The eyebrow, a slender line of short hair above the eyes, is a crucial facial feature serving multiple functions, including protection, aesthetics, and communication. Its protective role involves shielding the eyes from direct exposure to elements like rainfall, sweat, water, and debris. Additionally, the expressive movements of the eyebrows play a communicative role, allowing the conveyance of emotions such as sympathy, concern, and recognition. In terms of aesthetics, well-groomed and dyed eyebrows are integral to a person’s appearance, particularly in women who engage in daily grooming practices to enhance their overall look.
Why Should You Dye Your Eyebrows?
There are various reasons why you may need to dye your eyebrows. Such reasons may include
- Excessive Exposure to Sunlight
- Discoloration due to aging
- Naturally Faint Eyebrows
- Patchy Eyebrows
- And Other Factors That May Discolor Eyebrows
Henna has been amongst the most widely used and oldest natural dye.
Benefits of Dyeing Eyebrows
Once you start dyeing your eyebrows, you may never stop. The benefits are numerous and visible. Some of them include
1. It Enhances the Color of the Eyebrow:
Although this benefit is temporary, dyeing your eyebrow greatly enhances its color. With age, excessive exposure to sunlight, and using the wrong cosmetic products, the brows may lose color. Natural dyes like henna add color, texture, and glow to the eyebrows.
2. It Gives the Brow a Natural Look:
Natural dyes have a way of making the brow look great and yet very honest. Compared to using the contents of a makeup bag, these products give the face a more natural yet alluring look.
Also Read – DIY Henna Hair Oil Recipes with Benefits – Get Thick and Gorgeous Hair at Home
3. It Gives Shape to the Eyebrows:
Dyeing the brows will help define its shape. Whether the natural dye is made of a color different from the brows or the same, applying it will create a fuller front and help to enhance its shape.
4. It Serves as Brow Extension:
For women whose eyebrows have thinned because of exposure to adverse conditions, rightly dyeing the brows may be effective. In addition, natural dyes can be used to create a longer brow line.
5. It Boosts the Growth of Hairs in the Eyebrows:
The leaves of the henna plant and other natural ingredients are saturated with minerals and nutrients that contribute to hair health and growth.
The benefits of applying natural dyes to the brows are enormous. It addresses conditions like hair thinning, enhances its color & shape, and improves hair growth. These are the desired preferences for a healthy-looking eyebrow and can be achieved with the use of the natural dye – Henna
What is Henna?
Henna is a dye made from the Lawsonia inermis plant leaves, also called the Egyptian privet, mignonette tree, or simply the henna tree. The plant, native to Asia, Northern Africa, and Northern Australia, produces the best natural dyes when grown between 30-45 degrees Celsius.
Dye made from this plant may be used in the pure form to temporarily give fabrics, the skin, fingernails, and hairs, including the eyebrows, a reddish-brown color and a black, copper, or brown tone when mixed with other herbs and spices (1).
How to Dye Eyebrows Naturally With Henna?
Henna has repeatedly proven to be an effective option for the natural dyeing of eyebrows. On the first application, this natural dye (in its purest form) gives off an orange tint that darkens with repeated application to give the eyebrows a delicate brown color. It may also be mixed with other natural ingredients like herbs and spices to get a black, chestnut, or red color (2).
The ingredients needed to prepare this dye are:
- One tablespoon of henna powder or a handful of fresh henna plant leaves
- One tablespoon of organic Indian gooseberry powder
- Half a glass of water
- One tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
- A small scoop of shea butter or sweet mimosa butter.
Other tools required include:
- An electric blender (if you are using fresh leaves)
- A pair of plastic gloves to protect your hands
- A ball of cotton swab
- A mixing bowl
- A plastic spoon
- Two pieces of kitchen wrap
Directions for Use
This comprises the product preparation process, eyebrows preparation, application, and post-application stages.
The Product Preparation:
- Put on the plastic gloves. This will protect your fingers from coloration.
- Blend the fresh henna leaves into a paste (if you are not using the powder)
- Empty the henna paste or powder and organic Indian gooseberry powder into the mixing bowl.
- Add a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice to the bowl.
- Add a little water. Water functions as the solvent but shouldn’t be added excessively to prevent the mixture from dripping.
- Thoroughly mix the four ingredients with a spoon until a fine, smooth, thick paste free of bubbles is formed.
- Cover the mixing bowl containing this fine paste with a lid and keep it at room temperature for a night. This is to make the henna attain its best color tint.
The Eyebrows Preparation:
This ensures the eyebrow region is clean and receptive to treatment.
- Rinse the face with a mild face wash or use alcohol wipes to clean the eyebrows.
- Leave the face to dry.
- Apply shea butter around the eyebrows. This keeps the surrounding skin protected. Next, endeavor to keep the brows completely free of shea butter or moisture.
- Brush the brows inward to keep the hair facing the middle of the forehead.
The Application Stage:
- Place a good-sized mirror in front of a comfortable back chair and sit
- While looking at the mirror, carefully apply the henna paste on your eyebrows with the cotton swab or mascara brush.
- The mixture should be thoroughly applied to the eyebrows to form a thick coat.
- You may also keep clean cotton swabs to remove stray colors that may fall outside the desired skin area.
- Take the two pieces of kitchen wrap and gently cover the dyed brows with it. The sides of the wrap must be properly smoothened out to keep the inside free of air bubbles.
- Leave the paste safely covered by the wraps for a minimum of 20 minutes and a maximum of 4-6 hours to get an intense color.
The Post-Application Stage:
- Remove the henna paste by uncovering the kitchen wrap.
- Gently rinse the brow and entire face with tepid water.
- Apply shea butter or the henna after-care balm to moisturize the eyebrows and sustain the impact of the dye.
Also Read – How To Use Henna For Damaged And Frizzy Hair?
Benefits of Dyeing Eyebrow With Henna
Some benefits attached to the use of this age-long eyebrow dye are
1. Enhances the Brows:
Henna hair dye enhances the eyebrows’ color, texture, and hair. Whether it is an eyebrow fading due to old age or decolorizing from excessive sunlight exposure, the henna natural dye will restore it to its original state. Many also use it to tint the eyebrows and change their color shade.
2. Improves the Textural Feel:
Unlike other dyeing pigments that stick to the eyebrow strands, henna dye binds with the keratin. This helps smother the short hair strands cuticle, improving the eyebrows’ strength and smoothness.
3. Moisturizes the Eyebrows:
This natural dye locks in moisture when it binds with the hair strands. It is a conditioner for the eyebrows that helps to retain moisture and nutrients derived from healthy sources.
4. Affordable:
A perfect henna blend has many nutritious ingredients but is less expensive than industrial dye options.
5. Organic:
All the ingredients needed to prepare a henna dyeing blend are natural. This keeps the eyebrows free from the long-term effects associated with using chemical dyes.
6. Boosts Hair Growth:
Research has shown that the henna plant significantly contributes to enhanced hair growth. Therefore, dyeing the eyebrows with this natural blend will increase the mass of hair strands in the brow (3).
Side Effects and Limitations
The limitations and possible side effects of using this natural dye are:
1. A limited number of available shades:
This is a significant shortcoming in the use of henna natural dyes. The dye gives an orange-brown color, not the only desired color for eyebrows. To modify the color, other natural ingredients may be added. However, in some cases, a user who doesn’t have color-changing herbs may opt for artificial pigments, jeopardizing the whole process’s integrity. Often, even when mixed with natural herbs and spices to get a suiting color, the blend may have a shade close yet different from the user’s preferred eyebrow color.
2. Dyeing of other parts of the body:
Although hand gloves and kitchen wraps have been recommended, the chances of not having dye stains on the surrounding skin areas of the eyebrow are slim (especially for a first-time user). The application process of the henna natural dye to the eyebrows is intricate.
3. Dryness:
Henna natural dye also functions as an excellent moisturizing conditioner; however, it may dry the eyebrows out when there is no external source of moisture. To prevent this, use shea butter on your eyebrows immediately after treatment to keep the brows fully conditioned.
4. Application time:
The henna natural dye takes a preparation period of up to 8 hours (because it needs to be covered overnight for its color to get set) and an application process that may require up to 6 hours, depending on how dark you want the eyebrows to be. Therefore, the time needed to prepare and apply henna natural dye is lengthy.
5. Allergic reactions:
People with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency are generally allergic to the use of henna on any part of their body, including the eyebrows (4).
Also Read – How to Fix 8 Most Common Eyebrow Issues Easily
Summary:
The benefits of applying natural dyes to the brows are enormous. It addresses conditions like hair thinning, enhances its color & shape, and improves hair growth. These are the desired preferences for a healthy-looking eyebrow and can be achieved with the use of the natural dye – Henna. The use of henna as a natural dye is an age-long practice that has remained relevant and effective in adding and restoring growth, color, and beauty of the eyebrows.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is henna dye good for the eyebrow?
Yes. An all-natural henna dye is considered generally healthy and effective. It is a potent dye and a good conditioner that will make any strand of hair stronger thicker, and assume any desired color.
Will all-natural henna dye cover grey eyebrows?
Yes. An all-natural henna dye will change the color of any eyebrow into the desired shade, given that it is left on the brows for enough time to achieve that.
Should I oil my eyebrow after applying a natural henna dye?
Some products, like shea butter, can be applied to an already dyed eyebrow. Unless an expert recommends, products besides shea butter and henna shouldn’t be used.
What is the role of lemon juice in a henna blend?
Mixing the henna powder with certain herbs and spices may influence its standard orange-brown color. One such natural ingredient is lemon juice, which helps to make it darker.
What are the things to avoid after dyeing the eyebrows?
Avoid exposure to adverse weather conditions after dyeing the eyebrows with a natural henna dye.
References –
- “Lawsonia inermis” – en.wikipedia.org
- “These DIY Brow-Tinting Transformation Photos Are Mesmerizing” – byrdie.com
- “Eyebrow Tinting: Longevity, Procedure and Cost” – healthline.com
- “Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency” – en.wikipedia.org
