Along with homemade shampoo and DIY dry shampoo, I’ve spent hours and hours experimenting and formulating natural hair dye recipes. My family is used to my kitchen experiments, but this one came with its fair share of laughs as I walked around with some concoction of herbs on my head for weeks!
I’d experimented with natural hair lightening in the past but hadn’t tried dark or red shades (since I have blonde hair). I found a few willing dark-haired friends to test other formulas. Many wasted herbs and a bunch of randomly colored streaks later, I figured out some good dark and red options as well!
Not sure why you’d want to use herbal hair dyes? Read the ingredients on conventional dyes and then get back to me! 🙂
DIY & Natural Hair Dye From Herbs
These are natural colors made from herbal ingredients and as such will create natural hues on your hair. They will not create artificial colors like hot pink, completely platinum blonde, or jet black (ok, so that isn’t a fake color, I just haven’t figured out how to do it!).
The blonde/light recipes will actually permanently lighten hair since they naturally bleach it. The red and dark hues will leave a temporary tint for a few weeks (depending on how often you wash it). Time in the sun will help set all of the hues and bring out natural highlights.
Note: I have not tried all of these natural hair color methods on previously dyed or chemically treated hair. Always test a small swatch of hair (I put a little on my skin too) to test for results and rule out any allergic reactions. Also do not use these hair dye recipes on hair that has been chemically treated in the last 6-8 weeks.
Herbs for Light Hair
I’ve tried several basic herbal variations including:
- Pure, strong chamomile tea sprayed or poured on hair and left on for several hours. Sitting in the sun during this time will enhance the lightening effect.
- Fresh squeezed lemon juice, sprayed and brushed through hair and left on for several hours (in the sun) will also produce natural highlights.
- A chamomile tea rinse at the end of each shower (leave in hair!) will produce smooth, silky hair and naturally lighter hair over time.
For a stronger and faster effect, I’ve used the recipe below. It has left my hair very blonde, easy to work with, and not yellowy/brassy at all.
Herbs to Dye Red Hair
These will create a red/dark strawberry blonde tint in lighter hair and an auburn tint in darker hair. The effects are cumulative, so extended use over time will create a more vibrant red. The easiest thing is to make it part of your hair care routine if you want continual red hair.
- Calendula flowers or fresh marigold petals from your garden (don’t worry, you can buy these if you don’t have any)
- Hibiscus petals
Henna Natural Hair Dye: A Faster Way
If you want faster and more permanent results, you can use henna hair color. I’ve purchased from Morrocco Method with great success. They are excellent natural products, and the results are very dramatic.
They have a lot of color variations with red hues and light to medium to dark brown. The results last for several months (or longer if you wash your hair less often or use a gentle natural shampoo). They won’t completely cover grey hair, but will darken it.
Important Note: Henna can react with the ammonia in conventional hair dye and the results turns hair orange or even green! If you have chemically treated your hair recently, wait until it’s been at least 6-8 weeks before trying henna. Before applying the package, test on a small section of hair before using on the whole head!
Herbs to Dye Brown Hair
It is easiest to darken hair that is already light brown or darker, though these colors will darken blonde tones as well.
Always test on a small part of hair before using on the whole head, especially on chemically treated hair. Used as a rinse, these herbs will also darken grey hair over time. The more they are used, the darker the results.
For a faster, more dramatic effect, use a henna color like black, dark brown, or mahogany. For a slower or more gentle tone, use these herbs:
- Nettle leaf
- Rosemary leaf
- Sage leaf
Herbs to Dye Dark Brown Hair or Black Hair
If you have very light hair, it will be difficult to get really dark hues with just herbs, though with enough patience, it can be done. I’ve listed herbs that work, and you can use any combination.
As always, test on a small section of hair before using henna hair colors will provide really dark results that last longer, but if you want to go dark gradually, these are the recipes I’ve tried:
- Black walnut powder — use as a rinse in the shower for hair and dry in the sun if possible. This will create VERY DARK hair, especially if you have dry or color treated hair. It will also provide the darkest coverage for grey hair. Repeat daily or as needed to darken and maintain dark shade.
- Use strong brewed black tea as a final rinse to darken any color hair. This is also nourishing for the hair and will provide a temporary darkening effect on most hair types. Repeat as necessary to get desired shade and sun-dry if possible.
With any of these herbal hair colors, make sure to test on a small part of your hair first, especially with color treated hair and especially with the henna colors as they have more lasting effects.
Experiment with any of the above and mixtures of them to get the right mix for your hair!
Natural Hair Dye Recipes
Materials
Light Hair Color Ingredients
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 cups strong chamomile tea
- ½ cup strong calendula tea (optional, will produce more golden tones)
Red Hair Color Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- ½ cup calendula flowers (or fresh marigold petals from your garden)
- 2 TBSP hibiscus petals (or more for more red hues)
Dark Brown Hair or Black Hair Color Ingredients
- ¼ cup black walnut powder
- 3 cups water
Instructions
Light Hair Color Instructions
- Mix all ingredients in a spray bottle or other small bottle.
- Shake well before each use.
- Spray or pour into hair and brush through to get even. This works best when applied to hair directly before sun exposure and left in for 1-2 hours before being rinsed out. Can be used several times a week until desired color is reached. I suggest putting this in your hair and doing a kettlebell workout in the sun for maximum benefit 🙂
- You can also use this as a rinse at the end of a shower (and then lightly rinse with water) though it will take longer to have an effect. This will not have an overnight dramatic effect, though when I've put it in my hair before gardening in the sun for a few hours I definitely noticed a difference.
Red Hair Color Instructions
- In a small pan, bring the water to a boil.
- Reduce to a simmer and add the calendula/marigold and hibiscus
- Simmer for at least 30 minutes.
- Remove from heat and when cool, strain herbs out, making sure all small pieces are removed (I use cheesecloth).
- Store the liquid in the refrigerator.
- Use as a final hair rinse at the end of each shower. Dry hair in the sun if possible.
- Repeat daily until desired shade is achieved and then every few days to maintain.
Brown Hair Color Instructions
- In a small pan, bring the water to a boil.
- Reduce to a simmer and add the herbs.
- Simmer for at least 30 minutes or until the water is very dark.
- Remove from heat and when cool, strain herbs out, making sure all small pieces are removed (I use cheesecloth).
- Store the liquid in the refrigerator.
- Spray or brush into hair about an hour before showering each day, then shampoo as normal. Can also use as a rinse and leave on at the end of each shower.
- Repeat until desired color is reached. It has a cumulative effect and you probably won't notice much difference the first few days. The herbs in this mix are also great for getting rid of dandruff and for increasing hair growth!
Dark Brown Hair or Black Hair Color Instructions
- Tie the black walnut powder in a tea bag or cheesecloth bag.
- Place in a quart mason jar and add the water.
- Steep for at least 6 hours or overnight.
- Use as a rinse in the shower for hair and dry in the sun if possible. This will create VERY DARK hair, especially if you have dry or color treated hair. It will also provide the darkest coverage for grey hair.
- Repeat daily or as needed to darken and maintain dark shade.
- You can also use strong brewed black tea as a final rinse to darken any color hair. This is also nourishing for the hair and will provide a temporary darkening effect on most hair types.
- Repeat as necessary to get desired shade and sun-dry if possible.
Notes
- Always pre-test on a strand of hair before doing the entire head to check color and rule out allergy.
- Dark Hair Caution: Due to the known mutagenic properties of juglone, some sources caution against prolonged use of black walnut hull when pregnant or nursing. Check with your doctor for medical advice if concerned.
Ever used natural hair dye to color your hair? Please let me know below!
8 Income-Building Job Skills You Can Learn at Home
»
where can one buy indigo? Does indigo really make grey hair black hair?
Thanks!
do you use a natural home-made shampoo? if so, please give details of how to make it? thanking you in advance ….
Will all the color rinses color grey or only the darkest ones? I have chocolate brown hair and a lot of grey around my temples and frame of my face, then peppered here and there in the rest. I like having golden brown or plum/reddish color o the grey cus it works as highlights. Any feed back on this? Thank you so much for sharing your info. I’m done with chemical colors.
I think the darker ones would still probably yield that lighter tone, but you could try some of the lighter ones first…
Hi! I noticed that my hair has been getting darker….I’ve been using a rinse of nettle leaf and rosemary– a tea– for dandruff. Had this recipe for some time now. I haven’t added sage. Will try that next. My scalp is super sensitive, especially after I’ve gotten sick. Dandruff and dry skin seem to be my tell for not being well. I use it 1-2 times a week. Now it’s also a little darker…and feels MUCH stronger than it used to. Who knew!
I just made the recipe for brown hair. I am hoping to cover gray hair so you say to do a rinse. Does this mean shampoo and condition as usual and then spray on my hair after and leave it on? Or do I spray it on and rinse it out before I get out of the shower? Should I go outside and let it set the first time? I am apprehensive because the liquid is very, very dark! Any advice would be great.
I have the same questions. My first time I washed my hair, didn’t condition it, and then basically laid in the bath tub with my head in a bowl of color rinse, rinsing it through over and over and left it on for about a half hour then i rinsed with water and conditioned it. My hair looked amazingly healthy and shiny and maybe highlighted, it was hard to tell first time. But the process was a mess. I am going to try a small spray bottle mister and go out in the sun and see how that works. I love hearing all your experiments and feedback. I’d like to try to make it thick so I can cover my temples and leave it on for a while, The rinse just runs down my body.
I have only found black walnut powder that says it is from the green shells. Is that correct? Or will my hair turn green? LOL Thanks for all your amazing ideas!
How much henna do you add to the herbs for brown hair mixture?
I’m gong to to try the Black walnut powder. Have a couple of questions though. You say “steep” does that mean to little sit in Hot water?? Also, if I let my hair dry in the sun I would not be able to go out anywhere, my hair would be a tangled mess. Can you help please?
Yes… steep means sitting in hot water. You only need to let hair air dry in the sun to set this, not every time…
So did you make your chamomile tea from the chamomile flowers? I am about to make an order for this recipe and for the baby recipes so do I purchase the flowers for these recipes you have listed? I ask this because they have a powder and I want to be sure I am ordering the correct item. Thanks!
I don’t know if I would trust henna from that website… When using henna to dye hair, you should always use body art quality (BAQ) henna which is pure henna and contains no additives. BAQ henna is safe to use on chemically treated hair. It is a misconception that henna causes damage to chemically treated hair that comes from a time when henna used to dye hair contained many additives, including metallic salts which are what cause damage. You should be very cautious using ANY henna which is not labeled as BAQ. That website does not contain information about how to use their henna, but good quality henna is never ready to use-it requires ‘developing’ overnight before use.
Henna is not a ‘fast’ solution; it takes 4-8 hours once the henna is on your hair, in addition to the development time, and takes me about 30 min to wash out of my hair, so it is definitely time consuming. Using BAQ henna is worth it, though; good quality henna does completely cover grays (and leaves them as striking gold hi-lights) and the color will never wash out, although the smoothing quality will fade over time.
I have been dyeing my hair with henna for about 6 months; previously I used boxed hair dye. I’m in love with the color it gives me, which does not fade unlike boxed dye. I even have to dye my hair less; unlike using boxed dye, my roots grow in gradually and without a sharp line so I can go longer without dyeing without it being super obvious (I have medium brown hair naturally; a deep red dyeing with henna). Henna is time consuming but totally worth it.
The website hennaforhair (dot) com has a ton of great information about dyeing with henna and other natural hair dyes (the woman wrote her graduate dissertation on it) and their connecting store mehandi (dot) com sells BAQ henna and other dyes (like indigo and cassia) as well as natural shampoo bars (which I use as well). I encourage you to check it out to learn more about dyeing hair naturally.
I have been using BAQ henna on my hair for years now and love it. Real henna only makes red dye – no other color, particularly black, can come from pure henna. Black henna may be a mix of henna and indigo, but it is not “pure henna”
My hair was ginger and now turning white, I tried using the henna once and my hair turned bright orange, is that because I did not leave it on long enough ?
I would do some research on using indigo and henna to achieve the coverage you need, because henna alone is always going to be in the red-orange family, so on white hair it will truly look orange or red. try going to tapdancinglizard dot com, then look for the henna guide link there. They have an entire pdf booklet you can check to see what to do about the intensity of the color. They also have several different hennas which provide slightly different results; all are body are quality. Even with box or salon color, the original base color has to be added on white hair to make a color behave with the desired results; for instance when I was a cosmetologist I started coloring my mom’s white hair auburn, but in order for it to look auburn and not bright orange I had to use 50% dark brown (her natural color before it turned) and 50% auburn color.
Thank you so much! I’m desperate for a natural color that will cover greys…I’ve never even heard of BAQ henna…Can’t wait to try it…
I want to thank everyone for so much great input and Katie for this site! Thank you Jenn and others for all the info on using henna
Sadly I started dyeing my hair chemically when I was 14 out of boredom and I have never stopped but want to and feel I can now that I have such great info!
Im 46 and surprisingly my hair is still in good condition even though about two years ago I started having to dye it every 3 weeks because of the way my gray is coming in….it really is just awful
but I also addicted to changing my hair color with the seasons lighter in spring and summer and darker in fall and winter
I know I know I try do everything else as naturally as possible but this has been the one area I haven’t been able to walk away from
I do a lot of natural deep conditioning on my hair several nights a week and leave it on over night I feel if I hadn’t done this all these years my hair probably would have fallen out!
I wish I could see some pictures of people who have done this Im afraid my hair will turn orange lol ( using henna)
Just feel so thankful that I have a solution for leaving the chemical hair world completely behind!
Hi There,
I am new to this world of natural hair coloring and am researching now. I also have medium brown hair and am wondering what you have found successful for you. Will you please share the brand name and color name of the product you use and where I can buy?
Thank you so much.
Dianne