Naturopathic Control: DIY natural permanent hair dye to turn hair from gray to black

This DIY hair dye is a natural alternative to the chemical dyes in stores, especially those containing PPD. PPD is found especially in darker hair dyes. Unfortunately, many people have allergic reactions to PPD, sometimes even ending up in the hospital. This natural hair dye is not as quick. However, it works very well, but without the health risks. This hair dye involves 2 main ingredients: henna (aka stringy) and indigo powders. I will discuss 2 equally effective methods from which to choose based on your specific hair-dying needs.

METHOD 1 (3 steps). staggered activation processes of a) henna and then b) indigo > timed combination of the 2 pastes > only 1 cycle of applying to the hair & rinsing.

Uses & benefits

to change the color of a full head of gray hair to black
quicker (than the alternative). NB This quicker method takes roughly 4 - 5 hours.

Considerations

less cost-effective (than the alternative) if you only need to touch up a few gray sections, like new grow at the roots or the odd strand. After all, you will likely use far more indigo than your hair needs.

METHOD 2 (4 steps). activate the henna > cycle 1 of application to the hair & rinse > activate the indigo > cycle 2 of application & rinse

Uses & benefits

to touch up a few gray sections, like new growth at the roots or odd strands. The henna turns gray hair orange, making it easier to see where to apply the indigo powder if you want to target only those specific areas.

Considerations

This method is overall more time-consuming.

Regarding the question of whether other methods exist, like combining the powders into a conditioning bar; such other methods that involve activating the powders long in advance are unlikely to retain the potency of the powders for long. The powders lose potency quickly, especially in the case of indigo which starts to degrade within only a few hours.

STEPS for both methods

Steps: Activate henna powder

Wash your hair with a clarifying shampoo.
Combine the following ingredients

henna powder. Henna powder needs several hours of activation in water before having its effect. Alone, it turns gray hair orange.
a liquid from the following options. It should be enough to gradually transform the henna powder into a paste with the consistency of runny yogurt. Henna powder is sometimes nicknamed 'stringy powder' because, once there is sufficient liquid, the consistency is a little stretchy, like fresh aloe vera water.

water
slightly acidic liquid. Acidity breaks down the dye molecule, thereby making it more readily available to the hair. Options include

coffee, very concentrated brew
lemon juice, fresh or bottled

liquid conditioner because henna can be drying to the hair / red hibiscus flower tea.
optional. a touch of oil for moisture.

Allow the paste to stand for at least 3 hours

Steps: Activate indigo powder

Apart from the mixture above, add the following ingredients before then combining them with the mixture above.

indigo powder, from 2 to 6 times the amount in volume of the henna powder above. Indigo powder really needs roughly 10-15 minutes of activation in liquid before being ready for application to only slightly damp hair. When combined with henna powder, it turns hair black. People who do not have gray hair but only want to darken their black hair can use indigo powder alone. Since indigo powder is like clay, it is harder to mix in water. Use a fork to mix with liquid.

For hair to turn black
- 1 part henna
- 2 to 6 or 7 parts indigo

water, warm (apx 40 C). Add the water very slowly because indigo paste is very fluid (quite unlike the viscous nature of henna). Use warm to hot water, never cold or steaming hot. The warmth helps to activate the dye release.

Optional. brewed coffee (just a little to loosen up paste)

salt, pinch (roughly 1/12 the volume of indigo powder). Salt helps to more readily release the indigo dye.

Allow to stand for 10-15 minutes or a maximum of 30 minutes. Avoid stirring continuously. This is important to allow you to see when the indigo is ready. When the dye release has occurred, a dark top layer should form on top of the liquid. However, you should see the original green color if you pull back the top dark layer.

Steps: Part 3 - Application

Wash hair with a clarifying shampoo to remove oils, protein treatments, etc to improve color transferability. This step is helpful for opening up the hair cuticle to improve the chances of success.
Apply to washed hair with gloved hands. Be sure to wear old clothing (because this process can become messy).
Leave uncovered

(combined paste) for 3 - 4 hours. Leaving the dye in beyond 4 hours is unlikely to make any difference.
(henna paste only) for 3 - 4 hours. Leaving the dye in beyond 4 hours is unlikely to make any difference.

Rinse with only water. Use a conditioner as an option. However, do NOT shampoo at this point.
For the method involving a second cycle of applying & rinsing with indigo, leave uncovered

(indigo only) for 1 hours. Leaving the dye in beyond 4 hours is unlikely to make any difference.

If the orange from the henna is the only color that remains, reapply indigo paste. If you notice a green cast from the indigo, let it be because it will darken over the next few hours.
When styling afterward, avoid heavy oil or deep conditioning treatments. Wait until about 5 days for the color to fix well before using these types of treatment.