Desi Nuskhe: Beauty Expert Shahnaz Husain Shares 10 Natural Ways To Colour Your Hair & 5 Tips To Maintain The Colour

Whether it’s about experimenting with our look or to cover the greys, we all have different reasons for colouring our hair. There’s always the option of getting it done at a salon but are you ready for the side effects of the harmful chemicals involved? What if you could try some homemade hair dyes and achieve almost similar results?

TC46 connected with India’s renowned beauty expert Shahnaz Husain to learn all about colouring your hair at home. Here she shares 10 DIY hair colour recipes along with 5 vital tips to maintain your hair colour.

Coloured Hair Needs Extra Love & Care

It is true that dyeing your hair is the easiest and quickest way to don a completely new look that is welcome. However, it is also true that dyeing your hair demands extra care and attention due to the simple reason that exposing the hair to chemical colours would alter its texture. To prevent harmful effects on the  hair, pre-emptive measures can be taken to give your hair additional nourishment and care. This is the reason why natural hair colours are highly recommended as they do not harm the integrity of the hair fibres. Using organic and herbal dyes would also ensure nourishing the hair strands and roots, helping better hair growth. Here are some easy tips on how to clean hair brush at home.

Furthermore, since every person has a different hair type and texture, the extent of damage to texture would also depend on the kind of hair. Basically what happens is that the hair dye when comes directly in contact with the hair, it strips the cuticle, and enters the hair strand to colour the hair. This process could lead to the hair losing its strength and shine. Therefore, it is better that you also make sure to give the utmost care to the hair, using items that are natural ingredients. In fact sometimes, not even the dye, but over processing of hair can lead to hair damage.

The hair dye and chemical colours can make the hair more dry and rough. Or, it can make coarse hair frizzy which should be avoided. Similarly, curly hair can also show the same tendency of becoming excessively rough and frizzy. Straight hair is a better accepter of the colour due to its smoother and thinner texture. However, dyeing can also lead to hair loss. The most important thing that can help retain the original hair texture after dyeing is maintaining the proper amount of moisture in the hair. There is no doubt that after colouring the hair, you definitely need to give it proper care.

10 Diys For Colouring Your Hair At Home

1. Brewed Coffee

Coffee is a quicker hair dyeing solution and it has a very transient effect, so you can try out other colour options.

Method:

1. Take a cup of roasted coffee and boil it for 2-3 minutes. 
2. Mix the coffee reduction with leave-in air conditioner. 
3. Make sure to apply the mixture on damp hair and rinse it off after an hour. 

2. Beetroot

Beetroot has a vibrant burgundy colour and has enduring results. Moreover beetroot enhances the blood circulation in scalp aiding hair growth. 

Method:

1. Take a beetroot and cut it into small pieces, mix a teaspoon of coconut oil and one teaspoon honey. 
2. Filter this mixture and apply it on hair for an hour. 
3. Rinse the pulp off your hair with mild shampoo.

3. Pomegranate

Abundant with dark red colour pigment called anthocyanin, pomegranates are a great natural dyeing option. Different gradients of the red shade ranging from light pink to blood red can be attained. 

Method:

1. Blend the pomegranate seeds and boil until you attain a moderately thick consistency. 
2. Then add a quarter of lemon juice for the dye to remain intact for longer duration.

4. Lemon Juice

This one is a classic.

Method:

1. Squeeze out 4-5 fresh lemons and gently brush thoroughly on your hair. 
2. Let the juice sit on your hair for 2-3 hours and you can also consider sitting in the sun for a better lightening effect. 
3. Repeat application of lemon juice again if necessary.

5. Sage & Rosemary

Repeat application of the mixture every day for a few days to get perfect dark hair colour.

Method:

1. Rosemary and sage can be combined together and simmered in water for 30 minutes.
2. Then cool off the mixture, strain it and then brush gently on hair. 
3. Let the mixture sit for an hour. 

6. Blueberry

Due to the presence of a plant nutrient called Proanthocyanidins in blueberries, hair growth is stimulated. 

Method:

1. You can mash a bunch of blueberries, boil it until you get moderately thick syrup and then strain it before applying it on hair. 
2. Rinse off the mixture after 2 hours.

7. Black Tea

This is an everyday kitchen ingredient.

Method:

1. Even black tea when boiled can be applied on hair to darken hair. 
2. Using black tea every week can give you great results.

8. Red Cabbage

This one is for people who want to get blue hair.

Method:

1. Cut the red cabbage into fine shreds. 
2. Take about half the cabbage, put some water and add one tablespoon of salt. 
3. Simmer the cabbage for 30 minutes and then strain it off. 
4. Cool off the mixture and brush it gently on your hair. 
5. Another trick is to add a little bit of vinegar for a vibrant pink shade.

9. Hibiscus

A beautiful flower for gorgeous hair!

Method:

1. To get a dazzling red colour, take the flower heads, put in water and simmer it for 30 minutes.
2. Strain off the mixture and apply it gently.
3. Let the mixture sit for 2 hours, before rinsing it off with mild shampoo.

10. Onion Skin

This vegetable can transform your hair colour with ease.

Method:

1. Put onion skins in a saucepan and simmer in water for 30 minutes. 
2. Once you see a vibrant pink colour in the pot, stop the stove. 
3. Strain the peels and let the water cool off. 
4. Apply the onion water on your hair and let it sit for 2 hours.

5 Vital Tips To Keep Coloured Hair Soft, Smooth And Healthy

1. Use Herbal Shampoo

Applying organic ingredients based shampoo is imperative after getting hair dyed to maintain a soft texture and prevent hair damage. Further, using organic shampoos can help retain the dye on hair. Shampoos consisting of natural ingredients such as reetha, shikakai, amla and honey are perfect as they are rich in antioxidants and act as humectants.

2. Use Natural Dyes

Making your own natural ingredients based hair colours are perfect for dyeing as they do not have any undesirable effect on your hair texture. Moreover, natural dyes can help nourishing and maintaining the pristine condition of your hair. The best thing about dyeing your hair at home is that everything that you need is literally available in the blink of an eye. So before you zero down on what ingredients you need to incorporate to make the dye, the foremost step is to determine the colour you want. Thereafter, simply find such vegetables, fruits or herbs, which are composed of colour pigments.

3. Use Home-Made Hair Pack

Hair dyes can make your hair a little rough and frizzy and that is why applying hair packs can help maintain the hydration and moisture that is needed for smooth and shiny hair. 

Banana Pack:

1. Start by mashing a banana, adding a tablespoon of coconut oil, adding raw honey, and adding two tablespoons of milk. 
2. Apply the pack on the hair and leave it for an hour. Rinse it off with mild shampoo.

Green Tea & ACV Pack:

1. Take a green tea sachet and put a few drops of coconut oil and one spoon of apple cider vinegar. 
2. This mixture has a lot of benefits, as it restores the pH balance of the hair, has anti-inflammatory properties and hydrates dry scalp.

4. Try Regular Oil Massage

Massaging your hair twice or thrice a week is recommended as it helps stimulate blood circulation to your hair follicles. Blood circulation improves the flow of oxygen making the roots stronger and nourished. A good oil massage most importantly will nourish the hair which is a significant condition for your coloured hair. You can resort to almond oil, sesame oil or the all rounder coconut oil.

5. Avoid Hot Water

Avoid bringing your coloured hair in contact with hot water as much as possible.