How to Dye Hair with Indigo Leaves (Indigo)

Dyeing your hair is a great way to get your desired hair color. Unfortunately, hair dyes often contain chemicals that irritate the skin and scalp. You can avoid this if you dye your hair with indigo leaf powder. Indigo leaf powder is made from crushed leaves of the indigo plant, which means it is completely natural. With indigo leaf powder, you can dye your hair as dark as you want without using chemicals. In general, to dye hair with indigo leaves, people with light hair need to use henna as a base, and people with darker hair need only indigo leaf powder. ^{[1] X Research Source}

Table of Contents

Use henna as background

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Buy or make henna powder. You can make your own henna powder or save time by buying it at a Middle Eastern or Indian food store. Buy enough powder to cover the entire hair. 200g is usually enough to dye shoulder length hair. If you want a special kind of henna, you probably need to go to a henna art shop.

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Mix henna powder. If you have light hair, you will need to use henna as a base. Put a small amount of henna in a bowl. Pour in some hot water, then add a little lemon juice or vinegar. Stir until mixture thickens. Continue adding liquid until a smooth paste is obtained. When the mixture is thick enough, you should cover it with cling film.

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Wait a few minutes for the henna to cool before using. You need to apply henna to your hair while it is warm but not hot. After a few minutes, you can remove the wrap from the bowl and check if the henna is out of heat.

Preparing to dye hair with indigo leaf powder

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Buy indigo leaf powder. You can find indigo leaf powder at major retailers or cosmetic stores. High-quality indigo leaf powder is also sold on sites like Amazon. Buy 100 g of indigo leaf powder for every 15 cm of hair length.

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Prepare the venue. If you have old newspapers or old towels, you should spread them on the floor where you are going to dye your hair. Henna can drip down and you probably won’t want to have to clean this sticky substance off the floor. Indigo leaf powder will permanently stain clothes, carpets, pets and furniture, so be careful.

You can dye your hair in the bathroom to make it easier to clean.

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Clean hair. Wash your hair thoroughly, then let it dry naturally or use a hair dryer. You can use regular shampoo and conditioner. Make sure to wash off the residue and henna, if you use henna. This step will make the dyeing process easier. Start dyeing while your hair is still damp. The fact is that a little moisture in the hair is good for the dyeing process.

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Divide your hair into sections. Use a comb to comb your hair and remove any tangles. After combing, divide your hair into several sections to make it easier to dye. The most common way is to divide the hair into 4 sections. To do this, you can divide your hair into 2 sections and further divide each section in half. Divide the front and back of the head first, then divide the left and right parts; so you will have 4 separate hair sections. ^{[2] X Research Source}

Use bobby pins or hair clips to hold each section of hair in place.

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Wear gloves. Indigo leaves can stain your hands and turn them green. To avoid this situation, you should put on rubber gloves before applying indigo leaf powder. Latex gloves, kitchen gloves or gardening gloves will work. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

Apply indigo leaf mixture

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Mix indigo leaves. It is best to do this when you are about to dye your hair. Pour warm water into a medium-sized bowl, then sprinkle indigo leaf powder and wait for 10-15 minutes. You need to mix thoroughly until the mixture has a pasty texture. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

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Apply the mixture of indigo leaves to your hair. You now have the prepared indigo leaf mixture. Use both hands to spread this mixture on your hair. You need to spread evenly over all the hair you want to dye dark.

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Hair wrap. You need to make sure the indigo leaf mixture is always warm and absorbed into your hair. So, once you have applied the mixture to your hair, you should wrap your head in plastic wrap or put on a shower cap. Leave it like that for about 1 hour. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

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Rinse off the mixture. Remove the wrap and rinse the indigo leaf mixture from your hair with cool water.

Do not use shampoo for 2-3 days after dyeing.
It will take about 2 days for the indigo leaf mixture to oxidize. When the oxidation is complete, you will see its true color.

Advice

Add 1 teaspoon of salt to the indigo leaf mixture for a deeper color.
Do not store indigo leaf powder in the freezer, as then the dye will lose its effect. You need to store in a dry and dark place.
This method works best for chestnut brown hair and red hair. Blonde hair can turn blue with green.
Do not wash your hair for 1-3 days after dyeing indigo leaf powder. Otherwise, the color of the indigo leaves will fade.
The mixture of indigo leaves cannot be preserved, so you should only mix as much as you need.
The indigo leaf powder mixture has a consistency like wet sand. You can add 1-2 egg whites for ease of use.

Warning

Indigo leaves will permanently stain clothes, carpets, pets and furniture, so be careful.
If you have gray hair, the gray hairs may turn out to be a different color than the rest.
Avoid using indigo leaf powder if you don’t want your hair to be too dark.
If your hair has been recently dyed or bleached, the indigo leaves may not cover the entire hair evenly.
Indigo leaf color is permanent. You have to wait for the hair to grow out.
Indigo leaves can cause slightly dry hair. If you regularly use indigo leaves, you should alternate henna with indigo leaves. Henna has a conditioning effect on the hair and does not lighten the black color.

Things you need

Indigo leaf powder
Old towels, old clothes and newspapers
2 eggs
Mixing bowl and spatula, both not made of metal
Food wrap
Warm water
Henna

Steps