Dye Your Hair Naturally

Dying your hair is a quick and relatively easy way to drastically change your appearance. Dyes can also cover unwanted grey hairs, make your hair more uniform, or give highlights, lowlights, and depth to the color of your hair. However, many commercial hair dyes contain harsh ingredients that can dry out and damage your hair, and aren’t great for your body or the environment. As an alternative, there are kitchen remedies and plant-based dyes you can use to color your hair, cover greys, or just lighten or darken your natural hair color.

Steps

Darkening Hair Without Dye

1. Use tea to change your hair color. Plants and herbs that contain tannins have long been used as dyes, and although the coloring teas made by steeping plants in water aren’t as permanent or strong as commercial dyes, they can still change the color of your hair, especially if you repeat the treatment frequently. To darken hair with tea:
   • Choose a loose-leaf black tea or black tea powder and steep one-half cup (72 grams) of tea in two cups (16 ounces) of boiling water. Allow the water to cool with the leaves still in it. When it reaches room temperature, strain out the leaves and transfer the tea to a spritzer or spray bottle.
   • Spray your scalp with the tea water and massage it gently in to the roots of your hair. When you have saturated the roots, continue working downward toward the ends, spraying and massaging hair in sections until your hair is saturated and the tea is gone.
   • Twist your hair or pile it on top of your head and secure it with a large clip or a few bobby pins. Then, cover your hair with a shower cap or plastic wrap and let the tea sit for an hour.
   • Rinse with lukewarm water only and style as usual. For best results, repeat on a weekly basis.
2. Make hair darker with coffee. Like tea, coffee also contains tannins that can be used to change your hair color. With coffee, it’s easiest to grind one tablespoon (15 grams) of instant coffee granules into a course powder in a coffee grinder or with a pestle and mortar. Mix the powder into a cup (eight ounces) of your favorite conditioner.
   • When you bathe, use the coffee conditioner instead of regular conditioner. Each time you use it, let the conditioner sit in your hair for 10 to 15 minutes before rinsing it out.
3. Deepen hair with walnut shells. Black walnuts are another tannin-containing plant, and the shells can be crushed into a powder to make a hair dye. Place two to three cups (7.5 to 11.5 ounces) of crushed walnut shells into a large pot and cover with four cups (32 ounces) of water. Allow to soak for 12 hours. After soaking:
   • Cover the pot with a lid, and bring it to a boil over high heat. When it boils, turn the heat down to medium and continue boiling for about two hours, or until the water becomes a deep brown. Remove the pot from the heat and allow it to cool to room temperature.
   • Strain out the walnut shells. Put on some disposable gloves (or gloves you don’t care about staining), wrap your neck and shoulders with a towel to protect your skin, and apply the walnut water to your hair with a tint brush, paint brush, or a cotton ball.
   • Let it sit for an hour, then rinse with lukewarm water and a mild shampoo.

Reddening Hair Without Dye

1. Give henna a try. Henna is a plant-based powder that has been used for centuries to dye hair, skin, nails, and much more. Although the powder is green, henna will naturally dye your hair a reddish-orange. Mix about three tablespoons (45 grams) of henna powder with enough boiling water to form a thick paste. Then, let the mixture sit in a cool, dark place for about 12 hours.
   • When the mixture is ready, put on disposable gloves and apply it to your hair with a tint brush. Pile your hair on top of your head and wrap it in plastic wrap. Let sit for at least one hour, and for as long as four hours for a more intense color.
   • Rinse with water and a gentle conditioner when your time is up.
2. Use tea. You can also use tea made from certain herbs and flowers to give your hair a reddish tint. Use half a cup (about 72 grams) of flowers and herbs for every cup (eight ounces) of water. Some of the best herbs and flowers to use for red hair include calendula (marigold) flowers, hibiscus, and rose hips.
   • Steep the herbs in the water until it has cooled to room temperature. Transfer to a spray bottle and apply as before. Wrap your hair in plastic and rinse with water after an hour. Repeat weekly.
3. Give your hair a richer red with tomato juice. Open a fresh can of tomato juice. Reserve about two cups (16 ounces) of juice and refrigerate the rest for other uses. Either dip your fingers into the juice and then massage the juice into your hair and roots, or apply the juice to your hair with a tint brush.
   • When all your hair is saturated, pile it on top of your head or twist your hair up and secure it with a clip or bobby pins. Cover your hair with a shower cap or plastic. Let it sit for 30 minutes, and then rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water.
   • Repeat weekly for best results.
4. Color your hair with vegetable juice. Just like tomato juice can be used to give hair a reddish tint, so too can beet and carrot juice be used to create deeper and more purple tones in your hair.
   • Mix together a half-cup (four ounces) each of beet and carrot juices. Put on gloves, wrap a towel around your neck and shoulders, and use a tint brush to apply the juice to your hair.
   • When your hair is saturated, pile it on top of your head, cover it with plastic, and let it sit for an hour.
   • Rinse with clean water. Repeat the process on a weekly basis.
   • For an even more purple tone, substitute red cabbage juice for the carrot juice.

Lightening Hair and Covering Greys

1. Lighten hair with a homemade leave-in conditioner. For this recipe you will need the juice from three lemons, two bags (four grams) of camomile tea steeped in one cup (eight ounces) of boiling water, one teaspoon (5 grams) of cinnamon, and one tablespoon (0.5 ounces) of almond oil.
   • When the tea has cooled, strain out the leaves and combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and transfer to a spray bottle.
   • Shake before use and spray the mixture on the areas of your hair that you want to lighten.
   • Expose your hair to the sun for 10 to 15 minutes, making sure to take the necessary precautions to protect yourself from the UV rays.
2. Hide grey hairs with sage. Add to a small pot one tablespoon (15 grams) each of fresh or dried rosemary, nettle, and sage. Add two cups (16 ounces) of water and bring to a boil over medium heat. When it’s boiling, continue simmering for 30 minutes, and then remove it from the heat to cool.
   • When the mixture has boiled and cooled to room temperature, strain out the herbs and transfer the infused water to a spray bottle.
   • Spray the herb water on your hair after every shower, comb it through your hair, and style as usual. The sage will help cover greys, the rosemary will give your hair a nice shine, and the nettles are a great restorative.
3. Go for rhubarb blonde. Chop half a cup (50 grams) of rhubarb root into pieces and place them in a small pot. Cover the rhubarb with four cups (one quart) of water and put the lid on. Bring the water to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and simmer for 20 minutes. Let it sit overnight. Strain in the morning, transfer the water to a spray bottle, and apply like the lemon juice leave-in conditioner.
   • You can purchase dried rhubarb root if you don’t have access to it fresh. Use four tablespoons (25 grams) of dried rhubarb root and the same quantity of water.

Video

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Tips

• Use gloves to protect your hands and old towels or clothes to protect your skin when you are coloring your hair, especially when you are working with walnut dye. Be careful not to get homemade dyes on good clothes or countertops, as they can stain.

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Sources and Citations

• Videos provided by beautyklove

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• Lowlight Blonde Hair
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• Dye Your Hair Brown After It Has Been Dyed Black
• Dye Hair Two Colors

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