4 Easy Ways To Amp Up Your Natural Hair Color
Do you ever wish your natural hair color was different? It’s easy to fall into this trap when we live in a society flooded with images of ways to look and feel better.
“If only I were a blonde, taking care of my hair would be easier”
“If only my hair were finer and not curly I could manage it better.”
While coloring our hair can make us feel and look younger, at the end of the day is it really worth it for the long-term care of our hair as we age? You’d have to admit that it’s really not. Coloring, drying, highlighting, curling and straightening takes a toll on our locks and as we age, much of that damage can not be reversed.
Loving ourselves the way God created us and taking care of the beautiful one of a kind head of hair He gave us can be the best and most rewarding course of action even if we’re not always satisfied with it on a daily basis.
If you are trying to avoid the costly and time-consuming upkeep of an artificial salon version of hair color and instead looking for ways to bring out the natural hues of your hair here are some DIY and product recommendations to help you highlight your natural God-given beauty.
1. Test It
In order to properly care for your hair, you need to test it’s porosity. If you have no idea what I am talking about no worries, I have an entire blog post about How To Test The Porosity Of Your Hair (And Why You Should). Knowing the porosity of your hair will help you make better hair care decisions.
So check out that post, do the simple test that should take less than a minute and come back here to pick up where you left off.
2. Maintain It
To keep your natural hair color fresh and healthy you, of course, have to care for it properly and regularly. Wash it with products free of harsh ingredients that can strip the hair of it’s natural oils and cause build up, keep it trimmed of brittle split ends, avoid harmful chemicals used to dye the hair (the National Cancer Institute (NCI) states that over 5,000 different chemicals are used in hair dye products, some of which are reported to be carcinogenic in animals) and limit the use of excessive heat like straightening and curling irons.
This may seem like a lot of work on the front end but the pay off of having a healthy head of hair will be well worth the effort. Once you develop a hair care system, you will fall into a groove that develops into simple daily habits.
3. DIY It
If you are the free-spirited type who loves to experiment, there are some fun options available right in your pantry or kitchen to enhance the natural hues of your locks.
If you are looking to go darker, cover gray hairs or add dimension coffee is a great option. Simply brew a strong pot coffee and let it completely cool. Next mix one cup of cold coffee with 2 cups of leave-in conditioner and 2 tablespoons of wet coffee grounds.
Apply to clean hair and work through and cover with a shower cap allowing it to sit for about an hour. Be sure to use apple cider vinegar to rinse as it will help to set the color and last longer (no, your hair will not smell like vinegar). Depending on the porosity of your hair, you may need to repeat this treatment a couple times to see noticeable results.
If you are looking to go lighter or add a few highlights try spraying fresh-squeezed lemon juice onto the hair and comb through. Leave on for several hours and if you choose a warm sunny day, you’ll notice even more lightening from basking in the sun. Lemon juice is a slower process so will require several repeated applications before seeing results.
4. Go Botanical
If you are the type of gal who wants to avoid harmful chemicals but not quite crunchy enough to whip up concoctions for your hair in the kitchen, I get you. I prefer to use a simple step hair care system for my hair that is specially formulated with natural phyto-pigments derived from herbs and botanicals like Chamomile, Crocus and organic Marigold (Calendula) Flowers, exotic Peruvian Rhatany Root and Lavender to boost highlights and beautifully enhance my hair’s natural hues.
So whether you are a Beautiful Brunette, Brilliant Blonde or Perfectly Platinum you don’t have to sacrifice the health of your hair for beauty and can have the best of both worlds.
Did you find these tips helpful? Be sure to leave me a comment, would love to hear your favorite hair care tips!