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The best coloring starts before the color
Do you want to know what the secret is to get a perfect color when applying vegetable coloring? HYDRATION and NUTRITION. Yes, just as you read it.
Hair health begins with hydrated and nourished hair. Your hair needs water, fats and nutrients to be healthy and to achieve a vivid and long-lasting color when we apply vegetable coloring.
What is hair hydration?
All the cells of the body require water, also the cells of our hair, it absorbs water from the humid environment and loses water when there are dry environmental conditions. Fat or lipids are in charge of regulating hydration since they prevent too much water from entering or the hair losing the water it needs. In this way, the hair has a natural moisture that gives it flexibility and movement.
External aggressions such as sunlight, irons, chemical treatments, or the wind can damage the hair fiber and make it lose hydration and the hair drier.
Porosity
Porosity is the ability of hair to absorb and retain moisture. There are three types of porosity:
- Low porosity: the cuticle is very compact which makes it difficult for hydration to enter but once inside it remains.
- Medium porosity: the cuticle is more flexible, so hydration enters easily and once inside it remains inside the hair fiber.
- High porosity: the cuticle is more separated so that moisture enters but also comes out more easily.
How to know the type of porosity I have?
To know the type of porosity of your hair is as easy as doing the porosity test. How is it done?
1. Fill a glass with room temperature water.
2. Take 3 strands of your hair that have fallen out, from clean, dry hair. It is better that they are whole strands (from root to tip), you will be able to recognize them because at one end there is a small white ball (membrane that joins the hair with the hair follicle).
3. Then submerge the hair in the glass of water and observe it for 2 minutes.
4. If the strands remain floating on the surface, it means that you have low porosity and it is difficult for water to penetrate the hair.
5. If the strands sink slowly and a part remains floating, it means that you have the medium porosity. This is the ideal porosity, since it is in balance, it lets moisture in and only what the hair needs.
6. If the strands sink very quickly, it is because the hair absorbs water very easily and its porosity is high.
How to care for your hair to get better results with vegetable dyes?
For the coloring with plants to adhere correctly to the hair cuticle, it must be healthy. This is where nutrition comes into play. To nourish, we use different products, such as hair oils, which have lipids or healthy fats that are vehicles that transport vitamin E, D, A, and K, and that seal and repair the natural lipid layer of the hair. This creates a protective layer that allows the retention of moisture that prevents dehydration. With better hydrated hair, the color sets better and the shine reappears.
- If you come from synthetic coloring, bleaching, aggressive treatments such as permanents or straightening... you should start nourishing your hair by following the Henna Morena Method, an orderly and structured guide in 5 steps to repair your hair and prepare it for vegetable coloring. Jump directly to this article to get started.
- If your hair is virgin and healthy, nourish your hair by incorporating our oils, masks and conditioners into your hair care routine. Read below:
Depending on the type of hair you have and its porosity, you will need to nourish it in one way or another:
Hair with low porosity needs natural water-based products, such as Aloe Vera Gel with Lavender Scent and rinses with our Hair Infusions. For anotherOn the other hand, it is also recommended that masks be made with Grape Seed Oil and Petit Grain every week to keep the cuticle healthy and give it the necessary nutrients so that the cuticle is flexible, healthy and shiny.
medium porosity hair is the easiest to care for, as it is balanced and tends to be naturally healthy hair. In this case we can use a nutrition every week with Almond Oil and Henna Flower and the Orange and Shea butter conditioner in the washes.
Hair with high porosity will need more nutrition because its cuticle is damaged and does not retain moisture. We recommend baths with Jasmine and Orange Blossom scented Almond Oil every week and, if you have very dry hair, we recommend mixing your oil with Organic Shea Butter , 50% oil and 50% melted shea. On the other hand, it is advisable to use products rich in fats such as Shea Butter or Orange and Shea Conditioner as a leave-in conditioner, and Lavender-scented Aloe Vera Gel to define the hair and provide it with nutrients.
Now you know what nutrition is for and that our oils are not only used to prepare Natural Dyes, they are also necessary to keep hair healthy.
Remember:
- Hydration is a matter of time. If your hair is very damaged, you need perseverance and time to help it recover.
- Keep in mind that your hair is not only dry out by the sun, but also by pollution, cold, synthetic products and other external agents.
- Plants such as Henna have an astringent effect, so we recommend mixing it with oil to make up for it.
