Henna covers grey, but on its own it covers it copper or bright orange, not brown. Grey hair has no pigment left underneath, so there is nothing to darken the henna down. To get brown or black you apply henna first, then indigo over the top as a second step.
Why grey behaves differently
Pigmented hair already contains melanin. Henna is translucent, so it lays a red tone over whatever colour is there and the two combine. Dark brown hair goes slightly warmer. Mid brown picks up a red glint.
Grey and white hair contain no melanin at all. Whatever henna deposits is the entire colour you see, with nothing beneath it to mute the result. Grey hair is also more porous than pigmented hair, so it takes the dye faster and holds more of it. The two effects together are why a head of mixed grey comes out looking streaked after a henna-only application: the pigmented strands shift a little and the grey ones go bright.
That is not a fault in the material. It is what henna does. Anyone selling henna as a one-step grey solution is setting the customer up to be disappointed.
Using henna for grey hair: the two-step method
This is the sequence that actually works on grey.
Step one, henna. Mix and apply henna and leave it on. For solid grey coverage most people need around 90 minutes, longer than the 45 minutes that suits a simple red refresh. The point of this step is not the colour you end up with. It is to load the grey strands with dye so the next step has something to grip.
Step two, indigo. Rinse, then mix indigo fresh and apply it over the same hair. Leave it 30 to 45 minutes for brown, or up to an hour and a half for the darkest result. Rinse with water. Skip shampoo for the first day or two.
Then wait. The colour keeps developing for 24 to 48 hours as it oxidises, and it darkens noticeably over that window. Judging the result the same evening is the single most common mistake, and it is why people conclude the indigo failed when it simply had not finished.
Why not just mix them together?
You can, and plenty of one-step brown products do exactly that. It is faster and it works reasonably on hair that is only partly grey.
On hair that is mostly or fully grey it is less reliable. In a single mix the two dyes compete for the same sites in the hair, and grey takes up colour so readily that the result skews toward whichever one wins. You get less control over the final shade, and coverage on resistant strands is patchier. Two applications cost more time and give a more predictable result. For fully grey hair, that trade is usually worth it.
Getting the shade you want
The shade is set almost entirely by how long the indigo stays on.
| Target shade | Indigo step |
|---|---|
| Light to mid brown | 25 to 35 minutes |
| Dark brown | 45 to 60 minutes |
| Near black | 60 to 90 minutes, repeated after a few days if needed |
Resistant grey sometimes needs the whole sequence twice in the same week. Coarse, glossy white hair around the temples is usually the last to hold colour, and a second pass fixes it more reliably than leaving the first one on longer.
What to check before you buy
Grey coverage is where poor material shows up first, because there is no existing pigment to hide behind. Three things decide the result.
Dye strength. Henna loses colour strength in storage. Old stock gives weak, patchy coverage on grey even when it looks fine in the sack. Ask for the crop year.
Sieve size. Finely milled powder makes a smoother paste, coats the strand more evenly and rinses out with far less grit. On grey, even coating is the difference between coverage and streaks.
Nothing added. Metallic salts are sometimes used to force a darker result. They react with peroxide, so a customer who later has a salon service can end up with damaged hair. PPD is sometimes added for the same reason. Both should be tested for and absent.
Sourcing henna and indigo in bulk
We process henna powder and indigo powder ourselves in Sojat, Rajasthan, the district that supplies most of the world’s cosmetic grade henna. Because both are our own lines rather than bought-in stock, the crop year, the milling and the test results are things we control and can hold consistent from lot to lot.
Minimum order is 50 kg on each. Every lot ships with a Certificate of Analysis covering dye strength, sieve, microbial limits and heavy metals. We send a free sample first, and quote within 24 hours to your port. Brands in Germany, Brazil, the Gulf and the US buy both from us for grey coverage lines.
Specifications, for buyers who order to a number
Henna is specified on dye strength and sieve, indigo on colour strength. Both figures are confirmed on the Certificate of Analysis for the lot you receive, not quoted from a brochure, because both vary with crop and processing. Send the numbers your formulation is written against and we will tell you honestly whether we can meet them before you place an order.
Frequently asked questions
Does henna cover grey hair completely?
It covers it fully in the sense that the grey takes the dye. But henna alone turns grey copper or orange rather than brown. For a natural looking brown or black you need indigo applied as a second step.
How long should henna stay on grey hair?
Around 90 minutes for solid coverage. That is longer than the 45 minutes that works for a red refresh on pigmented hair, because the aim is to load the grey strands heavily enough for the indigo to hold.
Why did my henna and indigo come out too light?
Usually one of three things: the indigo step was too short, the colour was judged before it finished oxidising over 24 to 48 hours, or the henna was old and had lost dye strength. Resistant grey often needs the sequence run twice.
Can I mix henna and indigo in one step for grey?
You can, and it is quicker. On fully grey hair it is less predictable and coverage on resistant strands is patchier. Two separate steps give better control over the shade.
Do you supply both henna and indigo for a grey coverage line?
Yes, both are lines we mill ourselves. Minimum order is 50 kg each. Tell us your target shade, sieve and destination and we will send a sample and a quote within 24 hours.
Specs change with the crop, the season and the grade. Ask our export desk for a current lab report, the minimum order and a price to your port, and we will come back within 24 hours.