How to Dye Your Hair Naturally

Coffee is one of the most recommended natural ingredients for hair dye without using chemicals or harmful substances. Coffee contains properties that help to darken the hair and, therefore, is recommended if you want to go a shade darker and if your natural colour is brunette.

To create this natural dye, simply prepare 2 cups of black coffee and let cool. Do not add anything more: no milk or sugar or anything. You are not going to drink it; you are going to apply it you tour hair! The way that you use this is very simple indeed: it will be like a hair rinse.

All you have to do is wash your hair with your regular shampoo and rinse. When clean, put your head upside down and pour the coffee you have prepared all over your hair. If you want the result to be quite dark we recommend you use more than 2 cups of coffee, for a stronger and more intense colour. Massage your hair so that the coffee penetrates all areas and leave for about 30 minutes. Rinse and wash again with your regular shampoo.

This procedure can be repeated once a month for a more striking colour. However, if you want to maintain the same deep tone, you can repeat on a weekly basis. Coffee has no toxins but, to the contrary, is full of vitamins and nutrients that help you keep a very healthy and shiny mane.

For more details, see our OneHowTo article colouring your hair with coffee.

For naturally dark hair, you can also try katam.

Another way to colour your hair naturally is by using walnut leaves. This ingredient is perfect for dark hair but will also help conceal grey hair and create a much younger and radiant appearance. This plant has been used since ancient times as a way of darkening hair. If you want to try this natural technique, we recommend buying your own walnut leaves and letting them dry at home (you can find them ready-dried in natural food stores).

To take advantage of its hair-colouring qualities, boil the walnut leaves in a pot with water; let boil for 15 minutes and then strain the water to remove the leaves. Once ready, apply this liquid to your hair, ensuring that all parts of your hair is wet; then, leave it to do its magic for 25 or 30 minutes before rinsing with warm water. That's it!

You can repeat this procedure once a fortnight or once a month to leave your hair brighter, more luxurious and, more importantly, free of grey strands! For a step-by-step guide on how to colour your hair with walnut leaves, read our article.

Another of the most effective methods for naturally dyed hair is to use henna. It is a natural pigment that provides a very natural tone to your hair without damaging it at all; to the contrary, it is high in nutrients and leaves hair shiny and beautifully hydrated. Make sure the henna powder you use is natural. The colour usually disappears after 4 months and the tone it leaves on your hair is a very natural reddish shade, like mahogany.

To create this dye with henna, you will need:

• Henna powder (available at health food stores)
• Olive oil
• Hot water

Combine all the ingredients to obtain a smooth mixture. It should resemble the consistency of clay and, as a result of its thickness, it may be a little more difficult to apply to hair. When the mixture is smooth, apply to dry, unwashed hair so that pigment permeates better.

Leave the henna on your hair for 3 or 4 hours bearing in mind that the longer you leave it, the more intense the colour. Then, rinse with water and wash with your regular shampoo. And that's it! For more detailed information we invite you to read our article on how to dye your hair with henna.

Did you know you can dye your hair purple without bleaching with henna and katam?

People with blonde or light-brown hair can reduce brassiness with the clarifying properties of chamomile. Some cosmetics use chamomile for a more intense, bright and beautiful blonde, making it ideal for giving new life to your light locks.

To do this, prepare a chamomile tea and, when it is ready, leave to cool before applying it to your hair. Leave it on for 30 minutes and then rinse with your regular shampoo. If you want an even lighter result, you can add half a cup of lemon juice to chamomile as this fruit also contains properties that help us to lighten the colour of hair.

If you only want to conceal grey hairs, the best natural remedy for you is sage. Grey hair appear because the protein that is responsible for colouring our hair no longer works properly, meaning that some follicles may run out of this protein, leaving our hair white.

Sage is excellent for hiding grey hairs as it contains revitalising properties that can reactivate melanin (the abovementioned hormone). This natural remedy will work only in case of recently appeared grey hair; people with all-white hair cannot revive colour by using sage alone.

In order to benefit from its properties, boil half a cup of dried sage in a pot with water. Let boil for about 20 minutes and then strain the mixture to remove the leaves. When cooled, wet your hair and pour the sage rinse on top. Repeat every time you shower to notice a remarkable improvement in your grey hair.

For a step-by-step guide on sage for grey hair, read this OneHowTo article.

There are other natural way to dye hair, namely indigo and cassia. Discover how to use them with our step by step guides!

If you want to read similar articles to How to Dye Your Hair Naturally, we recommend you visit our Beauty & Personal Care category.