How can I dye my hair naturally? 10 best natural hair dye
On average, women change their hairstyle about 150 times in a lifetime, which often includes a change of colour.
Hair colouring is a quick and easy way to change your look, but most store-bought hair dyes are practically packed with toxic, harmful chemicals, which is why many women won’t dye their hair when they are pregnant.
Although opinion is divided as to whether or not prolonged use of chemical hair dyes does actually pose any health risk, if you want to play it safe, there are some natural alternatives.
Natural hair dyes may not last so long, but at least you know they are chemical-free, so here are ten ways you can dye your hair with 100% natural ingredients.
1. Tea
Tea is not strong enough to dye blonde hair black, but it is a great way to cover stray grey hairs. You can use black tea for dark hair, chamomile tea for blondes and rooibos tea for redheads.
The trick with tea is to make the tea very strong by using 3-5 teabags in just 2 cups of water. Brew the tea as you usually would, and then leave it cool before you apply it to your hair (make sure it’s not too hot).
You will need to leave it on your hair for about an hour and, the longer you leave it, the stronger the colouring will be.
2. Coffee
One of the great smellings, all-natural hair dyes is coffee, it will darken hair, and it is perfect for hiding grey hairs. The process is the same as it is with tea; make it strong, let it cool, and leave it to sit on your hair for at least an hour.
You can make the colour last longer if you give your hair a rinse in apple cider vinegar after you have dyed it.
3. Henna
Henna is one of the most popular all-natural hair dyes; it has been used for thousands of years to colour hair, skin and nails. Used on its own, henna will create a red or orange colour and is often used by brunettes to make their hair auburn. You have to be a bit careful with henna, though.
If you use too much, you could well end up with bright orange hair. To use henna as a hair dye, mix 100 grams of henna powder with 1 cup of lemon juice and some water. Leave the mixture for 5 hours before you use it, and then apply to the hair and leave it on for about 2 hours.
4. Marigold petals
Marigold petals will create a strawberry blonde tint in fair hair and give darker hair an auburn tint. With this natural hair dye, the effect gets stronger the more often you use it, so if you want a more vibrant red, then use it regularly.
Boil half a cup of fresh marigold petals in 2 cups of water, leave it to simmer for half an hour, and then leave it to cool. You can then use the mixture as a final rinse for your hair.
5. Beet juice
Beet juice is another one of the wonderful all-natural hair dyes; it will add a red tint to any hair colour, but be extra careful with this one because it can also stain your clothes and your skin.
The best way to use beet juice is to mix the juice with some coconut oil, work it into your hair and leave it to sit for about an hour. That will give your hair a red tint and condition it at the same time.
6. Lemon juice
Lemon juice has natural, mild bleaching properties, so you can use it to add highlights to your hair. Simply brush some freshly squeezed lemon juice into your hair and leave it on for a few hours; ten highlights will become even more pronounced if you sit in the sun. It's especially useful for achieving a sun-kissed look on blonde hair.
7. Walnut shells
If it is a dark brown colour you are looking for, the walnut shells will give you that. You can use this all over your hair, or you can dab it on any patches of grey hair that you might have. Crush up some walnut shells and boil them in water for about an hour.
The longer you boil it, the stronger the colouring will be. Then, strain the mixture and leave it cool before you apply it to your hair and leave it to sit for an hour.
8. Indigo
Indigo, which is the same dye used to dye jeans, will dye your hair blue if that’s what you want. If you mix indigo with henna, you can dye your hair anything, from dark brown to black, depending on the ratio you mix.
As with all of these natural hair dyes, it’s a good idea to test your mixture on a small patch of hair before you dye all of your hair.
9. Carrot juice
Carrot juice is another fabulous all-natural hair dye, and it can help add a red tint to your hair. In this case, add a reddish-orange tint to your hair, work fresh carrot juice into your hair and leave it to sit for about one hour. If it doesn’t give you enough of a tint the first time, repeat the process until you get the desired results.
10. Amla
Whilst amla is not a dye, we have included it here because it can be used to tone down natural hair dye colours, and it also conditions hair and gives it more shine. Just mix amla powder into a paste with water, apply it to your hair, and leave it in for half an hour.
Amla can cause an allergic reaction in some people, so if you feel an itching or burning sensation, wash it out immediately.
Do you know other all-natural hair dyes?
Stay beautiful!