Most women (and some men) dye their hair on a regular basis. Good natural vegan brands are few and far between. If you want to lighten hair, visit a salon that uses organic hair dyes (salons can buy wheat straw mixing bowls and biodegradable capes. Or naturally lighten hair a few shades using.
It’s Pure Organic Hair Dyes (also sold at Natural Collection) are easy to use (they are messy and take a while to work, so take a book and old towels in the bathroom!) but are great to dye hair without chemicals like PPD (linked to bladder cancer). Available in many colours, they can’t lighten hair but can cover grey, and colour fades over time (rather than grows out). These dyes are 100% organic, made with natural herbs like henna, cassia, amla and henna powders.
Read FAQ for info (always check with your doctor before using dyes if pregnant or on medication). Do a patch test and avoid henna for G6PD deficiency.
To use, just mix the powder with warm water in a non-metallic bowl to yoghurt-consistency, then apply with gloved fingers to clean dry hair (they are trialling compostable plastic gloves, for now just reycle or bin them). Leave for 30 minutes to 3 hours, following instructions on enclosed leaflet. Note natural henna-type dyes do sometimes impart a slight ‘dark green’ tinge at first, but this usually washes out and fades after a couple of days. What the dye does not do is damage your hair. So if it goes wrong, you can rinse and repeat!
other good natural hair dyes
Desert Shadow (US) is a natural hair dye in various shades that takes 1 to 3 hours to work (sold alongside bamboo brushes).
Earth Dye (US) contains herbs to speed up hair growth (check medications before use). It also sells dyes for eyebrows and beards (also find natural beard dye at Grizzly Mountain).
Hairprint (US) was invented by an environmental chemist who turned his own grey hair back to original colour. Using a few plant-based botanicals, in 90 minutes you can restore melanin (it won’t work for red hair). version for stubborn grey hairs (use a clarifying shampoo a few days beforehand, to remove traces of silicone).
a book on natural hair colouring
Natural Hair Coloring is a beautiful book by an American beautician, who covers all the natural dyes, how to use them and how to transition from chemical to natural dyes. Includes before and after images.
