Humanity has used dye since the dawn of time. In ancient Egypt, people dyed hides, leather, walls, textiles and hair. The great Pharaoh used coloring to hide his white hair. It goes without saying that the substances used were natural, plant-based.
The leaves, flowers, wood, roots and bark are used in vegetable dye. To obtain color, we mix different plants such as turmeric, tulsi, amla, henna, kapoor kachni, aloe vera, logwood, ginger, walnut husk, bamboo silica, brahmi, indigo madder and sidr. These plants originate from South India and Yemen. Some are grown on former Aztec territories.
Once harvested, the dye plants are reduced to a fine powder during a very gentle process: micronization . The operation transforms them into particles of 80 to 100 microns. Thanks to this process, we need a smaller quantity of plants during application. The plant colorings are protected in herbalist barrels away from light and humidity. The plants provide 17 different shades.
Vibrant colors from black to brown, or even brown, through copper or opting for blonde. The color chosen for your hair will depend on your tone level, your percentage of white hair and the desired reflection. We are talking about tone-on-tone or darker results. It is impossible to lighten your hair with vegetable coloring. On the other hand, warm shades and the reflection of light can give the impression of paler hair. We then speak of translucent color or opaque color. People with a large percentage of white hair can opt for blonde.
In plant coloring everything is measured, weighed and timed precisely. It is not just a question of correctly dosing the formula, pronouncing the correct diagnosis or carefully evaluating the application time. It is impossible to accurately predict the reaction to a coloring and then draw generalizations. A white hair can give different results from one person to another. The emotional and physical state of the moment, PH, hormonal issues and many other factors also influence the final result.
Remember that the coloring does not penetrate the hair. It surrounds the hair fiber. Which gives it shine, volume and health. It is therefore important to use quality, 100% natural, silicone-free cleaning products. Silicone prevents the color from holding well on the hair. So, before the first colorings, we must decontaminate the hair and scalp with clays.
Why clay? Because it eliminates film-forming agents and silicones, it absorbs toxins, it cleanses the scalp, it restores the pH and it remineralizes the hair. These treatments require a very precise protocol. No need to opt for vegetable coloring to benefit from the benefits of clay treatments. It is also prescribed after chemical coloring.
The photographs accompanying this article illustrate some results obtained in terms of plant coloring.
article published in the p'tit journal de Woburn, November and December 2021