After successfully dying my hair blonde with turmeric, I set out to try another natural, chemical-free hair dye I’d heard about for turning hair purple! So here is how I dye my hair using BEETS! Specifically for darker/brown hair. If you’re having trouble with this method, using fresh pressed beet juice is the best, but since most people haven’t the time/can’t afford (or like me, only had tin beets in their pantry), I offered the boiling solution. I also suggest adding a little apple cider vinegar if you’re having problems with your hair absorbing the colour. This is just a temporary hair dye that lasts a few days before needing to be applied again.
I think I’ve become hooked on dying my hair with natural ingredients from my kitchen. I’ve been looking to try other natural, chemical-free hair dyes to tint or colour my hair, and I recently heard about one food in particular that’s able to give hair a purple/pink tint! And that, is beets.
If you’re unsure about trying this hair dye, or any others for that matter, start out by testing a little on a small section of hair to see how it looks. If you love it, then you can dye your whole head, or experiment with other cool combos!
What Colour will the Dye show up as on Hair?
This beet dye will give your hair a purplish-pink tone, and tends to work best on lighter hair. It’s chemical- and toxin-free, plastic-free and eco-friendly!
The effect will be different for each hair type: On dark hair-light brown, brown, and black it’ll look darker and more purple; on light hair-blonde and dark blonde it’ll be more of a pinkish colour; on white hair it will show up pink.
Before we get started in learning how to make this all-natural purple hair dye – if you like what you’re seeing, subscribe to my email newsletter at the bottom of the page to keep up to date on the latest recipes, DIYs, gardening and health tips I share!!
DIY Beet Hair Dye
The coconut oil mixed with the beet juice helps prolong the life of the dye in your hair as well as nourish.
Wear an old or black t-shirt, and apply Vaseline along your hairline and on your ears to prevent staining.
Ingredients:
- 1 large organic beet or 1/2 tin organic canned beets with juice
- 2-3 tbsp coconut oil, melted
To make:
- Begin by washing the oils out of your hair using ONLY shampoo, no conditioner. Your hair must be damp, but not dripping wet, when the dye is applied – this helps keep the follicles open.
- Cut beets into wedges, wrap in foil, then bake in oven for 30 minutes at 200 °C (400 °F). Allow to cool slightly.
- If using tinned beets, begin from this step. Blend up beets in a high-powered blender or food processor – this makes it easier to extract the beet juice.
- Boil beet mixture in a saucepan for 5-10 minutes on low heat – this will help draw out more of the beet juice.
- Strain mix through fine mesh sieve, cheesecloth or nut milk bag (it will stain, so keep that in mind) to collect only the beet juice at the bottom.
- Pour in melted and whipped coconut oil into bowl with the beet juice, then thoroughly whisk.
- Using your hands, massage the liquid into the roots of your hair (your nails and hands may stain yellow after this, but it will eventually fade with time).
- If you have long hair, clip you hair up and pop a shower cap on, then let it set for a minimum of 1 hour or as long as 8 hours for a deeper red colour.
- Rinse your hair with lukewarm water, no shampoo, and if you like, condition afterwards.
This dye lasted a few days in my hair, but the more you wash your hair, the quicker the dye will fade.
How to Make the Dye Last Longer
Alternatively, add beet juice to a mild natural shampoo regularly. This can bring about a gradual, consistent colour change, giving hair a reddish hue. You can increase or decrease the amount of juice you add, depending on how strong you want the colour to be.
Another option is to combine 1/2 cup beet juice, 1/2 cup carrot juice and 2 tsp sugar to a saucepan, heat up for 4-5 minutes – stirring continuously – allow it to cool slightly, then work the dye mixture through your hair slowly, and leave on for a minimum of 1 hour before rinsing out.
Here are a few tips on how to make the dye last longer on hair before fading:
- Heating up the beet juice before applying onto your hair helps activate the pigments.
- Covering hair with a shower cap after applying beet juice allows your body heat to enhance the dyeing process.
- While you’re waiting for the beet dye to set, sit out under sunlight. Sunlight can enhance the dyeing process on hair.
DIY beet hair dye tutorial
As always, this is not personal medical advice and we recommend that you talk with your doctor before trying or using any new products. I am not a doctor. All opinions expressed are my own personal thoughts and feelings of the products mentioned. Check with your doctor or health practitioner if you are uncertain about trying out any of the products, recipes or tips mentioned in this post.
What hair dye do you usually use? Do you make your own? Have you tried any other natural hair dyes in the past? How did they go? Share in the comments below.
Lots of love,
🖤 Vanessa
Sources:
Nilankeeta. (February 1, 2020). How To Dye Your Hair With Beets? Know All The Secrets And Be A Redhead Naturally. Beauty Glimpse. Retrieved from https://www.beautyglimpse.com/how-to-dye-your-hair-with-beets-be-a-redhead-temporarily/
nightmaresblogg. How To Dye Your Hair With Beets!!. Steemit. Retrieved from https://steemit.com/beetroot/@nightmaresblogg/how-to-dye-your-hair-with-beets
How to Color Hair with Beetroot. (Updated: May 14, 2020). WikiHow. Retrieved from https://www.wikihow.com/Color-Hair-with-Beetroot
Perkins, Sabrina. (02/09/2015). Beet Juice Temporary Hair Dye DIY. Naturally Curly. Retrieved from https://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/home/beetroot-for-glossy-curl-and-less-dandruff
Painter, Sally. Organic Hair Dye Using Beet Juice. Love to Know. Retrieved from https://organic.lovetoknow.com/Organic_Hair_Dye_Using_Beet_Juice
Campestrini, Jennifer. How I Dyed My Hair Red Naturally With A Beet. Spoon University. Retrieved from https://spoonuniversity.com/how-to/2-ingredient-diy-food-masks-you-need-to-try-for-your-skin