6 Simple Ways To Make Herbal Hair Color At Home

I’ve been experimenting with hair colors since I was 16. Being 21 now, let me tell you that there are only a few things in the world that can be as fun as dyeing your hair. But at the same time, you cannot ignore the damage that your hair is being put through every time you put new chemicals in it. This was why I started wondering if there were natural and healthier alternatives. Here’s what I found:

After a lot of research, I was able to put together this list of 7 herbal hair colors that you can make at home. Whether it is to cover up grays, experiment with colors, or simply go a few shades darker or lighter, these home hair color treatments will have you covered.

How To Make Herbal Hair Color At Home

1. Lemon For Lightening Hair

You Will Need

• 2 parts lemon juice
• 1 part water
• Spray bottle

Prep Time

2 minutes

Processing Time

1 hour

Process

1. In a spray bottle, dilute the lemon juice with water. Shake well to mix.
2. Spray this solution on the parts of your hair that you want to lighten. Ensure that these parts are saturated in the lemon-water solution.
3. Head out into the sun for about an hour. If you do not want to go out into the sun, you can use a blow dryer on the hot setting and add heat to the parts of your hair that you want to lighten.
4. After an hour, wash the lemon juice out of your hair with your regular shampoo and then condition your hair.

How Often?

Once a week.

Does It Work?

Lemon juice has bleaching properties that can be boosted when you add heat. If you use this method once a week for a month, you will see a noticeable change in the color of your hair. This is the perfect method for giving yourself some natural highlights.

2. Carrot And Beet Juice For Red Hair

You Will Need

• 1 cup beet juice
• 1/2 cup carrot juice
• Old T-shirt
• Spray bottle

Prep Time

2 minutes

Processing Time

1 hour

Process

1. Wear an old T-shirt that you wouldn’t mind getting stains on and then in a spray bottle, combine the ingredients.
2. Spray the carrot-beet juice onto your hair and then head out into the sun for an hour. If you do not want to go out into the sun you can use a blow dryer on the hot setting to add heat.
3. After an hour has passed, wash the beet juice out with shampoo.
4. Finish with conditioner.

How Often?

1-2 times a week.

Does It Work?

While this treatment might not show any visible results the first time, your hair will take on red undertones after you’ve used it a couple of times. This is the perfect solution for keeping your hair looking warm and vibrant. The best part being that there are no side-effects.

3. Brews For Hair Darkening

You Will Need

• 1 tbsp tea/coffee
• 1 1/2 cup water

Prep Time

20 minutes

Processing Time

5 minutes

Process

1. 1. Prepare the tea or coffee by boiling it in water for about 20 minutes.
2. Once the 1 1/2 cup of water seems to have reduced by about a third, turn off the heat and let the brew cool.
3. Filter the brew and proceed to wash your hair with shampoo.
4. Condition your hair and then pour the brew through your damp hair.

How Often?

1-2 times a week.

Does It Work?

While this color will wash out the next time you wash your hair, with regular use it can darken your hair over time. You can use different brews to achieve different colors. For example, use chamomile tea on blonde hair to add yellow tones, or prepare some tea from cloves to add reddish tones to your hair. You can also use coffee or black tea to make your hair look brown.

4. Apple Cider Vinegar And Soy Sauce For Hair Darkening

You Will Need

• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup soy sauce

Prep Time

2 minutes

Processing Time

20 minutes

Process

1. In a jug, combine the apple cider vinegar and soy sauce and then set it aside.
2. Wash your hair with shampoo and proceed to condition.
3. Once you’ve rinsed the conditioner out of your hair, pour the vinegar-soy sauce mixture through your hair as a final rinse.
4. Do not rinse your hair any further and let it air-dry.

How Often?

2-4 times a month.

Does It Work?

The apple cider vinegar helps clean your hair; the soy sauce adds dark pigment. While this washes out quite easily, you can darken your hair with regular use.

5. Henna

You Will Need

• 1/2 cup henna
• 1/2 cup water
• Shower cap

Prep Time

5 minutes

Processing Time

2 hours

Process

1. In a bowl, mix the henna and water to get a smooth, thick paste.
2. Apply this mixture to your hair. Ensure that you coat all your roots if you are trying to cover up grays.
3. Leave it in your hair for about 2 hours and then rinse out with shampoo.
4. Finish with conditioner.

How Often?

Once a month

Does It Work?

Henna is one of the best natural ingredients you could use to color your hair. Not only is it extremely pigmented, but it also conditions and nourishes your hair. You can combine it with ingredients like black tea to dye your hair brown instead of red. The color lasts for about a month, and you will only have to dye your hair again when your grays start to show.

6. Saffron For Covering Grays

You Will Need

• 1 tbsp saffron
• 2 cups water

Prep Time

20 minutes

Processing Time

1-2 hours

Process

1. Boil the saffron in water for about 20 minutes and then set the liquid aside to cool.
2. Once the saffron-water has cooled, apply to your hair and scalp. Your hair should be completely saturated in the liquid.
3. Leave it on for an hour or two.
4. After about 2 hours, when your hair is completely dry, proceed to shampoo and condition your hair.

How Often?

Once a week.

Does It Work?

This hair color treatment is perfect for covering up grays naturally. The saffron imparts a beautiful golden-brown color onto your gray hair, which blends in with dark hair types.

If natural colors don’t do it for you, I also found an alternative for unnatural hair dye – food color. While this is not an herbal treatment, it is still much better than using chemical laden dyes in your hair. Also, it’s a lot more budget-friendly.

Food Dye For Crazy Colors

You Will Need

• Food color
• 2-3 tbsp hair conditioner

Prep Time

5 minutes

Processing Time

1 hour

Process

1. In a bowl, add food color to your hair conditioner and mix well. Add enough of the color so that your conditioner is way more pigmented than you would like your hair to be.
2. Apply the conditioner to clean, dry hair and leave it on for about one hour.
3. After the 1 hour has passed, rinse your hair with lukewarm water and let your hair air-dry.

How Often?

Whenever you feel like.

Does It Work?

This is one of the simplest ways to temporarily color your hair. The color washes out when you shampoo your hair. However, this method only works on people who have extremely light hair.

Now that you know how to make herbal hair color at home, what are you waiting for? Dyeing your hair can be fun, but it is important to give your hair a break from time to time. Who knows? You might like these treatments enough to make a complete switch from chemical to herbal. Have you tried any of these herbal hair colors? Tell us about your experience in the comments section below.

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Author

Arshiya SyedaCo-Editor-in-Chief

 

Arshiya Syeda is the Co-Editor-in-Chief of StyleCraze with 8 years of experience. Prior to that, she was a content writer who combined her writing and research skills to write over 200 high-performing articles on hairstyles, hair care, and skin care.

Read full bio of Arshiya Syeda