We recommend you embrace your hair however you wish, and if you want to embrace it with colour we highly recommend the Desert Shadow range of certified organic natural hair dye. They have been a staff favourite at Biome for years, and while it is not a quick process (it can take up to 6 hours from start to finish), you will be left with a shiny natural colour and beautifully conditioned, healthy hair and scalp, and hopefully feeling nice and relaxed after some me time. While you wait for the natural hair colour to work its magic why not take some time for yourself - make a cup of herbal tea, take a bath, apply a face mask or do something creative. We have some ideas below.
How is natural hair dye different to mainstream hair dye?
Mainstream permanent hair dye works via a harsh chemical process that opens the hair cuticle, removes pigments, imparts new colour, and then closes and smoothes the cuticle to lock in the colour. They can contain coal tar dyes, formaldehyde and ammonia, of which can cause respiratory irritation and contact dermatitis. These hair dyes are also known to damage the cuticle of your hair, causing it to become brittle, porous and susceptible to breakage. Australia's Desert Shadow is a fantastic alternative, that is gentle and effective. It is vegan, certified organic and instead of harsh synthetic ingredients, they use henna, plant leaves, berries and aloe vera. While it won't reverse the damage of mainstream hair dye, it can help improve it over time.
What colour should you choose
See the table at the end of this blog post. It was a bit too big and cumbersome to place in the body here! Choose your current hair colour from the top row and see the likely results each Desert Shadow hair colour will produce. Desert Shadow natural hair colours can not lighten the hair as they do not contain bleaches or harsh chemicals that strip colour. They can however help you embrace what you've got and provide a long lasting lustrous colour. The lighter and closer you go to your natural colour, the easier it will be for you to maintain. Hair that has been dyed using mainstream hair dye may behave differently than natural hair. We recommend a strand test on the underside of your hair before you apply the hair colour to your whole head.
How to apply Desert Shadow natural hair dye
Wash and dry your hair at least 24 hour before applying the natural hair dye, and avoid putting any styling product in it. Give your hair a good brush to remove any tangles. Mix the hair colour powder and spices with water, according to the instructions found in the pack. Then apply the colour paste thickly to sections of your hair, from roots to tips, covering your whole head. Use a paint brush to make it easier. This video shows you how.
Once you've applied the paste, cover your head with a reusable shower cap (or cling wrap - recycle via RedCycle), and then wrap in a towel. Now it's time to pick up a book, watch a movie or have some me time. We have some ideas for you below! For subtle colour, leave the dye to work its magic for 1-2 hours. For richer colour, and for optimum grey coverage, leave the dye for 3-6 hours. Before you begin: We recommend you do a strand test on the underside of your hair to determine processing time and final colour result. Some hair will pick up on tones more than others, and more quickly than others.
What to do while waiting for natural hair dye to work its magic!
Take a relaxing bath: add some bath salts for extra relaxing benefits.
Apply a face mask: for an instant instant glow we can't go past this one by Retreatment Botanics.
Do some waxing: Parissa sugar based wax is gentle on skin, free from harmful chemicals, and will keep you hair free for up to two months.
Put together a puzzle: the unique shapes of Twigg Puzzles will keep you entertained.
Have fun DIYing: visit our blog for simple DIY skin care recipes, from bath soaks to facial scrubs, or learn something new with our range of inspiring books and magazines.
How your hair colour will look after using Desert Shadow dye
| 100% grey, light blonde | Medium to dark blonde | Natural red auburn | Light to medium brown | Dark brown | Black | |
| Sun shadow (warm golden blonde) | Warm golden glow | Subtle golden glow | ||||
| Strawberry shadow (strawberry blonde) | Warm strawberry glow | Subtle warm strawberry glow | Subtle warm strawberry glow | Subtle warm strawberry glow | ||
| Copper shadow (hot copper red) | Will add a bold, hot tangerine hue | Will add a bold, hot tangerine hue | Will add a bold, hot tangerine hue to lighter red hair or give a copper glow to dark red har | Will add a hot tangerine hue to light brown hair and a deep tangerine glow to medium brown hair | ||
| Red shadow (medium copper red) | Will give a pop of fire red | Will give a pop of fire red | Will give a pop of fire red to light red hair, and add extra depth to dark red hair | Will give a fire red glow | Will give a fire red glow in the sunlight | |
| Deep red shadow (deep copper red) | Will give a deep copper fire red | Will give a deep copper fire red | Will add warmth to light red hair but may not work on dark red hair | Will give a deep fire red to burgundy glow | Will give a deep fire red glow in the sunlight | Will give a fire red glow in the sunlight |
| Honey shadow (light golden brown) | Will give a sweet, golden light brown colour | Will give a sweet, golden light brown colour | ||||
| Walnut shadow (medium brown) | Will give medium brown tones | Will give medium brown tones | Will give medium brown tones | Will give medium brown tones | ||
| Chestnut shadow (medium warm brown) | Will give a warm, medium reddish brown colour | Will give a warm, medium reddish brown colour | Will give a warm, medium reddish brown colour | Will give a warm medium on light brown hair, and add red tones to medium brown hair | ||
| Chocolate shadow (dark brown) | Apply a red base colour first (copper or red shadow), then apply this darker colour | Apply a red base colour first (copper or red shadow), then apply this darker colour | Will give dark chocolate tones | Will give dark chocolate tones | ||
| Deep chestnut shadow (dark warm brown) | Apply a red base colour first (copper or red shadow), then apply this darker colour | Apply a red base colour first (copper or red shadow), then apply this darker colour | Close to black, and will give a dark brown with subtle red highlights in the sun | Close to black, and will give a dark brown with subtle red highlights in the sun | Close to black, and will give a dark brown with subtle red highlights in the sun | Close to black, and will give a dark brown with subtle red highlights in the sun |
| Indigo shadow (blue black) | Apply a red base colour first (copper or red shadow), then apply this darker colour | Apply a red base colour first (copper or red shadow), then apply this darker colour | Will give a blue black tone | Will give a blue black tone | Will give a blue black tone | Will give a blue black tone |
