Lighten or strip your easily and effectively indoors in 24 hours. The trick is using two ingredients separately one day apart. You will love the results!
Since I started experimenting with henna in 2006, stripping it from the hair seemed impossible. In many cases, it gets darker after each application, or some get different colors due to different reactions from either shampoo, oil treatments, and worse, hair straighteners. Some people will use one shampoo, and everything is fine, and then another person uses the same shampoo with adverse effects. Most of the time, the fact is how porous the hair follicle is. While it is always recommended to do root touch-ups as needed instead of doing the entire head, some fall short of the desired color they are after.
The people that really benefit from the dark are people doing dark brown or black, they can do the entire head and love the darker results. People with lighter-colored hair do not have it so easily.
Experimenting over the years, I knew you could lighten your hair using lemons and sunlight. Spraying lemon on any colored hair and sitting in the sun is a surefire way of making your hair lighter, but what about a way with lemons and no sun? Who wants to sit in the sun for hours (unless you’re on a beach, of course) to wait for your hair to get lighter? I have heard Irish Spring soap, honey, chamomile, and cinnamon all lighten the hair color, but none were extremely effective.
With so many customers not doing a strand test, sometimes the color comes out darker than expected. I cannot say how many times I have said, “Do a strand test!” This is also the very first instruction on the back of the packet. I know, I know, we all are impatient, and I am surely guilty of this, but remember, the results will be there for a long time, and it only takes 24 hours to see what the outcome of the color you put on your head will be! When you are attempting the directions below, you might want to try out a small area first. I can tell you first hand some people have different types of hair and get different results. If you are like me and impatient, jump on it, and at worst, you can dye over it with some fresh henna hair dye!
This recipe came from a long-time customer, Susan, like many others, who likes to dye her hair a lot. In the old days, she would eventually surrender and go back to nasty chemical hair dye. Not giving up, she continually looked for a way to lighten her hair. Especially when she learned about EarthDye Ash brown.
EarthDye ash brown is blond on “light or white” hair and “ash brown” on darker or gray hair. She was determined to lighten her hair naturally and get her natural ash blond color back in her hair without using the nasty chemicals. The problem is there are thousands of ways if you search YouTube or Google, but as usual, none of them work. It’s kind of like the stop-snoring products that never work (by the way, I’m still searching) or creams that work for psoriasis and eczema (which I did find after trying about 100 that works called Oktas 1).
For the best part, we have each other to learn from and confirm our sneaking suspicions, and that is what has made me a believer when I saw a pic of Susan’s hair after she lightened her hair, I was stunned, and she was as well.
Please keep in mind if you have chemical hair dye underneath the henna dye, you will only strip what’s on top. It will not work on chemical dyes. Chemical hair dyes kill the proteins in your hair or beard and alter the color. Henna, on the other hand, binds to the proteins and covers your color. So, when you use henna for hair dye, it protects your hair like wax does for a car, but in most cases is very permanent.
Easy Steps To Lighten Your Hennaed Hair
You will need:
1 large bowl
1 box of baking soda
7 Fresh Lemons
Fill a large bowl with tap water and mix in 4 tablespoons of baking soda until dissolved.
Dip hair in water and let drain, squeeze out excess water in the hair, and repeat four more times.
Each time use a fresh bowl of water with baking soda. Do not shampoo or rinse for 24 hours.
The next day squeeze seven fresh lemons, dip or apply to hair and leave on for 30 minutes and rinse, do not shampoo for two days if possible.
Your hair should be several shades lighter. Susan reported all her henna color was gone, and she was able to start the henna process over.
Other Methods to Lighten Your Henna
Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
The first one that most people have heard of is lemon juice. The acid in the lemon juice will bleach the pigment in the hair, making it lighter. You will need the assistance of the sun as well. Do not use lemon from concentrate. It has preservatives and will not work nearly as well. Always use freshly squeezed lemon. Simply squeeze a fresh lemon in water and spritz it on in the sun. Lemon is NOT good for your hair and will more than likely cause split ends and dry out hair.
Do not use oil in your hair either, it does the same thing as lemon. The oil will make your natural oil stop producing and strip the good oil and leave your hair that is even dryer than what you started with. Use a natural shampoo without preservatives for damaged hair and scalp.
Honey
Honey is not just for dessert these days. The natural sweetener that packs an awesome sweet sensation to the taste buds is also used to lighten the hair. Honey can make sauces thicker while enhancing flavor, and when mixed with water or lemon, it will lighten your hair. Honey actually has peroxide in it, but only in small doses.
Expect to have it on your hair for several hours at a time, and you will need to do it over several days. Use a shower cap to stop the honey from running onto your clothes. Make sure you only mix a small amount of water or lemon. You do not want it too runny.
Shampoo your hair and leave it damp for easy application.
Leaving honey in your hair for 30 minutes is an OK conditioner, however, left on for a long time is not so great for it. Honey contains an acid like lemon and if left on too long it can damage it as well as give you split ends.
Did you know a tablespoon of honey has up to 18 grams of carbohydrates? It’s great for cooking, but not so great for infants, it can make them sick.
Chamomile
Chamomile has many anti-inflammatory effects if applied directly to the skin. It can also lighten your hair if left on for long periods of time.
Boil it up, add several packs, then cool it down, mix it into some honey or Harvest Moon all-natural hair conditioner, apply and leave it on for several hours. It can lighten it several shades over a period of time. Everyone’s hair differs. Camomile looks like a daisy and, not all camomile has camomile! So look at the ingredients.
So while soothing the nerves and getting the digestive tract back on track lighten your hair!
Did you know chamomile even helps reduce swollen hemorrhoids? Not the greatest topic we know. However, it’s not just for drinking these days!
Keep in mind it only works if applied topically.
Cinnamon
New research shows that cinnamon is a great way to lower blood pressure. We love this news, some research has also shown that cinnamon will help lighten your hair. Cinnamon might irritate your skin, but it should not for long. Mix 3-4 tablespoons with honey or Harvest Moon All Natural Hair Conditioner to make a thick paste. Apply to hair for several hours (4-12 hours) and your hair should lighten a few shades. Do it as often as you like to lighten or strip your henna hair color.
Before Lightening Hair
After Lightening Hair
I don’t understand the part that says “Each time use a fresh bowl of water with baking soda.” Does that mean prepare a large bowl of water with 4 tablespoons of baking soda. dip your hair once. and then prepare a new bowl ?!!?seems like a waste ? Maybe this doesn’t make sense right now cuz I’m doing a spot test first and I don’t need as big proportions. Does it make sense when you’re dumping a full head of hair in it ? I would still think you would have a decent amount of water and baking soda left in the pool after just one dip ? What am I missing ????!?!?!?….
Hi Natasha, you can always try using the same bowl, I would assume it is because baking soda loses its power quickly.
My natural hair has gone gray/white. I have been using a quality henna for many years and I have waist long, deep red brown hair (with bright white roots!) I want to explore my gray hair and keep most of my length, so I want to lighten this henna to a blond or my lightest gray tone. Is this possible naturally without damaging too much of the ends of my hair? Is there a natural silver product to fill in while I grow out my gray color? Or will I have to go with the nasty stuff?
I just finished rinsing the lemon juice out of my hair, and it looks a little lighter, so thank you for that! I’m wondering why I should wait a couple of days to shampoo my hair. Will it continue to get lighter over that time?
It should yes
Hi! Thank you for your post! I’m desperate to find a way to bring my hair back to my natural, dark brown color. I have henna and indigo dyed hair, and it is way to dark. Will this work for both? And will it lighten my hair that is not dyed also? Or just remove the color? Thank you!
It will not lighten natural hair or chemically dyed hair. It works better on hair that has been dyed months prior. If it is fresh you will risk fading the black to red. The black is indigo, the red is the henna which is harder to get out.
Does this lighten the henna to lighter shades of red? Or does it strip the color?
Hi, I have a very deep black hair, I have never dye my hair before. I want to try dye it and want to go with lighter shade but I don’t want to bleach my hair. I want to try to use natural henna to get that natural red color but from read several things, it seems like it will be very hard for my hair get any color without lighten it down. I was wondering if the method like this will work on my hair.
Hi Chetra, WE would need to see your hair. Black has many shades. Our dyes will not go lighter but you can use deep red and our red red (bright red) to highlight it red. It will show up, but even better outside in the sun. This will give you a cherry cola effect.
hi there! i’ve been using red henna on my hair for the past two years but would love for my hair (naturally a darker brown) to be even lighter now. after using this method assuming it strips the henna i’ve been using from my hair, would it be safe it have it colored at a salon once again or will i still have to wait for all the henna to grow out? (which could take agesss).
Hi there, I unfortunately did not do enough research before using henna. I ended up buying the bad henna with ppd and probably other metallic salts. It is called ‘Glory Henna’. Can I get it out of my hair with the above recipe? Help…I am so sad. I wish I did more research!
Hi Presh, I am sorry to hear that. I am familiar with that brand and had another customer asking what to do after her face swole up like a watermelon. She had to go to the emergency room. We are in our 16th year of selling henna hair dye and you can rest assured ours is natural.
You can have confidence with any of our products. And you can use ours over chemical dye.
“Each time use a fresh bowl of water with baking soda. Do not shampoo or rinse for 24 hours.” After that how can I dry my hair?
I would let it dry naturally or with cool air hair dryer.
Hi there, i did a dumb thing and impulse bought some crappy chemist henna. it reacted and with a hair dye i already had in and went green/black 🙂 (predictable now that ive googled it -_-)… will this method help me at all?
Sorry to hear that Laura. In the past 16 years, this is the only way we have learned that works on the majority of people that do it. You can try a small area first. and I do know who you are talking about when you say chemist, lol
I see I shouldn’t wash it after I rinse the lemon, what about a little conditioner on the ends to make it a little more manageable?
Hi Jen, I would think that would be okay
I want to lighten my Henna color. I have been using medium brown fir a few yrs and it is almost black now.
I’ve read about the baking soda- 4 time and next day lemon juice. My question is after dipping hair in baking soda 4 times do u let hair dry naturally or cover with towel or can u blow dry? Do you leave it for 24 hours covered in a towel or glad wrap or just dry it – ow dry?
And again after using the lemon dip, do u cover for 30 min and then blow-dry or let dry naturally??
Please advise.. I want to do this to lighten the almost black color I have. now. My natural is light brown.
Hi! here is a breakdown
Fill a large bowl with tap water and mix in 4 tablespoons of baking soda until dissolved.
Dip hair in water and let drain, squeeze out excess water in the hair, and repeat 4 more times.
Each time use a fresh bowl of water with baking soda. Do not shampoo or rinse for 24 hours.
The next day squeeze 7 fresh lemons, dip or apply to hair and leave on 30 minutes and rinse, do not shampoo for 2 days if possible.
Your hair should be several shades lighter. Susan reported all her henna color was gone, and she was able to start the henna process over.
After the 24 hours with the baking soda do I rinse it before applying the lemon juice or do I put the lemon juice over the baking soda left in my hair? And if one go around of this treatment doesn’t get my hair as light as I’d like when can I repeat it?
Hi Claudia, as per the directions, rinse after you do the lemons.
Hello, I have been using red henna for years and I love it but I just got a new job and they haves asked me to tone it down to a more natural look for the training in a few days!!! I don’t have enough time for the soda and lemons. What would you advise? Would a semi permanent dye work at all – as I don’t want anything too dark or permanent.
Thanks
Hi Jen, congrats on the new job! Unfortunately, the only way to lighten it is by using this recipe. You should be fine using a semi-chemical dye if you are using our henna, I cannot speak for them all.
Hello!! I have been dying my hair with Henna for three years and I have a very deep red color currently. I used to be blonde and I knew the risks prior to using such a dark henna on blonde hair, and I loved how vibrant and light the orange was! Over time the red deepened with each use and Ive tried cassia and sun to lighten and did not have any results. Would the baking soda and lemons be beneficial to my current situation or should I use a specific product?
Hi Payton, as it states (I would also think more hair more everything, less hair less everything):
Fill a large bowl with tap water and mix in 4 tablespoons of baking soda until dissolved.
Dip hair in water and let drain, squeeze out excess water in the hair, and repeat 4 more times.
Each time use a fresh bowl of water with baking soda. Do not shampoo or rinse for 24 hours.
The next day squeeze 7 ( short hair can be less) fresh lemons, dip or apply to hair and leave on 30 minutes and rinse, do not shampoo for 2 days if possible.
Your hair should be several shades lighter. Susan reported all her henna color was gone, and she was able to start the henna process over.
Hi there!
I’ve been dyeing my hair with copper henna for a few years now because since I moved to a colder country my hair has gone from dark blonde to light brown (i think exposure to the sun changed it) and I don’t like my new colour. Since then I’ve been enjoying having red hair (its a nice dark orange and it looks natural too) but I miss my dark blonde hair. I was wondering if I could dye my hair with a different colour henna to make it dark blonde again (I wouldnt mind if it was still a bit red/orange, as long as its dark blonde). Do you know if I can dye my copper henna hair with another lighter henna product? Will it work? What product do you recomend? And do you think the method for lightening hair would help me achieve my ideal hair in this case?
Thank you!!!
Hi Sarah, our colors will not go lighter. Sun will make your hair lighter, not darker. I wish I could be more helpful.
Does the baking soda need to be on for 24hrs before you do the lemons for 30min? Or is applying it at night, leaving it on overnight and doing lemons the next morning okay? When you said “the next day” I didn’t know if you just meant overnight or actually a 24hr time span. Thanks!
24 hours is good yes. It does not have to be 24 exactly on the money.
I am a natural strawberry blond. I had highlights a year ago. I just used natural red henna for the first time and there are so many dark brown almost black areas about halfway down to the ends! Helppppp!
That is not possible using our red dye. Where did you get it? What color did you start with?
I did do the strand test and got nothing. No color, which is what I wanted. I did not want to change my white/platinum blond, just wanted to do a henna treatment to improve my hair. Anyway, strand test done, no color deposit, did whole head application. What I got was carrot color hair and, like others, I had no idea it would not wash out. Tried stripping it with the oils, to no avail. Guess I am stuck until it grows out.
Very odd. I would assume that you left it on an hour for the strand test? Pure henna is for sure red, and it is extremely difficult to get out. What you should have used is our Shikapoo is all natural pure shikakaior All Natural Cassia Obovata.
Hi! 🙂 i have thick dark brown/black hair naturally and i have wanted to dye my hair a lighter brown colour for months, but I am allergic to chemical dyes. which way do you think is the best to dye my hair successfully? i am not looking for red tones but just a lighter, caramel brown. is it best to mix my henna paste with lemon or baking soda? and at which quantities? i would be extremely grateful to have some help! 🙂
Hi Zahra, our colors will not go lighter, no chemicals mean it is not possible. We can go the same color or darker. Wish we could help more!
Do you think this would work to lighten dark brown hair that has been hennaed for quite awhile and then chemically dyed?
I didn’t realize that henna is so permanent, especially after using monthly. My hair had gotten too dark so I but a chemical dye to try to lighten it and obviously nothing happened 🙁 If there is chemical dye over henna will this still potentially lighten the henna so I can get back to a lighter brown?
I’m sorry this technique will not work on chemical hair dye
You can use a sulfate shampoo (look into dandruff or deep clean shampoos) or a stripping product like ColorOops (not a lightener) to remove all of the artificial dye until you get you back close to your henna color. Give your hair a week after removing the chemical dye before and then use this procedure to continue lightening the remaining henna. That is the process that worked for me.
Thank you! I’m going to try this to get the last of the dark color out of my hair 🙂
What henna brand do you recommend
My root are gray. When henned they turn orange. The rest of my hair is coppery and dark underneath. How do I blend so I have a nice copper russet color
Hi, I would recommend the Natural Copper Head Brown, on your grays, use a darker color like brown, then the rest of it is lighter use copper brown if it is darker then use pure natural red on the darker brown and it will be auburn.
Here is a link to the natural red hair dye
I used dark brown henna and it looks black I would like a it much lighter brown. Can I put coffee in neutral henna to lighten my hair
Hi Karen, you will need to follow the instructions as outlined in the blog.
You will need:
1 large bowl
1 box of baking soda
7 Fresh Lemons
Fill a large bowl with tap water and mix in 4 tablespoons of baking soda until dissolved.
Dip hair in water and let drain, squeeze out excess water in the hair, and repeat 4 more times.
Each time use a fresh bowl of water with baking soda. Do not shampoo or rinse for 24 hours.
The next day squeeze 7 fresh lemons, dip or apply to hair and leave on 30 minutes and rinse, do not shampoo for 2 days if possible.
Your hair should be several shades lighter. Susan reported all her henna color was gone, and she was able to start the henna process over.
I have the same issue with the dark brown henna . I’m going to try those steps but if I want o get a good shade of brown/ ash not red what do you recommend
If you are getting reds and using browns it could be a few different things going on. Aveda shampoo will do this and if you are using oils in your hair or shampoo high in oils. Here are some other things to consider: https://hennahut.com/trouble_shooting/
Also, keep in mind henna hair colors do not go lighter. henna is also one color ” red” so if you are using dark brown then it is mainly indigo. From what you are saying the indigo is stripping out and you are seeing the henna. Here is another article on how to make your henna hair dye last longer.
Hi, I have been dyeing my hair with black henna for about four years and stopped about 5 months ago, I am trying to get rid of the henna in my hair and bring my hair back to its original color (medium brown). I have tried oil methods, baking soda with lemons methods, vitamin c with lemon method (which faded a few strips of my hair) but nothing has shown any good results. Could you please suggest any other ways I could get rid of the henna in my hair, thank you in advance!
Hi! The only ways I know of are the ways above, I am sorry I cannot be of more help. Did you try the procedure with baking soda and lemon etc? all of the steps from above It sounds like you have done different procedures.
Hi, in henna hell right now! My silver grey hairs came out orange. It was a cream henna application. A well known brand from France, called,”Henna Color”. The box says it washes out in 4 -5 washings. But that looks like it’s not true! This is day 3.. Only one application of the henna is on my hair..
I’ve tried the citric acid method with a citrus based non-toxic dish soap.. It worked somewhat. Still have a very long way to go. My scalp needs a major rest from that. I have course hair in general. Given my situation, might the lemon juice and baking soda method work for me? Not sure my scalp can handle too much acid for a little while. I’m nervous to leave the henna on for too long. Any suggestions would be incredibly helpful!
Hi! Pure natural henna will never just wash out in 3-5 days. I am assuming this was for Halloween? Lemon baking soda should help yes. You can also go over it with natural brown hair color.
Thanks for the suggestion and advice. TodayI a left some avocado and castor oil in for at least 6 hours. Then washed my hair with the non-toxic citrus dish soap. ( turns out it has citric acid in it). It seems to have lifted a bit more. I’d really like to get my silver hairs back to silver, if that’s at all possible, with the baking soda and lemon after a few tries? Have you seen that work? Just wondering where to put my effort.
I hope it helps! You are welcome!
I noticed that one person above had previously used peroxide on their hair, and one used a “natural” product that contained honey, lemon, and peroxide,. (Peroxide is not “natural”, even tho from reading your article I learned that honey naturally has a small amount of peroxide in it–but not enough to affect your hair to the point of bleaching it. Neither of the people who wrote liked the very intense henna colors they got afterwards, and you remarked that both of them must have very porous hair. Most likely it was the peroxide that made their hair so porous. Speaking from personal experience (when I was in high school!), peroxide can do awful things to your hair; I read up on it after my personal disaster, and learned it also dries your hair out worse than almost anything, leaving the hair shaft scaly and open, so it soaks up anything you put on it (it can turn your hair green if you swim in a chlorinated pool). Henna seals the hair shaft closed when it’s applied, leaving it nice and shiny; but that’s why chemical dyes don’t last over it–henna’d hair can’t absorb them–and why it’s so hard to remove a henna color from your hair. I know there are “natural”
hair dyes that advertise “no ammonia!” in natural food stores. But if you read the really fine print, it has peroxide in it! (That will make the dye last longer, but the dye mix would have to include an amount of peroxide that I don’t consider “natural” for use on hair, any more than Clorox.). (Btw, I’ve been using henna on my hair for about 40 years, and still love it! 🙂
Hi! Yes, you are correct! When it comes to natural hair dye, if it has just 1 chemical in it it is not natural. The person above was doing the honey and must have gotten confused and added peroxide. Here is a great tip that is good for your hair and will make your henna hair dye color last longer
You say not to shampoo after the baking soda dip… should we rinse after the baking soda?… or do we just leave the baking soda rinse in for the day?
Thanks…
Hmm, I would not rinse it if you can bare it.
I’m a natural strawberry blonde, and new to the henna world. I did one application of henna & my hair turned a bright, unnatural red. I was able to lighten it up somewhat with just using freshly squeezed lemon juice & sitting in the sun. Then my blonde roots started to show. I used the same henna color, but this time I added cassia powder to it & only left it on for a fraction of the time. After using the lemon juice the ends of my hair were super dry, so I thought I should pull the henna through to the ends for the last 5-10 minutes to repair them, which it did. My roots turned out more of the color I wanted originally, but the rest of my hair is still too vibrant. It’s a pretty color, but not what I was wanting.
I’m planning on doing the baking soda concoction tomorrow & the lemon juice on Saturday. I have some questions though…
When mixing the baking soda with water, do I use hot or cold water? After applying the baking soda/water to my hair, squeezing out the excess mixture, do I immediately make another baking soda/water mixture and apply it? Or do I let my hair dry, then do another round? After I do the 4th round of baking soda/water, do I rinse it out or let it dry?
The next day, after I do the lemon juice part, should I just rinse my hair or can I shampoo it? Sorry for all the questions. I’m just a little nervous about possibly destroying my hair. I truly appreciate any & all of your advice. Thank you in advance for your help.
Have an Amazing Night!
Hi Stefani! Use a fresh bowl of water each time you do the baking soda and then add 4 tablespoons of baking soda. After the last time and you can even do it 5 times, squeeze it out, and do not shampoo.
The next day does the lemons and leave it on 30 minutes and rinse. Lemon is not great for the hair, very acidic so I would not wait too long to shampoo after that. She said she would wait to wash it about a day or two later after she rinsed the lemon.
if you are worried then do a small area first! Mini test!
P.S, tip: when doing natural red or strawberry blond, you can leave it in for 20 minutes and shampoo it immediately and it should tone done quickly or the next day.
The Hanna I used was just pure henna with no Indigo.
My hair is naturally red but has faded over the years. So I used Hannah thinking it would give me back more of the natural color that I had. However it made my hair a very dark sort of burgundy red when my natural color was more of a copper color. I would like to lighten it using the baking soda and lemon juice method but I don’t want it to all of the Henna to come out. Do you think it will just lighten it up or take it out completely.
I would try a small area first as Ninjared did. If it works on a strand then do the entire hair. Some people have to do it twice. Pure henna is hard to lighten and depends on how long you have had it on.
My natural hair color is light brown, but I was naturally lightening it with a product containing lemons, honey, and peroxide. I then decided to go red and used a “bright red” henna dye.
It came out a nice light red and I was very happy with the results, but however I had to go over the roots – first I did it with the lightener – and then using the same henna dye. I did all of my hair however, rather than just the roots and the red has come out really dark. I’m not very happy with it and want it to be like it was the first time I dyed it. I tried the baking soda and lemon on a strand of hair, but it didn’t do a thing. Do you think this will still work after I dyed my hair twice with the henna?
Hi Ninjared, So far with everyone doing this it has worked on about 70% of the people doing it. I think it has to do with how porous the hair is. The more porous the harder it is to get out.
If you tried it one strand and it did not lighten it (by the way that is brilliant), then more than likely it will not work doing it all. However, I would give a few weeks and try again. I also think the older the henna has been on the hair, the easier it is to lighten.
Our Natural red hair dye is very bright. If you want to brighten it up.
I have been coloring my (mostly gray) hair with henna for years and have been very happy with the red/auburn shade. However, after a while I started noticing bands where the color would overlap and the ends were much darker than the crown. I didn’t think there was any chance I could lighten it. THIS WORKS! I was amazed with the results. I didn’t use it all over my head but just dipped it in the solution enough to soak the dark parts. It lifted the henna to a beautiful coppery blond color that blends perfectly with the crown color. Thank you so much for posting this!
That’s Awesome!! Thanks for sharing that!
How often can I do the baking soda/lemon process? I have been using henna for many years so I doubt one application is going to remove All the henna.
I would think twice would be enough. I would not do it more than 3 times, the acid from the lemon will probably dry out your hair. I would recommend going over it with shikapoo pure shikakai when you are done. Your hair will be doing a happy dance again.
Hi, Before I did the Henna (Medium Brown) which came out very dark almost black , I had bleached blonde hair . I don’t like the dark color because it makes me look too old . I just did it 2 days ago ,Will lemon and baking soda work to lighten the hair?
The newer it is the harder it is to get out. You can try a small area first and see. It sounds like your hair is very absorbent.
Is it also possible that I can get rid of this – this was the first time I applied henna and straight after my application I started the process of trying to strip it. I did put x2 box dyes without ammonia on top but after one week the red started to come through so I am now trying to strip away all the henna. I really don’t want to cut my hair as I having been growing it but would just like to get rid of all the henna.
Hi Zoe, your doing a ton of damage to your hair and think it might be not as bad as it sounds! The older the henna the easier it is to strip it, using this process, you tried to strip it immediately after, and if you are using browns it could have turned brown over a 24 hour period. I am not sure whos you are using, it could take several attempts because it sounds like your hair is super absorbent. Our light brown henna hair dye is more of a chestnut. And you are correct many pass up the strand test and it is very important, everyone gets a different shade depending on what color they start with. Once you go darker the harder it is to get it light again. But once again henna is red, so if you applied pure henna it is very very difficult to get out, your best option would be to go over it with brown.
So, how do you get rid of the copper henna? Mine did the exact same thing. I used a 2-step process: red/orange henna application, followed immediately by a light brown application to get the desired light brown shade – and the light brown was completely gone in 2 days (WITHOUT washing my hair), leaving a bright, neon orange, which faded to copper after a week. How do I remove the copper? I started with light gray roots, and light ash brown (colored hair) and only colored the roots. My goal is to have light ash brown hair, all over.
Whos are you using? Two-step sounds like henna guys, their dye is horrible, and more than likely you will just either have to let it grow or color over it and then use our ash beach brown on the roots as they come in. Red is very difficult to get out and the only way I have learned in 14 years is by doing the baking soda and lemon, which you can keep trying. Then I would recommend our Shikapoo natural hair conditioner to bring it back.
I have tried a couple henna brands to find the right one. Why do you say henna guys are horrible?
It is a very long story, the owner worked for the guy importing our product and went behind his and my back. Basically what he did was say he was selling my brand, but at a much lower cost and then would send his product. This also killed out reviews which I am sure he is continually doing so.
He is a cheater and a liar and fights dirty. There is plenty for everyone and I personally cannot stand a thief. He did pay back almost all of the money and maybe one day I will post his emails, however not worth my time, we are growing leaps and bounds every month and I have been doing this 14 years and supply the best product I can find. I actually wish him well and much success. I also believe in karma.
I noticed that you said henna guys products are horrible. Could you please explain what makes them horrible.
It does not compare to ours ( two-step process on brown), and the owner is a crook. That is if it is the same owner that started it. He was using our brand name to sell his product at a lower price and then sent his (bait and switch), he did pay back the majority of the money, but only because lawyers were involved.
With that said, he also worked for one of the brokers that handled our imports at the time and hooked up with one of our old vendors at the time. Long story short, it was the first time we used that vendor and that particular shipment tested positive for chemicals and was destroyed. I have no idea who they use at this point, but they lead pour business standards at the time and cheat the system.
After wanting to go chemical-free – I applied some henna to my hair one month ago. I was not aware that it would never come out. Stupidly I never did a strand test and my hair was red (I never wanted red) my natural hair colour is light brown and I usually have highlights. Since this happened I have tried vitamin c, vodka, baking soda, and oils and it has faded. I am now left with a copper colour and I really do not like it. I have applied baking soda as above and will try with lemons. Is it possible to have a nice light brown henna without ANY trace of red of copper?
Hi Zoe! You say you used henna and henna is one color – red, so this is a bit confusing. What has happened is you have stripped the indigo out and you are left with the natural red, giving you a copper effect. It is absolutely possible to use light brown and not get red as long as you follow our instructions (not sure whos you used) and not something on the internet unless it is our website or a color adviser tells you otherwise. Oils are the number one reason why blacks and browns get stripped to copper. Shampoos loaded with oils, oil treatments, leave-in conditioners, etc.
My hair is naturally a blonde, I used Henna sherry red, and mahogany red dye. I would to eventually go back blonde but I need help on making my hair lighter.. I just bought this purple shampoo to lighten hair, but i’m scared it may damage my hair or not look right. Would this be okay to use? Please give me advice and tips 🙂
Hi Ivey! here is an article on how to do it naturally. This came from a customer who has used our dye for many years. Depending on long you have had it on your hair will determine how well it works.
It will not work on chemical dye or freshly done henna hair dye. It also might take a few times to get it really lightened, people are reporting different results, but most are making it lighter.
https://hennahut.com/strip-henna-hair-dye/
Dear Havestmoon,
After doing the baking soda method than applying the lemon juice the following day I definitely can say I’m a shade lighter. I’m going to redo the process again and hopefully my henna hair will be another shade lighter. In the meantime I purchased cassia and indigo for my hair and am hoping this will be good for my white-ish drab roots!!! lol
Thanks Lois
Awesome! Thank you for letting us know! Indigo can make it very dark, so let me know what it is you are after to accomplish. What color do you want it to be?
My results after applying the lemon: It definitely, pulled out some of that bright deep red that I wanted gone. My goal is to get back to more of the light strawberry red/orange family. Right now It is more of a copper red which, is pretty however, the frame of my face is, where the highlights are are a light bright orange and I’m not happy with that. And, of course I still have have my drabby roots to deal with after I’m comfortable with the rest of my hair.
I just shaved down my cinnamon sticks to try it with the honey method but, hv2 hi to the store for honey first. That in the meantime I could do another round of baking soda and water and wait till tomorrow to do honey method.
Thank you,
Lois
What’s the results? Did it work?
It works on the majority of people that do it. Just keep in mind it does not work on chemical hair dye.
I tried this, following the directions exactly to lighten light red henna and it made no difference!
Pure henna will be harder to reduce the color because the dye molecule is so small. It is working better on browns, other reds, and indigo.
Hello Hennahut, Harvest Moon and Susan!
Thought I’d share my thoughts with you after trying to lighten my dark red hennaed hair. First I should mention I am a real redhead and throughout my life, I did box colors and went to salons and had various blonde highlights added or shades of reds added b4 learning to do my own professionally done. About six years ago I came in contact with a bacterial infection and left me allergic to most things so I use chemical-free everything! I was super pumped to discover Henna. I love it and perfected. My hardest thing to maintain is my drabby roots! Nonetheless, many deal with it! Lol, This last henna I did was deep red and called for dark brewed coffee otherwise, water. I was out of coffee so, I use the water but, it made my hair quite a bright deep red. Yesterday I did the baking soda and water four times and I noticed a difference and now today as I speak an going to rinse off the lemon juice! Wish me luck! Thank you!
Lois
P.S. I will let you know what happened next. 😃
Thank you for sharing! coffee is really not so helpful and you should only use lemon with “pure” natural henna. Any other colors the lemon will cancel out. Coffee, like lemon, is very acidic, this is what helps henna release.
However if coffee helped us dye our hair we all would have been using it long ago. So just use the deep red with tap water 🙂 and if it is too red, add some indigo to darken it up. Also, remember deep red will darken over night/24 hours. Please keep us updated!
Also if you are having issues with the roots there are a few ways to address this. If your roots are white then you might need to do the roots to match the rest of your hair color and then do the deep red over it. We are always here to help! Not to mention we are sold out of deep red at the time being.