Natural Color Enhancers for Hair

We all need a bit of a boost once in a while; an emotional boost from friends, an energy boost from working out in the fresh air, or a color boost for your dull tresses.

Perking up hair color is a great way to make your locks shine, highlight your face, and give yourself an overall mood boost from looking so good.

No, I’m not talking about using toxic chemicals or making a radical hue transformation (says the natural blond turned redhead two decades ago!). I’m talking about natural ways to enhance your hair color, and give your locks a boost of color and shine.

So how do you give your hair color a boost the natural way?

Step One: Bring about 4-5 cups of water to a boil.

Step Two: Cut off the leg from a pair of clean pantyhose, get a clean sock, or find a clean piece of cheesecloth.

Fill your cloth of choice with your hair color boosting ingredients (listed below), and tie off the end. It is important that the end is tied off so that you can infuse the water with the hair color boosting ingredients without getting the solid pieces that get stuck in your hair. When you have filled, and tied off, your cloth pouch it will kind of look like a large tea bag.

So what are these color enhancing ingredients?

Blondes: 4 tablespoons of chamomile will give blond locks a beautiful boost along with shimmery shine. A few tablespoons of honey can also be added to the water to give flaxen tresses more sparkle.

Redheads: Auburn tones are best enhanced by using one chopped beet, while orange toned ginger nuts benefit from using one large, chopped carrot.

Brunettes: 5 tablespoons of slightly crushed rosemary sprigs, along with a few tablespoons of ground coffee or tea leaves, give brunette hair shine and depth.

Step Three: After the water has come to a boil, turn off the burner, and drop in the tied-off cloth filled with your chosen hair color boosting ingredients. Let it steep, uncovered, for at least 20 minutes.

Step Four: After the water has cooled, and is a comfortable temperature for you to use, take it into the bathroom with you and set it aside. I usually like to transfer the water to a container that allows for easy pouring in the shower; a pitcher or an old bottle work great. Trust me (I found out the hard way!), it is much easier to slowly pour the infused water into your hair when the hair boosting infusion is not in a large cooking pot.

Shampoo and rinse your hair as usual. Then, use your hair color booster in your second to final rinse, making sure that it is distributed evenly as you pour. Leave the mixture in your hair for a minute or two, then rinse with a few seconds of cool water (ideally, about a pitcher’s worth of cool water).

Step Five: Enjoy your vibrant, shimmering locks!