5 ingredients to colour your hair naturally

Chemically treating your hair often has a drying effect, forcing you to condition and moisturise more than the average person. Here are some natural remedies that are kinder on your tresses.

1. Coffee

Coffee works great if you're looking to go darker, cover grey hairs, or add dimension to dark hair. Simply brew strong coffee (espresso works well), let it cool, and then mix one cup with a two of cups of leave-in conditioner and two tablespoons of coffee grounds. Leave in your hair for at least one hour.

2. Tea

Like coffee, black tea can help you go darker, and can also help cover grey hairs. If you have lighter hair, there are other specific types of tea you can use. Chamomile, for example, is recommended for very light hair. The key is to make the tea highly concentrated. Use 3-5 teabags (or about the same amount in loose-leaf tea) for two cups of water. You can apply the cooled tea to hair alone, or mix with conditioner (as noted in the coffee recipe). If you're seeking to cover grey hairs, mix with some fresh or dried sage, which helps open up the hair follicles. Leave in your hair for at least one hour.

3. Herbs

• Red hair: Try calendula, marigold, rosehips, and hibiscus to deepen the red shade or add a few red highlights. The effects are cumulative—if you keep using the dye regularly, you will notice more colour. Simmer the flowers in water for about 30 minutes, strain, cool, and then spray or pour on hair and allow to dry in the sun if possible.

• Dark hair: Rosemary, nettle, and sage are all great herbs for dark hair. Simmer all three with water for 30 minutes, cool, strain, and spray or brush through hair. Allow to sit about an hour. You can also use the rinse daily after your shower. Be patient—it may take several days to notice a difference.

4. Henna

• One of the most popular natural hair colouring ingredients, henna is a powdered form of the leaves that come from the henna plant. To make your own henna hair dye, mix about one cup of henna powder with two cups of lemon juice. You can also add in a tablespoon of vinegar to help release the colour. Allow to sit for about 4-6 hours until it thickens. Apply to hair and comb through. (This is messy so be prepared!) Wrap your hair in plastic wrap and allow sitting for hours before rinsing.

5. Lemon Juice

Want a few highlights? Try fresh-squeezed lemon juice sprayed and combed through hair. Leave on for several hours. If you sit in the sun, you'll notice more lightening. Lemon juice works slowly, so expect to repeat applications several times before seeing results.