Hair: Natural Black Hair Color with Henna and Indigo

For a deep black color, use this two-part application process. First, apply pure henna, then immediately after, apply pure indigo.

Step 1: Henna Application

  1. Mix henna powder with lukewarm water until it's like yogurt (but not too drippy).
  2. Let it sit for 2-4 hours (3-6 hours for Jamila henna) to release dye.
  3. Wear gloves and apply henna to clean, dry hair, covering every strand.
  4. Cover hair with a plastic cap and press it down.
  5. Remove any henna from skin.
  6. Let it soak on the hair for 2-6 hours. The longer you leave it in, the richer color.
  7. Rinse WITHOUT shampoo or conditioner.
  8. Towel dry hair.

Step 2: Indigo Application

  1. Mix indigo powder with warm water until it's like thick brownie batter.
  2. Let it sit for 15-20 minutes to release dye.
  3. Apply indigo to freshly hennaed hair (clean and dry), covering every strand.
  4. Cover hair with a plastic cap and press it down.
  5. Remove any indigo from skin.
  6. Let it soak for 2-4 hours. The longer you leave it in, the richer the color.
  7. Rinse without shampoo but use conditioner.
  8. Optionally, blow dry for 10-15 minutes to set color.

It's best that the indigo is applied within 24 hours of the henna.

If you don't have time for the two-part process, you can try the instructions for getting a dark brown color but increasing the indigo ratio. This doesn't yield a deep black that the two-step process can achieve.

If your hair is already black, you can apply indigo alone to slightly deepen the color.

We HIGHLY recommend the two-step process to get black.