From adding chunky highlights to your hair when you were a teen to dying your hair purple in college to touching up those gray roots in our forties, we all love dyeing our hair. But did you know there are some natural hair dyes and that's important for several reasons.
There are some toxic dangers linked to hair dye. The American Cancer Society has even connected the use of hair dye to some cancers, such as breast and bladder cancer.
Not to mention, normal hair dye and bleach can do some real permanent damage to your hair, causing dryness and breakage.
Luckily, there are some natural alternatives to traditional hair dye that anyone can use to add a little color to their hair. I’ve made a list of 4 of the best natural hair dyes to help you out.
Henna is by far my favorite alternative to regular hair dye. Henna is traditionally used in India for intricate temporary tattoo art, but it's also one of the best natural hair dyes. For hair, girls with lighter hair can use it to turn their hair a darker shade of blonde, red, brown, or black. Simply mix the henna powder with hot water, apply to hair, let sit for 45 minutes to an hour, and then wash out.
You can use lemon juice to lighten or highlight your hair. Simply spray fresh lemon juice onto your hair and let the heat of the sun lift the color.
Cut open a few bags of chamomile tea and add some boiling water to make a paste. Apply to your hair and let sit for a couple hours. This should lighten your hair about a shade or two, or add a golden finish if you are naturally blonde.
You can use coffee to darken your hair. Mix two cups of conditioner with 4 tablespoons of dark roast ground coffee. Apply this to wet hair and keep under a shower cap for an hour.