juice with ½ cup of beet juice. Just pour the mixture over your damp hair, leave it on for about 30 minutes before rinsing. To achieve a stronger color, repeat the process until you achieve your desired shade. To maintain the color, you must repeat this process at least once a week.

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   Identify your natural hair color

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   Identifying your natural hair color will help you decide where to start when you choose what ingredients you'll choose to achieve your desired hair color. For those with warmer base tones, you can easily take on different colors than those with cooler hues. If you aren't sure about your real hair color, go to a hairstylist who will be more accustomed to identifying nuanced tones.

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   Be Realistic

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   As they say, Rome was not built in a day! You can't achieve your desired hair color in just a night. Experts say that the more pronounced your hair color change attempt is, the more likely you are to have results that are ashy, brassy, and just plain disappointing. Go instead for subtle shifts. From your rich brunette, you can easily achieve a spicy cinnamon shade, provided you aren't trying for too big of a change.

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   Try on Wigs

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   Celebrities often wear wigs to make a dramatic change. You can also do this and try on three shades darker or lighter than your natural color. Hairdressers say trying on a wig that is close to your desired color is the quickest and most painless way of identifying if a specific shade is right for you.

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   Purchase more than you need

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   Depending on the thickness and the length of your hair, it is always a helpful practice to buy a few boxes of dye. Women with hair past the shoulder blades might need three boxes to achieve full coverage. It's better to have too much hair dye than to run out halfway through the process, as it may not be the kind of unique hair you are going for.

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   Find the Right Formula

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   For women with very sensitive skin, foam dyes are essential because the mousse-like formula will not drip onto your hairline or face. Hair experts say that women with curly or thick hair will have better luck with liquid formula or gel because these can easily provide full coverage and efficiently distribute throughout.

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   Stay away from pools

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   Pools have chlorine in them, and chlorine can strip away the hair color. If you are blonde, either naturally, or you've used a chemical color, or even a natural plant/herb color, chlorine is not your friend. Even on un-colored hair, chlorine leaves a greenish cast to blonde hair, as well as drying it out. There are special shampoos that get rid the green cast. Even as a brunette or red head, wait about two weeks before swimming in a chlorine pool, and always shampoo and condition your hair after swimming. This will then allow the minerals in the water to get into your hair shaft and eventually alter your hair color. Thus, instead of diving, why not just sit pretty in the poolside for at least two weeks before and after dyeing your hair.

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Sage and Henna are two of the most powerful all-natural hair dyes. Apart from their uses for hair dye, there are other amazing things these herbs can do.

Sage (Salvia officinalis) is an herb. The leaf is the medicinal/useful part of the plant. Sage is useful in dealing with different digestive problems like gas (flatulence), loss of appetite, stomach pain (gastritis), bloating, diarrhea, and heartburn. It is also considered good in the reduction of too much production of saliva and perspiration. The herb is also great for depression, memory loss, and even Alzheimer's diseases.

For women suffering from painful menstrual cramps, Sage is the solution. This is also ideal in correcting excessive milk flow especially during nursing, and is great in reducing hot flashes for menopausal women. For cold sores and other skin problems, Sage is applied to the affected area. A mouthwash made from Sage tea is really helpful for gum diseases, sore mouth, tongue or throat, and those painful and swollen nasal passages. There are also some people with asthma often inhale Safe to ease breathing. In food production, Sage is commonly used as a type of spice. Almost no turkey stuffing is made without a healthy dose of Sage. In the manufacturing world, it is used in fragrant soaps and cosmetics.

On the other hand, Henna comes from a plant that grows in hot climates like in the Middle East, Northern Africa, or Southern Asia. The leaves of these plants are harvested and dried before being ground into a fine powder. The powder is then made into a paste and used to dye hair, skin, and even fingernails.

When used as a skin stain, Henna paste is applied in specific designs onto your skin and left for several hours to allow it to absorb into the skin and stain it. There are different types of Henna plants although the most common ones are those in bright green colors. The skin will stain one of many shades of orange (light to dark), brown, red, burgundy, and nearly black. And even if you have dark skin, the Henna will still appear as a contrasting color. Like any plant, some people's skin is sensitive to Henna, and it might cause contact dermatitis. That is why a strand test for hair, and a patch test for skin is important before starting.

Aside from being used as a natural dye for hair or skin, Henna has long been used for years in astringents, antiseptics, antifungals, antibacterials, antispasmodics, antipyretics, antiperspirants, topical sunscreens, as treatment for eczema or sunburn, to prevent or mask foot odor, as skin conditioners and moisturizers, and as treatment for alopecia or hair loss.

Henna stains can last a long time, which make it a good option for most people. To get the most out of Henna, start by keeping the paste on your skin no less than four hours. This is difficult as the paste dries out and may start to flake off. If that happens, dab or spray a mixture of lemon and juice and sugar to moisten the paste and allow pigment to seep into your skin. You might try to wrap the area with some thin breathable bandages. When you remove the henna past, avoid getting the area wet for the first 24 hours.

Henna and Sage are more than just hair dyeing solutions. Learn more about them and be amazed by the many other wonderful things you can do with these natural solutions.

Don't use metal. Whenever you work with plants and/or herbs, never use metal pots, strainers or metal to stir the pot. Likewise, don't strain herbal teas through a metal mesh strainer plastic will do. Some teapots come with a ceramic insert to put loose herbs and teas in. This would be the easiest method.

Don't use chemical color or perm before or after you use Henna. You need to wait at least four weeks after a chemical procedure (perms and colors), before you put Henna on your hair.

Not all Hennas are all natural. Read the labels. Not all Hennas labeled 'natural', actually are.

Henna will stain anything it touches. You need old towels, and gloves, and shower caps, etc.

Red Henna will usually stain gray hair orange, so if you have more than 15% grey, you may not want to use Henna, because you may not want orange hair.

Always do a strand test before using Henna on your hair, and a patch test before using Henna on your skin.

How is Sage used with hair henna?

Sage is used with Henna to give your hair brown tones, and it is used with Henna powder to create Henna paste. You will need to make Sage tea to use it as the liquid that you will mix with the Henna powder.

To make the sage tea: You will put 2 or 3 tablespoons of dried sage leaves in 2 cups of water and let it simmer for 20 minutes. After it simmers, strain the tea to get the sage leaves out, and then leave it to cool down until it's warm. Mix the Sage tea with the henna powder, and then apply it to your hair. Leave the Sage-Henna mixture on your hair for 2 or 3 hours.

You can try mixing Katam powder with Henna powder before adding Sage with ratios of 40 percent Henna to 60 percent Katam for medium brown tones, or 15 percent Henna to 85 percent Katam for dark brown tones. You can also use Indigo instead of Katam, if you prefer.

I used a dark red henna color on my mostly gray hair to bad results - I've tried oils to remove some of the color - and other products - with some slight results. Is there any way I can just darken the parts of my hair naturally to at least reduce the bold redness that is coming out, which is very apparent? I'm trying sage now - but was wondering about putting a darker henna back in to help as well! Thank you for your time?

Please see above - as I explain it all in my question - thank you!

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Where I can order henna powder?

About grey hair, please give me a suggestion

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How to remove brassy (yellow) tone from henna dyed hair?

I am Asian with very hard to color hair. I've used Surya Brasil Dark Brown Henna Creme on my 50% gray & 50% black hair. After a couple of washes, the brown coloring on gray hair turns yellowish. I was told on some folks, yellowish/reddish tones can result.. How do I stop this yellowish tones to occur if I want to continue using this product. I was told once henna is used, no other products can be used on the hair. Please advise.. Thank you. Karen. I have tried: Nothing, I am fearful to make matters worse. Surya Brasil's representative suggested to mix the dark brown henna with black henna to tone down the yellow it is fading to.. I think it was caused by: I was told by Surya Brasil that on some people, the color stays true while for others, dark brown fades to the undertone color of red or yellow.

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