Tricks of the Trade (3) - Using Tea as a Natural Hair Dye!

Tricks of the Trade (3) - Using Tea as a Natural Hair Dye! From the lovely- http://www.holistic-chick.com/2013/03/tricks-of-trade-3-hair-care-featuring.html

Tricks of the Trade is a regular feature here at Holistic Chick where I showcase a simple, natural item that can commonly be found in the home and how it can be used to make your life more simple...and more green. It spotlights helpful tips involving cleaning, beauty & body care.

This week I'm featuring a natural alternative to dying your hair, without the use of harsh chemicals & odors using: tea! Yes, you can dye your hair using tea!  There is a perfect tea for your hair colour too regardless of if you're blonde, red-headed OR brunette!  Not only is dying your hair with tea a natural alternative to chemical dyes, but this actually makes your hair look & feel better.   If you're like me and deal with chemical sensitivities, allergies, migraines...or you just want to use more natural products well listen up cause this post is for you.

I'll get into the specifics for each hair color in a second but first some general guidelines:

Various Teas

• Usually the amount of tea you need is between 3-5 teabags or roughly the equivalent in loose leaf tea.
• You will be brewing the tea much stronger than you would for drinking.  You may end up with about a cup's worth of liquid but it will be concentrated. Tea has natural staining properties and it's richly colored anti-oxidants are perfect for adding some colour & shine to your hair!
• You won't be able to turn your dark hair blonde or make your blonde locks brunette - tea works with your natural colouring.
• Grey coverage tip -equal parts of tea AND fresh -OR- dried sage brewed together will help cover any grey hair because sage helps to open up the hair follicles and allows for better colour retention.
• ALLOW MIXTURE TO COOL before pouring it on your head guys.  Just sayin' >.<
• A good tip is to use a new hair-dye applicator handy or a clean empty plastic squeeze bottle for application, though in a pinch you can pour it liberally while standing in the shower or with your head tipped over the sink.
• The longer you can leave the 'dye' on your hair the better.  So plan at least an hour but for really resistant grey, you may have to leave it on longer.  Since tea is natural, some people leave it on the head to dry (even overnight) and rinse out later in the day or the next morning.  Everyone is different so if after trying the mixture for one hour, the tone is too subtle -  or you still see some greys poking out, try leaving the mixture on longer next time!
• Rinse with cool water and style as usual.

So, here are the specific tea-flavor you need for your specific colouring:

Black tea is ideal for brunettes (black hair is in this category too) and being a brunette this is the one I've tried.  It's easy & effective.  All you need is about 3 tea bags or the equivalent in loose leaf tea.  You'll need about 2 cups of water and bring the whole mixture to a boil.  Allow to boil for 3-5 minutes then let it cool. Apply to hair and let sit for about 1 hour (or more) before rinsing it out

Though my technique varies a bit, here's a great step by step link for dyeing hair with black tea: http://www.sophisticatededge.com/black-tea-to-dye-hair.html

Chamomile is the tea you want to use if you're blonde  - all you'll need is 1 cup of chamomile tea or loose flowers & 2 cups of water!  This one needs to boil 30 minutesthough to get all the active ingredients working. After the initial preparation just allow mixture to cool & apply to your hair in the shower after shampoo.  Leave on for at least 1 hour & rinse out.

 Blondes: visit this great post for a great step-by-step guide for how-to:

 http://www.ehow.com/how_2139521_use-chamomile-lightening-hair.html  

She also has tips for making a chamomile highlighting shampoo & conditioner!

And for redheads?!  You guessed it: red or rooibos tea is the tea you want to use!  This technique only requires about 2-3 teabags worth of rooibos tea depending on hair length.  Boil 5- 10 minutes & let cool before applying.  Leave on hair for at least 30 minutes or up to one hour then rinse & style as usual.

 Redheads: this link features an step by step how-to guide for dyeing your hair with rooibos tea

 http://www.ehow.com/how_12107662_dye-hair-red-tea.html

**Regardless of what tea/colour you're after - keep in mind that the more tea you use, the more intense the results will be BUT remember that this is natural and will give out natural looking results. You can NOT completely change your hair colour with tea - if a blonde used black tea, all it would do is make her hair darker blonde  The results are subtle so don't be afraid to try it out and from there you can see by the results if you need a stronger mixture or to leave it on longer next time!  If it's not noticeable enough, you can easily try again the next day - because it's just tea and won't fry or damage your hair!**

...And people wonder why I love tea as much as I do ♥ 

It really does a body good, both inside & out!!

*For a ton of additional beauty tricks AND health tips using tea, visit my follow up post: here *

Have you ever dyed your hair naturally, using tea or otherwise?!

Let me know in the comments below & don't forget to let me know if you're a new follower!