The Pros and Cons of Tinting Your Eyebrows with Henna

Henna is a natural dye prepared from the dried and powdered leaves of the plant Lawsonia inermis. It has been used in the Arabian Peninsula, Indian Subcontinent, Middle East, and parts of Southeast Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe for centuries. Pure henna powder contains a reddish pigment, but it can be mixed with other natural dyes for other shades, from dark blond to deep brown to black.

Henna is widely use for body art (called mehndi or mehendi) and as a hair dye. It is also a common ingredient in eyebrow tints. Henna-based tints have their benefits and drawbacks. Let’s take a closer look at them.

Pros

#1. They are natural. A lot of people use henna because it’s a natural alternative to chemical hair dyes and eyebrow tints. Not all henna tints are 100% natural; some contain additional organic compounds to deepen the color and make it last longer, but, nevertheless, they are still considered safer than chemical brow tints and dyes. Henna-based tints are an especially good choice for those who already use henna on their hair and want their brows to have the same color.

#2. They color the skin. While this may be a drawback for hair dyes, henna’s ability to stain the skin is definitely a pro as far as brow tints are concerned. When applied correctly, henna creates a stain underneath the brow that helps create the illusion of fuller and darker eyebrows. This is as close to microblading as you can get when you tint your brows at home.

#3. They save time and money. With eyebrow tinting kits, you don’t have to go to a salon to get your eyebrows done. Just mix the powder with water and apply it to your eyebrows with a brush, creating any shape you want.

Cons

#1. They may be difficult to apply at first. Henna paste has a thicker consistency than most conventional eyebrow tints, so it may take some time getting used to. Things may get messy, and since henna stains the skin, you may end up with dark stains where you don’t want them. Luckily, there is a way to prevent this. Just smear some cream or petroleum jelly around the perimeter of your eyebrows to prevent staining.

#2. The color tends to fade quickly. Actually, this is a problem with all brow tints, which may be due to the rapid growth cycle of the eyebrows. Henna tints usually last for about 1–4 weeks, but sometimes more frequent touch ups may be necessary to maintain the color and shape of your eyebrows. To keep the color from fading, prepare your eyebrows before tinting, making sure that they are free from any makeup or oil. You should also know that henna works best when it’s moist and worm, so you may get better results by applying small strips of cellophane over your eyebrows.

#3. They don’t color all brow types well. As we’ve already mentioned above, pure henna has a reddish color, so it may do little to nothing to dark and coarse eyebrows. There are several solutions to this problem. You can pre-lighten your eyebrows before applying the tint or you can use henna-based tints where henna powder is mixed with other herbs and organic compounds that allow to achieve a deep and long-lasting color.