Description
Indigo is a natural black hair dye . This is the one that comes in the boxed Renaissance Henna Herbal Hair Colour Kit !It’s pure indigo powder from the indigofera tinctoria plant and colours hair natural brown & black. This pure indigo powder comes from the crushed leaves of the indigofera tinctoria plant . The leaves are crushed, powdered, and then finely sieved multiple times to produce the finest powder .
Mix the indigo powder with water to form a paste which you apply to your hair for the desired length of time to achieve your desired hair colour.
On dark colour hair, applying indigo on its own will make it go darker. Dark brown colour hair, for example, will push to darker brown after half an hour and become black after one hour
On lighter hair colours such as grey and blonde, if you want to get deep auburn, brown, or black hair colour, you will need to use Henan first before you apply indigo paste to get your natural brown and black hair colour. We suggest if you’ve never used henna and indigo before, that you start with one of our boxed natural hair colour kits which will guide you through your first time henna indigo application process with ease.
Pure indigo natural black hair dye can dye even 100% grey hair black and brown. Henna & indigo are natural hair dyes which are PPD free and ammonia free.
Indigo natural black hair dye is indigo leaf powder made from indigofera tinctoria powder.
This natural black hair dye is available in quantities of : 100g,200g,600g,click on the drop down list to select your quantity.
All of our indigo hair natural hair dying products are from Tamil Nadu, a region tucked away deep in the south of India.
Use indigo on dark hair to get jet black hair colour. On lighter hair colour, and grey hair, use henna first, followed by indigo to get black hair. Henna will turn light hair colours auburn red, and indigo after the henna will turn your auburn hair black, or brown if you leave it in less than 30 minutes. Take your time to go through the links below to understand more about how henna and indigo work.
What is indigo ?
Indigo Natural Black Hair Dye is originally from India:
Indigo’s real name is indigofera tinctoria. In old times Greeks and Romans imported cakes of pigment called “indicum”, meaning “from India”, and this led to the name indigo.
Indigo is a plant that produces a dark blue dye which we all know as the colour used to colour blue jeans.
Indigo Dyes Hair Brown and Black
Indigo hair dye turns hair brown through to black when it is applied after henna. Even 100% grey hair goes brown or black when indigo is applied to hair after henna.
However, indigo it will only ever stain the skin blue, not black.
Our indigo hair dye contains only indigofera tinctoria. The green colour indigo dye powder is made by crushing and then sieving the dried leaves of the indigofera tinctoria plant. The powder is sieved multiple times to ensure the finest powder consistency. Nothing at all is added to the indigo dye powder. It is packed into a re-sealable poly bag and foil sealed straight after sieving to ensure freshness and potency.
About the plant : Indigo natural black hair dye
There are many types of indigo plants and indigo powder. Some are poisonous and some are contaminated with toxic chemicals.
The indigo we sell and promote, which we consider the safest for hair, is the powdered leaves of the indigofera tinctoria plant. It’s a greenish colour powder that looks a bit like henna but smells different to henna. It does have a strong smell. Our natural indigo plant hair dye has not undergone any chemical process. Powdered indigofera tinctoria leaves have been used safely as indigo plant hair dye, for centuries, to colour hair black and brown.
The method of extraction, however, can be critical in assessing the safety of indigo plant hair dye. If indigo is chemically extracted, as it is for use in fabric dyes, then other chemicals can contaminate it. This method often results in purple crystals, not green powder and it is sold as “indigo”.
Blue colour indigo powder is “vat indigo”, which means it has been fermented, and probably undergone an extraction process in which chemicals are used. This is not a safe indigo plant hair dye to use.
Which indigo is natural black hair dye ?
There are many types of indigo plants and indigo powder. Some are poisonous and some are contaminated with toxic chemicals.
The indigo we sell and promote, which we consider the safest for hair, is the powdered leaves of the indigofera tinctoria plant. It’s a greenish colour powder that looks a bit like henna but smells different to henna. It does have a strong smell. Our natural indigo plant hair dye has not undergone any chemical process. Powdered indigofera tinctoria leaves have been used safely as indigo plant hair dye, for centuries, to colour hair black and brown.
The method of extraction, however, can be critical in assessing the safety of indigo plant hair dye. If indigo is chemically extracted, as it is for use in fabric dyes, then other chemicals can contaminate it. This method often results in purple crystals, not green powder and it is sold as “indigo”.
Blue colour indigo powder is “vat indigo”, which means it has been fermented, and probably undergone an extraction process in which chemicals are used. This is not a safe indigo plant hair dye to use.
Where is indigo natural black hair dye from ?
The climate of Tamil Nadu is tropical in nature with little variation in summer and winter temperatures. While April-June is the hottest summer period with the temperature rising up to the 40ºC mark, November-February is the coolest winter period with temperatures hovering around 20ºC, making the climate quite pleasant. Surprisingly, Tamil Nadu gets all its rains from the north-east monsoons between October and December, when the rest of Tamil Nadu remains dry. The average annual rainfalls in Tamil Nadu range between 25 and 75 inches (635 and 1,905 mm) a year.
How much indigo do I need?
We recommend the following quantities for mixing henna and indigo,and we recommend that you reduce these quantities by about 10 to 20gms for really fine hair, and double the quantities here for really thick hair. [If you’re in a country that doesn’t use grammes, sorry, just try to adjust according to the weight of the pack , eg 50gms = a quarter pack of the 200gms bag of henna, 100gms = half a pack & so on:
- short to chin length hair – 50 gms henna / 30 or 40 gms indigo
- shoulder length hair – 100 gms henna / 70 or 80 gms indigo
- mid back length hair – 200gms henna / 140 or 150 gms indigo
- hip length hair – 300 gms henna / 210 or 220 gms indigo
What colour will I get with henna and indigo ?
Henna and indigo will always make your hair colour darker, not lighter. Your henna hair colour is determined by your starting colour. Henna will slightly deepen darker hair colours and will add mild red low lights to your hair.
On lighter hair colours your henna colour will be much more noticeable. You’ll get auburn hair colour on light brown hair and chestnut brown tones with red lowlights on darker brown hair.
Blonde hair will turn fiery red.
Grey hair will go orange red, and you’ll need to use indigo after the henna to tone it down to brown, through to black.
Indigo after henna will always get you to brown within 15 minutes to 30 minutes.
Indigo after henna will get you to black within 50 minutes to 1 hour.
We recommend our henna hair colour starter kit for your first time application,which comes with everything you need, including a very detailed Instructions Booklet to answer all of your questions and guide you through the first time application process.
Pre mixing Henna & Indigo
Applying henna and indigo separately, in two separate stages, gives you maximum control over your end hair colour and ensures the best colour take on 100% grey hair. We do not recommend pre mixing henna and indigo pastes for 100% grey hair until after at least your third henna & indigo application. This allows for colour build before you start applying the hair colours in one step. You will still need to do the 2 step application process in between to make sure you colour new grey roots as they come through.
Combining your henna and indigo using a one step hair colour process, which saves time, is suitable only for those without grey hair or with less than 10 % grey hair.
If you are new to henna and indigo, we recommend you start with one of our henna & indigo beginner hair colour kits which comes with everything you need, and a detailed Instructions Booklet to help you get started.
Herbal Hair Colour: Start Your Herbal Hair Colouring Journey with a Natural Hair Dye Kit
Saleena (verified owner) –
I have been using renaissance henna and indigo for almost 10 years now. The product is great and I have always received my items quickly. Would definitely recommend.
Joan Bates (verified owner) –
I have been using Renaissance Henna products for over ten years now, having started in my 50’s and now well into my 60’s.
I have gone from just a few grey hairs to completely white, although I never let my roots show and use henna followed by indigo every 5 weeks or so.
I am always happy with the results and many people compliment me on the finished colour. The method that works for me is to mix the henna with warm water and a tablespoon of sugar and a little olive oil then apply to the roots only. Wrap the hair in cling film and leave for 3 hours, then rinse off with warm water. Next mix the indigo with a teaspoon of salt and again apply to your roots only, leaving hair open to the air without clingfilm.
If you wish for a strong auburn colour and just need to tone down the orange slightly then leave the indigo on for about 20 minutes. I prefer more of a brown colour so leave the indigo on for about an hour, then rinse off with water. I don’t shampoo for a couple of days so the colour has time to set on my hair, then shampoo as normal.
The result is always beautiful, shiny and natural looking hair and I don’t know what I’d do without Renaissance henna products because at 67 years I’m not ready to go grey yet !
Bliss Lane (verified owner) –
I use indigo & henna to turn my grey to brown black. I alternate between henna & indigo each time I tint my hair. Love that I can be rid of my grey without the use of chemicals on my scalp. I am hypo-allergic & it is great to find a safe to use hair tint.
Ela (verified owner) –
Very satisfied with this product!
I’ve been using it for almost 3 year now, and everytime I get good results.
I do the 2 step process, so first Henna and then Indigo.
Everytime i have a question, Sabrina is very polite in answering.
jason –
Just replying to Trishmor’s old post regarding the mixing, is it really safe to use these – CMC – Carboxymethyl Cellulose) or Edible Gum powder? And wouldnt adding these make the hair dye unnatural?
Renaissance Henna –
All you need to add to [Renaissance Henna] indigo is water! Mineral rich water works best. You may add powdered natural sea salt if you wish. The salt works as a mordant- essentially it becomes a molecular glue which helps the indigo to stain better. Adding cider vinegar or using an arrowroot gel base are optional. No need for anything else unless you particularly want to use something else that works for you. Safety issues concerning other ingredients are a matter of personal evaluation and choice and only arise if you wish to use other ingredients. We recommend straight water and salt and nothing else in our indigo natural hair dye and this keeps it entirely natural.
lunargirl –
Used this for the first time alone on gray hair. I expected blue turquoise hair which is what I initially got but after 2 days my grays are purple. Deep purple and I like it. It blends away the grays but if you look closely hair is deep purple … i am happy with it. The use is really easy. Thank you for a great product.
P.L.N (verified owner) –
I bought a pack of your indigo to try out, as I was having very mixed results from my regular supplier; although I had used indigo in the past successfully I was having to leave on longer and longer without much visible difference. Yours is the best indigo I have bought. The stain is strong and fast, just like the good stuff I remember. Will definitely be buying from you again
Gail –
Since August/Sep, I have been trying out Henna/Indigo combinations and with pleading results so far. I have tried Henna products from as far away as the States – very expensive import duties into Europe. I have used the Henna bars from Lush in the past but, within 2 weeks I found that I already had to reapply the Henna. And, neither did it cover the grey whisps of hairs beginning to show. Rather a costly task. I discovered Rennaissance whilst surfing online and find that using the Hennaand Indigo, I can now go 4 to 5 weeks B4 having to reapply. Also, I have found that, I no longer need to apply henna throughout my locks as previously and therefore, am using HALF the amount that I normally would have used. Brilliant! So, still experimenting each time in order to see what works better for my hair type. My hair is black brown, I have dreads reaching halfway down my back. Grey whisps of hair showing by my temples. Starting with Henna, 50g. I mix with warm to hot(not boiling) water and leave covered for a minimum of 8 hrs. Completely cover front and sides of hairline and any remaining henna further spread over my locks, massage it in then, seal it all in with cling film and towel over the top of that. 3,5 to 4 hrs later, I then, weigh up, 25g Amla and 40g Indigo, mix with warm to hot water. Rinse out hennaed locks thoroughly with Luke warm water, towel dry; now my hairline with Indigo and distribute any remaining paste over my locks. Again, wrap in cling film followed by a towel and keep for 1,5 to 2 hrs. Rinse out well with Luke warm water, towel dry (I also blow dry, on low heat, just to dry off excess water – dreads are a heavy weight when damp let alone when wet!). My locks have come out great so far, although, (is it due to Amla?)I have noticed that, they tend to be very dry, also, because, I am having to ‘wax’ loose hairs with more regularity. I think I shall another time try soaking my locks in a conditioning oil after the final rinse ( indigo). Does anyone have tips for ‘thick’ hair? Any results with cassia obovata or other herb?
Trishmor –
Hi Sabrina, I wanted to write to you to say that I have been using henna and indigo in the two step process for about 8 months now and found it to be the best hair colouring system for my grey hair. Before with using commercial dye I found it made my hair frizzy and dry. Now my hair is soft, shiny and beautifully conditioned – it looks like a young person’s hair! It has been a learning process in terms of application and ingredients to add to my henna and indigo mixes. However, I have, with practice and having to use the dyes every 4 weeks, now perfected the technique and wanted to share this with you and your customers because I still come across comments about the issues of applying indigo. The measures below are for shoulder length hair. For Henna mix, I make mine the night before to allow time for dye release. I use one measure ofAmla powder, 1.5 measures of sugar and 9 measures of henna powder. I apply the henna and leave the mix on for a minimum of 6.5 hours. I tend to use the day as a pampering day so it doesn’t feel like a chore, as I have to apply the colour every 4 weeks. I rinse out the henna without washing it with shampoo or conditioner and dry with the hairdryer. I make up the indigo mix just before using it. I add 1 measure salt, 1 measure Bhrami powder (available on Ebay or Asian supermarkets), 1 measure CMC – Carboxymethyl Cellulose) or Edible Gum powder (available on Ebay) and 9 measures of Indigo powder. Very important – mix the dry ingredients thoroughly so the gum is completely mixed in. Then I add water to the dry mix until I get a suitable consistency – like thick yogurt. The gum will continue to slightly thicken, but as I am applying the mix to my hair, I add a tiny bit more water to loosen it up. The CMC gum holds the indigo mix together making it easier to apply and stay together rather than dropping off and ending up on the floor. Another advantage of using CMC is that you do not get indigo water dripping down onto your face and neck. I fully believe that if I hadn’t discovered about adding CMC to the indigo mix, I would have given up using this product! I find your website very informative and thank you and your customers for the help offered. I also wanted to say that your Indigo powder is the best I have found through trial and error and I will definitely be coming back for more! I will email you before and after photos of the henna and indigo results on my hair. Regards Patsy
Anonymous –
I started going grey a few years ago and resisted chemical hair dyes until they were too many greys to count. I used some ‘organic herbal’ hair dyes which still had chemicals in them and they gradually made my hair feel like straw and out of condition. Then I looked around for natural solutions and found this site. I found the indigo powder which you can use along with henna to cover your greys, and I have never looked back!! I love the way the henna and indigo condition my hair, make it look shiny and healthy, and NO GREYS! I cant recommend this product highly enough. Throw those chemicals out and GO FOR INDIGO!! (review by Farah)