You will (finally) have the answer!
When I chose to switch to vegetal dye, it was mainly to use products that were as natural as possible. So I started looking for henna, Moroccan henna, that would color my hair and above all be good for them. Only it wasn’t that simple because it’s not because the product is called “henna” that it’s 100% natural, it can indeed contain many chemical additives and if I chose to say “bye-bye” to many different types of colorings it’s not to find them by using vegetal dye.
In short, here I am again looking for the criteria to find the good quality henna powder! I am sending you today all the information I have gathered to help you make your choice at ease.
Discover the 7 essential criteria to choose your henna:
#1 A henna powder:
The best henna is by far the one in powder, neither paste nor cream. It is generally a guarantee of quality because it is (normally) pure and without additives. It can, therefore, provide better results for your dye.
#2 A henna BAQ:
If you choose a BAQ (Body Art Quality) henna, you will know for sure that it is 100% natural (and therefore pure). This henna is known as excellent quality because it has a very fine powder (sieved several times). This term “BAQ” is used to mean that it is a product that is usually used for body arts, such as temporary tattoos for example. Its powder comes from the top of the leaves of the plant which is the part that contains the most coloring pigments. BAQ henna is ideal for hair dyeing.
#3 A pure henna:
Obviously it must be pure without pesticides (from organic farming), chemical components, PPD* or other such ingredients that are sometimes present in black henna.
#4 Only one ingredient:
The only ingredient in your henna powder is “lawsonia inermis”, the name of the plant from which natural henna is made (and its dye molecule is called lawsone).
#5 Transparency on the composition:
The ingredients must be specified on the henna bag or its packaging box (if nothing is specified… mistrust!).
# 6 A green powder:
Pure henna powder is green, it must not contain anything else (no small red dots or other components different from the green powder).
#7 A long exposure time:
If you come across a dye (ready to use or powdered) that promises to dye your hair in less than 1 hour, be careful because there are certainly additives in it! Henna has a dye power that needs time to develop, it does not color hair quickly (unless you go to the vegetable hairdresser who is well equipped with heated helmets)
If your henna meets all these criteria, you can say to yourself 99.9% that you have good quality henna! I remain cautious because the 100% does not exist, there may be other elements of which I am not yet aware…
