One of the most frequent questions I get asked in emails or messages on socials is if one can get dark purple hair, blue black hair or jet black hair using also natural hair colors, specifically, using black henna (katam or indigo) .
The video tutorials are in Italian, but English subtitles are available!
Fortunately, Mother Nature has been very generous with us. Not only she provides us the natural hair dyes to dye our grey hair naturally using henna & herbal hair colors, but she also gives us the opportunity to indulge ourselves obtaining blue black, jet black or dark purple shades using natural herbal hair colors.
Which one should we use: Katam or Indigo powder?
As mentioned in one of my previous blog posts: F.A.Q Facts you should know about Henna & Herbal Hair Colors, katam and indigo are improperly called black henna because when applied on dark hair, one can obtain hues that may vary from medium brown to dark brown with dark shades that turn blue or dark purple according to the herbal hair color used.
This is the quality of katam you can find in the online shop: seasonally harvested and triple sifted, it has the baby powder consistency. Once you add the water it becomes creamy and easy to apply.
The video tutorials are in Italian, but English subtitles are available!
Katam derives from the dried and powdered leaves of the plant "Katam Buxus Dioica" cultivated in Yemen. It gives hair dark purple / violet shades, visible especially in the sunlight. I recommend it if you prefer a mahogany, warmer brown.
Indigo derives from the dried and powdered leaves of ""Indigofera tinctoria"". It gives hair blue black / shades, visible especially in the sunlight. I recommend it if you prefer a cool brown hair color.
This is the quality of Indigo you can find in the online shop: seasonally harvested and triple sifted, it has the baby powder consistency. Once you add the water it becomes creamy & easy to apply.
You should therefore choose between katam & indigo accordingly to the shades you would like to obtain. You should still experience firsthand because every hair reacts differently to natural hair dyes which unlike chemical dyes, are kind of unpredictable.
Both katam and indigo strengthen the hair & thanks to its anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties:
- cleanse and restore the pH of the scalp &
- promote hair growth.
Dark Purple Hair, Blue Black Hair or Jet Black Hair - is it difficult to obtain using natural hair dyes?
Premise:
it is difficult to obtain jet black hair and it is even more difficult to maintain it when using natural hair dyes. This is because unlike lawsonia inermis (red henna), both katam and indigo do not bind to the hair shaft causing the washing out of the black color shampoo after shampoo.
Yet, they will never wash out totally, after the first 2-3 shampoos they stop washing out...otherwise I'd be red-headed considering that I have a 75% white regrowth. Just consider that you'll have to apply it a bit more often at the beginning in order to maintain your hair color jet or blue black.
Obviously, it is much easier to dye your hair dark purple, black blue or jet black using natural hair dyes if you already have brown hair than expecting to get a chocolate brown or blonde ash hue having a natural dark hair.
Long story short, it is NOT possible to lighten your hair using natural hair dyes, all you can do is maintain, enhance or darken your natural color.
Instructions Guide
I would advise you to use a 2 steps application (the same day or in 2 days) so that you prepare an uniform base and to be sure that the dark purple or blue black shades won't wash out as easily.
When using a 1 step application (using a mix of lawsonia & katam or indigo), you will hardly obtain dark purple hair, blue black hair or jet black hair.
- 1st application: apply for 3-4 hours only lawsonia inermis (red henna) or a mix of lawsonia inermis and katam or indigo
- 2nd application: apply for 3-4 hours only katam buxus dioica or indigo. If you like experimenting & you have both natural hair dyes at hand, you might want to try mixing them to obtain unique black hair shades.
This is the quality of Lawsonia (Red Henna) you can find in the online shop: seasonally harvested and triple sifted, it has the baby powder consistency. Once you add the water it becomes creamy & easy to apply.
Unlike Lawsonia inermis (red henna) that releases its color in an acid environment, both Katam & Indigo require a basic environment to release the color. Hence, you should absolutely avoid to add any other ingredient to your mix, if not lukewarm water.
You should apply the mix on your hair asap as the release of the color starts immediately.
✓ Weigh the amount of natural hair dye according to the volume and length of your hair.✓ Add lukewarm water and stir till you obtain a paste of thick consistency.
✓ Apply the paste right away on clean hair, using gloves.
✓ Cover your head with transparent plastic wrap.
✓ Keep the mix on for 4-8 hours.
✓ Rinse out without using shampoo & use a small amount of conditioner, if necessary.
✓ Do a last hair rinse using cold water & 1 spoon of vinegar for shiny & soft hair.
Pay attention:
If you have a delicate and sensitive scalp, when rinsing, you should still use a delicate shampoo (diluted with water in a separate container) to remove any bits of herbal hair color that could otherwise cause redness and itching to your scalp in the days following the application. If you have long hair, a small amount of conditioner is a must.
Please check out the blog post "Allergic to Henna Hair Dye? Henna Itchy, Sore & Burning Scalp? Here's what you can do!" in case you experience itchy sore scalp after applying henna.
Do I get to dye my hair dark purple, blue black or jet black even if I have white / grey hair?
Yes, you may, by following the above instructions and doing a 2 steps application:
- the 1st application using only red henna will dye your grey / white hair orange / red, paving the way for the katam / indigo application
- the 2nd application using katam or indigo will dye your hair dark purple or blue black according to the natural hair dye used or to the mix used
If you use during the 1st step of the application a mix of katam or indigo with red henna (lawsonia), the final color you get may vary from medium brown to dark brown according to the percentages of herbal hair colors used.
Should the black hue you obtain be little intense or should it not live up to your expectations, consider that:
- the original color affects the final result,
- the quality of the natural hair dye affects the final result,
- you should change the katam or indigo brand (just to try another quality) in order to make a new application a few days later.
The video tutorials are in Italian, but English subtitles are available!
To avoid unpleasant surprises, do NOT apply indigo or katam directly on white / grey hair. White hair would become grey or may have green hues.
ALWAYS make a test on a hidden strand of hair, prior to dyeing your hair.
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Experimenting first hand is the best teacher!
If your hair is very porous and absorbs easily the dyeing molecules, you may be able to color your light hair (natural ash blonde, light brown or dark) avoiding the 2 step process application by simply making close applications or Indigo or Katam.
Irene, one of our clients, whom you can see in the picture below has been able to achieve this great result on her light brown hair. Pay attention: she does not have gray /white hair!
My intention was to just post a brief beauty tip which was supposed to answer all the messages I had received on how to get dark purple, blue black hair or jet black hair using katam or indigo, but in the end it turned out a novel. I just could not help myself not going deeper into the subject and give you as many details as possible.
Too much information, especially when you are a beginner with natural hair dyes, often creates even more confusion. Hence, I tried to ""translate"" all these information in the picture below. I hope you will find it useful.
Please feel free to share your experience with herbal hair colors or any doubts you might have in the comments area down below.
Feel free to share it with your friends if you have found it useful.
If you have read this far, it means you'd really love to have unique shades in your hair and that you are considering all the various possibilities, natural ones too...
If I were in your shoes :) I would go for the natural alternative, the one nature has provided us with, with so much generosity.
I made my natural & healthy choice for my hair years ago, now it's up to you!
Let me know if you're in love with any of these gorgeous shades: dark purple hair, blue black hair or jet black hair & if you had used herbal hair colors like katam or indigo powder in order to obtain them!
©Beautilicious Delights
Take care of your skin and hair consciously. You'll find everything you need (even herbal hair colors) on our online shop. Click HERE to visit it!
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