We have worked with henna for over 30 years. This page walks you through everything from choosing a shade to applying the paste, and starts with the two questions beginners ask most: “Will it actually cover my gray?” and “Can I do this without making a mess of it?”
Ordering is through each product’s order page (Shopmaker) — it is in Japanese, so please see How to order below for a full English walkthrough.
Most people who come looking for henna mention worries before they mention colour. If even one of these applies to you, please read on.
With henna, you do not choose by your current hair colour — you choose by how the colour shows up on the gray parts. Find your bag from the finish you want.
| Product | How gray hair colours | Good for | Price (tax incl.) |
|---|---|---|---|
Super Natural 100% natural henna |
Colours to a bright reddish brown (orange tones) | Those who want henna’s own colour, or want to try henna itself first | ¥1,320 100g |
 Natural Brown Henna 2 : Indigo 8 |
Colours to a light brown | Those who want a natural brown with the redness toned down | ¥1,650 100g |
 Natural Light Brown Henna 4 : Indigo 6 |
Colours to a light, brighter brown | Those who want a slightly brighter brown finish | ¥1,650 100g |
 Indigo Natural herb (indigo leaf) |
Used as a second application after henna, for a deep dark brown | Those who want a solid colour in one go, or a deeper shade | ¥1,650 100g |
 Royal Herb Natural herb blend |
Adds no colour (colourless) | Those who want a plant-based treatment pack without colour | ¥1,320 100g |
* Used on its own, indigo can give gray hair a bluish tint. The standard use is a second application of indigo after colouring with henna. * With the mixed products, a single application may not settle into the brown you hoped for. If you want a solid colour in one go, we recommend the two-step application. * The finished colour varies with your original hair colour, hair type, and the proportion of gray hair.
No difficult technique is needed. Every number below is a guideline we actually give our customers.
Gradually add about 150–200 mL of lukewarm water at 35–40°C to 50g of henna and mix. The paste should be about the consistency of mayonnaise.
Apply the paste generously to your hair and scalp. The first time, we recommend preparing a little more than you think you need.
After applying, leave it on for 45 minutes or more as a guideline (for a two-step application, about 20–45 minutes; wrap your hair in plastic wrap after applying). Rinse when the time is up. The colour is at its most vivid right after colouring, and settles over 1–2 days.
| Application / hair length | Amount of henna |
|---|---|
| Touch-up around the face and parting | About 15–30g |
| Touch-up of all the roots | About 30–45g |
| Full application, short to bob | About 40–60g |
| Full application, semi-long to long | About 60–90g |
* If you have a lot of hair, or a lot of gray hair, preparing about 10–20g more than the base amount is reassuring. For your first time, a little extra is better than just barely enough. One 100g bag covers, as a guideline, one full application for short-to-bob hair, with some to spare.
For detailed steps and application tips, please see our official FAQ page (in Japanese). You are also welcome to ask us by phone or email (seller information is at the bottom of this page). A printed English beginner’s guide is being prepared — please see the note in the product section below.
“Can a beginner really do this?” “How long do I leave it on?” “Do I need a patch test?” — the points where people pause just before buying, answered up front.
Yes. Beginners can use it too. At EARTH HENNA we explain, as clearly as we can, how much to use, how much water to mix it with, and how thick the paste should be.
For your first time, prepare a little more than you think you need, and apply the paste generously to your hair and scalp.
It depends on your hair and what you are aiming for. Please read this together with the colour guide table above.
* With the mixed products, a single application may not settle into the brown you hoped for. If you want a solid colour in one go, we recommend the two-step application.
For a single application, start with 45 minutes or more as a guideline. Some people take their time and leave it on for 2–3 hours. That said, leaving it on longer than necessary does not guarantee a better result — please use a time that suits your hair and your purpose.
For a two-step application — indigo or a brown shade after henna — the guideline is about 20–45 minutes. Wrap your hair in plastic wrap after applying.
If your head gets cold, for example in an air-conditioned room, the colour may seem to develop less well. Mix with lukewarm water at 35–40°C.
As a guideline: about 15–30g for a touch-up around the face and parting, 30–45g for all the roots, 40–60g for a full application on short-to-bob hair, and 60–90g for semi-long to long hair.
If you have a lot of hair, or a lot of gray hair, preparing about 10–20g more than the base amount is reassuring. For your first time, a little extra is better than “just barely enough.” See also the usage table in the How To section above.
The finish can differ depending on your hair’s history and condition. Colour may come out differently especially on bleached hair, hair coloured to a light shade, and hair with a straightening perm or other perm history.
If you are worried, we recommend testing first on a part that does not stand out.
Basically, we recommend mixing only what you need, each time you use it. With SUISO FIRST, too, the basic approach is to make the paste from fresh water just before use.
Water containing hydrogen cannot be made in advance either, because the hydrogen escapes over time. Add 0.2g of the hydrogen-generating powder to 200 mL of water just before you mix your henna.
Even with a plant-derived product, that does not mean no one will have irritation or an allergic reaction. Especially with a product you are using for the first time, check the product labelling and precautions, and do a patch test (skin allergy test) as needed.
Please do not use it if you have cuts, swelling, eczema, or any other abnormality on your scalp. Stop use if you feel anything abnormal during or after use.
Henna colour is at its most vivid right after colouring, and settles over time. Natural Brown and Natural Light Brown settle in 1–2 days.
We recommend judging the colour after 1–2 days, not by the colour immediately after rinsing.
Henna cannot be used on hair as a dry powder. It only touches your hair once it is mixed with water and becomes a paste.
For 50g of henna you add about 150–200 mL of water — more water than powder. That is why EARTH HENNA pays attention not only to the henna itself, but also to “the first water” the paste is made with. That is the idea behind SUISO FIRST.
Yes, you can. You can make henna paste with ordinary water — tap water, filtered water, or mineral water.
SUISO FIRST is an option that adds one extra step to that “first water.” The order is: 1) prepare 200 mL of water, 2) add 0.2g of the hydrogen-generating powder (a little less than one-third of a teaspoon) to the water first, 3) mix your henna with that water. Please add it to the water first, not directly to the powder.
The hydrogen-generating powder is not sold separately; it is offered as a gift when you buy 2 bags of henna.
When you buy 2 bags of henna, we include the following two gifts (neither is sold separately).
They are gifts so you can enjoy self-henna from both the “start” and the “finish.”
If your product total is ¥5,000 or more, shipping is free.
If it is under ¥5,000, shipping is ¥660 (tax included). As a guide when buying several bags: any combination of four 100g bags takes you over ¥5,000.
More questions are collected on our official FAQ page (in Japanese), including why the amount of water has a range, storing paste, and how room temperature relates to how the colour develops.
Once your worries are cleared up, all that is left is choosing a colour.
See the products & orderFrom the product list, you go directly to each product’s order page.
The order buttons on this page open our shop’s Japanese order page (Shopmaker). Good news: we tested it ourselves — you can fill the whole form in English letters (romaji). Every field accepted romaji input, including the name and address fields, and the order went through to the confirmation screen with no errors. Here is the walkthrough.
Pick a product from the lineup below and press its order button. On the Shopmaker page, choose the quantity (1–20) and — if this is your first order — leave “ID登録していない方はこちら（初めての方）” selected, then press 「お客様情報入力画面へ >>」.
Use the field guide and the sample below. Fields marked ＊ are required. Writing your name and address in romaji (English letters) is fine — we can read it, as long as your postal code is correct.
The same page asks where to deliver (there is a button that copies your details across), how to pay, and a delivery time slot. Press 「内容確認画面へ進む >>」 to see the confirmation screen — shipping and any fees are added and shown here. Check everything, tick the 「注文内容最終確認」 box, and press 「－この内容で注文する－」 to place your order. A confirmation email is sent to you.
| Japanese field | Meaning | What to enter |
|---|---|---|
| 氏名 ＊ | Full name | Your name in English letters (romaji) is fine — e.g. Jane Smith. |
| ふりがな ＊ | How your name is read | Just enter your name again. Katakana or hiragana if you can — romaji (Jane Smith) also works; we tested it. |
| E-mail ＊ | Email address | Type it in half-width characters. You will be asked to enter it twice （確認 = “again, to confirm”). Your order confirmation is sent here, so please double-check it. |
| 郵便番号 | Postal code | Two boxes: the first 3 digits, then the last 4 digits (numbers only). This field is not marked required, but it is the most important one for delivery — please enter it correctly. Tip: the 「住所検索」 button next to it looks up the matching Japanese city/town for your code. |
| 都道府県 ＊ | Prefecture | Choose your prefecture from the dropdown list. |
| 市区町村・町域 ＊ | City / ward / town | Romaji is fine — e.g. Chiba-shi, Hanamigawa-ku, Makuhari-cho. |
| 番地等 ＊ | Street number, building, room | Romaji is fine — e.g. 1-7693-35, Bay Cosmo 1F. Don’t forget your building and room number if you have one. |
| 電話番号 ＊ | Phone number | Three boxes, numbers only (no hyphens needed) — e.g. 090 / 1234 / 5678. A mobile number the delivery driver can reach you on is best. |
| お支払い方法 ＊ | Payment method | Choose one of the three options — see “Payment options” below. |
| メールマガジン配信 | Newsletter (in Japanese) | This starts on 「希望する」 (“subscribe”). If you don’t read Japanese, change it to 「希望しない」 (“no thanks”). |
* After your own details, the form has a second block, 「商品お届け先」 (delivery address). If it is the same as your own address, choose 「注文者ご本人様」 and press 「以下に自動入力する」 — the form copies everything across for you. There you can also pick a delivery time slot （お届け希望時間帯）: Morning / 14:00–16:00 / 16:00–18:00 / 18:00–20:00 / 19:00–21:00 (Yamato Transport). A delivery date cannot be chosen. The optional 「お客様IDを発行する」 (customer ID) can be left unticked — you don’t need an ID or password to order.
| Option on the form | What it means |
|---|---|
| クロネコwebコレクト | Choose this for credit card, convenience-store, or e-money payment. After your order is accepted, you will be guided to a dedicated payment screen to complete the payment. |
| NP後払い | Pay after your parcel arrives — at a convenience store, post office, or bank. A ¥200 fee applies (free when your order is ¥4,980 or more). The invoice is posted to you separately; please pay within 14 days of its issue. |
| 代金引換（クロネコヤマト） | Cash on delivery — pay the Yamato driver when your parcel arrives. A cash-on-delivery fee applies (¥315 for a small order). |
* Example total for 1 bag with cash on delivery, as shown on the confirmation screen: product ¥1,320 + shipping ¥660 + COD fee ¥315 = ¥2,295. Please note that shipping and fees are only added on the confirmation screen, not in the cart.
Sample only — the name, address, phone number and email above are made-up examples. Please enter your own details.
See the illustrated, screen-by-screen sample → — what each screen looks like, and exactly what to type where.
All products are 100g, prices include tax. If it is your first time, start with one bag. Buy 2 bags and the gifts below are included.
Free gift: SUISO FIRST hydrogen powder 1g + natural squalane oil 3mL
The hydrogen powder is for “the first water” you make your henna paste with. The squalane oil is for care after henna. Together they let you experience the whole self-henna flow, as it is meant to go.
If it is your first time, we recommend starting with this 2-bags-plus-gifts combination. You pay only the total of the products themselves — the gifts are free.
* Neither gift is sold separately. Gift contents may change. * A printed step-by-step guide is in preparation; an English edition of the printed beginner’s guide is also being prepared (it is not included yet).
Gray hair colours to a bright reddish brown (orange)
100% natural henna powder from Rajasthan, India. The basic bag for those who want to enjoy henna’s own colour, or to try henna itself first.
The next screen is the Shopmaker order page (in Japanese) — see How to order
Gray hair colours to a light brown (settles in 1–2 days)
A mix of natural henna and natural indigo (henna 2 : indigo 8). For those who want a natural brown with the redness toned down.
The next screen is the Shopmaker order page (in Japanese) — see How to order
Gray hair colours to a light, brighter brown (settles in 1–2 days)
A mix of natural henna and natural indigo (henna 4 : indigo 6). For a slightly brighter finish among the browns.
The next screen is the Shopmaker order page (in Japanese) — see How to order
A second application after henna, for a deep dark brown
Natural herb indigo powder. On its own it gives gray hair a bluish tint, so it is used as the second application after colouring with henna. For those who want a solid colour in one go.
The next screen is the Shopmaker order page (in Japanese) — see How to order
Adds no colour to gray hair — a colourless treatment pack
A balanced blend of natural herbs — aloe, pomegranate, amla, shikakai, henna and more. For those who want to use it as a plant paste pack, without adding colour.
The next screen is the Shopmaker order page (in Japanese) — see How to order
* Ordering takes you to the official Shopmaker order page. Please check the product and delivery details on the next screen.
Once the worries are cleared up, we believe the final push comes from the maker’s track record — and from honesty.
EARTH HENNA is a maker that has kept making henna paste, over and over, through many years of working with henna. We hope that track record, and a commitment to telling you things honestly, will be the final push.
There is, as yet, no academic research that directly compares mixing henna with hydrogen water. EARTH HENNA tells you separately what research has reported and what is not yet known.
You add about 150–200 mL of water to 50g of henna — three to four times as much water as powder. Adding 0.2g of hydrogen powder per 200 mL of that water: that is the SUISO FIRST proposal, thinking from “the first water” your henna is made with.
* Examples measured by us. Values vary with water quality, temperature, amount used, and so on.
There are research reports on using hydrogen hot water on hair, and on lawsone, the natural pigment in henna. On the other hand —
There is, as yet, no academic research that directly compares “mixing henna with hydrogen water” itself.
That is why we tell you separately what research has reported and what is not yet known. We want to be a shop you can choose based on facts, not one that pushes you with exaggerated claims.
100% natural henna — start with one bag. Buy 2 bags and, with the SUISO FIRST hydrogen powder and natural squalane oil gifts, you can experience everything from “the first water” to the “finish.”
100% natural henna, 100g ¥1,320– (tax incl.)
See the products & orderEach product’s button goes directly to its order page (Shopmaker). Free shipping on product totals of ¥5,000 or more (otherwise ¥660 (tax included)).