FAQ

The Henna-Indigo combo pack contains powders of The Henna leaf and The Indigo Leaf, packed separately. These can give a brown shade if applied together as a paste, in a 1:2 ratio.

It can also give a black colour to hair which can be done if first, soaked henna paste is applied and after washing the henna, freshly made Indigo paste is applied. ( Details procedure and proportions in the ‘How to use’ section.)

Using Henna alone on grey hair will make them turn orange. But, Using Indigo, after henna use, will make it turn blackish brown. ( Refer: ‘ How to use ‘ section for procedure and proportion ).

Only Henna application will give orange colour. But, Henna ( which gives an orange colour ) combines with Indigo ( which gives a Blue colour ) as per the wheel of colours to give a brown tone to hair. The shade and darkness of the brown can vary from person to person depending on the textures and composition of hair.

Indigo is a small leafy shrub. Its leaves release a blue colour when soaked in water.It has been used since ancient times for colouring hair and cloth. The use of Indigo as a natural hair colourant, is very prevalent in the western countries. However, now it is also gaining popularity among the conscious Indian population too. Indigo is Anti-toxic in nature and very beneficial for hair fall and other scalp related problems.

There are a lot of factors on which the retention of natural colours depends. The texture, porosity, elasticity, protein content etc vary from person to person and so does the colour binding capacity. However Natural colours are NOT permanent and start to fade after a few washes. Retention of colour improves with continuous use.

Henna and Indigo are leaf powders and have a large molecular size . They can only penetrate the first level of the hair shaft ( cuticle ) and stain it unlike the synthetic colours which penetrate till the third level, bleach it and recolour it with the desired shade. Hence natural colours are not permanent and will have to be repeated a week bit more frequently, while chemical dyes are permanent and they stay there till the hair grow out.

es. You can get a brown or black hair on coloured hair too. However, it will take a few applications to achieve desired results. Prolonged chemical colouring damages the cuticle of the hair and makes the hair very porous. Hence colour staining and retention is a bit slow in the beginning.

Yes, Greys give a natural blank canvas for the natural colours to work on. Grey hair will stain better. Henna and Indigo colouring works best on naturally grey hair and give it a good dark brown after a few applications.

Henna / Indigo only coat the hair cuticle and make it thicker and voluminous … hence the frizziness. You can tame this by reducing the proportion of henna or by adding egg or a few drops of sesame oil in the paste or else doing a gentle massage with coconut oil which will also stimulate the oil glands to produce more sebum … the natural oil.

Neelamari Henna and Indigo are 100% pure leaf powder of Lawsonia Inermis and Indigofera Tinctoria respectively. Henna leaf powder is NON-TOXIC and Indigo is ANTI-TOXIC. No allergic reactions to these have been reported to us so far.

NO, This is not black mehndi. This is pure henna leaf powder( Lawsonia Inermis) and pure Indigo leaf powder ( Indigo tinctoria ). When used together they colour hair a brown or black shade.

Henna

• The pure powder of the henna leaf will be a yellowish and light coloured powder.
• It will not release colour immediately but take some time, if the paste is applied on the palm or hair.
• The paste of henna will have a smell of hay / grass. Any other smell or scent is a sign of adulteration.

Indigo

• The pure powder of Indigo leaf will be of green colour.
• It will release ONLY BLUE colour when soaked in hot water for 10 minutes.
• After soaking , the Indigo paste should smell like frozen peas.

• The hair colour available in the market you are referring to is synthetic/chemical dye.
• There are permanent, semi-permanent, demi-permanent, and temporary ones.
• There are several different categories of hair dyes with similar ingredients.
• The color-removing agents and the dyes both , are toxic entities in the dye mix.

Colouring involves 2 broad steps.

• The permanent dye strips your hair of its natural color.
• The outer layer or cuticle is made to swell and soften so that hydrogen Peroxide can reach the second layer-the cortex and bleach the natural colour.
• Once stripped, it then dyes the color of your choice.
• Once the cortex is exposed, the desired colour is applied. The main component of this dye is PPD ( ParaPhenyleneDiamine ) which gives the desired colour to hair.
• Darker the colour, more the quantity of PPD.
• The other chemicals present in synthetic dyes are Resorcinol, Ammonia, Ethanol Alcohol, Parabens, etc which cause hair to become dull, brittle, and weak.
• There could be Eye and Skin irritation, damage to hair structure, and texture.
• Henna and Indigo on the other hand, Condition hair, soothe the scalp, cure dandruff, and add volume and shine.

Since our Henna powder is completely pure without any additives or chemicals, adding a few drops of lemon will enhance the colour release from the henna leaf powder, thereby giving a better effect of Henna on hair or hands.

It is very important that a shower cap be worn whenever Henna or Indigo paste is applied. This prevents the paste from drying and leaving stubborn deposits on hair. Also colour release will happen only as long as the paste is moist. Besides, moist paste comes off easily, leaving hair smooth and tangle free.

The powder of the Henna leaves will need some time after coming in contact with water, to release its natural colour. Hence a minimum of 4-5 hours is required for color release and good colour stain on hair.

The powders will take at least 2 days to oxidise and darken in colour. Shampoo and oil will disrupt the process and leave a comparatively lighter colour than if left untreated for 2 days. In case of an urgent need to Shampoo , Neelamari Hair Wash powder ( made only with herbs ) can be used , which will not run off the colour and let oxidation still happen.

Yes , adding oil prevents dryness of hair that has been experienced by some people.

Also the paste comes off very easily and leaves hair very smooth and shiny. Please use some extra water to wash hair. A sulphate free shampoo may be used after 2 days.

NO , Indigo paste starts to oxidise within 15 minutes of soaking. Hence it should be applied within 15-20 minutes of soaking so that the process of colour release happens when applied on hair and not in the vessel.

For dry skin , the face pack should be mixed with some full cream milk or Cream and applied to the face and neck. For oily skin , Curd or Aloevera gel may be used to prepare the paste.

No. Yellow stain is left behind by the turmeric that is used in cooking. Kasturi Manjal , which is also known as “ Wild Turmeric” or “ Amba Haldi “ is used only for cosmetic purposes as it lightens the skin, without leaving a yellow stain. It is also mixed with Multani Mitti ( Fullers Earth ) and applied as pre bath ritual in Southern India. This gives a light and glowing complexion to the skin with regular use on face and body. Kasturi Manjal is not edible due to its bitter taste.

All our soaps are handmade, natural and made in small batches. We do not use any animal fat, sulphates, Parabens, triclosan, Pthalates, Acids etc in our soaps etc.

These soaps are made using natural oils, plant based essential oils, Milk, Butters and lye for saponification. These are naturally cured for two months as no hardening agents and acids are used. Our soaps are very mild and have therapeutic benefits. They are made as per skin type and hence are very beneficial in managing various skin issues.

Neelamari Herbs Hair Wash Powder is made using only herb powders , which have natural cleaning properties. Premium Quality Amla, Reetha, Shikakai, Hibiscus, Aloevera, Neem powders are pulverised to make fine powders. Reetha and Shikakai have natural saponins that cleanse the scalp and hair. They produce mild suds only but cleanse without stripping the scalp of its natural proties and oils. The rich foam in Shampoos is obtained by Sodium Laureth Sulphate and smoothening is obtained by silicons. These and many other chemical ingredients in shampoos are extremely harmful for health and should be best avoided in all toiletry items.

Our Body wash powder, like the rest of our products are made with natural ingredients only. The herb powders like Reetha, Aloevera, Hibiscus, Neem and Rose will scrub, cleanse, moisturize, remove dead skin and leave a mild aroma on the skin. It is made using only these natural ingredients.

Neelamari Aloevera gel does not have Colour, synthetic fragrances, harmful preservatives or bases. It does not leave any sticky residue behind and absorbs in the skin quickly, doing only what it is supposed to do to your skin – Moisturize !