Blonde or Brunette?

I started going grey in my 20’s and was not willing to accept them into my life, so I have been colouring my hair ever since.  Almost 2 years ago I was made redundant and was unemployed for a short amount of time so I had to make cut backs and decided to go back to home colouring.  I never gave much thought to chemicals in hair dye until I used a chemist (drugstore) brand that nearly made me pass out from the smell.

The harsh chemicals to avoid in hair dyes are Paraphenylenediamine (PPD), ammonia, peroxide, resorcinonl and parabens.  From what I understand you need a certain amount of chemicals to successfully cover grey.

I have tried Daniel Field (free from Ammonia, Hydrogen Peroxide, Parabens or artificial fragrance) and Logona (free from PPD, peroxide, preservative, ammonia or any other chemicals) and Sanotint (free from PPD & ammonia free).  I do not have any complaint with them but the brand that works best on my troublesome greys is Naturtint.

I have now been using it for nearly 2 years.  Naturtint is a permanent hair colour that has no ammonia, resorcinol and parabens.  I must point out that it does still contain PPD and hydrogen peroxide.  I am just not willing to accept the greys so it is a compromise.

I find this hair dye very easy to use, it is a non drip formula, easy to apply (I use a colouring brush to apply rather than straight from the bottle) there is no strong odour. After colouring my hair always feels very soft.  If I get it on my skin or bathroom surfaces as long as I wipe immediately it comes off with warm water.  I always use colour protecting hair care products and usually re-colour after 6 weeks.  My greys usually pop back around 4 weeks but become noticeable for me at 6 weeks.

It retails for £9.99 at Holland & Barratt or you can shop around online.  The box contains the usual items you would expect in a hair dye kit – a bottle of hair colorant and hair developer (which you mix together), instructions, plastic gloves, shampoo sachet, tube of conditioner.  

My tips for successful colouring at home are –

• Remember with all dyes chemical free or otherwise a patch test is important, even if you have been colouring your hair for years with the same product, you can still develop an allergic reaction.
• Take your time colouring your hair, do not do it in a hurry that way you can achieve a more professional look.  I have had hairdressers comment on how well I dye my own hair.
• Always wear old clothes and protect surfaces and flooring if you tend to make a mess
• If you do not like the plastic gloves provided buy latex-free gloves from the chemist (usually found with the first aid products)
• I mix the product in the bottle and then squirt into an old bowl.  Then apply the dye with a dye brush this way you can brush into the roots for better coverage.

• Combing through the product with a wide tooth comb gives a more natural coverage so the colour does not look flat.
• Save some of the conditioner that comes with the product and use it a couple of weeks later as boost for your colour (and of course treatment for your coloured hair)
• For greys opt for multi tonal colour as it looks natural and re-growth is less likely to show after couple of weeks.  More natural base tones are better avoid plums, reds and coppers.  For a few greys a semi-permanent can be sufficient or try highlights or lowlights to try and camouflage