Skip to main content

Homemade Hair Color

Want to give your hair a little kick without paying for costly salon treatments or store-bought hair products?  There are several options for the at-home hair dyer, using common herbs, fruits, or even vinegar. 

Following are some recipes that I have tried in the past.  In general, they are much more gentle and subtle than anything you would buy at the store, so most of them will require more than one application.  This is a good thing in my opinion, as it creates more natural looking color.

---

Homemade Highlights

1-2 Lemons, juiced

For all over lightening, dampen all of your hair with the lemon juice; or for highlights, only dampen selected strands.  A small paint brush works well to apply lemon juice to selected strands for highlighting, whereas a small spray bottle will work well for all over lightening.  Allow your hair to be exposed to the sun for 30 minutes.  Rinse hair and condition well.  The highlights will show best if this is done daily for 3-5 days.

---

Homemade Highlights II

1 ounce dried chamomile (for blonds)
or
1 ounce dried rosemary (for brunettes)

1 cup boiling water
1 Tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar

Combine the dried herbs and boiling water in a heat proof container.  Allow to steep for 20 minutes.  Strain out the herbs.  Mix in the lemon juice or vinegar.  Apply the mixture to wet hair, and style as usual.  Use a small paintbrush to apply only to selected strands for highlights, or use a spray bottle for all over coloring.  The highlights will show best if this is done daily for a week.  As an added bonus, this mixture is gentle enough to be used on most hair types daily as a conditioner.

---

Homemade Highlights III

1/2 cup Olive Oil (more or less depending on how much hair you have)

Generously coat your hair with olive oil.  Allow your hair to be exposed to the sun for 30 minutes.  Wash as usual.  Repeat this treatment every other day until you have desired color.  This treatment not only lightens hair, but is very moisturizing and helps repair damaged hair.

---

Hair Dye to Conceal Gray Hair

1 ounce dried rosemary
1 ounce dried sage
2 cups water

Combine ingredients in a pot; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove pot from heat, cover, and allow to steep overnight.  The next day, strain out the herbs.  Apply the decoction to your hair, and allow to dry.  Repeat weekly until desired color is achieved.

---

Brunette Hair Coloring

1/3 cup black walnut shells
or
1/3 cup whole cloves

2 1/2 cups water

Combine ingredients in a pot.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.  Remove pot from heat.  Allow mixture to cool, then strain out shells/cloves.  Apply the remaining liquid to your hair as a rinse after you wash your hair.  To do this, pour it over your hair several times, using a basin to catch the rinse.  Use this rinse every time you wash your hair, until desired color is achieved.

---

Brunette Hair Coloring II

2 cups strong black coffee
1 Tablespoon vinegar

Mix ingredients.  Saturate hair with coffee mixture.  Put hair up and cover with a shower cap.  Allow mixture to sit in hair for at least 20 minutes.  Rinse well.  Apply daily until desired color is achieved.

---

Red Head

1/2 cup beet juice
1/2 cup carrot juice

Apply juice to hair, saturating it well.  Allow hair to be exposed to the sun for 30 minutes.  Wash as usual.

---

Hair Dye for Blonds

1 ounce dried chamomile
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup plain yogurt

In a heat-proof container, combine the dried chamomile and boiling water.  Cover and allow to steep for 20 minutes.  Strain out the herbs, saving the infusion.  Mix the yogurt into the infusion.  Apply to hair.  Put hair up and cover with a show cap.  Allow the mixture to stay on the hair for 30 minutes.  Wash hair as usual.

---

Before you try any of these recipes:  please remember to test a small amount of dye on an inconspicuous lock of hair before you do your entire mane.

Here's to hoping for good hair days this summer!

Comments

  1. hello im 13 years old i need a recipe to paint your hair blue not all of it only half of of it please tell me how to paint my hair blue with home made thing PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Have you tried using Kool-Aid? Find some blue Kool-Aid and give this a whirl: http://www.ehow.com/how_2040621_dye-hair-kool-aiddye-hair-kool-aid.html

    ReplyDelete
  3. I don't understand these kids today when I was growing up we did not do these crazy thing like these crazy kids today what kind of a 13 year old would color their hair blue and this myley cyrus is ugly as hell her parents didn't have the lets sit and talk to you like when we where growing up? this word is coming to or turning into a world of confusion

    ReplyDelete
  4. If you're hair is highly porous or very blonde you may want to add it to conditioner first before applying. Makes it a little easier to remove. I'm 50 and I remember people doing it in Jr. High... lol

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thanks for your excellent posting! I quite enjoyed reading it, you happen to be a great author. I will remember to bookmark your blog and will eventually come back very soon. driving licence

    ReplyDelete
  6. My hair used to look really dull and damaged. After using this natural protein treatment for black hair, my hair looks healthy and damage free. this is the most effective way to get rid of damaged hair.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

I will just take a quick peek at your comment before it posts to avoid getting bombarded by spam. Please don't take it personally, I'm sure you're a lovely person.

Popular posts from this blog

Why Did My Chicken Lay That Strange Egg? {Decoding 10 Chicken Laying Issues}

What do you got? A huge egg with two yolks in it?  A wrinkly misshapen egg?  An egg with a soft shell?  Or perhaps the all-inclusive just plain weird looking egg? Whatever it is, I hope to help clear up some of the mystery behind: Why Did My Chicken Lay That Strange Egg?

Soapmakers: Why You Shouldn't Use Vinegar if You Come into Contact with Lye

It was one of the first things I learned when I began making my own soap; I read it in books and on the internet: "Always keep a jug of vinegar on hand when you are working with lye.  Vinegar neutralizes lye." Soapers, have you heard this?  Do you practice the habit of keeping vinegar nearby when you make your soaps?  So did I, until recently, when I read an interesting post on a soap forum, and then decided to research the claim myself.

My Experience Using Homemade Baby Formula: It Is Possible!

I wanted to exclusively breastfeed my twins, I really did. And I thought I could.  While I was pregnant, I read books and articles all emphasizing the fact that the more milk you express, the more milk you will make, so there is no reason a mom shouldn't be able to feed twins or even triplets exclusively on breast milk.  For whatever reason, however, my boobies didn't quite understand this theory.  My babies were feeding constantly, but never seemed to get full.  And worse, they were barely gaining any weight.  I was starting to get very worried about my Baby Girl and Little Man. My pediatrician at the time was absolutely no help.  I was told that I needed to offer them the breast more frequently, though I'm not sure how that was possible since I was already constantly feeding them--seriously, I couldn't even go to the bathroom without them screaming because my boob wasn't in their mouth.  I was also told that they weren't latching on correc