don't get henna at a store or health store. the henna there says it is natural, but when it is imported from other countries, they don't have regulations like we do to list the ingredients being used. ppd is the leading cause of allergies and can cause death. there is no such thing as black henna, blond henna, brown henna, ect. this is poor quality henna that has chemicals to mask & that damages hair and make it brittle. rule number 1. never use chemicals on henna hair for that reason. 100% pure henna is an orange/redish color, but in 3 to 4 days it deepens to a darker red. when mixing henna it has a greenish color. the more you put on the richer the color of dark red. how it turns, is in the oxidization. the henna is mixed 12 hours before use to release color. when you put this on your hair and wrap in saran wrap for four hours, then rinse. the henna penatrates into the hair shaft & it mixes with the karotin and oxidizes. i gave you a web site to go and see, they have sample packets for a dollar each, this is to test some of your hair to see how it will take. if you want a reddish brown use 3 parts henna and 1 part indigo. indigo is a natural plant also. indigo can be mixed to have a reddish brown color. it is good for your hair, it also helps the scalp. it is good for gray hair. at first it wont take but the more you henna the more it will take, and the less there is gray. but please check out this web site, they are legit and they are an hour from my home town, they are in Kent, Ohio. you can order the sample and use the hairs from your hairbrush, and when you get the color you like then order the big packs. they tell you 100g will dye short hair. 200g will dye collar length straight hair(above shoulder). 300g will dye shoulder length straight hair. 500g will dye waist length hair. if you don't want to go through paypal, you can call them or or print out the order form. link to henna is: Mehandi.com