Rainbow Henna dye release time?

[Cinnamonqueen12]

I have decided recently to become a henna head after hearing great results with henna from so many others on LHC, and having seen the magic of henna in person. I used henna once before, rainbow henna, and even though there was only a very slight reddish tint in the sun (I used Persian Mahogany on my dark, dark brown hair) it looked and felt amazing. And, let's be honest, the mess making was great too :D! But I've been doing some research and a lot of people are talking about dye release time. Rainbow henna doesn't say anything about it on the container, and I've also read from many people that boiling water (what I usedlast time per rainbow henna instructions) is bad as well. I know there are plenty of other, better quality hennas to use, but rainbow henna is budget friendly for me. I would do a test strand first, and then If I like the results, I plan to mix it with lukewarm water, apply immediately, and leave on for 6 hours, rather than wait for dye release (I'm very confused on what exactly to look for) or freeze the henna (there seems to be some controversy about waiting for dye release before freezing, and if I don't know when that is...?). Has anyone done something similar with rainbow henna and still gotten results on dark hair (I want to use the red mix, which seems to be straight henna (Lawsonia Inermis) as the only ingredient listed)?

[JellyBene]

I used to use Rainbow Henna and I honestly really liked it. I used to use boiling water and squirt a little lemon juice in it. I didn't wait for dye release and left it on for 6-7 hours. I always got a super vibrant result.

[ooglipoo]

I used that brand for 20-ish years and I always followed their directions. Once I found a couple henna-friendly sites that said not to use boiling water, so, I continued to use Rainbow, I just didn't let the water boil all the way (or if I forgot the pot, I took it off the boil and let it cool some).

It worked just as well. I believe they have a good product.

[Cinnamonqueen12]

I finally was able to henna, used with cool red rooibos tea, let sit on my head for about 6 hours, and it turned out really nice, still dark, but definately more red to it. I rinsed it out with conditioner, and then shampooed about 3 days later. I noticed, though, that the henna has been running out in the shower, and the color on my hair is definately less noticable. I know that henna oxidizes to a darker color, but I see a lot of color running out in the shower. Is that normal?

[Rosetta]

^ I've never experienced henna color bleeding myself, but from other threads I know that many have, so it's not unusual.


I used that brand for 20-ish years and I always followed their directions. Once I found a couple henna-friendly sites that said not to use boiling water, so, I continued to use Rainbow, I just didn't let the water boil all the way (or if I forgot the pot, I took it off the boil and let it cool some).
It really amazes me how most manufacturers of premixed hennas tell to use boiling water! :confused: I never do that, but it's mind-boggling...

[Cinnamonqueen12]

Thanks Rosetta, and I agree, it is mind-boggling, and it confuses people who have never used henna before. I used boiling water my first time per manufacturers instructions, and I feel that the results were not even close to what they could have been. This is why I am so thankful for LHC because it gives the chance for people to dispute things like this and learn things that the manufacturers don't even list on packages

[Rowanoake]

I sometimes get some color running the first time I use shampoo after using henna, but not much after that. Once everything is rinsed and set, henna color is pretty sticky. Are you seeing color every time you wash your hair?

[Cinnamonqueen12]

I sometimes get some color running the first time I use shampoo after using henna, but not much after that. Once everything is rinsed and set, henna color is pretty sticky. Are you seeing color every time you wash your hair?

Yes, every time. I just CO washed for the first time tonight, and as I was working the conditioner in, it kept showing up orange in my hands. And the color is definately fading. I know it's supposed to oxidize, but I've had the henna on for at least a week now, and from what I understand, henna usually takes about 3 days to oxidize, so I'm not sure why this is happening. I'm afraid the color will be completely gone in the next few washes