Zenia100% Pure & Natural Henna Powder (Lawsonia Inermis) | 454 grams (1 lb) | Orange-Red Hair Color | Triple Sifted | Fresh from Rajasthan | No Chemicals, No Additives

So, this is actually my favorite henna (I've used SOOO many brands throughout the years), including Jamila. Rajasthani henna is definitely superior in my opinions for bolder reds. BUT it's super important you give this one a LOT of time for dye release, when using luke warm/room temp water for a permanent and more potent stain. A lot of well know bloggers and youtubers will tell you otherwise, but in my experience less time will NOT yield good results, no matter how you do it. I wanted to write this for anyone thinking this brand doesn't work.For a bold "burnished" copper red that covers my brunette/grey/white hair really well, I have to allow it to dye release for at least 12 hours. I typically mix it up when I go to bed on the weekend, when I have an afternoon for a "spa" treatment. Right now I have shorter hair, so use this formula:I dry mix:1/2 cup Henna1 tablespoon Amla powder (helps hair retain natural curl patterns, and deepens the stain)1 teaspoon Aloe Vera Powder (gives moisture to hair)then mix in:Strong steeped warm/luke warm hibiscus tea, until it's the consistency of pudding. It helps push the henna towards a redder dye due to the anthocyanin content. Amla can tend to make henna a bit more ashy and brown, so using both can make a perfect copper red.Then I let the mix sit in tupperware w/ a tight lid (no saran wrap needed) for about 12 hours, somewhere neutral... not too cold or warm. You know the stain is ready when you can see a darker orange sediment on the top of the mix, and your skin stains from contact (the stain washes off fine if you catch it within a few mins).You can apply the mix to wet or dry hair as long as it's clean and free of products. Dry is easier to get to all of the roots, wet is slightly better for full head. If you have silicone in anything used (common in conditioners) you have to clarify a BUNCH. I like Desert Essence Italian Lemon Shampoo for that, used for a few days prior to henna. You can also add a little baking soda to it for silicone removal.I cover w/ a reusable shower cap... I just rinse out when finished (again no saran wrap)... and leave it all in for 5-6 hours. I don't use heat, or do anything special. This mix smells a bit like horseradish and hay, but it's SOOOO worth it!!! The smell lingers a little, but not bad at all compared to some formulas. It's gone after a few washes, and not noticeable when hairs dry after one.You want to rinse really well w/out products, and leave hair untouched for at least 24 hours, if you can. I've found my hair feels dry the first day, but by the following morning you can really start to feel the moisture from the aloe powder.I hope more people turn to henna since it's so much better for us and the environment, but have been so frustrated w/ how it's turned out in the past. Hope this helps someone!!!

I've used henna to color my hair before, but it's been a long time. If you haven't used this before, it's very important for the henna to CURE and OXIDIZE when you make it. You MUST use something acidic to mix the henna or it will not activate. I used: the juice of 1 lime, extra lemon juice, and two black tea bags made into a cup of hot, very dark tea--this is the water I used. You can also use a cup of strong coffee. Basically anything acidic and dark will help you here. Mix this with the henna powder and let it SIT for at least 1-2 hours-- you will notice the top surface goes from a mossy green to a brownish green, the longer you let it sit the more it will oxidize as the henna activates.Put on gloves ;) , Apply to dry hair and let sit at least one hour-- 2-4 is better. The same oxidization happens on your hair, so don't panic when you first rinse it and it comes out Conan O'Brien red. It will darken and deepen over the next couple days. You can also mix it with a little indigo to mellow the red into a darker brown to black, which I will probably do next time. I love the smell of henna too, it's like warm grassy hay, tatami mats and clean earth. I'm sure my coworkers will rag on me tomorrow at work when I show up with red hair, but they'll get over it. ;)

I absolutely love this Henna. The color turned out so beautiful and my roots was grey near white. Mixes well, triple sifted, henna washes out very well without leaving pieces of plant on my hair and scalp. I definitely recommend this product.

Worked wonderful as expected love it

I mix it with hot water, lemon and salt. Leave it for 2-3 hours to cure and then apply it. I stay with it on for 2 hours and it fully covers all my greys! It’s amazing. I don’t go to the salon and spend $200 on hair dye.Btw, any left overs can be left in the freezer for months as the dye stops from releasing under 0 temp.

I use this to color my hair without dye. Worksgreat for Grey coverage.

Edit: Giving it 2 more stars because I could get it to work by preparing it differently. I read some other reviews that said they let it sit for 2 days for the dye to release, and add eucalyptus oil to it for more potency. It worked nicely when I did that. But the downside is that it needs some advance prep at least 24 hours, 2 days is best, while before I would let the mixture sit for just a few hours for the dye to release.I guess I'll give this another chance since I have a big pack to go through. I'm glad I don't need to throw it away.Previous review:I've been buying this brand for over a year now, and I was quite happy with it until the last batch that I received.It's obvious that they've changed something and it's no longer the pure henna powder that it used to be.The consistency when mixed with water or tea is now gooey and gel-like and not like the smooth paste that it used to be. It's clear that there's something else added to the henna and I dislike it.I also did not get the same intensity of colour with this last batch. In fact, I think it's the last two orders.Henna is a natural product that I've used for over 30 years. I even used to have a henna plant that I'd crush the leaves and directly apply the paste from that. So, the intensity of colour may sometimes vary due to it being a natural product.But these past two henna powder batches that I received is definitely cut with some other ingredient(s) that's not listed, and it is just not the same.I'm not sure I'll be buying again. I'll chase down the previous brands that I was using.I switched to this one because it was a good price, but now the quality has gone down, and I can't compromise for less intense colour as I'm covering grey hair now.