If you interested to know how to darken hair naturally, keep reading the post till its last word as we have prepared a detailed list of natural ways to darken hair with no side effects at all.
Hairstyling procedures are one of the most popular tricks that women use to alter and freshen up their overall appearance. Of course, these services have several downsides that women often tend to ignore – not only are they expensive, but they can also end up doing damage to your hair.
Read about best essential oils for gray hair too.
The latter consequence is not a surprise considering that these procedures typically involve the use of strong chemicals. This is one of the main reasons why more and more women have started to research natural ways to treat their hair, regardless if we are talking about dyeing, straightening, or darkening.
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In this post, we will pay some extra attention to the best natural ways to darken hair. It is entirely possible to achieve results similar to the ones you would get at the local hair salon, but without spending hundreds of dollars and without exposing your hair to powerful chemical ingredients.
If you have read up on the topic of hair dyeing, lightening or darkening, then you might have already noticed that these procedures tend to cause the most harm to your hair’s structure and health. Thankfully, this is avoidable with the use of natural darkening agents that we will discuss shortly. Natural ways to darken hair can provide excellent results, as long as you follow the correct recipe.
Still not sold on the natural methods of hairstyling? According to studies, these are some of the primary issues that modern hair treatment procedures cause:
- Hair dyes must break some ‘barriers’ in order to fulfill their purpose. To do so, they use ammonia, which could cause heavy damage to the cuticle – the primary protection of your hairs.
- Hair lightening procedures use peroxide, which could irreversibly damage your natural hair color. But it does not only do this – it could also greatly reduce keratin levels, which is the most important protein when it comes to hair health.
- Frequent hair procedures that are not performed using the right techniques and materials may result in overall dryness and brittleness of the hair. This often prompts women to go for more procedures in an attempt to fix the damage that has already been done.
But enough about the negative side effects. Let’s get to the main topic – natural ways to darken hair:
1- Darken Hair with Coffee
Coffee is one of the most popular natural products that people worldwide use to treat and darken their hair. While it can be used by people with all sorts of hair, it has the greatest effect when used on hair whose natural color is a light/medium shade of brown. If your hair is lighter and you wish to see a more noticeable difference, then you may need to repeat the treatments several times until you get the desired results.
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But what are the natural ways to darken hair with coffee? Well, there is more than one way to do this:
Do a Coffee Rinse
You will need a few tablespoons of ground coffee and mix it in 500-700ml of water that you will need to boil. Make sure to stir the concoction while it is boiling, and let it cool off for about 10-15 minutes. The next step is to strain the mix so there’s no ground left in it. Next, you can do one of the following:
- Dip your hair in the mix for a few seconds.
- Go under the shower or put your head over the sink, and then slowly pour the liquid over your hair. Of course, make sure to cover all of it.
Once you are done with this, it is time to rinse your hair and then either blow dry it or let it dry out by itself.
Use a Coffee Mask
This method may provide better results, but it may also take longer. Start by brewing two cups of coffee and set them aside. Then, mix four tablespoons of ground coffee with two cups of your favorite hair conditioner.
Use the two cups of coffee to soak your hair – make sure to get all the spots and that it is sufficiently wet. Next, use the coffee and conditioner mixture to cover your hair – make sure to massage your scalp to cover the roots nicely. After you are done, let it stay like this for about an hour. When the time comes, rinse your hair thoroughly, and dry it.
2- Darkening Hair with Black Tea
You have probably heard how many people try to treat caffeine addiction by replacing coffee with black tea. This is because black tea has some similar properties to coffee, and it also does contain some caffeine – albeit, it is less than usual coffee. Surprisingly, black tea is also a great replacement for coffee when it comes to making your hair dark without dye.
One of the downsides of using black tea is that its effects fade sooner compared to coffee – you might need to repeat the procedure more often to maintain the results.
Start by boiling a liter of water, and then mix it up with 3-4 tablespoons of black tea – preferably, use whole leaves since they give better results when it comes to dyeing. Let the concoction cool off, and then rinse your hair with it thoroughly. You can do this under the shower or over the sink to make clean up a bit easier. Finally, wash your hair and dry it using your preferred method.
3- Darkening Hair with Walnuts
Walnuts are yet another way to darken hair naturally. Unlike coffee and black tea, this method might need to be repeated a few times to see the desired results – so make sure to buy enough walnuts to be able to prepare the concoction on a daily basis.
For each mix, you will need about 500-700ml of water and 2-3 handfuls of walnuts. We recommend using black walnuts, but the regular type should work as well. Start by preparing the walnuts – crush them into smaller pieces and put them into the water – you can use every part of the walnut, so do not bother separating the skin, shells, or pulp. Boil the concoction for about 20 minutes, let it cool down, and then strain it.
It is recommended to have washed your hair beforehand since this would enhance the effect of the treatment. After you have washed your hair, rinse it with the walnut mixture, and make sure to get all the roots as well. Let it dry naturally for about 30 minutes, then rinse it with clean water to remove all residue, and finally blow-dry it.
More Natural Ways to Darken Hair with Walnuts…
If you are willing to put a bit more effort when it comes to preparation, then we have an extra tutorial for you! This time you will only need the shells of the walnuts. The more you use, the more concentrated your mix will be. Put the shells in a pot of water and boil it for around 30 minutes.
Put the pot aside so it can cool down. Use a strainer to filter it, and then apply it to your hair. We recommend using a specialized application brush since this would reduce the mess you create and help you cover your hair more reliably. After you have covered your hair, you need to wait for at least an hour – you can wait a bit more if you wish to get a darker outcome. Finally, wash your hair, but do not use hot water – we recommend using lukewarm water since hot water may end up reducing the coloring effect.
4- Darkening Hair with Onions
Onions are yet another harmless treatment to rely on when you want to darken your hair in a natural way. In this scenario, you will only need to use onion shells – we recommend using about two handfuls, but you can up the quantity if you want a more concentrated mixture.
Unlike the other treatments, this time, you will not need to boil anything. Use low heat to ‘cook’ the shells in the water for about 30 minutes, and then cover the pot. Let it stay overnight, drain the mixture, and prepare your hair!
The best way to apply the mixture is to put it in a large bowl and then rinse your hair in it for a couple of minutes. Make sure to massage the scalp to be able to get the roots of the hairs as well. Do not rinse it off just yet! Instead, use a tower or shower cap to wrap your hair, and let it stay like that for at least 15 minutes. Finally, use clean water to wash your hair, and air-dry it.
5- Darkening Hair with Sage
Treatments with sage are among the most harmless when it comes to natural ways to darken hair. However, the effect is noticeably weaker – it is recommended to apply the treatment daily for best results. If you have researched natural ways to darken hair before, then you might have already read that sage is often preferred for dealing with grey hairs – but this is not its only application, it is also a great way to darken your hair.
You will need about half a cup of dry sage leaves and a pot filled with two cups of water. Boil the mixture for at least two hours, and then strain out the leaves. Let the infusion cool off until it is warm but not burning hot. Pour it over your hair, and let it soak for at least 30 minutes. Finally, wash your hair using clean water. As we already mentioned, doing this daily is recommended for the best results while using natural ways to darken hair.
6- Darkening Hair with Henna (and indigo)
Henna is undoubtedly one of the miracle ingredients when it comes to exploring natural ways to darken hair. If used correctly, it can offer long-lasting darkening effects – it is not a coincidence that it has been so popular in the Middle East for centuries. But how do you prepare henna for hair darkening?
For starters, you will need natural henna and mix it with lemon juice. If henna is not available, you can rely on the powdered product, but this might not deliver the expected results. Keep in mind that henna is typically a reddish-brown color – to fix this, you will need to use some indigo in the mixture. It will enhance the darkening effect while lessening the red dye.
After you have mixed the henna, indigo, and lemon juice, let the mixture stay for a few hours – this ensures that all the dye will be released. Next, use apply the paste-like mixture to your hair – do not forget to massage the scalp so that your hair roots are also covered sufficiently. Let it stay for about 30-40 minutes, and then use lukewarm water to wash it out.
Do not be worried if your hair gets to a copper-like color at first – this is normal. Your hair will darken in a day or two as the henna dye starts doing its work. Henna is among the most popular ways to naturally darken hair, so make sure to give it a try.
7- Darkening Hair with Cocoa
Cocoa is another natural product, which can deliver amazing results if you wish to try out natural ways to darken hair. Keep in mind that this method may not work that well if your hair is a natural, light color – it is best suited for people with darker-colored hair who want to make it a bit darker. This method also has one great bonus – you will be amazed by how amazing it smells.
The ingredients you need are half a cup of cocoa powder, a teaspoon of honey, a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar, and half a cup of yogurt. Mix all the ingredients together, and stir them thoroughly until you get an even paste.
Wash your hair with shampoo, and then apply the paste while it is still wet. Start from the roots, through the shaft, and end with the tips of the hair. After you have applied it thoroughly, let it stay like that for 3-4 minutes. Rinse your hair with clean water.
Other Natural Ways to Darken Hair?
These are just some of the primary methods and ingredients that women worldwide are using to darken their hair while avoiding the use of damaging chemicals. There are plenty of other natural ways to darken hair that you can try out, but it would take us ages to go over all of them. Do not hesitate to research a bit more about mustard seed oil, amla powder, oak bark, and even soy sauce – these are some other popular, natural ways to darken hair in home conditions.
