How to Darken Hair Over Time

Dried sage leaves can be purchased at the grocery store, or you can grow your own.

Many people want to darken their hair one or more shades, but are afraid to use commercial hair dyes. Aside from the strong chemicals in commercial hair dyes, the fear of getting an adverse result is always present; your hair color may end up being too dark, or an undesirable shade. To avoid this, you can use sage to darken your hair. Sage gradually darkens you hair over time. It's up to you to decide when you reach the desired shade.

Things You'll Need

• Pot
• Water
• Fresh or dried sage leaves
• Bowl
• Strainer
• Shampoo
• Conditioner
• Towel

Instructions

1. Fill a pot with 2 cups of water and bring it to a boil.

2. Crush a handful of fresh sage leaves. Tear the leaves apart with your fingers, and place them in a bowl. As an alternative, use 1/4 cup of dried sage leaves.

3. Pour the hot water over the leaves and let it steep for at least two hours, or until the water is cooled off. The longer you allow the mixture to steep, the darker your it will tint your hair.

4. Strain the sage liquid to separate the leaf particles from the liquid.

5. Shampoo and condition your hair. Pat and squeeze your hair with a towel to remove excess moisture.

6. Pour the sage liquid over your hair as a final rinse. Place a bowl underneath your head to catch the liquid, so you can pour it over your hair several times. Leave the liquid on your hair and style it as normal.

7. Apply the sage rinse once a week to gradually darken your hair. Once you reach the desired darkness, stop using the rinse. If the tint starts fading, make some of the sage rinse and spray it on clean hair to refresh the color.

References

• The Sage Companion: Body & Soul: Sage Rinse
• Mother Earth News: For Natural Hair Color, Color Your Hair With Natural Dyes