Did you know there are thousands of different chemicals in traditional hair dye–some of them possibly carcinogenic? Yikes! Why not try dyeing your hair the good-for-you way, with these homemade hair dye recipes?
Raise your hand if you’ve ever dyed your hair.
Is your hand raised? If it is, you’re not alone! Most women have colored their hair at some point–whether it’s because they wanted to experiment with a fun new color, tweak their natural color, or cover some gray. I’ll admit–I’ve colored my hair!
However, since I started learning about what goes into traditional, chemical hair dyes (you know, the at-home box kind and the salon kind), I’ve been concerned about the potential health effects of dyeing your hair. I mean, I already knew that it wasn’t great for you: if you leave it on too long, it can feel like your scalp is on fire–and forget about getting it into your eyes!
But then I read about the possible link between the chemicals in hair dye and relaxers, and cancer. That study found that women who used permanent hair dye or chemical straighteners had a somewhat higher risk of developing breast cancer than women who didn’t dye their hair or who used semi-permanent dyes. Scary, right?
More studies need to be done on the subject to be sure. Still–I don’t know about you, but I don’t like to take chances with my health! If there is a more natural, toxic-chemical-free version of the beauty or home product that I use, I’m going to switch. Fortunately, when it comes to hair dye, there is a natural version that is still affordable and effective!
I’m talking about homemade hair dye recipes!
Natural, homemade hair dyes will allow you to get the gorgeous brunette, blonde, or red hair color you’ve been dreaming of–without exposing yourself to harsh and potentially dangerous chemicals. Making each homemade hair dye recipe is so easy, too. In many cases, you can make them using ingredients you already have in your kitchen!
Ready to get started dyeing your hair the non-toxic, all-natural way? The recipes below are some of the best homemade hair dye recipes I’ve found!
All Natural Homemade Hair Dye Recipe
Brown/Black Hair
This is the best homemade brown hair dye! This homemade hair dye to darken will get you to a beautiful brunette color with just five ingredients–instead of the thousands of chemicals in traditional dye.
INGREDIENTS
½ cup finely ground coffee
1 cup of water
1 T. Apple Cider Vinegar
2 cups of your favorite hair conditioner
5 drops Rosemary Essential Oil
PREPARATION
1. Soak ground coffee in hot water for 10 minutes, or until cool.
2. Stir in apple cider vinegar, conditioner, and rosemary until well combined.
3. Apply all over hair or just at the roots with a hair dye brush or step in the tub or shower and rub it in well. Cover hair with a shower cap reserved for dyeing or a plastic bag.
4. Allow to sit for 1 hour and rinse, use additional apple cider vinegar for the rinse to lock in color and add shine to your hair. (Another option for lighter brown hair or blonde/brown shades is to use cocoa powder in the place of coffee; this also smells wonderful!)
5. Store any leftover in the refrigerator and pull out to take the chill off it before use. You may need to repeat the process several times in the first week to get it to your desired shade.
Blonde Hair
If your hair is just too dark for your preference, this is the homemade hair dye recipe for you! To lighten your hair, you can do it the old fashioned way, with a little bit of lemon juice and a few other ingredients to help add shine and strength to your hair.
1 cup Lemon Juice
½ tsp. Jojoba Oil
5 drops Citrus Essential Oil (lemon, orange, lime, grapefruit)
3 drops Rosemary Essential Oil
1. Simply combine all of the above ingredients into a spray bottle and spritz it on your hair, especially before going out to sunbathe. (For strawberry blondes, you can use the same recipe above for brunettes, but use beet root powder in place of coffee to give it a beautiful shade.)
Red Hair
If you wanted to be Ariel from the The Little Mermaid when you were growing up, try this natural homemade hair dye! Your result will be a beautiful, vibrant red color.
1 cup Henna Powder
½ cup your favorite hair conditioner
1 cup Lemon Juice
1 T. Apple Cider Vinegar
5 drops Rosemary Essential Oil
5 drops Lavender Essential Oil
1. Stir together all of the above ingredients until very well combined.
2. Brush onto hair or use a dye brush to apply to your hair.
3. Allow to sit for 3-4 hours for best results.
4. Rinse well, using water or additional apple cider vinegar to lock in the color and leave your hair shiny.
Need More DIY?
Hair dye isn’t the only hair product that’s better when you DIY. You can also make homemade shampoo, conditioners, detanglers, masks, and oil treatments! Be sure to check out the recipes below for DIY hair products that are natural, safe, and effective.
- DIY Hair Detangler for Natural Hair
- Moisturizing & Strengthening Homemade Oil Treatment for Hair
- DIY Sea Salt Spray for Hair
- Homemade Hair Moisturizer
- Homemade Conditioner for Natural Hair
- Homemade Coconut Milk Shampoo
- Using Coconut Oil on Hair
- Homemade Leave-in Conditioner
- Avocado & Honey Hair Mask for Damaged Hair
- Coconut Oil Hair Mask
- Coconut Oil Hair Treatment
Also, for even more DIY beauty ideas beyond hair, follow Freebie Finding Mom on Pinterest! You can find tons of great ideas, recipes, and inspiration on the DIY Beauty, Homemade Beauty Products, Essential Oil Recipes, and Beauty Hacks boards.
I’d love to hear how these homemade hair dye recipes worked out for you! Let me know in the comments below 🙂
All Natural Homemade Hair Dye
Did you know there are thousands of different chemicals in traditional hair dye? If you want to get rid of unhealthy chemicals and dye your hair naturally, give these Homemade Hair Dye recipes a try. Here you’ll find DIY hair color recipes for all hair types (brown, black, blonde, and red hair). These homemade hair treatments require only a handful of ingredients and many of which you likely have at home already.
Materials
Brown/Black Hair
- ½ cup finely ground coffee
- 1 cup of water
- 1 T. Apple Cider Vinegar
- 2 cups of your favorite hair conditioner
- 5 drops Rosemary Essential Oil
Blonde Hair
- 1 cup Lemon Juice
- ½ tsp. Jojoba Oil
- 5 drops Citrus Essential Oil (lemon, orange, lime, grapefruit)
- 3 drops Rosemary Essential Oil
Red Hair
- 1 cup Henna Powder
- ½ cup your favorite hair conditioner
- 1 cup Lemon Juice
- 1 T. Apple Cider Vinegar
- 5 drops Rosemary Essential Oil
- 5 drops Lavender Essential Oil
Instructions
- Soak ground coffee in hot water for 10 minutes, or until cool.
- Stir in apple cider vinegar, conditioner, and rosemary until well combined.
- Apply all over hair or just at the roots with a hair dye brush or step in the tub or shower and rub it in well. Cover hair with a shower cap reserved for dyeing or a plastic bag.
- Allow to sit for 1 hour and rinse, use additional apple cider vinegar for the rinse to lock in color and add shine to your hair. (Another option for lighter brown hair or blonde/brown shades is to use cocoa powder in the place of coffee; this also smells wonderful!)
- Store any leftover in the refrigerator and pull out to take the chill off it before use. You may need to repeat the process several times in the first week to get it to your desired shade.
- Simply combine all of the above ingredients into a spray bottle and spritz it on your hair, especially before going out to sunbathe. (For strawberry blondes, you can use the same recipe above for brunettes, but use beet root powder in place of coffee to give it a beautiful shade.)
- Stir together all of the above ingredients until very well combined.
- Brush onto hair or use a dye brush to apply to your hair.
- Allow to sit for 3-4 hours for best results.
- Rinse well, using water or additional apple cider vinegar to lock in the color and leave your hair shiny.
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