Henna Hair Color & Conditioner, Color the Gray - Dark Brown Hair Dye for Men/Women, 2-Step Chemical-Free, Semi-Permanent Hair Color for White, Gray, and Blonde Hair, 7 Oz (Pack of 2)

Update: Aug 9, 2022:I am now 72 years old and have very stubborn gray roots. I have been using this product for 4 years. When I first started using it, I could leave Step 2 on my hair for 1.5 hours and it covered beautifully. Since I now have much more gray hair, I leave the Light Mountain package #2 on my hair for 3 hours. It covers the gray roots completely, and it turns my hair a warm brown color. When I go for haircuts now, my hairdresser remarks how becoming the color is.Coloring my hair with this product is a big time commitment, but so worth it for health and saving money. I am so glad I found this product for covering my gray hair.Here is how I use it:1. To save money I weigh and divide both packages into thirds because I have shoulder-length hair. (I describe how I divide it below...) Don't bother going to this much trouble the first time you use it. Try out the product first using the entire box to see if you like it.2. Mix up Step 1. Then, while I am waiting the 30 minutes for Step 1 to process, I mix up Step 2.3. Apply Step 1. Use gloves! I apply the product with one of those wide brushes hairdressers use which makes parting the hair and applying the messy product to my roots so much easier. (I bought the Framer Family brushes on Amazon.)4. Wait 15 minutes. Rinse out. Makes my scalp and roots a scary bright red color.5. Apply Step 2. Cover head with plastic wrap or the provided cap. Wait 1 1/2 - 3 hours depending on amount of gray. Rinse. Step 2 covers the scary red with a lovely natural-looking brown color.6. Take a bath with a cup or two of vinegar. (see vinegar explanation below) Run fingers through hair to remove all product residue.7. Turn on shower. Rinse. Apply conditioner. Rinse.Pros:* Covers my stubborn gray hair* Wonderful color* Safe, non carcinogenic ingredients (EWG recommends)* Super inexpensive compared to having the hairdresser dye my hair* I am not allergic to it, but I was allergic to the salon color.* As long as I use the vinegar rinse, my scalp does not feel dry, and the strong henna smell is nearly gone.Cons* horribly messy* takes a lot of timeIn spite of the mess and the time it takes, I highly recommend this product. I use tap water. I find the product to be pretty forgiving when I make mistakes on timing or water amounts so I don't worry too much about getting the liquid amounts and the curing times exact. Gloves are definitely needed.I have shoulder-length hair so, to economize, before using the product, I weigh each package, divide the powder in thirds, and package the piles separately in labeled sandwich bags. I divide the water amounts into thirds and write the amounts on the bags too. I find the powder can accept more water than the recommended amounts so I don't worry too much about getting partial ounces exact. I included a photo of the two bags I use for one application.I highly recommend rinsing with vinegar. The vinegar keeps my hair and scalp from feeling dry and it almost completely eliminates the strong smell of henna. The vinegar removes the product so well that I can use a white towel to dry my hair. To cut down on the time and aggravation the process takes, I weigh and measure out the powders one day, get everything ready a different day, mix up and apply the products a third day. Note: in spite of getting stuff ready ahead of time, the whole thing is still aggravating and takes many hours. But the product does such nice things to the texture and color of my hair that I keep using it.I do wait 24 hours to wash my hair after I apply the product.

I started using this product over 4 years ago and have used it and only it routinely. I started with hair that was dark brunette and a bit of gray - perhaps 15%. The results were that my bangs had some orange remain in them and the color ended up being light to dark medium brown.**Use organic ground ginger (spice) instead of fresh ginger to shorten steps.**Then I started really reformulating my process, and finally I have it down to a science. I'm posting an update here to say, that I believe the color is darker and holds longer if you put in on your head with a shortened cure process, not letting it sit to cure for several hours beforehand. Right before you rinse off package 1, make the mixture for package 2. Then by the time you are done rinsing out package one, you can put package 2 mixture on. I think the window is maybe to try and get it on within 15-30 minutes of it after mixing it. I read on a henna website one time that color would be more vivid if it was on your hair while the processing was taking place.The key is getting it applied well, and by blending, it is very creamy while applying. In fact, now I just dip my hands in the bowl and spread it on like I am applying shampoo. I don't even use the hair color brush. I just smear it in and through the hair because it is so creamy. Seriously, this has shaved off at least 30 minutes of application time. My hair is long, about 5 inches below bra strap on back ((hair is now to waist, and 1 box covers it all.))I will come back and try and condense this review into easy to follow steps.Here is the 2nd time I used this product and how I prepared it:I let both the pack 1 and the pack 2 cure for 3 hours each before starting. I made them both at the same time.For pack 2, I made it with this: 2 cups total liquid as: 1 cup distilled water, 3/4 cup of Folgers Black Silk Coffee (made fresh an hour earlier with distilled water) and 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar. Remaining ingredients included: a piece of fresh ginger about 2" long, 3 tablespoons honey and 3 drops of extra virgin olive oil. To start, I chopped the ginger and put in the blender and blended with 1 cup of distilled water. Then I moved it into a glass bowl, poured in the coffee, the distilled water, and the evoo. After it cured for 3 hours, I then added in the honey. I blended again with the hand held blender stick and let sit. While sitting the bowls were covered in saran wrap.I left the color from pack on 3 hours.I noticed that pack 1 left my hair a vibrant bright orange, which did not happen when I colored three months earlier. I think leaving this pack on 45 minutes was key. I was worried that I would miss a vibrant orange strand coloring but I got them all.My hair color turned out a very deep dark color -- not quite black, but darker than chocolate brown. In fact, it's the color of dark chocolate.The gray turned dark, but not as dark as the rest of the hair, but that seems to be par for the course for henna, and actually looks natural, rather than a sea of black.To help with the mess, I bought a pack of 10 towels for only $6.49 (total for the pack) at a beauty supply store. I also wore a cape that I got there. The plastic cap that was included with the color, I cut a slice in it to be able to tie it securely on my head, and I cut a tiny hole in the top of it to allow heat to escape. I read that sometimes you get the red hot spots on top of the crown from the hotter area of the head there, so the hole helps regulate the heat.I also used the apple cider vinegar (acv) this time because after researching how to apply henna, I came across several posts of how the acv helps unlock the color. It sure did, I was pleasantly surprised.The mixture was also easy to work with for pack 2. I believe the evoo and the honey did this. It was so easy to put on, that it was actually dripping a little. But even though that was a slight nuisance, it was far better than working with the consistency of mud.All in all, this stuff is a pain to work with, and took 8 hours, and that was with my husband helping. But it was quicker than the first time, and probably if you don't wait so long between times it might be easier. Especially for me, as the first time had to cover more of the gray. This time only had to cover what had grown out over three months.Oh a very important thing. This time there was no foul smell. I believe adding the ginger must have done that, and I'm so thankful. Last time I smelled like a hay stack for a week later. Even at the gym, I would start sweating and smell like hay.This time, no after smell at all.**UPDATE Jan 25, 2014 --Here I go again! This will be my 4th time using the product. I'm not waiting for so much gray to accumulate before recoloring, so maybe that will help the time. I usually have to spend half a day running around to get supplies. I'm trying to stock up.This is additional supplies of what you need:Since it is a 2-step process, it's best if you can have 2 plastic bags for the head. What I do is cut a 2 inch slit in the front of it and use those 2 ends to tie into a know - this makes the bag fit tight, avoid leaks and not slip around.Instead of using the official coloring cape from the beauty store, I now use a 13 gallon size garbage bag. I cut a hole on each side for my arms. I like the beg better because it's a little lighter and easier to work with and I can alter the size very easily by folding it up to look like a mini shawl.Put 2 plastic bags on the bathroom floor - that way drips can just be thrown away - cuts clean up dramatically.The ginger root is definitely what is make the smell non-existent. With ginger root there is very little hay smell, maybe only like 5% the first few days.After you are all done, the next day when you take a shower - don't shampoo yet. Use only conditioner. And the day after that, don't shampoo, only conditioner. This helps the color set in before you have your first shampoo. So today is Saturday, I'll condition on Sunday and Monday, and shampoo and condition on Wednesday - back to normal routine.I also tried the step 2 a bit differently, which I like better. After step one is done, right before you wash it out, make the stuff for step 2. Then about 15 minutes later when step 1 is all rinsed out go ahead and put step 2 on. I did read from someone else that it's best to put this on your right after mixing, so I started doing that. It makes sense - let it start developing on you for a deeper longer lasting color. That's what I'm doing again today.Ok ladies - good luck! It's a lovely finish - just a bit of a nuisance until you figure out a good routine for you. I always have to reprint my review here to see what I did and I follow my own steps each time. LOLGo be fabulous!