Abandoning chemical dyes and harmful substances for natural dyes based on henna and dyeing herbs is a wise choice, very wise. These, in fact, help to make hair healthier, brighter and stronger.
Yet, there are still those who doubt their ability to cover gray hair perfectly.
Let's face it: henna and herbal dyes can cover gray hair, just follow these little tricks!
It is a good idea to immediately open a parenthesis on Lawsonia Inermis , the dyeing herb par excellence, before moving on to the tricks for covering grey hair with natural dyes.
In fact, it is from the powder obtained by drying this plant that henna is produced.
And it is thanks to lawsone, an active dye with a typical reddish color, that henna coats the hair, coloring it.
This substance has antibacterial and purifying properties, useful for treating oily hair. It also has the ability to restore the pH and stimulates strong and shiny regrowth.
If you mix henna with other dyeing herbs, respecting the right proportions, you will obtain a natural dye capable of perfectly covering grey hair but which is not necessarily reddish.
You just need to apply it consistently!
How to cover gray hair with herbal dyes?
No technicalities, no big words. A few simple but effective tricks!
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Double spaced application : If you don't have many white hairs, the first little secret is to do two applications one week apart.
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Double pass: If, however, there are many white hairs, the so-called double pass will suffice: a technique in which a first pass is applied with pure henna or a lighter dye and, the same day or the following day, a second pass is applied with the desired natural dye.
Here's our guide on how to best double-swipe and when you need to do it .
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Cleansing: You cannot apply a natural dye on dirty hair. The hair should be washed beforehand, preferably with a purifying pre-dye shampoo.
Removing any chemical or sebum residue is essential, as these coat the hair with a waterproof film that prevents the color from penetrating effectively. Also, washing your hair before dyeing will make the next shampoo go away.
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Humidity and Temperature : Heat and humidity speed up and improve the dyeing capabilities of the paste. This is why the hair should be covered with film and wrapped in a wool cap for application. To improve the color yield, you can pass the hot hair dryer for 2-3 minutes every half hour on the hair wrapped in film.
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Hot water: The batter must be prepared with hot water (about 50-70 degrees).
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Time: The processing times with natural herbal dyes are necessarily longer. Optimal coverage is achieved in about 2 hours when applying a single pass.
With double application the time can be reduced to about an hour and a half.
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Avoid silicones: Products containing silicones are to be avoided! Silicone envelops the hair with a waterproof sheath that prevents dyes from penetrating and also dries out, stresses and dulls the hair.
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Forehead and temples: These are areas where covering gray hair is more difficult because the paste tends to dry faster. Apply a damp cotton pad under the film, the hair will retain moisture longer and the dye will be able to act better.
Some extra tips:
• Hair that has undergone chemical treatments is more porous and will have shorter processing times.
• If the color you are looking for is a light brown, it is not ideal to do a double pass.
• At the roots, hair absorbs color first and tends to stay darker.
• Dyeing herbs do not stain your face, but they do stain your hands! Wear gloves.
• Dyeing herbs do not lighten, they can only darken.
All you have to do is try it and you will see that covering grey hair perfectly is simple.
Continue to discover all our tips in our blog section dedicated to henna and natural dyes !
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