Red might be the boldest and most vibrant shade that ever sprouted naturally from anybody’s head, but it’s also elusive. Getting the perfect red (using non-toxic dyes, naturally) can be a difficult prospect, and keeping it is even harder, as it tends to fade quickly.

To preserve dyed red hair as long as possible, wait 24-48 hours after coloring to shampoo, and then use the four-pronged approach below, involving gentle cleansers, color-depositing products, protective styling serums, and oil-absorbing hair powders for those in-between-washing days.

Color-Preserving Hair Products

The cleansing agents in many shampoos, especially those made to clarify or volumize, can be way too harsh on color-treated hair, causing that coveted red hue to fade faster than it should. Products that are specifically formulated for dyed hair are typically gentler, and often contain extra ingredients that can help protect hair from the damaging effects of sun, chlorine and heat-styling. If you need extra moisturizing power, check out Lavera’s Mango Milk Shampoo for Color Treated Hair, which contains organic cocoa and shea butter for lusher locks. Aveda’s Color Conserve line prevents fading and keeps hair soft without being too heavy, while Alterna’s Bamboo UV + Color Protection Vibrant Color Shampoo might work better for oilier scalps. All are free of harsh sulfates and sodium chloride, as well as parabens, synthetic dyes and phthalates.
Oil-Absorbing Hair Powders

It’s best not to shampoo your hair too often if you want to preserve your color for as long as possible between dye jobs, but if you need a little help to keep your hair from looking a little limp, there’s a product that will seriously change your life: hair powder. Lulu Organics offers all-organic, talc-free hair powder that absorbs oil and imparts a heavenly fragrance. It’s available in lavender + clary sage, jasmine, patchouli + amber and vetiver + black pepper. Another organic, all natural hair powder from Sisters of the Black Moon manages oil with arrowroot powder and kaolin clay.

Heat-Styling Protectants

Use a protective product when heat-styling to prevent the kind of damage that can make dyed red hair weaker and more porous, which leads to uneven color retention. Josie Maran’s Argan Oil Hair Serum reduces frizz, boosts shine and helps seal the hair cuticle. PHYTO’s Phytomist Color Protect Radiance Mist is a lightweight leave-in conditioner that detangles, and also prevents color from fading by protecting hair against oxidation.

Red-Enhancing Shampoo, Conditioner & More

Color-enhancing products for red hair can definitely help keep your hair from fading, but should be used sparingly to prevent over-saturating your hair with color or significantly changing the shade you prefer. Aveda’s Madder Root Shampoo & Conditioner contain a vivid red pigment that brightens red tones; the effect is subtle in the shampoo, but the conditioner is so powerful as to almost be a dye in itself, and it will tint blonde or gingery highlights pink. Test it out on a small section of your hair first, or dilute it with regular conditioner to reduce the color depositing effects. Another brand, Shikai Color Reflect in Warm, contains just a little bit of henna for a subtler result.

Want to go totally natural? Try tinting your hair temporarily with a spray made from red hibiscus petals. This works on natural red hair as well as colored hair, adding warm red tones, and it’s easy to make. Andrea Drugay offers the simple instructions to make it yourself.

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Photo: Stefanie Neves

The post Keep Dyed Red Hair Colorful with Natural, Non-Toxic Treatments appeared first on EcoSalon.

Red hair is bold, sexy, sassy and fun. It stands out in ways that other hair colors just can’t compete with, especially when it catches the light in just that certain way. But very few of us are naturally blessed with this gorgeous hue, from pale ginger to rich auburn, so if we want to feel like a flame-haired bombshell a la Christina Hendricks or Florence Welch, we’ve got to fake it.

Red can be one of the hardest hair colors to achieve, since it tends to fade quickly, and the wrong shade can send you to the clownish side of the spectrum. Here are some natural red hair color tips, and organic red hair dye brands that can safely get you the vivid shade you’re looking for, including healthy and all-natural henna. 

At the Salon: Aveda Plant-Based Hair Color

Nobody does red hair color better than Aveda, and if you want to avoid the pitfalls that can come with at-home dye jobs, putting yourself in the hands of a pro is your best bet. The brand’s full-spectrum permanent dyes are up to 99% naturally derived, with plant-based formulas instead of the petrochemicals that typically make up permanent hair dye. The nice thing about going to a salon is you can have a color custom-mixed to ensure that it’s just right for your skin tone, and the colorist can blend different shades to give your overall look more depth.

Aveda isn’t the only option for safe, organic red hair color, of course. Look for a salon in your area offering organic, non-toxic options, and check out the brands they use online before making an appointment.

At-Home Permanent Red Hair: Naturtint and Herbatint

If you’d rather just grab a box off the shelf and get it over with, there are a few options to choose from. Whole Foods and other natural food stores offer brands like Naturtint and Herbatint. Herbatint is free of ammonia, alcohol, fragrance and parabens, and uses less peroxide for a more natural-looking result; the Environmental Working Group (EWG) gave it a safety score of 2 out of 10, (lower numbers indicating a safer product). Red shades range from light copper blonde to ‘flash fashion’ crimson red, and they can be mixed to create your own custom shade. The same goes for Naturtint, which scored a 3 from EWG. These box formulas aren’t perfect, but they’re a big improvement over the conventional store brands.

Not sure which shade to choose? When it doubt, go lighter. You can always dye it again if the results aren’t bold enough for you, but it can be hard to fix cherry-red hair that’s darker and more dramatic than you wanted.

Making a Big Commitment: Henna

By far, the healthiest and most permanent option for red hair color is henna. Totally plant-based, henna bonds with the proteins in your hair rather than just coating it in a very long-lasting reaction that’s hard to reverse. Because it has a sheer effect, working with your own natural hair color, the results tend to look fairly natural, with lots of dimension.

You can control the hue of your results using the custom formulas described at HennaForHair.com, which incorporate other natural ingredients like coffee, hibiscus petals and lemon juice. Always try it out on a small piece of hair before coloring your entire head.

Temporary Red Hair: Vegetable Dyes

If you want to give natural red hair color a try, but you’re feeling a little commitment-shy, try a temporary rinse. Vegetable dyes like Manic Panic can be used over your current hair color (assuming it’s not too dark) for a subtle effect that washes out in a week or two. Manic Panic is vegan, PPD-free and never tested on animals, but some formulas do contain parabens. Learn more about the ingredients at Bonzai Aphrodite, and make sure to do an allergy test before use.

Main Image: megan leetz Other Images: Aveda.com

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The post Be a Redhead Bombshell: Safer Natural Red Hair Color from Salon to Box to Henna appeared first on EcoSalon.

Thoughts from a boho, kooky, unserious, curly-haired woman.

If I’ve learned anything from the News of the World hacking scandal, it’s that if I’m ever called to testify in front of Congress, I really should stop and get a blowout first.

Because like former News International CEO Rebekah Brooks, I have very, very curly hair. The kind of hair where each strand twists and contorts itself until they all join up to form a labyrinthine web of kinky corkscrews. The kind of hair that is, by nature, untamed and wild.

The kind of hair that Robin Givhan, writing about Ms. Brooks in The Daily Beast, characterized as “boho,” “distracting,” “look-at-me hair.” “It was a ballsy rebuke of our expectations…There was no suggestion of humility, timidity, or caution…no attempt to disappear into doleful anonymity.”

Basically, Givhan argues that by virtue of its natural existence, Ms. Brooks’ hair sticks a finger in the eye of all things proper, righteous, and upstanding, and that if she cared about looking like a real CEO, she might have put it in a bun. I can’t speak for Ms. Brooks, but when you have the kind of hair that prompts entire columns about its perceived implications, trust me – doleful anonymity sounds pretty good.

I don’t mean for my curly hair to be a declaration of my identity. I didn’t ask for it to be this way. But whether I like it or not, my hair walks into the room before I do. It is and always has been the singular defining feature of my physical being, and it’s all people want to talk about. I have been forced to discuss it in job interviews and at funerals. When you have curls, no one cares about your big heart or your big thoughts; you are reduced to a person with big hair. My curls signify to the world that I am kooky, scatterbrained, free-spirited, unconventional, unruly, unkempt, unprofessional, un-corporate, rebellious, eccentric, quirky, and nonconformist. Or at least that’s how people like Givhan interpret them.

The idea of a curly-headed woman as distracting and unpolished is well-woven into our pop culture fabric. On any makeover show, the hair transformation will always involve a straightening iron. As they say, Messy Hair = Messy Life. In The Princess Diaries, Anne Hathaway isn’t princess material until she tames her frizz into a sleek blowout. On Friends, it’s no accident that ditzy Phoebe is the only female character with long waves. Even in the Harry Potter series, whip-smart Hermione is considered downright fugly until she emerges for the big dance with her usually wild hair fashioned into a demure straight style. I’ll stop here, but believe me – I could go on.

But curly hair isn’t just a semiotic concept; an idea to be parsed and analyzed in a what-does-it-all-mean kind of way. It’s personal. It’s personal every time I see a news segment showing how employers are less likely to hire curly-haired women, and men are less likely to want to date them. It’s personal when my husband asks, “If we have kids, what’s the chance they’d have hair like yours?” as if it were a disease. It’s personal when I assure him that genetically, it’s unlikely, and realize that I’m relieved, too. And it’s personal when fashion editors write columns decrying women who look like me as messy, defiant, and brazen.

Mostly, it gets personal every time some random stranger comments, “Oh, I’d love to have hair like yours!” Trust me – if people really wanted curly hair, fashion magazines wouldn’t be so full of blowout tips. Curls may be okay in theory, as long as they belong to adorable orphans or cartoon characters, but not on an adult woman. That is, assuming she wants to be taken seriously.

I was walking with my best friend once when a little old lady stopped me on the street to regale me with stories about how much she paid for perms, and how I was just the luckiest gosh-darned girl in the world. As we walked away, my friend said, “I have to tell you – your hair is great, but I would never want it in a million years.” I really loved her for that.

Image: lupzdut

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