Beginner's Guide

Three Ways a First Attempt
Goes Wrong

There is no peroxide here to force pigment into your hair, and no ammonia to pry the cuticle open. Plant colour works with your hair rather than overriding it — which means what you do genuinely changes the result.

If your first attempt came out lighter or warmer than expected, you did not fail. Almost every disappointing result traces back to one of three things — and two of them are avoidable entirely. The third can't be undone once it happens, which is why it's first on this page.

Start Here

Three Things Decide Your Result

Chemical dye produces much the same outcome on almost anyone, because the chemistry overrides the hair. Organic colour does not. These three are where the difference lives — and they are not equally forgiving.

1 Can't be undone

How you dry it afterwards

Indigo is still developing when you rinse, and it only develops while the hair stays damp. Dry it fast and it stops where it is — and re-wetting does not restart it.

2

How long you leave it on

Henna bonds early; the other pigments take considerably longer. Rinsing at the minimum time is the most common reason a result looks weak. Correctable on a second application.

3

Which shade you chose

Plant colour deposits — it cannot lift. Some of our shades are also built warm on purpose. The ingredient list tells you which, before you mix anything.

The One That Can't Be Undone

Don't Dry It

Eighteen of our twenty-four shades contain indigo, and indigo is the only herb in the pouch still working after you rinse. It carries on developing only while the hair stays damp. A hair dryer removes that moisture, and the reaction stops wherever it had got to.

We tested this on grey swatches: the blow-dried sample stopped developing and stayed warm-toned, and at 72 hours it had shifted further towards warmth rather than settling. Re-wetting it afterwards did not bring the colour back. See the test, at 1 hour and 72 hours →

✓ Towel, then timeBlot and wrap. The longer hair stays lightly damp, the further the colour gets.
✓ Add humidity if your air is dryA humidifier, or a bathroom with the shower run hot. Hair that dries in twenty minutes has the same problem as blow-dried hair.
× No dryer — not warm, not coolThe problem is the drying, not the heat. A cool setting is no safer than a hot one.
× Don't panic at greenA green or blue-grey cast at the rinse is indigo mid-reaction. It clears on its own. Reaching for a dryer because of it is how green becomes red.

Mixing

Mix for the Shade You Bought

Most of our shades want nothing but warm water. The one thing that differs is vinegar — it helps henna and hinders indigo, so whether to add it depends entirely on what is in your pouch.

Plain water — most shades

Anything containing indigo

All browns and blacks · ash tones · Wheat · Violet · Golden · Honey · Reddish · Light Reddish · Auburn · Burgundy · Mahogany

  1. In a non-metal bowl, blend the powder with warm water.
  2. Stir to a yogurt-thick paste — smooth enough to spread, thick enough not to drip.
  3. No vinegar, and no resting. Acid works against indigo, and a paste left to stand loses strength rather than gaining it.
  4. Set aside a thicker batch for the hairline and temples.

Where the overnight advice comes from: resting a paste with acid is a henna technique, written for henna on its own. If your shade contains indigo, it does not apply — and we would rather say so than repeat it because it is widely shared.

A splash of vinegar

Shades with no indigo at all

Beige · Champagne · Caramel · Strawberry · Wine Red

  1. Mix as above, but replace some of the water with a splash of apple cider vinegar.
  2. Cover the bowl and let it rest one to two hours before applying.
  3. Stir once more, then apply as usual.

Why only these five: henna releases its pigment in mildly acidic conditions, so the acid draws more of it out. There is no indigo in these shades for the acid to work against.

Not sure which group yours is in? The ingredient list for all 24 shades →

Application

Applying Your Colour

Two ways of covering the paste. Above: a shower cap alone leaves the hairline open, air enters and the paste dries, giving poor colour. Below: kitchen film wrapped first with a cap over it seals the edges, the paste stays wet, and the colour comes out rich and even.

A shower cap alone does not seal at the hairline. Air gets in along the edge, the paste there dries first, and dried paste has stopped working — which is why the greys along your hairline are so often the last to take. Kitchen film under the cap closes that gap.

  1. Wash first, and skip conditioner Plant pigment is carried by water, so oils, silicones and styling residue block it. A strong shampoo is useful here — it is only afterwards that it strips colour. Towel-blot until damp, not dripping.
  2. Apply generously, root to end Knead the paste in with gloved hands rather than brushing it on. Grey strands need a heavier layer — they have no pigment of their own, so any shortfall shows on them first.
  3. Use the thicker paste at the hairline The hairline and temples are where a cap seals least well and where paste dries first. Dried paste has stopped working, whatever the clock says — which is why greys there are often the last to take.
  4. Wrap in film first, then the cap over it This is what we do ourselves, and it is the single easiest thing to change. Kitchen film seals where a cap can't — particularly along the hairline and temples. If you add heat, put a warm towel or a heat cap over the top; a hair dryer warms and dries at the same time, and should never be aimed at the hairline.
  5. Give it the full time for your shade An hour is a minimum, not a target. Ash tones and other henna-free shades want two hours, and three on heavily grey hair. Longer is always safe — nothing here can over-process your hair. Times by shade →
  6. Rinse with water only Until the water runs clear and you can no longer feel grit. No shampoo. A little conditioner is fine here if the last of the paste won't shift.

The Deciding Window

The First 72 Hours

Your colour is not finished when you rinse. It keeps developing for up to three days — and what you do in that window decides your final tone, especially for indigo-rich shades.

✓ Water-only rinses are fineIf hair needs freshening before the window is up, use plain water rather than reaching for shampoo.
✓ Keep moisture inIn dry climates, mist lightly on day one. A loose cap or satin bonnet overnight helps.
× No shampoo of any kindWater only. Acidic rinses are not a substitute either — acid works against indigo, which is still developing.
× No heat stylingSkip dryers, hot irons and saunas until the colour has settled.

Judge the result on day three, not the first evening. Shades with no indigo settle faster — those you can judge after a day.

If Something Went Wrong

Every Result Has a Reason

Plant colour goes wrong in a handful of recognisable ways, and each has a specific explanation rather than a general one. One of them isn't a problem at all.

My hair looks green or blue-grey Indigo mid-reaction. It clears on its own within a day or two. Normal → My dark shade turned red or wine Three causes, told apart — and only one of them is a mistake. → I wanted brown and got copper Henna uncovered — or a shade that was built warm on purpose. → My hair has a purple cast The same result as red, described differently. It does not reverse. → My blonde came out gold on grey Colourless henna is faintly yellow, and white hair hides nothing. → Barely any colour showed up Eight reasons a plant dye fails to take, including the one nobody expects. →

Your First Try Is Risk-Free

If your result isn't what you expected, we'll send a free alternate shade or refund your purchase. No conditions, no expiration — because we'd rather you get it right than give up on plants.

First-Time Customer Support → How to Choose Your Shade

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