Why do natural dyes take better care of hair than synthetic ones?

No, you are not the only one who has doubts about the differences between a natural dye and a synthetic dye. Indeed, one and the other do not act in the same way on our hair. And the process is what punishes the hair. Keep reading and you will understand it better.

How exactly do permanent dyes behave on our hair?

To put it bluntly: the more than 5,000 chemicals used in permanent hair color dye hair through an oxidative reaction, reacting with hydrogen peroxide (typically hydrogen peroxide), a powerful oxidant that breaks down very slowly in water and air, releasing a large amount of heat, thus forming pigmented molecules that make our hair take on the color we want.

The result is the color, obviously, but also the deterioration of the capillary structures and the generation of free radicals (aging of the hair).

And how do natural dyes work?</ span>

Henna (Lawsona inermis) and other natural dyes, such as indigo (Indigosphere tinctoria), dye without the external agents or additives. Its molecule has a great affinity with the natural keratin present in the hair cuticle. By interacting with it, it chemically reacts and gives rise to color, without damaging or breaking the hair structure. In other words, natural dyes respect our hair and adapt to our hair structure.

But how do they dye?

It's very easy, natural dyes stain as if they were a varnish with a little color on wood. If the wood is previously painted, the effect will be different than if the wood is virgin. So whenever you choose one, you have to think about the color you already have. For example, if you have light brown hair with slightly lighter ends and you want to give it golden highlights: you have to choose the Chamomile or the Fresh golden blonde coloration. This dye will not lighten your hair (natural dyes cannot do it), but it will give it golden reflections and enhance the blonde color at the ends.

Not mud

These days we have received many queries in which you refer to vegetable dyes or henna as muds. Well no, it's not mud. According to the definition of the Royal Academy of the Spanish Language, mud is a "Mass that results from the mixture of earth and water". Henna and natural dyes are plants, and therefore our natural dyes are Vegetable coloring.

The muds or clays do not contain pigments capable of coloring the hair, although they do have many nutritional properties since they provide a large amount of minerals. But remember, if what you want is to dye yourself with natural dyes, you will use Vegetable coloring.

What is the color chart?

Indeed, it doesn't exist. In nature it is very difficult to define a color chart for two reasons: 1. the resulting color will depend on how one plant interacts with another and 2. depending on the base color of the hair, one shade or another will remain.</ p>

Henna and natural dyes also have other phytotherapeutic properties that go beyond a simple color change, such as their antioxidant and antimicrobial role. We suggest you use henna and mix it with other plants, to enhance both the restorative benefits and regulate the color tone (if we add hibiscus, it will be a more intense tone, if we use indigo with henna, we will get a tone dark brown, if we mix cassia< /a> with henna, a hazelnut tone will remain). To find out what your ideal mix of plants is, read our Basic guide tocoloring with plants.

Looking around us, we understand that plants already give us every day the opportunity to take care of ourselves while respecting our nature as much as possible.