The Quest to Cover My Grey Hair (Naturally): Part 1

I applaud those of you that have grey hair and wear it proudly. However I, at 27 , find it a big self-esteem buster. Having grey hair for me is NOT ok.

As my greys began showing earlier this month, I decided it was time to end this toxic chemical dependence cycle of dyeing my hair every 6 weeks or so. Well, at least it was time to try.

While I was at the grocery store I spotted a "Natural hair color." It was in the health food section, and my kids were becoming impatient so without much thought I tossed it into my cart and was on my way. Before cracking it open I decided to do a little research on what I was about to use. Turns out this $18 bottle of natural hair dye scored an 8/10 on cosmetics database. This is a very ugly score for an eco-friendly product. I skipped using this hair color. Time to try again.

After my greenwashing fiasco I figured I would just pick up a box of Henna and try it out. Turns out, not so easy. I ended up searching the town where I live and coming up with NOTHING. When I inquired about Henna at Wal-Mart and other big chain stores most times I was just answered with a blank stare and "our hair dyes are that way." With no health stores in sight I decided the more eco-friendly option was to order my Henna online rather than continue driving and searching, wasting time and carbon emission.

1 week later...

My Henna finally arrived after weeks of searching. The brand of Henna that I bought ended up scoring a 3/10 on Cosmetics Database, so it's not totally green. Just much greener, which is what I am going for. I opted for the liquid type of Henna as opposed to powder because it looked A LOT less messy. My natural hair color is medium to dark brown, as far as I remember, so I chose the chestnut color. I was a little apprehensive but I put on my clear plastic gloves and got to work.

Here are the results of my application:

It is definitely not my normal hair color. It has a much thinner liquid-y consistently than I am used to. I got the hang of it pretty quickly though and it went on with minimal drippage. DONE.

Next I had to wrap my head in the enclosed plastic bag for 1 hour as recommended in order for the color to develop. I left the color on for 1 1/2 hours instead just for extra grey coverage. O,h by the way, the bag is needed as it gets a little drippy as time goes on. *Also note that the small bottle I used had just enough in it to cover my short thick hair.

The first claim was that it will actually improve the hair structure, unlike conventional dyes that are harsh on hair. Result: I rinsed out the color and didn't even use conditioner (I use conditioner every time I wash my hair). After my hair dried there was no fizziness and it was actually quite soft. Very impressive.

The second claim was that it will make my hair shiny. Result: Yup, my hair was super-shiny after this application!

The third claim was that it will cover grey hair. Result: These results were not so great. I have the same amount of grey hair as before. The exact same. It seemed to relax the grey hairs a little so they were more conditioned. From my experience this product does not cover grey hair at all. I was pretty deflated by this, I had such high hopes...

If you want to add shine, body or softness to your hair, then choose Henna as an eco-friendly alternative for sure! As far as grey coverage goes, save your money and don't bother with this at-home Henna. Maybe it would perform better with a professional application? Maybe I need to try a different brand? Maybe I need to leave it on longer?

I intend to test these theories .... There must be a better way!

Photo thanks to knickersthongs on flickr