2010 Hair Buys!

If you followed the blog last year, you may remember my Honey Lemon highlight experiment. Well since then, I've been wanting to try henna coloring and 2010 is the year to do it!

Pictured above is my hair with henna. Since I am a first-time user, I didn't want to botch my hair so I bought an easy-to-use Henna Melt kit from www.thehairshebang.etsy.com. I recommend this kit because it comes already mixed with the necessary ingredients to give you a nice wine burgundy color. The seller offers different embossments, including flowers, herbs, etc. (The photo below is an example.) Henna itself also contributes to the hair's natural shine and thickness.

I used the mix on clean, damp hair and left it on for an hour. Then I rinsed, did a light shampoo, and deep conditioned. The result? My hair now has a subtle natural-looking burgundy tone to it, especially the sections that were previously highlighted with the honey lemon treatment. I love it and will post pics soon. For those wanting a more dramatic color change, be sure to leave the henna mix on for much longer.

UPDATE - THE RESULT (Actual color is more subtle):

Other 2010 Hair Buys:
Jane Carter Nourish & Shine - so far, I like the mango smell and shine.
Hair One - I like the conditioner cleanser concept. If you are not a fan of cones, though, steer clear.

REVIEW #2: Coffee Hair Rinse

Purpose: A natural option for brunettes to subtly darken the hair.

Number of trials: twice

Ingredients & Materials: Basin; Cup; Gallon of strong, black coffee

Instructions - Brew some strong, black coffee. Leave it black and allow it to cool. Pour into basin. Soak and massage into hair for 15 minutes, and let sit for another 15 minutes. Rinse hair with warm water. Click here for detailed instructions.

How I prepared and used it:
I don't have a coffee maker so I heated 1/2 gallon of hot water to almost boiling and added about a 1/2 cup of ground coffee. Then I let the mixture cool. (If you try this method, be sure to filter the ground coffee before pouring onto your hair.)

My first trial was with mild roast coffee.

My second trial was weeks later with dark roast coffee.

In both cases, I clarified my hair beforehand so that the color would better deposit. (Normally, you don't want to clarify between coffee rinses -- only before the initial one -- but I did so for the purposes of these trials.) I then followed the above procedure (except for the brushing part). After rinsing the coffee from my hair, I deep conditioned for 20 minutes, rinsed, and air dried. My hair was in small twists throughout the process.

Recipe Source: http://www.ehow.com/how_2343597_dye-hair-coffee.html



FULL REVIEW:
I measured success based on how well the coffee color deposited onto my strands, especially the brown sections of my hair and the few gray strands I have.

The first trial with the mild roast coffee was unsuccessful. I noticed no color change in my hair. My gray strands remained the same.

The second trial with the dark roast coffee was a bit successful. I could tell that the color deposited this time because my gray strands were now tinted a light brown. The change was faint, but perhaps after continuous coffee rinses it will become more noticeable. As for the rest of my hair, I did not notice a color change, but that may be because my hair it too dark for such a subtle dying process.

PROS: Natural

CONS: Runny, May require several rinses to notice a color change

RATING:
Overall, I rate the Coffee Rinse 2 out of 5 stars. The color deposits onto the hair but is too subtle. Performing several coffee rinses to achieve a more noticeable color change may be a tedious routine for some. Also, this natural coloring option may be optimal for brunettes on the lighter end of the spectrum (light to medium brown hair) than those on the darker end.

IDEAL FOR THOSE:
*with light to medium brown hair
*seeking a temporary, slight darkening in hair color

FOR THE MIXOLOGISTS OUT THERE: You may want to experiment with black walnut or black tea to darken the hair color. Both options are subtle and temporary as well, but could be more effective. For longer lasting, more dramatic darkening, explore henna and indigo.

FOR THE NON-MIXOLOGISTS OUT THERE: You may want to check out cellophanes or plant-based hair dyes, such as actnaturals.com

Lighten Hair Color Naturally

I used to love highlighting a few strands of my hair for a style change. Depending on the year, you could find me with a shade of brown, blond, or red streaks. My hair was the canvas, a box of semi-permanent chemical dye was the paint, and my plastic-covered hands were the brushes. The artistic process was fun, the result was a masterpiece, but the masterpiece eventually deteriorated into damaged, thinning hair. I did not realize that with the cuticle lifting and cortex interaction, the hair can be weakened and suffer damage.

Included below are some natural recipes you can try at home. The first one requires sun exposure, while the last two do not. I recommend trying the last two since prolonged sun exposure may degrade and weaken the hair structure.

NOTE: Several repeated applications may be required to produce more dramatic color change over time. Realize that natural alternatives may not yield the same shock effect as chemical dyes or bleaches, but they are certainly less damaging to the hair.

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LEMON CHAMOMILE RECIPE:
Lemon and chamomile are natural bleaching agents.

Ingredients:
1 cup lemon juice
3 cups chamomile tea (brewed, & cooled)

Directions:
Mix ingredients, pour over damp hair then let sit for an hour while you sit in the sun, wash out. Follow with a good conditioner. Do this a few times a week to notice the highlights.

Source: http://styles101.homestead.com/nathairrec.html#anchor_35868

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HONEY CINNAMON RECIPE:

Honey and cinnamon are both natural peroxide agents. The honey acts as a peroxide through dilution with distilled water. Cardamom, cinnamon and extra virgin olive oil are peroxide boosters. Ground cinnamon is known to cause some tingling and redness, so be sure to perform a skin sensitivity test prior to application onto the scalp.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup raw uncooked honey (Jarrah honey works best)
1 1/2 cup distilled water
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon or cardamom
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Saran Wrap
Swimming Cap

Directions:

Mix the honey, water, cinnamon/cardamom, and olive oil together.  Allow the mixture to sit for an hour.  Then coat the hair with the mixture using a root applicator bottle, spray bottle or a brush.  Wrap your head in Saran wrap and put on a swimming cap in order to prevent the hair from drying and rendering the mixture ineffective.  Leave the mixture on the hair for a few hours or over night then shampoo as normal.

Source: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1220564/lighten_your_hair_with_honey.html?cat=69

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RED HENNA & ACID RECIPE:
Red henna (like neutral henna) is green in color and contributes to the hair's thickness and shine. UNLIKE neutral henna, it contains a red-orange dye molecule that combines with the hair's natural color. Acidic substances (e.g., lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, orange juice, etc.) must be added to the henna to release this dye. I assume the more acidic the substance, the more red-orange the color result. (Note, lemon is more acidic than vinegar which is more acidic than orange juice.)

Here is a sample recipe for medium-length hair:

Ingredients:
100 g body art quality henna (Mehandi Shop)
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup water

It is encouraged that you read the following link thoroughly before using henna:
http://www.hennaforhair.com/

For more color recipes, check out. You may need to tweak the ingredients depending on your hair length and thickness and how subtle/dramatic you want the color change:
http://www.hennaforhair.com/mixes/index.html

Upcoming Reviews ...

on the following homemade treatments ...

Coconut Honey Deep Conditioner and Black Coffee Hair Rinse

Stay tuned ...

Darken Hair Color Naturally

I've been contemplating darkening my hair color for a few weeks now. (My natural color is a dark brownish black.) The question is how dark do I want to go and how permanent? Jet black or something more subtle? A color that fades after a few washes or something more long lasting? I am not sure yet. One thing is for certain, though; I will use a natural as opposed to chemical hair dye. (See post on chemical damage.) So stay tuned. In the mean time, here are some natural methods that I am considering:



BLACK TEA DYE:
- probably the most subtle and temporary of the options
- recipe #1
- recipe #2





WALNUT DYE:
- normal walnuts may be used, black walnuts for better results
- use husks over actual walnut for more dye content
- recipe #1
- recipe #2








INDIGO & HENNA DYE:
- additional benefit of thicker hair
- color is long lasting / henna is permanent but indigo is temporary
- henna may loosen the curl pattern over time
- recipe








SAGE, COFFEE, ETC.:
- subtle color change
- review on black coffee dye - click here
- recipes

Retaining the Hair You Grow: Chapter 2

Let's talk about chemical damage ...

WHAT IS IT?:
In general, chemical damage of the hair can result from the misuse of chemical treatments, such as relaxers and certain color dyes. Relaxers are designed to straighten the hair by breaking and rearranging bonds in the hair shaft. Misuse of relaxers involves overprocessing (leaving the chemical on the hair for too long), overlapping (applying the chemical to previously relaxed sections), inadequate neutralization of the relaxer, etc. Chemical color treatments -- particularly permanent ones -- lift the cuticle and interact with the cortex of the hair to alter the natural pigment. Misuse of color treatments involves overprocessing and other improper application procedures. Chemical damage leaves the hair severely weakened and irreparable. The damaged part must grow out or be cut.

MINIMIZING COLOR DAMAGE:
*Natural dyes: A sure fire way to prevent chemical damage is to use natural alternatives to chemical treatments. Henna, lemon, honey, cinnamon, and chamomile tea can all be used as natural dyes. Another option is to use plant-based hair dyes on the market, some of which boast salon-quality results. One thing to note: the darker the hair, the subtler the result with natural dyes meant to lighten. Sometimes multiple applications may be required to achieve your desired color. (Please read article links below.)
*Rinses: Rinses are temporary dyes that deposit color onto your hair. They are ideal for those wanting to deepen, rather than lighten, their natural color. The color disappears after a few washes.
*Semi- and Demi -permanent: Semi-permanent colors contain no ammonia and last for a few washes. Demi-permanent colors also contain no ammonia and but slightly lift the cuticle to deposit color. Thus, they last much longer than semi-permanents. The potential for chemical damage with these options is less than with a permanent color.



MINIMIZING RELAXER DAMAGE:
*Stay/go natural: Avoidance of relaxers is the only guaranteed method of preventing relaxer damage. Rollersets or flat ironing the natural hair on a safe heat setting are ways to achieve a temporary straight look.
*Texlaxing/texturizing: This process involves relaxing the hair just enough to loosen the natural curl pattern. The chemical is left on the hair for a shorter period of time than specified so that the hair is not relaxed to full straightness. Thus, this method minimizes the possibility of relaxer damage.
*Jojoba oil, wax, & relaxers: According to one study, most conditioning agents in relaxer kits break down and have no effect by the time the consumer uses them. This finding implies that using some level of added conditioning while relaxing may minimize damage. What is the best conditioner? According to a second study, jojoba oil is amongst the best at protecting the hair while relaxing (with thioglycolate-based relaxers). Polymethylene wax (in conjunction with other substances) is beneficial for the traditional NaOH- and LiOH-based relaxers.
*Don't Overlap or Overprocess: Follow the instructions.

Ultimately, the best way to prevent chemical damage is to avoid chemical treatments altogether. I've only presented a few options so if you do your research you may find more. If you can't avoid chemicals, then merely practice the proper use of them. Follow the application instructions to the tee or seek a professional. It is possible to have healthy colored, straightened hair with or without the use of chemical treatments.

SOURCES & MORE READS:
CHEMICAL DAMAGE & MORE
CONDITIONER BREAKDOWN IN RELAXERS & POLYMETHYLENE WAX
JOJOBA OIL & RELAXERS
BLEACH DAMAGE
CHEMICAL STRAIGHTENING
NATURAL DYE RECIPES
NATURAL DYE INGREDIENTS
HOW HAIR COLORING WORKS
COLOR TREATMENT FACTS
DEMI, SEMI, & PERMANENT COLORS