Ancient Sunrise Cool Brunette Kit to cover white hair (henna, indigo, amla)

[Eireann]

After years of covering my grays with rainbow henna dark brown, which is a premixed henna/indigo with no other ingredients, I found that the white hairs around my face were too orange so I quit cold turkey and grew out the gray for almost a year. Recently I decided to give up and start coloring again, and went back to my old standby to similarly disappointing results. I add coffee to mix as recommended by the instructions for gray hair, but it still is too orange. I don't mind in the bulk of my hair, because it just looks like natural highlights, but around my face and hairline it looks obviously fake. I'm happy to be done with the gray (I love natural salt and pepper hair on other people, but on me it made me feel neglected and tired rather than empowered and hip) and I don't want to go the chemical route, so I'm looking for solutions.

Looking through other posts, it sounds like Amla and Neem Oil are options to make henna less orange. I use Neem oil in my garden and I wouldn't want my hair to smell like that. (To me it smells like rotting onions), so that leaves Amla.

Ancient Sunrise Cool Brunette has Amla in addition to the henna/indigo, which purports to make the color "cooler." In principle, this would solve the too orange problem, but I've never used Amla before so would love to hear other people's experience, either with the Ancient Sunrise Cool Brunette in particular or henna+indigo+amla in general.

Thanks in advance.

eta: coffee

[LadyCelestina]

Does it have to be herbal/ natural?

Technically you could dye with henna and tone with purple/blue/silver shampoo, or use a cool toned semi-permanent colour over it. Or even add a little into your conditioner so it builds up each time you wash.

To my knowledge amla fades from the hair over time, so it would be about the same amount of maintenance, except without the mud.

Anyway, amla might not be that great for hair by itself, it's very acidic.

[Eireann]

Thanks for the response. I actually have some purple shampoo from when I was still growing out my grays. I will give it a try. I also read on the "henna for hair" ebook that heat can darken henna and make it less orange. I tried a hot blowdryer but the area in question is pretty close to my scalp so it burned! It might have gotten a little darker, though. Thanks for your help!

[Morada]

I'm interested in how this works for you. A henna and indigo two-step for me has worked in the past for me. But recently, over the last year, the indigo has not been sticking. I am trying to get indigo from different places to see if one is better than the other.