If you are looking for a natural alternative for chemical hair dyes, then indigo powder is a great choice. Indigo powder is got by powdering the leaves of indigo plant whose botanical name is Indigofera Tinctoria. The leaves produce dark blue dye and when applied as a hair dye after using henna, gives dark black colour. Indigo powder is called Indian Indigo in English, Avuri or Neeli in Tamil, Neeli Chettu in Telugu, Neela Amari | Neelayamari in Malayalam, Neelini | Neela in Hindi, Neeli in Kannada, Neel in Marathi, Wasma in Arabic and Neel in Urdu. Indigo is a small shrub that grows about 1 to 2 meters high and produces beautiful pink flowers. Indigo plant has wonderful medicinal uses and all parts of the plant is used medicinally. Though indigo is known mainly as a natural dye, it has other amazing hair benefits too. Indigo is mainly used in the form of hair oil for stimulating hair growth and in the form of a pack for dyeing the hair. For dyeing, it is applied after henna. Henna makes the hair reddish orange and indigo dyes the hair dark blue color and together they create a natural black color. Here are the amazing hair benefits of indigo powder: 1. Indigo Powder For Premature Greying Of The Hair: Indigo leaf is an amazing home remedy for treating premature greying of the hair. Regular use of hair oil made with indigo leaves will reverse and prevent greying of the hair. 2. Indigo Powder For Hair Growth: Indigo hair oil made with the leaves is amazing for hair growth. It prevents scalp infections and stimulates new hair growth when used regularly. 3. Indigo Powder For Dandruff: The hair oil made with indigo leaves is also a very good remedy for dandruff. It reduces dandruff greatly and if used from young age, it will greatly prevent dandruff. 4. Indigo Powder Hair Dye: One main hair benefit of indigo is that it acts as a natural hair dye. In my personal opinion, it is one of natures gift considering the side effects of chemical hair dyes which range from increased sensitivity to sun to skin allergies. 5. Indigo Powder For Dry Hair: Indigo hair oil is one of the best conditioners that softens your hair really really well. If you are suffering from dry brittle hair, I would suggest using indigo oil regularly. Within few days of regular use, you will find you hair smooth and soft. For making indigo oil, indigo leaves, amla and bhringraj are boiled together in a pan till the water evaporates and the sizzling sound stops. These 3 herbs also forms the base for the famous Neelibhrigraj Oil which is very popular for treating premature greying of the hair. Neelibhringraj oil also contains additional ingredients like buffalo milk, cow's milk and coconut milk. But in my personal experience hair oil made with just the three herbs also is equally effective for stimulating hair growth and preventing premature greying of the hair. For dyeing, if you want black color, make sure to use it after applying henna, this will ensure you get a dark color. If you want a dark reddish tinge color, you can mix both henna and indigo together and apply. Side Effects Of Indigo Powder: There are no side effects to using indigo powder for hair. But like with any ingredient some might experience indigo powder allergy but this is very rare. The only side effect is it might be messy and time consuming to use indigo as a hair dye but it will get easier once you start using it regularly. Also we get lot of fake indigo powder in the markets. To make sure it is original, mix it in water and wait for 15 minutes, the dark blue dye should bleed out else it is fake. Where To Buy Indigo Powder For Hair? We get natural organic indigo powder in most herbal shops in India. If you are living in Tamil Nadu, you get avuri leaf powder in nattu marundhu kadai. You can also buy good quality indigo powder online. Some common questions asked regarding dyeing hair with indigo powder: How Long Should I Leave Indigo In My Hair: I would suggest leaving Indigo paste for 2 hours for best results. Can I leave Indigo In My Hair Overnight? You don't need to leave it on overnight, the dye fixes on the hair within 2 hours. How To Rinse Indigo Out Of Hair? Rinse it off with plain water for best results. Is Indigo Bad For Your Hair? Indigo is natural product and will never harm your hair. It will only make it shiny and strong. How Long Indigo Hair Dye Lasts? The time it lasts varies from person to person. For some it might last well for 8 to 12 weeks, for some it might wash off sooner. It greatly depends on how porous our hair is. How to Make Indigo Stick To Hair? Some people's hair absorb the indigo dye poorly, if it is the case, mix 1 tsp of salt for every 100 gram of indigo powder, it will help fix the dye. Also apply indigo paste on clean dry hair only. Oiling Hair After Indigo: It is best to oil the hair after 48 hours after indigo hair dye application. Shampoo After Indigo: Shampoo only after 48 hours after applying indigo hair dye to prevent it washing off fast. How To Make Indigo Last Longer: If you wash your hair daily, the dye will not last longer. Also try to use only mild shampoos for best results...
I have never tried any chemical treatments on my hair and I have not dyed or lightened my hair even once. So I never thought of trying out any hair lightening recipes. Last week, when I was chatting with one of my friends, she mentioned about this chamomile hair lightener. She said this recipe worked best for lightening her hair and that is all natural. Since it was all natural, I was very interested and asked her to mail the recipe for posting in the blog, so others can use it too. This hair lightener works for all types of hair, only the results may vary depending on the hair type. This chamomile hair lightener has got chamomile tea, lemon juice, cinnamon sticks and olive oil, all things that make it smell great and is perfect for lightening the hair. Chamomile is one of the best natural ingredients to lighten the hair. Many use only lemon to lighten the hair, but using only lemon will damage the hair very soon, so adding other ingredients and a bit of oil to the recipe is a great idea. All these ingredients are best natural hair lighteners and once you use this hair lightener, try to sun dry your hair, as the sun helps to lighten the hair faster. My friend said that she saw results after using it 3 or 4 times, so be patient. To make the chamomile hair lightener, boil water in a pan along with cinnamon sticks and pour over the chamomile tea bags. The chamomile tea should be really strong, now add the lemon juice and add a tiny bit of extra virgin olive oil. Pour this in a spray bottle and spray it all over the hair and dry the hair in the sun. Both the chamomile tea and lemon juice is drying on the hair, so try not to skip the olive oil. But if you don't want to use the oil, you can deep condition the hair later. My friend said that the results may vary depending on the color of the hair, chemical treatments that has been done on the hair, strength of the chamomile tea and sun drying the hair. This is not an instant method for lightening the hair, but if you are patient enough to use it continuously, this is one of the best methods to lighten the hair safely.
Dyeing our hair with henna can be can be done as often we want, without bothering about the side effects. It is a great conditioner, but applying henna is a time consuming process. Make sure to buy the henna powder that is pure and one that does not have any other additives to it. Henna paste stains, so make sure to wear gloves if you don't want it to stain your fingers. Henna looks different on each and every person. If you are trying out henna for the first time, make sure not to try it before any special occasions, as henna color does not remove easily from the hair. To make home made henna hair dye, first make a strong tea decoction with regular black tea. Mix the henna powder with equal quantity of lemon juice and tea decoction the previous night. Next day morning, mix the paste with few drops of eucalyptus oil. Divide the hair into sections and apply the henna paste. Let it sit for at least 2 to 3 hours before washing off. Then use a mild shampoo to wash the hair. Henna color might look too bright the first day after you apply. Don't panic, it will deepen over time. Henna hair dye can be made with coffee decoction too. Try it with both tea and coffee and choose the one that you like best, based on the final color of your hair. I would strongly suggest adding eucalyptus oil. Since we are letting henna soak for at least 2 to 3 hours it might not agree with every one, some might get a headache or catch a cold. Adding eucalyptus oil prevents that, but try using good quality eucalyptus oil. Henna paste can be used to streak the hair too. Apply henna paste to the hair that you want to be streaked and cover that area with foil, so it doesn't stain the rest of the hair. Enjoy chemical free hair dyeing!
