How to Dye Hair Naturally

Hair dyes have been shown to have a link to breast cancer, and some contain toxic chemicals. Commercial hair dyes are, in any case, not good for your hair, but by using natural ingredients, you can avoid the risks of hair dyes and still have all the benefits.

Most of these methods won't produce an immediate change; you'll need to use them for a while but over time they will give you a much more natural look and won't "shock" with the instant change.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Sage (for covering grey)
• Rosemary (for covering grey)
• Lemon juice (for blonding)
• Chamomile (for blonding)
• Tea or coffee (for brunette)
• Beet juice (for red)
• Carrot juice (for red)
• Annatto (for orange)
• Turmeric (for yellow-orange)
• Walnut shells (for black)
• Cloves or allspice (for black)

1. For covering grey: Make a tea of sage by simmering 1/2 cup dried sage in 2 cups water for 30 minutes, then steep for several hours. Apply to hair by rinsing 15 times with the same liquid, and leave on until dried. Then rinse and dry. Repeat weekly, until desired shade, then monthly to maintain color.
   
   You can add rosemary to the tea (don't dilute the strength) to help maintain hair health.

2. To lighten hair to blonde: Mix 1 cup of lemon juice with 3 cups chamomile tea. Rinse the same liquid through your hair 15 times, and sit for an hour in the sun.
   
   Alternatively, you can pour three cups of hot water over four tablespoons of chopped rhubarb root, and simmer for 20 minutes. Strain it, rinse through your hair 15 or more times, rinse in clear water and dry it in the sun.

3. For brunette: rinse hair daily with strong black coffee or black tea.

4. To enhance red hair: mix equal parts of beet juice and carrot juice. Rinse hair 15 times daily with same liquid; sit in the sun for an hour to speed the process.

5. For black hair: dark, sable-colored dye can be obtained from walnut hulls, but the nutshells tend to stain everything they touch, so wear gloves throughout all stages of the process, and avoid rubbing the mixture into your scalp). Crush the hulls in a mortar, cover them with boiling water and a pinch of salt, and let them "soak" for three days. Then add three cups of boiling water and simmer the hulls, in a nonmetal container, for five hours (replacing the water as it steams away). Strain off the liquid, place the walnut hulls in a cloth sack, and twist it tightly to wring out all remaining juice. Finally, return the expressed liquid to the pot and reduce it, by boiling, to about a quarter of its original volume. Add a teaspoon of ground cloves or allspice to the prepared extract. Allow the dye mixture to steep in the refrigerator for about a week (shaking it frequently during that time). When it's ready for use, strain the liquid (using a piece of cheesecloth) and pour it at least 15 times through freshly shampooed hair before rinsing it out thoroughly.

6. Shades of orange, bright yellow: Dissolve turmeric or powdered annatto in hot water. Let cool. Pour the same liquid 15 times through hair; let dry. Sit in the sun for an hour.

Tips & Warnings

• Test dyes on small snips of hair. Modify ingredients or strength as necessary to achieve desired results.
• To brighten shades, add lemon juice or chamomile
• To dull shades, add coffee, tea, sage or rosemary.
• Even with natural, plant-based ingredients, you can develop an allergy. Patch-test any ingredients by painting a small patch on a sensitive unseen area of skin and waiting 24 hours.

[SarahElizabeth]

on 11/21/2009 Neat tips... thanks for sharing these natural hair coloring ideas! 5*