No plastic needed. An all-natural, chemical-free hair dye that really works.
I’d never dyed my hair before, so I was curious to see if this natural turmeric hair dye could actually turn my hair blonde. So, I set about testing it out to see if it really worked.
I’m happy to say the answer is yes!
Even on my dark brown hair this colour showed through. I highly recommend it for anyone looking for a more natural, chemical- and toxin-free hair dye.
I discovered this hair dye from Plastic Free Mermaid, when she shared this hair dye on her Instagram stories.
Now, I have dark brown hair, so I was a little sceptical about whether the turmeric would actually show through on my hair. Nevertheless, I decided to give it a go and did a turmeric blonde balayage look just in case it was a complete mess, then I could just tie my hair up and no one would ever know.
What really drew me to making my own hair dyes was how it was zero-waste, plastic-free, chemical- and toxin-free, and 100 percent natural.
If you’re unsure about trying this hair dye on your own hair, just start out by testing a little of they dye on a small section of hair and see how it goes for you.
This turmeric dye should give hair a golden blonde tone, depending on your hair colour, and tends to work best on lighter hair types.
Before we get started in learning how to make this all-natural turmeric 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!!
How to Make a DIY Turmeric Hair Dye
This turmeric dye works both on brown and light hair types. However, I have heard from those with black hair that it isn’t as effective, and often doesn’t show through.
Curcumin is one of the main components found in turmeric, and is what gives this spice its yellow colour. It’s also what makes turmeric stain so easily.
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp ground turmeric
- 4 cups hot water
To make:
- In a large bowl, combine the turmeric powder and hot water and stir until all of the turmeric dissolves.
- Allow the turmeric mixture to cool slightly, then dunk your head into the bowl, coating all of your hair in the turmeric mix. Leave your hair to soak in the mixture for 15-20 minutes.
- Using your hands, massage the liquid into the roots of your hair (your nails and hands may stain yellow after this, but it will fade after a few days).
- To remove the turmeric dye, rinse your hair with lukewarm water until the water runs clear. Wash, then dry and style your hair as usual.
This dye lasted around two weeks in my hair, but the more you wash your hair, the quicker the dye will fade.
Alternatively, place two tablespoons of turmeric powder in your natural shampoo bottle for a gradual, consistent colour change, or mix the turmeric with water and chamomile tea to make a paste, and apply that to your hair, then leave it on for a couple of hours.
Please note that after sharing the video below, there were some comments sharing that turmeric can be used for hair removal. So please, use with caution. I always recommend doing your own research before trying or testing any new products, DIYs, or recipes.
DIY turmeric 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.
Have you made a natural hair dye with other herbs and spices before? How did it go? Share in the comments below.
Lots of love,
🖤 Vanessa
Sources:
Hanson, Elle. How to Get Rid of the Hair Dye Smell Without Removing the Hair Color. Leaf. Retrieved from https://www.leaf.tv/articles/how-to-get-rid-of-the-hair-dye-smell-without-removing-the-hair-color/
Fisher, Sam. (22 September, 2015). How to: Color / Dye Your Hair Naturally. AiryHair.Blog. Retrieved from https://www.airyhair.com/blog/how-to-color-dye-your-hair-naturally/
Nelson, Kathryn. (June 10, 2019). Turmeric Hair Dye Magic. I Quit Plastics. Retrieved from https://iquitplastics.com/blog/2019/6/10/tumeric-hair-dye-magic
9 Comments
How long these colors last
They vary for each, and it depends on individual hair type. The turmeric one lasted about 2 weeks on my hair, but faded quickly the more I washed it.
Hi… This is a great post! Just had a query..is it cacao or cocoa powder ? since both are different.. And you have have mentioned both in your post.. Could you mention which is it be used. Thanks!
Great question! It’s cocoa powder. Sorry about that. But you can also use cacao powder if you have it on hand, it’s just not as strong.
Ok.. Thank you for your reply.
i did turmeric but different: i bought turmeric curcuma root and cut it into pices and boiled it. all the liquit i mixed with curcuma powder and i staied longer with the mixture over head. my natural hair is light brown. and all hair looked at least 2 shades blonder after. but after 1 and half month it went off. so today i do it again ðŸ¤ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜
That’s great! Oh how wonderful, that’s so awesome it stained your hair for so long. Mine lasted about 2 weeks.
I am blonde but getting gray near my face and at parts quite patchy. I used coconut oil first then sprinkled the tumeric into my gray areas and later made a coconut oil paste with more tumeric but made sure not to melt the coconut oil so it would not drip. This last part I used my hands and pulled it to the bottom of my hair.
I also added some cinnamon to add some darker shades. I like it and will continue using it.
I have always lightened my hair and think it was porous enough to absorb the spices enough to work.
I will see how long it lasts, but my hair does look great and I am happy.
Oh that’s wonderful to hear! I’m so glad it worked for your hair!