Learning About Natural Hair Dye With Hair Colorist Linda Kammins
I’ve seen a lot of questions in the forum about how to find vegan, eco-friendly hair dye. And I have to admit, I haven’t found the perfect answer. I have to dye my hair for different roles, so this is an area where I have to accept a less than perfect solution. There are stylists who are working on more natural solutions in their salons though. hair colorist Linda Kammins is one.
The first time I dyed my hair brown, Linda gave me a nice dark color using natural hair dye. I loved it!
Here’s what Linda says about finding more natural ways to dye and care for hair:
Natural Hair Dye and Hair Care
By Linda Kammins
I think of hair as a living garden, but many hair care products are designed with complete disregard for health. People have been abusing their hair and bodies with harsh chemicals since the industrial revolution, but now the consumer is getting more educated and asking questions.
Avoid Chemical Preservatives
Often, beauty lines are formulated using ingredients that are not stable together. More often than not, chemical preservatives are employed to prevent these ingredients from quickly decomposing. These chemicals may keep the product looking fresh, and perhaps smell okay. However, over a short period of time, these formulations break down into a toxic byproduct. The most important lesson I have learned about creating natural beauty products is to use ingredients that are stable together. My own beauty product line is sound and simply entails natural organic stabilizers, such as citrus acid or olive leaf extract for a sensible shelf life.
Brush Regularly and Don’t Over Wash
Another important way to care for your hair is to brush regularly. Using the right brush - a wooden bristle brush makes all the difference in the world!
This is Alicia – I use this brush and it’s my favorite ever! I’ve had the same one for seven years!
A well-groomed dog or horse has a shiny, beautiful coat, and it’s the same with people. Our bodies have natural sebum and nutrients in our bloodstream that reach the hair follicles when we brush. Brushing encourages circulation, and I’ve witnessed the hair color of clients improve, also the shine and their hair getting thicker after a year or so of brushing correctly. I am also an advocate of not over washing the hair. We need the natural oils to buff up shine in our hair through brushing.
Opt for Natural Dyes
Bleaching hair the traditional way, with foils, is particularly drying and weakens the elasticity of hair. The bleaching process basically rips the cuticle shaft, like ripping bark off a tree. At my salon, I use plant enzymes (three ions) to carry pigment into or out of the hair shaft without “ripping the bark from the tree.” The highlighting method I designed is done using high quality bleach, enzymes and oils. I apply these using my style of freehand hair painting. The result is the hair glimmers with the highlights of a child’s. To color grey out of the hair, I invented a process I refer to as “paneling’. I apply the tint and enzyme directly on the panels this avoids applying the application right onto the scalp. The delivery enzyme system does not disrupt the matrixes of hair, and this supports the integrity of the hair.
My greatest goal this year is to find the answers to naturally reversing grey hair back to its childhood color. I know there are solutions. I’ve been doing a lot of research and ultimately I will find my way to doing just that. I am working on it, so stay tuned!
- Linda Kammins
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Thank you, Linda!
Do you kind lifers have an eco-minded salon you love? Share your kind hair care tips in the comments below!
Photo Credit: LindaKammins.com, photos.com/ Pixland, Zimbio.com
27 comments
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Hey, just wanted to leave a comment to say that dying your hair with ground up plants and herbs gives the most beautiful colour you'll ever see! I work in a organic green hairdressers in den haag holland with a german line of hair dyes, the make is olibe. It gives really beautiful results, also with grey covering, if any one wants more info, don't hesitate to ask :)-
Apr 2, 2013 at 7:25pm0 0I would like to hear more about this line if it works. I have dark brown hair and am looking to cover up whites popping up in the most natural, lasting and cost effective way. What are the ingredients in it and is it available in the US?flag
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I have heard the indigo and henna are natural alternatives to covering gray hair. Does your salon use these, and do these work well? -
I`ve heard diet can reverse grays, I haven`t totally tried it myself, but I do know the woman who wrote about this & she has great hair! :)
http://houseofverona.com/get-rid-of-your-greys-without-the-dye/
http://houseofverona.com/how-i-reversed-my-gray-hair-without-being-100-raw/
RE: Natural hair dye, a friend recommended Pu`erh tea - I did several google searches, and it turns out Pu`erh is a type of tea, not a brand, nor specifically a hair dye. (I bought some, have to try it still; I gather perhaps one brews say 5 cups for an hour, then uses it as a rinse, tho unsure what it does to scalp colour, how long to leave it in. :)
There are several online recipes for DIY hair colouring if you look up `how to dye your hair with tea`. I have not tried yet. 2 links I found are below.
There are many more links I saw too.
* Apparently adding use of sage will allow the tea to cover greys better.
* I think one article mentioned something about using vinegar as a rinse after would help it stay more colour fast.
* Apparently for brown hair rather than brassy colour, one is to mix an ingredient called indigo with the henna; it sounds like it may be messy & difficult for me as a novice not accustomed to home hair colouring, so personally not drawn to try that yet anyway.
http://www.wikihow.com/Dye-With-Your-Hair-With-Tea,-Coffee-or-Spices
http://www.sophisticatededge.com/black-tea-to-dye-hair.html -
Henna is great natural option, but it is very hard to remove from the hair if you decide that you need a change. It's also very messy, so be careful if you're doing it at home.
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Lush always carries natural and vegan products. The henna hair dyes might be a great option. I think that's what I'm going to try next.
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Do "natural" products really cover greys? I'd love to stop using those harsh chemicals every 6 weeks! Can anyone recommend a salon in the Philadelphia area? Seems the east coast is much farther behind than the west coast in eco-friendly and organic products!-
Yes I feel the same way. The only salons that seem to offer "natural" options are in Philadelphia and I live an hour away! Let me know if you hear of any salons west of Philadelphia that are somewhat affordable and current.
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I really like having to color my hair and since I'm working on going natural with all my skin and now hair products, I would like to try natural hair coloring! ^_^ -
There is nothing "natural" about dyeing your hair. Everyone has a true natural hair colour. If you want to change your hair colour, go ahead (and use less damaging products) but don't kid yourself about it being "natural".
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I am a hairstylist at Capella Salon in Studio City, CA and I use a hair color line called Organic Color Systems. It is backed by PETA and the Organic Soil Association. It is not 100% natural but it is the closest that I have seen with professional results. They are constantly reevaluating to make it healthier for the hairstylist as well as the client. It is ammonia free, cruelty free and vegan.
The best product that I know of and personally use for curly hair is Deva Curl No Poo. It is completely sulfate, paraben and silicone free. It is also not tested on animals and has no animal derived ingredients. Also, it's made in the USA! This product will make your curls look better then you could imagine!
PS I do not work for either of these companies. This is just my personal experience with these products:) -
Oh, also Morrocco Method has raw vegan haircare products. They are pretty amazing. They also sell a henna hair dye that is really wonderful. -
Primrose Organic Salon in Los Feliz is the BEST! They support small organic businesses and use very nice eco-friendly and organic products. I have not had my hair colored there yet, but perhaps I will someday. As for Aveda, I used to think they were the bees knees, but the more I looked into their ingredients, more and more I see junk in their products. Sad. They may not be the worst offenders, sure, but I think there are much better options out there. I have the opposite of thick curly hair, but have you guys tried an apple cider vinegar rinse? It should work like a natural detangler. Mix 1 Tablespoon into 1 cup of water. The vinegar smell goes away when dry, but I also like to add a few drops of essential oils (orange is my fave) to give a nice after-smell.
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Hi!
I use LUSH henna (Caca Rouge) religiously and I love it! I am a natural blonde, but my hair is a beautiful fiery red now. My hair was virgin ~10 years and I have been using the henna for about 2 years now.
Lush can apply the henna in store (at no extra cost) and you can leave with your hair wrapped up. You have to leave it on a minimum of an hour- but sometimes I sleep with mine. The longer you leave it on, the richer the colour.
It is a bit messy- but TOTALLY worth it.
I get so many compliments on my hair.
I may be a bit bias- I work for Lush part time- but regardless, I would still use the henna even if I did not work there!
If anyone has any additional Lush questions- please feel free to
message me! :) -
Susan, I share your dilemma with thick curly hair. The Whole Foods and HEB stores in my area carry a line called Beautiful Curls. It is vegan and is shea butter based. I love it. It has definitely improved the health and manageability of my hair even here in the gulf south where we usually have at least 80% humidity. :D -
I've used the Lush henna products in the past with mixed results. I love that it's an all natural alternative but it definitely has some negatives. After shaving the brick of henna down with a grater, you need to apply the water/henna mixture to your hair. It's very messy and cakes quickly. Also you need to let it sit on your hair for at least an hour. I have stubborn grey hair and I would let it sit for a few hours. Washing it out is tough and takes quite some time in the shower. It also has a strong smell for a day or two after. I did love the initial result but I found that it faded within a two to three weeks. I would keep using the Lush henna but we have a toddler and I just don't have the time to commit to it now. Whole Foods sells henna but they do have a variety of chemicals added to them.
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There is an eco salon in Encino, CA called Nori's Eco Salon. They use and distribute EcoColors, a green line of permanent hair dye. I am not quite ready to dye my hair yet, but I have been there for facials. Rosemary is escellent. www.norisecosalon.com -
I usually get my hair lightened at Aveda, which I assume is all natural. Does anyone know of hair lightning products I can apply myself? -
Most of the natural(ish)shampoos and conditions do zilch for curly hair. They just do not de-tangle, so I look forward to the day that there is a really good natural, vegan product for curly hair that works properly. We curly haired people are not supposed to brush our hair either so the brushing advice above does not work for me. Anybody found great vegan or natural hair care for thick curly hair?
I'm willing to try any of the natural suggestions people have including any Alicia posts but I'm often disappointed(same with skin care because the natural stuff does NOT help with acne and my skin becomes a mess fast). Thanks in advance for your suggestions! -
Hello Kind Lifers! I am a salon owner in Grand Rapids, MI committed to the health of your body & your hair. We are a cruelty-free salon and use organic, vegan hair care. We do offer professional hair color services using Organic Color Systems.
This is such an important "topic" for us and we are glad that their are options available for you :)
Its so nice to see others in my profession who care about our health, wellbeing, & our environment... such as Linda Kammins. Very refreshing! -
The Dr.Haushcka Neem Hair Oil and the Dr.Hauschka Neem Hair Lotion are great holistic hair care products that helps maintain a healthy scalp, especially after using dye. It is massaged into the hair and scalp to strengthen dry, brittle and chemically treated hair and calm itchiness and irritation. Neem leaf extracts and rosemary essential oil discourage hair breakage and add natural shine, body and luster.
See more at www.earthelegant.com. -
I was just looking at Lush's henna hair dye. Has anyone tried it? I'm 34 and already finding gray hair! Any tips? -
I've been using Palette by Nature's natural hair color. The only downside is you have to sit under a tabletop hair dryer for 30 minutes, but it is a plant based permanent hair color and it is organic. You can order online at: www.palettebynature.com
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I'm on a budget, so I often color my hair myself. I REALLY like Naturcolor by Herbaceuticals (I got mine at Whole Foods). No ammonia, no gross smell and you don't cringe when rinsing thinking about how many harsh chemicals you are leaching onto yourself and into the drain! You can check out reviews here: http://www.makeupalley.com/product/showreview.asp?ID=66495 Happy coloring!
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