Directions for use - Khadi Herbal Hair Colours

Enjoy natural, long-lasting hair colour, colour brilliance, volume and hair care all in one step with the natural hair colours by Khadi.

With the power of nature!

• Introduction
• Khadi’s colour effect
• Variations in hair structure
• Before use: Strand test
• What you’ll need to start colouring
• Optimum prep for your hair
• Mixing plant hair dyes
• Applying plant hair colours
• Reaction time
• After colouration - Achieving long-lasting results
• Hair care tips - Additions to the plant dye mixture
• Dyeing the roots
• Specific dye instructions for grey hair
• 2-Step colouration for grey hair
• How to use Khadi Senna / Cassia and Amla powder
• Tips on mixing plant dyes (preparation, durability, mixtures)
• Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Introduction:

Khadi’s plant hair dyes simultaneously colour and care for the hair using natural pigments and active ingredients. All the dyes have been tested for harmful substances and undergo strict inspections on a regular basis. These inspections are carried out by independent and qualified laboratories.

Khadi’s hair dyes do not contain any preservatives, colour enhancers, peroxides or other chemical additives - Because your health and safety are important to us.

Through careful processing and excellent quality, Khadi hair dyes will give your hair a more intensive colour result than you may be accustomed to from any other plant hair dyes. Please keep this in mind when first using Khadi plant dyes. Herbal additives, that are also used in Ayurveda, strengthen the hair supplying it with extraordinary shine.

For healthy and shiny hair with the power of nature.

Please note that all Khadi’s hair dyes are to be used on the hair of the head.

Khadi hair dye colour effect

The hair dyes by Khadi provide your tresses with a long-lasting tint (excluding Senna / Cassia). Therefore it is recommended to do a strand test beforehand to ensure that the desired colour result is achieved. More information about the strand test will be listed further below.

The pigments of plant hair dyes wrap themselves like a glaze or stain around each strand. This means that the colour result is very much dependent on your natural hair colour, which results in unique colour reflections. Several hair dye applications, therefore, result in a more intense outcome.

Plant hair dyes do not lighten the hair.

Once a suitable colour has been chosen we recommend first applying the plant hair dye to the roots to ensure that it blends with the colour of the lengths of the hair. If a dye has been applied to the lengths of the hair it is possible that the roots will appear lighter, due to having undergone less colour application, i.e. the lengths of the hair may possibly appear more intense in colour over time.
More about dyeing the roots can be found further below.
All Khadi hair dyes can be mixed with one another. These mixture ratios are dependent on your desired colour outcome, natural hair colour and structure of the hair.

Variations in hair structure

The structure of each hair in regard to a specific hair type differs from one another. Not only is it essential to consider the natural structure of your hair - fine, thick, curly, shiny, healthy, etc. - it is also essential to note how the hair was cared for until now. Chemically treated hair, especially bleached hair is often dry, brittle and damaged. Split ends cause the hair to look dull and in need of special care.

In addition to your hair colour, determining the structure of the hair is crucial for your colour result. Thus, chemically treated hair and/or fine hair may take on a more intense shade when dyed as opposed to e.g. naturally strong and healthy hair. If you are unsure about the structure of your hair, it is advised to start with a shorter reaction time that you may be used to when performing a strand test.

Before use: Strand test

In order to avoid unwanted colour results, it is recommended to perform a strand test before your first Khadi hair dye application.

Gather a few hair strands from your hairbrush and place them in a small amount of pre-mixed plant dye.

Seal the bowl shut and store in a warm area. Test various reactions times by removing a strand from the bowl every 30, 60, 90 and 120 minutes. Cleanse each strand carefully using lukewarm water. Wait up to 48 hours after performing the strand test to determine the true colour result. Plant dyes may be influenced and affected by the surrounding air during this time, resulting in a more intense shade.

What you’ll need to start colouring:

The following utensils should be within reach:

• Khadi hair dye
• suitably sized bowl
• warm water
• disposable gloves
• old towel to protect your clothing
• application brush
• shower cap
• towel or turban to keep the paste warm

Optimum prep for your hair

Start off by cleansing your hair using a mild shampoo (e.g. Khadi’s Amla Herbal Shampoo). Please note that many conventional hair care products contain silicones. Silicones are used to wrap around the strands like a film, making the hair appear shinier and healthier. In time, the hair strand is completely wrapped in silicone making it unable to absorb any other hair care products or dyes - the use of plant hair dyes are also strongly affected. It is, therefore, essential to use only silicone-free hair care products before applying a Khadi plant hair dye.

If you are uncertain as to whether or not your current hair care products contain silicones (Khadi Shampoos are of course silicone-free) it is advised to cleanse the hair with a peeling shampoo or clarifying clay before applying the hair dye.

Now the hair is optimally prepared for colouration.

Use Khadi’s plant hair dyes on towel-dried hair to ensure even distribution.

Mixing plant hair dyes

Carefully stir the required amount of powder with warm water until a uniform paste is formed (shoulder-length hair requires 80 - 100 g of powder). Please avoid inhaling the powder.
Tip: When using the Khadi dyes Pure Henna, Henna, Amla, Jatropha or Henna + Amla use hot instead of warm water ( 60 - 80°C), as these colours become more intense when mixed with hot instead of warm water. The dye is ready for use as soon as it has cooled down to a pleasant temperature. Do not apply the hot paste to your head as this may damage your scalp.

Applying plant hair colours

Before applying the plant dye, ensure that your clothes are protected - stains are very hard to remove, if removable at all. It is also essential to use disposable gloves, as the colour will leave stains on your fingernails especially which only washes out gradually.

It is best to apply the warm paste strand by strand using an application brush. Start at the roots of your head and work your way to the lengths of the hair.

Parting the hair and securing the sections using hair grips will facilitate to ensuring that each and every strand is saturated with dye.

Distribute the remaining hair dye by massaging with your fingers. This will help with the even distribution of the dye.

Once all the hair has been coated, put on a plastic shower cap to create sufficient heat. Als, ensure that the areas at the temples and the neck are covered. The dry should not dry on the skin.
A towel or turban can be wrapped around the plastic cap to ensure that the heat is locked in ( You could also use a woollen hat or electric heating cap for heating purposes ).

A warm paste will result in a more intense colour result.

Reaction time

As previously mentioned the reaction time depends on the colour result you wish to achieve and your individual hair structure.

Allow the paste to react for 30 minutes ( for a light colour result or when hair is heavily damaged) to 2 hours.

Achieving long-lasting results after colouration

After the desired reaction time, rinse the hair with lukewarm water until the water runs clear to remove any dye residues. Khadi hair dyes are easily washed out using only water.

Avoid the use of shampoo or styling products for at least 24 hours to ensure that the dye is able to better fixate itself.

Follow with a mild shampoo the day after.

Using a Khadi Amla oil treatment will also help to ensure a long-lasting colour effect.

Massage a small amount of hair oil into the hair and scalp the day after colouration and let it sit for at least an hour. Then wash the hair with shampoo.

Please note that the colour may turn out slightly darker.

If you are not satisfied with the colour result, follow a longer / shorter reaction time with your next application, or mix with other Khadi hair dyes - There is no limit to your imagination.

Hair care tips - Additions to the plant dye mixture

Long-lasting colour results can also be achieved by mixing the dye with very strongly brewed black tea or coffee and a pinch of salt. To enhance the red tint, mix the dye with boiled red wine instead of water or tea. Since red wine contains alcohol which can potentially dry the hair, it is recommended to boil the wine beforehand to ensure that the alcohol content evaporates.

In rare cases particularly damaged hair may appear slightly dry after applying a plant hair dye. This can be traced back to the astringent effect that these dyes have. The effect can be counteracted by mixing a silicone-free hair treatment or conditioner with your plant hair dye.

Reduce the water content and instead add 1 - 2 tablespoons of quality hair treatment or conditioner, e.g. Khadi’s Hair Treatment / Coconut Shikakai Conditioner to the mix.

Furthermore adding Khadi Amla Powder to your paste is beneficial for hair that requires special care. Khadi Amla Powder is an excellent hair care product that provides the hair with shine and radiance. By adding Khadi Amla Powder red shades are intensified and colour mixtures containing indigo can become redder.

Dry hair benefits from the addition of honey, milk or yoghurt. As previously mentioned, no one hair structure is alike and as such hair may react more positively to one additive over the other. No harm can be done in trying out the mixture with honey, milk or yoghurt on various occasions to establish which is most beneficial for your hair structure. If one of the aforementioned additives does not show a positive effect, simply move on the next.

Avoid using oils, or oil-laden products, as this may interfere with the colour absorption.

Dyeing the roots

It is probable that after several applications, the lengths of the hair will have gathered more colouration than the roots, and thus can appear darker. To avoid this colour difference, it is recommended to apply the dye to the roots first, without touching the lengths of the hair.

Prepare the hair as you would when applying dye to the entire head of hair.

Divide the hair into several sections, that are kept in place with hair grips. Work through each section by releasing the hairgrip and applying the dye strand by strand with an application brush. Do so only on the first few centimetres from the hairline.

If you have an old applicator bottle at your disposal, pour a more liquid dye consistency into the bottle for better application. You may need to create a bigger opening to ensure that the liquid paste is released more easily. Work your way through the hair - step by step.

The same applies to the roots in regard to the reaction time - dependent on your desired colour result and individual hair structure.

Specific dye instructions for grey hair

Please note that grey hair can take on green or blue shade when using a plant hair dye that has a high content in indigo ( in the Khadi shades Dark Brown, Black or Pure Indigo). These shades should not be applied directly to grey hair. to avoid any undesirable colour results. As some customers have claimed, this colour variation is less likely to occur when using the Dark Brown shade. To ensure that these colour variations do not occur, we advise performing a strand test beforehand.

This being said, it is possible to dye grey or blonde hair using a darker shade. This is achieved by following a 2-phase colouration. The 2-phase colouration is explained in detail below.

2-Step colouration for grey hair

As previously mentioned a Khadi plant dye is much like a glaze that wraps itself around each strand. On the one hand, this means that the colour result depends on your unique natural hair colour. On the other hand, large colour differences may occur between your grey hair and the non-grey hair.

The plant colour dye Henna has the property of very easily bonding with individual hair, whereas indigo is less adhesive, especially when it comes to grey hair. This means that the indigo pigments contained in the plant dye mixtures may wash out more quickly under certain circumstances, whereas the red pigments will not. Very grey hair may, as a result, become duller whereas the remaining hair may take on a darker shade which can lead to undesirable colour contrasts.

To minimise this effect it is advised to follow the 2-phase colouration process, especially when applying very dark dyes. Thus, the indigo pigments are better able to bond with the hair, which in turn leads to a more long-lasting colour result on grey hair.

First, dye the hair using Khadi Pure Henna, Khadi Henna / Amla / Jatropha or Khadi Henna + Amla. The reaction time is dependent on the structure of your hair, especially if you have thin or thick hair.
Once this step is completed, you can now apply your desired darker hair dye as previously described, which will then give you a more even colour result.

How to use Khadi Senna / Cassia and Amla Powder

Please note the following when using the Khadi Senna / Cassia and Amla powder.

This is a hair treatment that will not colour your hair.

Mix the powder as you would a plant hair dye and apply to the hair.

If you have healthy hair, the reaction time is of no consequence because the Senna / Cassia powder does not dye the hair.

In rare instances, very damaged, light and/or bleached hair may take on a slightly greenish tint, especially when the mixture is left on the hair for an extended period of time. Therefore, it is essential to perform a strand test beforehand.

For a more conditioned effect, mix the Khadi Senna / Cassia with the Khadi Amla powder. The ratio can be determined by you according to what you hair needs. A treatment using only Amla is recommendable.

Mix the powders as you would a plant hair dye using warm water and apply to the hair as described. Please note the reaction time, because in some cases the hair may become lighter due to the acid content of Amla powder.

Tips for mixing plant dyes (preparation, durability, mixtures)

The red shades can be intensified by adding 1 - 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to the required amount of powder and lukewarm water. Alternatively, a few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar or vinegar can be used.

Cover the paste with foil and store in a warm place. The standing / waiting time is dependent on the surrounding room temperature, i.e. a warmer room temperature results in a shorter waiting or standing time. It is advised to let the paste mature for a period of about 12 hours when storing the paste at normal room temperature. The acids free the colourants from the plant components. This phase is more commonly known as the “dye release”.

This means that the paste surface changes into a darker shade, whereas the remaining paste boasts a fresh, green colour. If you are unsure whether or not the paste has matured, simply drag a spoon through the mixture and look for any colour changes.

The advantages of following this method are that firstly, the colour becomes more intense, and secondly, it is not necessary to apply the paste warm as the colourants have already been extracted with the help of the acid.

An exception must be made when it comes to mixtures that contain indigo, as they do not appreciate a “sour” environment for optimum colour dispersion. If for instance, you would like to blend henna with indigo, it is advised to use the “sour” mixing method on the henna portion only. Then blend the indigo with the prepped henna mixture shortly before application.

The various shades can be blended together without any unforeseen problems. Adding indigo to the mixture will result in darker shades whereas pure henna is responsible for a more red colour outcome. Add Khadi’s Senna / Cassia to the mixture for a more lighter outcome.

The colour outcome is also influenced by the maturing time followed. If you are looking for a more intensive red colour result, mix the dye with lukewarm water (do not add any lemon additive), cover the bowl and store in a warm place.

Frequently Asked Questions (F&Q’s)

Q: Does a plant dye wash out?

A: In principal, plant hair dyes are permanent tints. The structure of the hair is not affected, i.e. the colour pigments only wraps around the outer layer of the hair, however, the bond that it creates is very stable. Red shades have the tendency of being very long-lasting and may merely fade with time. However, the longevity of the plant dye is dependent on whether or not plant dyes have been used on the hair previously.

Q: How long should I wait between applications:

A: Generally, there is no waiting time to be considered for individual applications. However, keep in mind that the colour will only fully develop with 24 to 48 hours after the hair has been dyed. Thus, if you are not fully satisfied with the colour result, we advise waiting 48 hours before repeating the application.

Q: Can plant dyes be used on permed hair?

A: Plant dyes can be used on permed hair. The conditioning effect of the natural dye will become visible on the chemically treated hair. Conversely, a chemical perm can also be done on hair that has been dyed using a plant dye - Admittedly, the perm treatment may not hold as long as a result or may require an extended time to set. We recommend consulting a hairstylist that has been trained in dealing with plant hair dyes.

Q: Do plant dyes cause allergies or intolerances?

A: Yes, it is possible to experience allergic reactions or intolerances to plant dyes. Unfortunately nearly any natural or synthetic ingredient can lead to adverse reactions. If for instance, you are highly prone to allergic reaction or intolerances, we advise having your dermatologist run an allergy test, or conduct a patch test on a small area of skin, using the plant dye and wait for 48 hours to see if any allergic reactions occur. Please keep in mind that even small amounts of plant dye paste can cause heavy staining.

Q: Can I blend any plant dye with other plant dyes?

A: Certainly! All Khadi hair dyes can be blended to create unique shades. However, if you don’t want to leave anything to chance, we suggest performing a strand test first.

Q: The colour result is too red or too dark. What do I do?

A: Again, it is necessary to repeat the fact that Khadi hair dyes, with their high-quality ingredients, are very pigmented and we cannot stress enough, that a strand test is performed before applying the colour to your all your hair. If, however, the deed is done, and your hair has taken to absorbing the colour too intensely, you have the following options:

If the colour result turned out to be too red, you can re-dye it with one of the Khadi shades from the brown colour spectrum. Please keep in mind that you only need the hair dye to react for a short period of time to avoid a dark colour result (strand test!).

If the colour result is too dark achieving a shade that is one or two tones lighter may turn out to be more problematic. The indigo content contained in the dark shades tends to wash out more quickly, the colour will fade, or take on a redder hue with time. Some customers have reported incorporating hair treatments with Khadi Senna / Cassia mixed with Khadi Amla powder and lemon juice lightens the colour result.

Other methods such as treating the hair with hair treatments on a regular basis and for extended periods (overnight), or a blend of honey, olive oil and lemon juice have also been proven to lighten the effect.

Because hair structures do not react the same way to a treatment we advise going about these methods at a slow pace, to ensure that you achieve the desired colour result.

Q: What do I do if I have any dye paste left?

A: Store the leftover paste securely in a freezer bag or plastic bowl (used only for hair dyes) in the freezer until your next application. Don’t forget to label the contents to ensure the correct mixing ratios are used the next time round.

Simply defrost frozen plant dyes at room temperature and warm slightly before use.

Q: Can I treat my colour-treated hair with Cassia / Amla?

A: Yes, you can treat your hair with Senna / Cassia or Khadi Amla powder at any time, even when the hair is colour-treated, and especially when you are colouring your hairline, it is recommended to treated the longer strands with one of the two stated plant powders.

Q: Is it possible to cover grey hair in one step?

A: This is dependent on the structure of the hair, as well as the selected shade. Some customers have reported that using Khadi Light Brown, Khadi Natural Hazelnut, and in some isolated cases, Khadi Dark Brown required only one step to cover grey hair.

By performing a strand test you are able to determine how your hair structure absorbs the dye. Otherwise, we advise following the 2-phase application for grey hair.

Q: How to plant dyes react to chemically dyed hair?

A: You can use plant hair dyes on chemically treated hair, however, we suggest performing a strand test first, to avoid any unpleasant colour outcomes, especially when it comes to bleached or blonde hair, that has the tendency of absorbing the colour very heavily, but may also result in unwanted colour reactions such as green, blue or even purple.

We generally discourage bleaching hair that has been coloured with plant dyes previously, as this too may lead to unwanted colour results. We suggest consulting with a hairstylist that is experienced in working with natural plant dyes beforehand.