How to Make Homemade Hair Dye

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By christianmom
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Hair Dye Colors

Making your own hair dye can have many advantages over pre-made dyes. Homemade dyes will have fewer chemicals and can be much safer. Making your own dye can be much cheaper than buying dye from the store or paying a stylist to color your hair. Consider the following tips to make and use your own homemade hair dye.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Herbs
Old towels
Old bowls

Step 1

Most people use natural herbs or plants to make homemade hair dyes. You need to do your research and figure out which ones make the color you are looking for. You also need to determine which ingredients are local to your area and readily available. For example, chamomile can make a wonderful blond rinse, while dye made from walnuts will turn your hair a darker shade. You should also determine which products provide the longest effect based on the length you are looking for.
Step 2

Once you have determined what you need and you have your ingredients available, you have to set up. Most dyes become ineffective after a short while, so you shouldn't make the dye until you are ready to use it. You will need to cover any surface areas where you will be preparing the dye. You should also use old towels and bowls for mixing the ingredients and applying them. The dye that is used for your hair may also dye any surfaces it touches. Make sure everything is covered or wouldn’t be ruined if it gets touched with the dye.
Step 3

Make sure you follow the directions for your homemade dye correctly. Some dyes will need to be applied longer than others. You may also need to use petroleum jelly or cotton to cover any skin. Some dyes can color skin even faster than hair. Make sure you rinse your hair thoroughly when the time is up. The longer you leave the dye on, the lighter or darker your hair will become. Some dyes might even cause damage to your hair if they are left on too long.
Step 4

In the same way that chemical dye processes have to be touched up, so do natural dyes. It will depend on how much of a difference you changed your hair color as to how often you have to touch up. If you are dying your hair black when it is normally blond, it will be very noticeable when your roots start to show. Be prepared to keep up with the process before you even begin and you will be much happier. You may even want to buy your ingredients in bulk so you have them available for touch up sessions.