If you haven’t yet heard of the age-old natural power of the henna flower, where have you been? Seriously. Stop colouring those grey hairs with animal-tested, chemical-laden hair dyes produced in ozone-polluting factories and take the greener, safer, more natural route. Henna your hair.

Found in the tropical regions in Africa, the henna plant produces a burgundy dye molecule. Traditionally used in Muslim culture to paint the bodies of women during special holidays and celebrations, many women (not limited to Africa) use it to colour their hair.

The henna used particularly for hair dye is a loose, green powder which is mixed with strong tea into a very thick paste and has a yoghurt-like texture. Leave it to stand overnight so the dye can be released, and then add lemon juice to the mixture the next morning. If you have very dry hair, however, prep your tresses by applying hair oil the night before.

HOW TO:

Once the dye has been prepared, part your hair into sections, starting at the back and work your way to the front. Beginning with the back sections, apply the henna pasta from root to tip. Once you've applied the dye to all sections, use a wide-tooth comb and work the paste through the hair to make sure you haven't missed any spots.

Wrap your head in a plastic shower cap. Your hair type and how intense you want the colour to be will determine how long you need to keep the dye on for. But do not leave it on for longer than two hours. When you’re ready, rinse the henna out; you should rinse your hair a few times to make sure all traces of the paste are gone. Then shampoo and style as usual.

A few precautions though. Do a hair test by applying henna to a small section to make sure the dye takes to your hair and that it won't damage or break previously chemically treated or recently dyed hair. Make sure your hair is clean and dry before you apply the paste. Always wear gloves (preferably disposable ones) because the paste will dye your skin. Place a cotton band around your hairline to protect your forehead from being dyed too. If you accidentally get henna on your skin and it leaves a stain, rubbing alcohol will remove it.

If you’re a bit sceptical, simply do a Google search and you’ll be amazed at the results. Not only does the henna colour make your hair softer, it stays on for longer when compared to the other expensive brands.