Henna. The Maximalist has never used commercial chemical hair dye

Henna. Mehendi. Lawsonia Inermis. That plant you grind up to make orangey red dye. The stuff of India's body decoration and a great way to brighten your hair or cover your gray.

The Maximalist swears by it and sometimes swears at it, but either way is probably stuck with it. It is said that once you start with henna, you can't reliably over-dye with chemicals like L'Oreal or Clairol. You risk all sorts of frizz, damage and mayhem. I am risk averse.

When did I start with henna?

As a teenager. Some girls were bleaching and streaking their hair for summer and the Maximalist decided to highlight her highlights instead. I always had red highlights, now there is more. An aunt of mine was a henna enthusiast, she told me where she bought it and I did it. At first and for many years it looked subtle as my hair was already a deep brown. As I aged and became grayer the white hairs have become red ones and each ear there are more.

Why henna?

The 60s and 70s called out for natural beauty despite the heavy sales of dyes and "rinses". The Maximalist was impressionable enough to believe the hype. And I liked that aunt a great deal.

Where do you buy it?

At first, I bought a little yellow tin with Cleopatra's image on it. Later it came in boxes and more colors (mixed with chamomile or indigo). More recently I turned to healthfood stores and bought various shades in plastic jars. The greyer I get the more I appreciate the indigo. Now, I buy from the Indian groceries and add amla or indigo to get a darker shade. My current favorite brand is Godrej's Nupur mehendi. It is henna mixed with a few other herbals:

Brahmi promotes hair growth
Skikakai leaves hair clean and shining
Aloe Vera moisturizes hair and makes it silky
Methi conditions, nourishes and revitalises hair
Bhringraj makes hair luxuriant
Amla darkens hair colour and adds shine
Neem fights scalp infection and prevents dandruff
Hibiscus rejuvenates hair making it shiny & silky
Jatamansi prevents graying of hair

Or so the package claims. I like it because it looks nice and costs $1.99 a packet. I can control my gray better if I color weekly and that also keeps the color darker. This henna is not the slightest bit grainy and it smells better than the healthfood store variety.

To keep it looking soft I moisturize with coconut oil. This happens two days after I color with Nupur Mehendi.

I am satisfied with the result and I do not have brittle dyed hair. I also do not have to contend with peroxides or ammonias or worry about what all those chemicals are doing to my scalp and brain function. I save money and I get a lot for the little I spend. And isn't that what maximalism is all about?