Standard hair dyes contain chemical ingredients, such as ammonia and peroxide, which can damage your hair and scalp. Some people prefer to dye their hair naturally. Henna and other natural hair dyes protect and strengthen your hair while coloring it. Whether you are looking for a color change or just want to cover some gray hair, it is fairly easy to color your hair naturally.
Natural henna is a plant of the Lawsonia family. It is dried and ground into a powder. The powder is usually mixed with hot water (bottled or distilled water is recommended). Boil the water (1 to 1 1/2 cups) and mix with 1 cup of henna powder. If you are trying to cover gray hair I recommend mixing the henna with brewed coffee instead of water (brown and auburn shades are best for gray coverage). Coffee helps the henna stick to the gray hair. Use very dark fresh brewed coffee, make sure it is boiling hot and mix with the henna. As you become more accustomed to henna you can experiment and find the right “recipe” for you. You may add tea, cinnamon, juices, and a variety of other ingredients to achieve color variations if you like. Make sure you add the liquid of your choice at a boiling hot temperature. Mix the liquid and henna together and let cool to a comfortable temperature before applying to your hair. Please use non-metallic utensils and bowl for mixing henna.
You may apply henna to wet or dry hair, but make sure you don’t have a build up of hairspray or styling products. Use a tint brush, squeeze type bottle (old mustard bottle works well) or your gloved hands to apply henna. Wrap you hair with an old shower cap or plastic wrap. I use plastic wrap and then put on an old winter hat. The heat activates the henna’s dye. Wait for about 60 minutes (or less with heat) and wash out with hot water, rinse with cool. To remove any remaining henna I recommend washing with a henna shampoo. Complete directions are always sent with each order from Henna by Cynthia.
MORE FUN FOR BLONDS:
Chamomile is probably the most popular herbal hair colorant among blonds. A weekly rinse with this herb tea will also remedy the brown streaking that results from overexposure to the sun, and brighten “dishwater blond” hair.
To prepare a chamomile rinse, steep half a cup of the flowers in a quart of boiling water for half an hour. Then strain the mixture, and let it cool while you shampoo. Now, pour the brew through your towel-dried hair at least 15 times (catching it in a basin each time, in order to use it again). Wring the excess moisture out and leave the solution in your hair for a quarter of an hour before rinsing it out with clear water.
Don’t limit your herbal experiments to chamomile, however. Just about any yellow-blossomed flower or herb can be used on blond hair, including calendula (it’s also called pot marigold), mullein blooms and leaves, yellow broom flowers, saffron, turmeric and quassia chips.
Lemon is also a time-honored hair lightener. The juice of two of the citrus fruits, strained into a quart of water, makes an excellent rinse that can be used in the same way as the chamomile preparation. Try to dry your hair in the sun after using a lemon rinse, in order to get the most from the treatment’s lightening effect.
Another native dye favored by blonds is prepared from rhubarb root, and it’ll add attractive honey gold tones to light brown hair, as well. To put those glints in your locks, pour three cups of hot water over four tablespoons of chopped rhubarb root, and simmer the concoction for 20 minutes. Strain it, pour it through your freshly shampooed hair 15 or more times, rinse in clear water and again, weather permitting, dry it in the sun to strengthen the effect of the dyeing agent.
A BONUS FOR BRUNETS:
For over 5,000 years, Egyptians have used a dark powder made from the henna shrub to give their hair and beards an auburn tint. Nowadays, you can buy henna powder from many herb supply houses and some health food stores and co-ops. It’s known as a safe, healthful dye, and — since it coats the cuticle layer of each strand — it’ll actually make your hair feel thicker. However, be warned that henna tends to produce an almost brassy orange-red shade when used alone, so it’s best to mix it with a “lighter” herb like chamomile. (Since it is so strong, henna shouldn’t be used at all by persons with white, gray or very light blond hair.)
Always try a timed test swatch first, too. Otherwise, you might end up with an unexpectedly bizarre orange head! If you’d like to mix up my favorite recipe (I’ve found that it puts pretty reddish gold highlights in my dark mane), measure one part of powdered chamomile and two parts of powdered henna into a nonmetal bowl, then add enough boiling water to make a thick paste. Stir in a tablespoon of vinegar (which will help release the plants’ colors) and let the blend cool for a few minutes.
When the paste is lukewarm, put on a pair of rubber gloves (henna can stain your palms and fingernails, too) and massage it into your clean, wet hair. Comb it through with a wide-toothed comb to insure even distribution of the dye. Next, pile up your hair, fit a plastic bag over it and wrap a heavy towel around your head to hold in the heat.
You’ll need to leave the dye and towel turban in place for anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours: The darker your natural hair is, the longer you’ll have to wait for the henna-chamomile to take effect. When the time is up, remove the towel and bag and rinse your hair until the water comes clean, then allow the newly colored tresses to air-dry, as usual, in the sunshine if possible. (Any stains that the dye might leave on your hands or around your hairline can be removed with a little elbow grease and lemon juice.)
Should you prefer a simpler (and slower-acting) procedure, you can make a weaker solution of the herbs and use it as you would any of the previous color rinses. Just mix together one tablespoon each of henna, chamomile and vinegar, then steep them in a quart of boiling water for 15 minutes. Naturally, you should cool and strain the liquid before using it.
