Hair
color is one of the oldest and most well-known cosmetics that have been used by
humans since ancient times. Hair colors may be synthetic or natural. Synthetic
hair colors which are available in the market contain amalgam of peroxide and
ammonia which damage hair and also causes allergic reactions. Furthermore,
people using synthetic hair color are exposed the risk of cancer including
breast cancer, urinary bladder cancer etc. But natural colors derived from
plants can solve these problems and are safe to use.
Henna,
beets, chamomile, madder, walnuts and turmeric are the most commonly used
sources of plant-based colors. The plant-based colors not only make our hair
look more attractive but they also provide versatile effects including
conditioning, softening, promotion of growth and density, as they are rich in
natural antioxidants such as flavonoids, catechins, ascorbic acid and many
pigments like lutein (yellow), anthocyanins (red), carotene (golden) and
more.
Henna
is one of the oldest natural dyes used throughout the history for dyeing hair.
It provides reddish orange color to our hair. The principle coloring compound
of Henna is Lawsone, a red‑orange colored compound present in leaves of henna
plant. The other phytochemicals like carbohydrates give the henna paste a
suitable consistency to hair attachment. Natural henna is usually
hypoallergenic but allergic reactions occurred in mixed types including black
henna. Henna has also antifungal activity against Malassezia species, a
causative organism of dandruff. Henna balances the pH of the scalp and
preventing premature hair fall and graying of hair. Another source of red dye
is Madders because the major pigments present in madder are anthraquinones and
purpurin. Also, this plant has anticancer, antimicrobial, antifungal,
hypotensive and antipain properties.
For
brown hair, we can use walnut. Walnut is a rich source of a compound namely
juglone which can be extracted from different parts of walnut plant. Mainly
leaves and hull of walnut fruit is used for coloring hair. Oleic acid,
macadamia, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, methionine, cysteine, tryptophan,
threonine are the major phytochemicals present in walnut. Walnut leaves are
also used in traditional medicine for external applications such as eczema,
loss of hair, scalp itching, peeling and dandruff and treat sun burns.
Similarly the juice of the fresh plant namely Eclipta alba, is used
in a traditional Indian recipe to not only darken the hair, but to improve hair
growth and reduce hair loss.
For
natural brown hair color, we can use a mixture of powder of dried leaves of
Henna (Lawsonia inermis) and Indigo (Indigofera tinctoria). If we
use Henna and Indigo individually, henna produce orange-red color and indigo
gives an intense violet color. However, by using a combination of these two powders
a suitable brown color is developed.
For coloring grey hair, mix henna leaves powder, indigo powder, lemon juice, amla powder, methi powder, curry leaves powder, and water to make a smooth paste. Keep it for one hour for imbibition. Apply this paste to hair and wash after one hour; you will get a beautiful brown color. When we repeatedly apply for three to four times, intensity of brown coloration increased. So, if you are too sensitive for synthetic hair color, you will love this natural safe alternative. If your scalp is sensitive, make sure you start every new thing with a patch test.