Friday, May 18, 2012

Natural Hair Color Ideas

When I was younger, I used to dye my hair a nice auburn color. I loved the way the auburn looked with my complexion and my hair tends to get auburn highlights in the summer anyway. Lately I've been thinking about going back to auburn hair. Now I'm older and smarter and greener, though. I don't want to use major brand hair colors because of all of the chemical ingredients. I began exploring other options.
Of course, the first option that came to mind was henna. Lush sells 4 different vegan varieties of henna hair color, each offering up a different color, from bright red to dark indigo. Their Caca Marron is supposed to create an auburn color, which is exactly what I'm looking for. However, I'm not sure I want to spend $24.95 plus shipping on a product I've never used before. I don't know anyone that's ever used it either, and I hear it's not a good idea to use henna without help.
I did some research online for other options. On herbcompanion.com I found some great ideas for DIY hair products. They offer home made recipes for shampoos, deep conditioners, and hair colors. Following is an excerpt from their site:


Chamomile: This will lighten fair hair. To make a rinse, pour 2 cups boiling water over 1/4 cup chamomile flowers. Cool; strain before using.
Rhubarb: This also will lighten hair. Use 1/4 cup chopped, fresh rhubarb to 2 cups boiling water. Cool; strain before using.
Sage, lavender and cinnamon: These will darken hair. Use 1/4 cup sage or lavender (or 3 cinnamon sticks, broken into small pieces) to 2 cups boiling water. Cool; strain before using.
Hibiscus flowers: These will give red highlights to light or dark hair. Use dry flowers or herbal tea containing hibiscus flowers. Steep the flowers in boiling water to the shade you desire. Cool; strain before using. Remember you can always go darker, so start out with a weak mixture.


Read more: http://www.herbcompanion.com/Body-Care/Shimmer-and-Shine-with-Homemade-Herbal-Shampoos.aspx?page=3#ixzz1vHNWux9v


Now, I just have one question. Where in the world do I find hibiscus flowers? Maybe I will try the cinnamon sticks first. They should be a little easier to get my hands on. I'll let you know how it turns out!


4 comments:

  1. I had no idea rhubarb could be used for this!! Thanks for the post!

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  2. wow ,i never knew that these products could be used for coloring hair.thank you

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  3. One company that I've bought herbs from is Frontier. They carry hibiscus. (I'd try the cinnamon first)
    http://www.frontiercoop.com/products.php?ct=llt&cn=Hibiscus+Flowers

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  4. I like the Hibiscus flower option best. My hair is way too dark. I have tried Henna with tea bags.

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