Of all the beauty routines, the one that takes the most effort and constant rethinking is colouring your hair. From instant hair dyes to dyes that claim to keep your hair coloured without any chemicals or artificial hair colourants, you can easily be convinced of their ability to get the job done without any pitfalls.
While these hair colours claiming to be blended from all-natural ingredients might seem to ease the struggle you’ve to endure with chemical hair colourants, what remains a mystery is the actual ingredients that are sneaked into these Instant natural hair dyes, which on long-term use might lead to allergies, scalp infections and hair thinning.
Repeated use of hair dyes is known to harm hair health and damage the scalp from where the hair draws all its nutrition.
Disadvantages of using chemical hair dyes
- Hair Thinning
- Dry and Itchy scalp
- Hair Loss
- Dull and lifeless hair
- Frizzy Hair
- Hair Breakage and splitting
- Eye Irritation
- Facial Swelling
- Contact Dermatitis
- Anaphylaxis
If you think you’re hair has begun to show signs of damage after repeated use of hair dyes and ammonia-based hair colours, seek refuge in these homemade hair dye recipes concocted from natural ingredients.
It might however take a bit more effort and thoughtfulness to make these recipes work for you, compared to what it takes with instant hair colors but if you take our advice and follow the natural methods consistently, you can see some amazing results and noticeable improvements in your hair quality.
Here are some tried and tested DIY Natural Hair Dyes To Hide Your Grays:
10 Best Natural Hair Dye Recipes To Camouflage Premature Greying
1. Amla Juice + ACV
Indian gooseberry or Amla has remained an eternal favourite among Indian women to attain forever youthful, black tresses.
Now, what places it among the most sought-after hair-darkening ingredients is its exceptional ability to add a darker hue to greying hair without disturbing the scalp health or the health of hair.
To get this ingredient to work for you, whisk together equal parts of Amla Juice and Apple Cider Vinegar and leave it for 5 minutes to acquire a darker colour.
Massage this liquid all over your hair and scalp, paying special attention to the roots where greys are most likely to be visible.
Leave this dye on your hair tied neatly in a bun, secured with a shower cap, for six to eight hours or overnight, whatever suits you, and wash it off the next morning with a mild shampoo.
Follow this ritual every week to obtain a darker hue and hide greys more effectively.
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2. Soy Sauce + Olive oil
Mix a tablespoon of dark soy sauce with 5-6 drops of olive oil and work it over your hair to cover the greys. Remember to secure the hairline with coconut oil to prevent this dye from staining your skin. Leave it on for an hour and wash it off with a smooth shampoo. Repeat the application on the next day if needed.
3. Pomegranate Juice + Black vinegar
This dye not only helps cover greys but can also help you get a radiant red tone on your hair. Stir together 2 tablespoons of pomegranate juice and black vinegar and apply this mixture on your hair evenly to get a more evenly distributed colour. Rinse after one or two hours with warm water. Reapply this blend next week to obtain a darker colour.
4. Coffee + Indigo Powder
In a small bowl, blend equal parts of coffee and indigo Powder using some water to obtain a runny paste. Keep stirring this mixture until the coffee grains get evenly blended with water. Using a hair dye brush, work this mixture onto the roots and the length of the hair. Leave it on for 45 minutes and rinse it off. Repeat the application every three to four weeks to get rid of unappealing greys and obtain a more refined colour.
5. Beetroot Juice + Amla Powder
This recipe is best for those with brown or reddish-brown hair. Beetroot juice imparts a deep red to purplish hue to greying hair, that’s why we’re using it with amla powder to help attain an evenly distributed colour in people with dark brown or black hair.
To make this recipe work, mix 3 tablespoons of beetroot juice with 2 teaspoons of amla powder. You can, however, change the quantity of both ingredients to get the shade you desire.
Apply this concoction to your hair, paying special focus to grey strands. End the procedure with a few touch-ups on the roots of the hair to evenly hide greys and lighten the hair.
6. Black Tea + Indigo Powder
Brew half a cup of black tea in two cups of water. The more tea you use, the darker will be the colour.
So, if you have light brown hair, you can easily hide grey hair with the tea mixture itself, but in case of darker hair colour, it will help to add a quarter or half teaspoon of Indigo Powder to get a more intense colour.
Work this blend onto your hair and scalp to let the colour distribute evenly. Finish the process with touch-ups to cover the greys.
7. Walnut Shells + Henna Powder
Walnut shells are a time-tested natural hair colourant that is routinely added to commercial hair dyes. Indian hair works the best owing to the profound dark black colour it creates, perfect to address premature greying in black or brown hair.
To make a dye, brew a handful of walnut shells in a litre of water. You can use more shells to obtain a darker color but start with less to get to know how much would be the right quantity to address your hair coloring requirements. Turn off the stove after 30 minutes.
Let the liquid cool, add a teaspoon of henna powder and stir it evenly. Use this mixture to colour your hair and cover greys. Put on a shower cap and let your hair soak in the liquid. Retouch greying hair to ensure a flawless finish after you wash your hair.
Wait for 30-45 minutes and rinse your hair with warm water to eliminate all the traces of the dye.
8. Blackberries + Food color
Now, no need to throw away those few damaged blackberries in the refrigerator, you’d completely forgotten about! Use them up instead to hide grey hair.
In a bowl, deseed 5-6 blackberries and mash them up into a smooth mixture with a fork. Add a little water to obtain the right consistency. Sprinkle a pinch of orange food colour and give it a good mix.
Before beginning to apply it straight to your tresses, wait for five to ten minutes to let the colours disperse together evenly. Start applying the hair colour to slightly damp hair, paying special attention to the roots where you’re likely to find more greys than in other parts of your hair. Massage the leftovers evenly onto your scalp once again to ensure the complete absence of greys.
Put on a shower cap and let this dye work its magic for about 45 minutes. Wash off the residues with warm water. Apply a soothing hair serum to seal the colour.
9. Black Carrot Juice + Sage Tea
If you’ve skipped buying black carrots for a long time due to their ugly appearance, we give you a reason to bring them home this time you go vegetable shopping.
Not only are they full of antioxidants and carotene, but they also give you a beautiful deep dark red color you can see only when you peel them. This dark pigment works best when used as a hair dye.
Mix half a cup of black carrot juice with half a cup of cooled brewed sage tea. Stir the liquids together evenly and apply them to greying hair using a cotton ball. Leave on for 30 minutes and wash off.
10. Molasses Syrup + Curry Leaf tea
Molasses syrup is a little-known secret to hair that stays black without any signs of greying for as long as you want it to be. You can either include them in your diet or use the syrup diluted in some other ingredient to hide greys.
Blackstrap molasses, a byproduct of sugar is a highly sticky substance and before putting it on your hair, always remember to dilute it with tea, vinegar or lemon juice to prevent your hair from getting caught up in the gooey black substance.
To colour your hair with this dye, we suggest you mix a teaspoon of blackstrap molasses syrup with half a cup of curry leaf tea. Gently start rubbing this liquid over your hairline, hair partings and the length of hair to lock in colour.
Keep applying the mixture to your hair until it starts to dry and stops dripping. Put on a shower cap and wait for an hour before rinsing your hair to eliminate any extra colour.
Summary
When using natural hair dyes, be willing to reserve the first few applications as a trial and not jump into concluding their efficacy right after the first application.
It does need a great deal of patience and willpower to obtain the results you desire from these at-home hair colouring blends and make changes, afterwards, in the number of ingredients used and the time you allow to let your hair soak in all the pigments to their best effect.
Natural doesn’t always guarantee the absence of side effects or allergies. Some store-bought natural agents might contain traces of allergic ingredients. Therefore, caution must be exercised while using such agents.
Only buy branded organic ingredients to prevent any possibility of adverse reactions and do a patch test on your skin to ensure complete safety before putting any such product on your hair.
Save your tresses from the damaging chemicals found in instant hair colours employing homemade ingredients that help nurture hair health in infinite ways.
Also Read – Hemp In Haircare: Secret To Strong, Lustrous And Voluminous Hair
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What are some common natural hair dyes used in India?
In India, henna is a widely used natural hair dye. Other popular natural options include indigo, amla (Indian gooseberry), and cassia (neutral henna). These dyes not only impart color but also offer additional benefits for hair health.
2. How does henna work as a natural hair dye?
Henna contains lawsone, a natural dye molecule that binds to the keratin in hair, providing a red-orange color. The intensity of the color can be adjusted by factors such as the duration of application and the addition of other ingredients like indigo for darker shades or amla for added shine.
3. Are natural hair dyes safe for all hair types?
Generally, natural hair dyes are safe for most hair types, as they lack harsh chemicals found in synthetic dyes. However, it’s essential to perform a patch test, as some individuals may be sensitive to natural ingredients. Pregnant or breastfeeding women should consult with a healthcare professional before using any hair dye.
4. How long do the results of natural hair dyes last?
The longevity of natural hair dye varies depending on factors such as the type of dye used, individual hair characteristics, and how well the dye is maintained. Henna tends to have a longer-lasting effect, and its color can deepen over the first few days after application.
5. Can natural hair dyes cover gray hair effectively?
Yes, natural hair dyes can cover gray hair effectively, especially henna. However, achieving complete coverage may require multiple applications. Some individuals prefer using a combination of henna and indigo to achieve a range of brown and black shades for better gray coverage.
