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Ravenwind
May 8th, 2014, 10:42 PM
Is it possible to achieve a dark blonde hair color from an amla/cassia mix, or another mix similar to that?

I'm only asking because my hair is naturally dark blonde, and I have been growing it out (henna) for 2 1/2 years and vowed I wouldn't dye it again. Well... that didn't exactly work out, lol. I tried to go a little bit lighter with a highlighting product, but while it did lighten, it turned my hair more golden, which I don't really like. So then recently I dyed my hair with a semi-permanent hair dye (light red-brown) but it barely left a tint. It kinda made my hair more golden and verryyyy slightly red, kind of more auburn.

I was thinking about buying a couple boxes of "dark ash blonde" hair dye, just to get back to that color, but then I started to wonder if it's possible to achieve that color or something close with cassia.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

For references, this is about what my natural color looks like (maybe a little bit darker) and this is the color I'm thinking about going with. But I also wonder how it would turn out with the leftover henna on my ends...
http://www.sunsettrading.us/COLORSILK-60-6A-DARK-ASH-BLONDE-12cs_p_4498.html

ErinLeigh
May 8th, 2014, 11:52 PM
What color/shade do you have right now? Would this be for toning the new dye and the henna color?

Katrine
May 9th, 2014, 01:31 AM
If you recently colored, you need to wait at least 8 weeks and then do a strand and allergy test to make sure your hair doesn't turn orange or green and that you don't have a reaction to it. Cassia and henna only deposit color on the hair, they can't really lighten like commercial color. I think in some cases it can appear to lighten a shade or two.

Adding amla can tone down the reddish tones but will add brown color. Not sure what you can add for ashy tones. Maybe combining cassia with a small amount of ash brown henna. The brand I use doesn't list an ash brown, but an internet search pulls up brands that do. I've always used cassia with a small amount of henna for grey coverage for light golden color.

I know there are other methods and herbs that can lighten and color hair, not sure about the wear and tear on the hair though. I'm sure others more knowledgeable will chime in shortly. This may be a question for the Recipes, Henna and Herbal Hair Care Forum. HTH :)

two_wheels
May 9th, 2014, 01:54 AM
The cassia and semi should fade in a few weeks, no? I'd just wait.

Edit: I read your post wrong, sorry. I thought cassia left your hair too warm and then the semi made it worse. From experience with cassia and amla, I wouldn't expect to be able to cool it down by using either- amla cools henna in a mix but did nothing when I applied it on its own. Cassia makes my hair warmer not cooler, see my sig, first pic is before, second after. I'd either tone it with a conventional toner, or dye it back.

florenonite
May 9th, 2014, 03:04 AM
IIRC cassia tends to impart a golden tone rather than an ashy one, so it would only compound your problems.


Maybe combining cassia with a small amount of ash brown henna. The brand I use doesn't list an ash brown, but an internet search pulls up brands that do.

I would not trust ash brown henna. Henna only comes in one shade: Weasley red. Anything you combine it with is still going to have warm reddish undertones, at the very least in direct sunlight. Either it really is just henna mixed with amla and/or indigo, in which case the ashiness of the final result is probably variable (both based on starting colour and lighting), or it's got sketchy stuff in it to *make* it ashy.

Ravenwind
May 9th, 2014, 09:28 AM
What color/shade do you have right now? Would this be for toning the new dye and the henna color?

The top half of my hair is dark blonde and the bottom half is henna. I'd like to tone down the henna somehow and my natural color (since I dyed it a little).


If you recently colored, you need to wait at least 8 weeks and then do a strand and allergy test to make sure your hair doesn't turn orange or green and that you don't have a reaction to it. Cassia and henna only deposit color on the hair, they can't really lighten like commercial color. I think in some cases it can appear to lighten a shade or two.

Adding amla can tone down the reddish tones but will add brown color. Not sure what you can add for ashy tones. Maybe combining cassia with a small amount of ash brown henna. The brand I use doesn't list an ash brown, but an internet search pulls up brands that do. I've always used cassia with a small amount of henna for grey coverage for light golden color.

I know there are other methods and herbs that can lighten and color hair, not sure about the wear and tear on the hair though. I'm sure others more knowledgeable will chime in shortly. This may be a question for the Recipes, Henna and Herbal Hair Care Forum. HTH :)

I only used semi-permanent dye so it has basically washed out already, so I'm not worried about my hair turning green or anything, especially since I would only use 100% BAQ henna/cassia/etc. I know the amla will leave a brownish tone so that's why I thought mixing it with cassia would do the trick. :)


The cassia and semi should fade in a few weeks, no? I'd just wait.

Edit: I read your post wrong, sorry. I thought cassia left your hair too warm and then the semi made it worse. From experience with cassia and amla, I wouldn't expect to be able to cool it down by using either- amla cools henna in a mix but did nothing when I applied it on its own. Cassia makes my hair warmer not cooler, see my sig, first pic is before, second after. I'd either tone it with a conventional toner, or dye it back.

I haven't used cassia, just this lightening spray I bought that creates highlights and can lighten overall. It turned my hair more golden and then the semi-permanent added some red to it and somehow made it MORE golden lol. I did notice that cassia does create a warmer tone so I'm wondering if amla alone would help. Or perhaps I can use something else with it?


IIRC cassia tends to impart a golden tone rather than an ashy one, so it would only compound your problems.

Right. Hmm.. I kinda thought mixing it with amla would balance it out.


I would not trust ash brown henna. Henna only comes in one shade: Weasley red. Anything you combine it with is still going to have warm reddish undertones, at the very least in direct sunlight. Either it really is just henna mixed with amla and/or indigo, in which case the ashiness of the final result is probably variable (both based on starting colour and lighting), or it's got sketchy stuff in it to *make* it ashy.

Trust me I don't trust henna that comes in different "colors". I will only buy it 100% BAQ from hennasooq.com. Anything from stores is too sketchy.

Ravenwind
May 9th, 2014, 09:29 AM
What color/shade do you have right now? Would this be for toning the new dye and the henna color?

The top half of my hair is dark blonde and the bottom half is henna. I'd like to tone down the henna somehow and my natural color (since I dyed it a little).


If you recently colored, you need to wait at least 8 weeks and then do a strand and allergy test to make sure your hair doesn't turn orange or green and that you don't have a reaction to it. Cassia and henna only deposit color on the hair, they can't really lighten like commercial color. I think in some cases it can appear to lighten a shade or two.

Adding amla can tone down the reddish tones but will add brown color. Not sure what you can add for ashy tones. Maybe combining cassia with a small amount of ash brown henna. The brand I use doesn't list an ash brown, but an internet search pulls up brands that do. I've always used cassia with a small amount of henna for grey coverage for light golden color.

I know there are other methods and herbs that can lighten and color hair, not sure about the wear and tear on the hair though. I'm sure others more knowledgeable will chime in shortly. This may be a question for the Recipes, Henna and Herbal Hair Care Forum. HTH :)

I only used semi-permanent dye so it has basically washed out already, so I'm not worried about my hair turning green or anything, especially since I would only use 100% BAQ henna/cassia/etc. I know the amla will leave a brownish tone so that's why I thought mixing it with cassia would do the trick. :)


The cassia and semi should fade in a few weeks, no? I'd just wait.

Edit: I read your post wrong, sorry. I thought cassia left your hair too warm and then the semi made it worse. From experience with cassia and amla, I wouldn't expect to be able to cool it down by using either- amla cools henna in a mix but did nothing when I applied it on its own. Cassia makes my hair warmer not cooler, see my sig, first pic is before, second after. I'd either tone it with a conventional toner, or dye it back.

I haven't used cassia, just this lightening spray I bought that creates highlights and can lighten overall. It turned my hair more golden and then the semi-permanent added some red to it and somehow made it MORE golden lol. I did notice that cassia does create a warmer tone so I'm wondering if amla alone would help. Or perhaps I can use something else with it?


IIRC cassia tends to impart a golden tone rather than an ashy one, so it would only compound your problems.



I would not trust ash brown henna. Henna only comes in one shade: Weasley red. Anything you combine it with is still going to have warm reddish undertones, at the very least in direct sunlight. Either it really is just henna mixed with amla and/or indigo, in which case the ashiness of the final result is probably variable (both based on starting colour and lighting), or it's got sketchy stuff in it to *make* it ashy.

Right. Hmm.. I kinda thought mixing it with amla would balance it out.
Trust me I don't trust henna that comes in different "colors". I will only buy it 100% BAQ from hennasooq.com. Anything from stores is too sketchy.

ErinLeigh
May 9th, 2014, 11:13 PM
Maybe some buxus would in the mix would help with the ashier color?

two_wheels
May 10th, 2014, 03:58 AM
When I had light orange hair from henna removal attempts (yuk!) I tried to tone with amla alone and it did nothing whatsoever.

walterSCAN
May 10th, 2014, 06:44 AM
I don't think it would hurt anything for you to try amla/ buxus alone to attempt to tone down the warmth, and I've never used them myself. I have noticed a lot of people reporting what two_wheels mentioned though: that amla seems to require henna in the mix to 'stick' and doesn't do a lot on its own. Good luck!

Anje
May 10th, 2014, 10:04 AM
I'm sure someone has the strand-test pics with straight amla on white mohair. (Perhaps we need to page Nightshade?) If I remember correctly, it's a nice soft brown color all by itself. Using it alone might give you some nice results. Given that you don't like the gold tones you currently have, I think cassia isn't going to help.

Agreeing with WalterSCAN that buxus might not hurt, but it's a very cool gray -- I think the dye in it is the same molecule as in indigo, just not as strong, but I'd want to double-check that factoid. It would give you some ash tones, but I'd be careful that it doesn't go too dark.

Ravenwind
May 12th, 2014, 10:08 AM
Thank you again everyone! It's been a couple days and I have done some thinking. I like my natural color but I am tempted to try a henna gloss. So I got a couple boxes of Reshma henna from an Indian grocery store yesterday, and I'd like to try to make my hair lighter. Would a henna/cassia gloss do anything?

Anje
May 12th, 2014, 12:56 PM
Yeah, a cassia-henna gloss will give you a nice warm orange tone. Only do it if that's what you're looking for.

Frankly, if you're growing out henna, I think it'll set you back. Stay strong!

Ravenwind
May 12th, 2014, 06:20 PM
Yeah, a cassia-henna gloss will give you a nice warm orange tone. Only do it if that's what you're looking for.

Frankly, if you're growing out henna, I think it'll set you back. Stay strong!

I don't know what I want! Haha I'm so tempted to try other things!

I'm also conflicted because my mom's wedding is in July, and I'm her bridesmaid, and our dresses are clover. I think having reddish hair would look so pretty with it. But I think my hair looks kinda neat right now since it has that ombre effect.

Anje
May 12th, 2014, 08:45 PM
For what it's worth, I don't tend to know what I want either. I've tried growing out henna a few times. I make it about a year, maybe two years, and then henna again. "Just a gloss."

The stuff is addicting.

I'm off the wagon again, off the trail, and not sure where the wagon trail is anymore. My hair is near-fluorescent red again. :D

Ravenwind
May 12th, 2014, 09:35 PM
For what it's worth, I don't tend to know what I want either. I've tried growing out henna a few times. I make it about a year, maybe two years, and then henna again. "Just a gloss."

The stuff is addicting.

I'm off the wagon again, off the trail, and not sure where the wagon trail is anymore. My hair is near-fluorescent red again. :D

It's such a pretty color, it's hard not to want it :) henna by itself is too dark for my skin tone though so I'm trying to find something that works the best.

walterSCAN
May 13th, 2014, 09:56 AM
Thank you again everyone! It's been a couple days and I have done some thinking. I like my natural color but I am tempted to try a henna gloss. So I got a couple boxes of Reshma henna from an Indian grocery store yesterday, and I'd like to try to make my hair lighter. Would a henna/cassia gloss do anything?

Remember, henna and cassia can only add and cannot remove color, so using either one is never going to make your hair lighter.

memeow
May 13th, 2014, 10:17 AM
If you're not sure what you want I don't think henna's the answer....I believe it is generally impossible to remove.

Barnet Girl
May 13th, 2014, 10:32 AM
Perhaps try some heavy EVOO oilings to pull the old colour out completely - I have been doing these overnight lately and even my henna has lifted significantly in a week!! I told my sister who is trying to get a pillarbox red out of her hair and it's vanishing rapidly! I am also growing henna out, and you sound way too undecided about your colour-future to mess with that beast again. What a monster to grow out! This has taught me patience (if you call patience daily staring at the mirror and obsessing about how much longer till the new growth reaches my ears etc).

If you keep getting yellow tones, that's probably the level that the hair has been lifted to (as opposed to pale yellow) and any colour placed over that will eventually fade back to the yellow. So to make it permanently vanish you may have to lift that hair a level, or tone down with the ol' purple shampoos for a more hair friendly solution. If you want to go lighter, perhaps a better quality colour is the best way to go after a good coconut oiling. Goldwell Topchic does gorgeous blondes that don't fade as much. (but only once you have removed all previous colour)