Chemical dyes are the way to go if a consumer wants to drastically lighten, darken, or otherwise alter the appearance of her hair. Many women prefer a more subtle change, and want to use preparations that have no unpleasant odors, health risks, or cumulative damaging effects. Recipes for such concoctions are readily available and surprisingly simple to prepare.
If hair is chemically dyed, wait at least two weeks before using any vegetable dye or herbal rinse on it. Even through the effects of natural rinses and hair dyes are usually not startling, please remember to do a strand test anyway, just to be on the safe side.
Natural Hair Rinses for Blondes
Natural blonde hair or highlights will brighten up if chamomile or lemon is used. ¼ cup of chamomile flowers steeped in one quart hot water may be used as a leave-in brightener. This liquid also works well on light brown hair.
The juice of three lemons mixed with one pint of water can be used to rinse blonde hair after conditioning. Lemon juice should never be used on dry hair. Never use any other citrus juice on blonde hair, as it may stain locks somewhat orange.
If hair has been heavily bleached or otherwise damaged, one teaspoon of white vinegar or two tablespoons cider vinegar should be added to conditioner in order to smooth down the hair’s ruffled cuticle and help restore acidic pH to the hair and scalp.
Blondes will obtain pleasing results from adding steeped calendula water to shampoo. One tablespoon of herb to one cup of water is usually the recommended ratio. An ordinary cup of green tea may also be used to rinse the hair after shampooing.
Natural Hair Rinses for Brunettes
A traditional brunette rinse can be made from two tablespoons rosemary in one pint of boiling water. Allow to steep until water cools completely, then spray on hair; don’t rinse out.
A cup of strong black coffee may be substituted for the above herbal spray.
Natural Hair Rinses for Redheads
One tablespoon of red hibiscus or two tablespoons red clover steeped for a half-hour in hot water and then added to shampoo and conditioner will make red hair shades richer and shinier.
Red Zinger tea or beet juice used as a rinse will help add understated color as well.
To darken red hair a bit, rinse it with black coffee after washing and conditioning.
Natural Hair Color for Gray or White Hair
If white hair has taken on a dingy yellow hue, cornflower moistened with water and two tablespoons of cider vinegar is supposed to restore it to its pristine form.
To darken gray hairs, moisten sage and rosemary with water and two tablespoons of cider vinegar, apply, and rinse out after 15-20 minutes.
An alternative hair darkening recipe can be prepared by soaking 50 grams of walnut skins in 250 to 300 milliliters of water for 24 hours, boiling the mixture for one hour, and then applying the cooled substance to gray hair for one-half to one hour. Do not let either mixture remain on the skin in order to prevent temporary discoloration. Apple cider vinegar will help remove any unwanted skin staining.
The sage/rosemary and walnut-skin colorants may have to be applied every week or two until the desired level of darkening is achieved.
Again, all of the above recipes can provide a nice restrained effect, but cannot change hair color drastically. Even the “all-natural” color shampoos and conditioners sold in salons and stores contain very unnatural pigments in order to produce their more striking effects.
Readers of this article may also enjoy “Natural and Herbal Remedies to Get Shiny Hair” in Suite 101’s Home & Style section.
Sources
- Freeman, Sally, Ageless Natural Beauty, Garden City, NY: GuildAmerica Books, 2000.
- Lawson, Donna, Prevention’s Guide To Looking Fit & Fabulous At Forty-Plus, Emmaus, PA: Rodale Press, 1987.
- Schmidt, Susan Maxwell, “Hair Product Recipes,” 2000-2010.
- “ What are Some Homemade Hair Dyes?,” last updated, May 2, 2010.
Amy Sillup - I have a B.S. in Chemistry from Delaware Valley College and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania. I have worked as a ...
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