Homemade recipes with prune juice to color gray hair brown

Chemical hair dyes might damage the hair shaft causing it to lose its lustre, become dry and brittle and eventually break. Natural hair dyes are becoming more common as environmental effects of chemicals are revealed. Dyes using fruits and roots of the wild or domestic plum have been used for years. Prune juice is a slightly less expensive and readily available alternative if you are trying to cover a touch of grey.

Wash hair with a mild shampoo, and rinse thoroughly with lukewarm or cool water. Place a large bowl in the sink. Pour the prune juice over your hair, letting it collect in the bowl. Repeat this procedure several times. After the final application of the prune juice, leave the juice on for at least 15 minutes, then rinse hair with clear lukewarm or cool water. Prune juice applications should be repeated as necessary to cover grey hair.

For quicker coverage, a bit of henna powder can be mixed with prune juice to form a paste. Let the mixture stand overnight. The next day, add an egg white to the mixture for shine, and apply it to hair beginning at the roots and working out to the tips. Let it remain in hair for at least an hour, more for darker colour. A plastic cover may be worn. Wash hair with a mild shampoo, and rinse thoroughly with lukewarm or cool water.

Walnut powder from ground shells and Indigo powder also can be used, if available. Whichever method is chosen, it might taken several repeated uses to obtain the desired results. Because all ingredients are natural, repeated applications should not damage hair.

If you don't like prunes, try brewing a strong pot of coffee or tea. Let it cool and follow the same procedure of placing the bowl in the sink and rinsing and repeating several times with the brew. Wash with a mild shampoo, and rinse thoroughly with lukewarm or cool water.

A healthful diet means healthy hair. Hair is made up of protein, so a diet rich in foods such as fish, eggs, beans, milk and lean meats will help strengthen hair and help it hold the dye longer.