Henna powder is one of the best ways to color hair, get rid of stubborn grays, promote scalp health, and increase the manageability of your hair.
But not all henna dyes are the same.
Because henna is a plant-based dye, it is grown organically throughout the world. So, the quality of the henna is pretty much dependent on the source from which you buy, as well as the type, your motive, and even the packaging.
If you've recently found out about henna and don't know how to choose the best henna powder, here's a breakdown of some of the things you should keep in mind.
Things to know before you buy henna
The first thing you should keep in mind is your motive. Why do you want to use henna? Is it for body art? Do you want to color your hair? Do you want to dye your sheets with it? Once you have a clear motive, the selection process will be easy.
- Organic and Pure: One of the best and top-quality henna is organic henna. As the name suggests, this henna powder is organically grown in a safe environment, packaged, and shipped via a safe route to offer maximum freshness. It is also free from pesticides, chemicals, or any other type of ingredients. It is the purest form of henna that you can use for both your hair and skin.
- Body Art Quality: This henna is made specifically for body art such as henna tattoo and paste. Most, body art quality henna contains chemicals like PPD that is not safe to use on skin. When buying henna for body art, make sure the ingredients are pure and without any chemicals.
- Fresh Henna: This is what you buy in the market not packed or branded by any manufacturer. Fresh powdered henna is usually available in the Asian sub-continents but can be now found in countries like the USA, UK, and Canada. Some manufacturers also rebrand fresh henna in triple sifted bags. When buying fresh henna, look for the label of the packaging and check the expiration date.
- Black Henna: Black henna is something you should not use on your hair and skin, but it’s still available in the market and is widely used to color fabrics. Because black henna contains chemicals, it is a good agent to have the maximum color consistency compared to natural henna.
- Brown Henna: This is what we call organic and pure henna. Brown henna is safe to apply and can be used on both skin and hair. It is one of the purest henna powder you can buy in the market.
- Henna Paste: Henna is also available in paste form that can be applied directly to your hair or skin. However, unlike conventional hair dyes, henna paste tends to have a short shelf life. But the good part is, it's already mixed and developed to use instantly. So, if you have an event coming up and you're short on time, Henna paste is recommended.
Now that we know the basics, here's a breakdown of the types of henna powders available in the market.
Indian Henna Powder
When it comes to top-of-the-line henna, nothing can beat the organic Indian henna powder. The brown color and freshness of the powder is what sets it apart from the rest. The powder is available in different packaging and offers the maximum darkness you can find in the lineup.
For hair usage, it is recommended to leave the henna in overnight or for at least 8-12 hours. Indian henna powder can also be used with other herbal powders like Indigo, Amla, Reetha, Sikakai, and more.
Rajasthani Henna Powder
One of the best and highest quality USDA organic henna powder you can buy. Source from the Rajasthan region of India, this henna powder is rich in red tones and gives a darker to orange color. This premium quality henna can be used for both henna body art and henna hair dye.
However, Rajasthani henna takes a bit of time to develop. For hair usage, it takes about 4-5 hours to develop and for skin, it can take up to 3 hours. Some henna artists left their henna mixture overnight, which offers a reddish-burgundy tone the next day.
If you want to enjoy the maximum benefit of Rajasthani henna, follow the packaging guideline from the application instructions.
Yemeni Henna Powder
Another great henna powder is Yemeni henna powder, but unfortunately, it is hard to find in the market. Yemeni henna comes from Sana's region of Yemen. The dye takes 10-12 hours to develop and 3-4 hours in the application process. Yemeni henna was mostly famous for its body art quality features.
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You can still find this product in the market, but we wouldn't recommend it as it is just a mixed packaging of some other source of henna. However, if you have someone coming from Yemen or the person who's selling this to you is committed that it's the original product, then it's definitely worth trying.
Moroccan Henna Powder
The next henna in the lineup is the brown hair and body art quality Moroccan henna. The Moroccan henna comes from the western Sahara region and is easier to find in the US. This region of powder has the quickest release dye than any other henna. However, it's not so quick during the application process.
The henna tattoo design, in particular, takes anywhere from 4-6 hours to get darker. For hair, the maximum time it requires is only 2-4 hours. It is best recommended for those that want to achieve reddish-orange tones. Pairing this with indigo powder will result in a jet black color.
One thing worth mentioning here is that Moroccan henna has the lowest shelf life of any of the other regions. It is also a bit stringy.
Which henna is best to use on hair?
To rank which henna is the best, we have to encounter a lot of different things like its origin, the source, packaging, and quality. Region-wise, the most common and best quality henna comes from the Rajasthan region of India.
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Now, the reason why we picked this henna is that it can be used as both henna for hair and henna for tattoos. Also, Rajasthani henna is easier to find in the market and there are tons of brands that sell this. The second henna on the list is definitely the Moroccan henna because of its rich color and fresh consistency.
From where do we source our henna?
The Henna Guys source its henna from the Rajasthan region of India. We also used to sell Moroccan henna, and the quality of Indian henna and its freshness is one of the best we’ve ever tried.
Our pure henna powder is best used as both henna hair dye and body art. We also sell USDA organic henna powder, free from any chemicals and pesticides.
Want to shop more, visit our collection page to find exciting shades of henna hair dye.