NATURAL COLORANTS

'Dye' your hair naturally, with no chemicals, no lead, no artificial dyes. Commercially available Hair Coloring uses chemicals that remove, replace, or enhance the natural pigments in the hair shaft. There are many adverse effects that can result from their use.

- skin irritation, itching, burning, irritation, redness, discomfort
- allergies to the chemicals like PPD (p-Phenylenediamine)
- hair breakage or weakening, over-processing
- skin discoloration or drying
- unpredictable coloring (mostly with at home dyes)

As well as the undesirable effects listed above, there are more serious health concerns that are potential problems from chemical hair colorants. While there is some debate as to the reality of the problems from hair coloring, the risk simply does not need to be taken.

There are publications regarding the dangers of hair dyes including:

- An FDA study that found lead acetate in many dyes to be toxic.
- Articles that refer to the development of some forms of cancer including leukemia, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, bladder cancer, blood cancer, and multiple myeloma as a result of hair dye usage.
- Prolonged use of permanent dark hair dyes can potentially double a person's risk of getting various types of blood cancer.
- Some experts suspect that hair bleach can kill brain cells.
- A known human carcinogen, 4-ABP, was found in some home hair dyes.

Natural hair colorants such as the plant powders Henna, Indigo, Cassia, and Amla (click on each to read more about it) can safely be used to enhance or change your hair color. They are plant powders that are mixed with lemon juice, water, and/or yogurt, in your own home, to make a paste that is applied to your hair and scalp.

Because they are natural, and do not strip the natural pigment from your hair, the color you get from these powders will depend on the color of the hair you are coloring. For instance, henna alone used on white hair will produce red, while straight henna on brown hair will result in auburn hair.

These powders are safe to use on chemically treated or dyed hair, also. They are safe to use as often as you wish. If you color your hair with these powders and get a color that is not dark enough, you can easily deepen it with another application.

It does take a few days to realize the final color of your treatment, since the color will continue to settle into the hair shaft for a couple of days, due to the oxidation process. This natural process occurs as the plant colorants are exposed to the air similar, to how a cut apple turns brown with time.

You're likely to find that most hairdressers are "anti-henna" since they have only been exposed to "compound" hennas mixed with dyes, lead acetate or other metal fixants in them. Our powders are pure leaf powders with no fixants or anything else in it. You can be assured it is the best quality and will not give poor results.

As with any product, test for allergic reactions. You should also try the paste on a small sample of hair (take hair out of your hairbrush for this) to see what the resultant color will be on your hair.

HOW TO USE THESE NATURAL COLORANTS

If you are using Amla, or Indigo you do not need to premix the powder with lemon juice. ONLY HENNA or CASSIA NEED TO BE MIXED WITH LEMON JUICE AND SIT OVERNIGHT. Indigo and Amla can be mixed and combined with the henna when you are ready to apply it.

Whatever combination of powders you use, follow these guidelines in mixing:

100g combined powders for short hair

200g for collar length straight hair

300g for shoulder length straight hair

500g for waist length straight hair

Please note that these are starting guidelines and your hair may need more or less.

Mix henna or cassia with enough lemon juice to make a paste with the consistency of mashed potatoes. If your skin is sensitive to lemon and is itchy after using henna, use orange juice, grapefruit juice, or a liquid that is less acidic than lemon juice.

Cover the container of paste with plastic wrap and let it rest overnight at room temperature or in a warm area. As the henna or cassia rests, the acid in the lemon juice will release the color from the plant powder. This slow, acidic release will get you the best results. If you're in a hurry, put it in a warm place, but NOT a hot place! Your henna will be ready in two hours at 95F.

Once the paste is done sitting, stir in a little more lemon juice or a fragrant tea to make the paste about as thick as yogurt. Add a little at a time to get the right consistency.

For Indigo or Amla, simply mix with enough water to make a paste the consistency of yogurt. This does not need lemon juice. Simply use warm water, adding a bit at a time so it doesn't become too thin. Once your Indigo or Amla is mixed, you can stir all your pastes together that you plan on mixing. Make sure you stir it completely so you don't get streaked hair.

You can also apply one paste first, let it sit, rinse it out, then apply another paste to your hair at a later time. If you apply the pastes at separate times, you will get deeper or darker color.

For instance, to get a very deep black hair color, you should first color your hair with henna, then color it with indigo after the henna'd hair has dried. If you don't want as deep of a black, you can simply mix the henna and indigo together and apply as a single paste.

This process can get messy, so wear gloves to avoid tattoing yourself with the paste. You can prepare smaller amounts to cover roots between full colorings. There is medical test evidence that henna is relaxing, and can soothe headaches. The paste can feel heavy on your head if you have a lot of hair.

To apply the paste to your hair, wash and dry your hair, then comb it through. You may want to section your hair for easier application. Start at the back and work the paste all the way to the scalp. Apply the paste thickly like frosting. More henna makes a richer stain and better coverage. Bring down the next section and cover that part.

Continue until all of your hair is covered, then pile all of your hair onto the top of your head and wrap with plastic wrap. Cover with an old towel if you wish, but the towel may get dyed if the paste gets onto it. Clean off any exposed skin to avoid dyeing it.

Allow the paste to sit on your hair for 2-4 hours before checking the color. If your hair is very resistant to dye, you can keep it on longer. Find a comfortable spot and rest if you wish. If you plan on moving around, make sure you wrap the hair securely, or it will start to drip or seep out of the plastic.

Finally, wash the henna mix out of your hair. Simply rinse with warm water. You can either jump in the shower or hang your head over the tub and rinse most of it out. Finish removing the paste by shampooing the last of it out. Dry and style as usual.

Your hair will probably have a distinct odor to it for a couple of days. If you dislike the smell of the paste/powder, simmer a teaspoon of lavender bud or rosemary powder in water, strain out the plant residue, and rinse your hair with lavender or rosemary tea to combat the herb-y smell. Or, you could add cinnamon to the paste before applying it.

At first, hair dyed with henna may seem coppery bright. Don't panic. This will darken during the next several days if you used an acidic mix. Body art quality henna dyes hands and feet easily, but not your ears or the nape of your neck. If you wiped off the henna, you won't see anything at all. If you didn't clean it up, the stain will fade in three days or so.

Your hair will take 3 days to settle into the true color. This is the oxidation process like when an apple browns when exposed to air. Be patient and do not panic. The coloring might be best done on a Friday night when you don't have plans for the weekend so you can let it settle before going back to work on Monday. Thicker, longer applications mean richer color. Apply henna like cake frosting. Get it down to the scalp.

This works on beards and mustaches, too.

Henna powder is ground from dried leaves of the "lawsonia inermis" plant. When mixed with a mildly acidic liquid, henna will stain skin, hair, and fingernails reddish-orange. It strengthens hair, adds shine, and is anti-fungal, helping eliminate problems like dandruff, lice and ring-worm. It strengthens the hair shaft as it colors, leaving your hair shiny, healthy, and beautif

Henna has long been used as a natural temporary tattoo. Skin is painted with henna, and left to sit for a length of time. Then, the skin carries the color in the form of a tattoo, but fades with the sloughing of skin. It is often used overseas in wedding rituals, and much more.

Indigo is among the oldest dyes to be used for textile dyeing and printing. It is also a powder ground from a variety of plants, including many of the Indigofera species. It is used as a food coloring, known as FD&C Blue No. 2 in the US. The sodium salt of indigo is used as a dye in renal function testing and as a reagent in the testing of milk. When used with henna or amla it can produce a wide range of colors, resulting in the dark hues in brunette colors. It is a basic, or alkaline, paste, unlike henna, so it does not need lemon juice to activate it. It creates strength and shine along the hair shaft.

Amla comes the fruit of a deciduous tree, which is called as Emblica Officinalis. All parts of the plant are used for various ayurvedic herbal preparations, including the fruit, seed, leaves, root, bark and flowers. It is commonly used in inks, shampoos, hair oils, and for fixing dyes in fabrics. It is also taken internally for a variety of reasons.

Used with henna and indigo, it creates a softer brown. It is probably nature's best hair conditioner. Use the paste weekly to protect, strengthen, and create shine on your hair. It can also be made into an oil and applied to the hair daily. It has a smell like raw cranberries and tree bark. Amla enhances waves and curls, but can also be used on skin as a mask to tighten and firm skin.

TO USE: after the henna sits overnight, mix in the amla (1/3 to 1/2 the amount of henna that you used to start) into it, then add water to make the mixture yogurt consistency. Complete the process as listed above.

Cassia is an excellent conditioner for any hair, regardless of color. Cassia is a green leaf powder that smells strongly like mown grass when mixed with water. It is alkaline like Indigo, and does not require lemon juice to activate the color molecule.

It makes hair glossy and thick, shiny, silky and strong - even damaged or bleached hair. Cassia has a golden yellow dye molecule. It will not alter the color of dark or red hair, but will make gray or blond hair turn golden. You can mix it with any other powder combination, or alone, with equally fantastic effects. The conditioning effects last for about a month. Mix cassia and henna to make shades of blond, strawberry blond and coppery red.

These plant powders work great and give you beautiful hair without worrying about chemicals and the after effects. Try it yourself, and you will be glad you did.



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