For Natural Hair Color, Color Your Hair with Natural Dyes
(Page 3 of 3)
March/April 1982
By Robin Shepard
SOME "SAGE" ADVICE
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Of course,darker-haired beauties sometimes need to enhance the color of their locks, too, and sage is one of the oldest (and most effective) colorants for use on dark brown or black hair. A rinse made from sage leaves can be used to deepen any brunet shade, and it'll also effectively cover gray in dark hair.
A sage rinse can be made by steeping a handful of the dried herb in a quart of boiling water for 30 minutes (longer, if you want a darker tint). Cool the infusion, strain it and pour it through freshly shampooed hair 15 or more times. Then wait ten minutes before washing the liquid out with clear water. Because a sage rinse is a progressive dye, you'll have to apply it weekly until you produce the shade you want, and then continue using it once a month to maintain that color.
Tag alder bark is another popular hairdarkening botanical, but it generally produces a lighter tone than sage, so it's best when used to darken blond hair or to cover gray in locks that are light to medium brown. To make a tag alder rinse, simmer an ounce of bark chips (your health food store can likely order them from an herb supply firm) in a quart of water for about half an hour, then cool and use it exactly as you would the sage rinse I've already described.
A very dark, sable-colored dye can be obtained from walnut hulls, but this one is tricky, since the nuts' outer casings tend to stain everything they touch (for that reason, I recommend that you wear gloves throughout all stages of the process, and avoid rubbing the mixture into your scalp). To prepare the dark juice, first crush the hulls in a mortar, cover them with boiling water and a pinch of salt, and let them "soak" for three days. Then add three cups of boiling water and simmer the hulls, in a nonmetal container, for five hours (replacing the water as it steams away). Strain off the liquid, place the walnut hulls in a cloth sack, and twist it tightly to wring out all remaining juice. Finally, return the expressed liquid to the pot and reduce it, by boiling, to about a quarter of its original volume. The resulting brew can then be used to whip up a rich walnut dye, as follows.
Add a teaspoon of ground cloves or allspice to the prepared extract. Allow the dye mixture to steep in the refrigerator for about a week (shaking it frequently during that time). When it's ready for use, strain the liquid (using a piece of cheesecloth) and pour it at least 15 times through freshly shampooed hair before rinsing it out thoroughly.
By experimenting with the formulas contained in this article, you'll be well on your way to achieving just about any hair shade you'd like, without resorting to expensive, unsafe chemical dyes. Soon you should be able to experience the same pleasure I feel when dyeing my tresses with herbs. I know — while doing so — that I'm not only saving money by using easily gathered materials, but also protecting the health of my locks. If you experiment a little, you can have fun coloring your hair, too . . . naturally!
EDITOR'S NOTE: More recipes for natural hair colorants, as well as for shampoos and other preparations, can be found in Dian Dincin Buchman's The Complete Herbal Guide to Natural Health and Beauty.
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