Black Walnut Hull Powder and my vegetable dyeing experience, for what it is worth...

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Posted by Jane on March 16, 2004 at 13:44:41:

In reply to: Re: Hair gone orange! I want brown posted by Sam on March 16, 2004 at 12:06:24:

For what it is worth, I am pasting my "vegetable dyeing" journal
below. Note, I am still in the experimental stages of what works for
my hair. I know for dyeing baskets with black walnut hulls, people
say to use the whole husk and brew in hot water for 10 minutes or
more and allow liquid to cool. I might try a similar method for my
hair next time, but as of yet I am not sure what effect this method
would have on hair. Anyway, here is my journal. I have not added
the pictures yet so it is not really complete.

A Journal of how I colored my hair with vegetable dyes:

My hair while growing up was blonde—very blonde before age 12 and a
darker blonde after puberty. I was always in the sun, however, so it
is hard to determine when my hair really became brown. In my early
twenties, my hair was naturally light brown with very light sun-
bleached blonde ends. Around age 23, I started getting my hair
highlighted (bleach, no toner). At age 29, a few bad hairdressers
got a hold of my hair, didn’t listen to me, and did a number of bad
double processing jobs (including bleach, toners, chemical dyes, the
works). The last one was in early January of 2004. I waited 6 weeks
after that experience and decided to use vegetable dyes in my hair.
I read everything I could on the web before doing this on my own. At
this point, my roots were an ash/golden brown with a few natural dark
blonde highlights. The rest was a mix of low lights that were
slightly more orange and lighter than my roots and highlights that
were very blonde. I am a 30 year old with fairly thick, long hair,
no gray hair. The goal of using vegetable dyes on my hair is to get
back to a more natural ash-gold medium brown color and add shine and
vitality to my hair. I realize I cannot get back to my exact
natural color with vegetable dyes, because they simply “coat” the
hair, but I figure it is worth a try and hope to make the ends blend
a bit better with the roots.
First Experiment, 3/4/04:
(Note: I did a test first on the hair from my brush. Unfortunately,
I didn’t notice much of a difference with this test, but it verified
for me that the henna likely wouldn’t turn my chemically treated hair
a funky green color, which it can, so I’ve read. I have since
learned you should do the hairbrush test at least 3 days ahead of
time, as vegetable dyes, especially henna, darken over the first few
days.)

Steps:
1. Made coffee (from fresh, whole beans, NOT DECAF, ground just
before brewing). I am not sure why everyone instructs not to use
decaf or instant coffee, but I suspect it is because in order to get
decaf or instant coffee, chemical processes are used, and one wants
to use the coffee bean, not a chemically processed coffee bean.
2. Let coffee sit approximately 1hour.
3. Re-boiled the coffee and added it and 3 tablespoons of olive oil
to 8 oz. (2 packages) of Light Mountain medium brown henna mix.*
4. I allowed the mix to sit for about 10 minutes.
5. I piled the stuff on and sat for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
6. After that 75 minutes, I poured more coffee and oil into my hair
and re-distributed the henna. (I was nervous about applying it
unevenly my first time, or having it dry out.)
Note: I used no heat, as I did not want to encourage too much red.
7. After 45 minutes more (total of 2 hours with henna and indigo in
my hair) I rinsed (water only) everything out for about 15 minutes in
the shower. I did not shampoo until 24 hours later. My hair was a
little greasy that first day due to the olive oil, but after the
shampoo 24 hours later, it felt GREAT!
Note: I have long hair and did the whole process by myself. What a
mess!!!!
* I have verified that the only ingredients in the Light Mountain
medium brown henna are indigoferae folium (indigo) and lawsonia
inermis (henna). They use no chemicals, no PPD, no ammonia, no
peroxide, no yucky stuff. The box lists only indigoferae folium and
lawsonia inermis. I verified this by emailing @Internatural, who
sells Lotus Brands (the manufacturer of Light Mountain). Their
costumer service email address is: customersupport@internatural.com.
You can also find more information at www.lotusbrands.com.
Essentially, all of their “colors” come from mixing different
proportions of are indigoferae folium (indigo), lawsonia inermis
(henna), and cassia auriculata (senna), from what I understand.
Unfortunately, there is no way to know, exactly, their proportions.
I suppose that is proprietary information. Of course, it is most
peoples’ opinion that better quality henna yields a darker, prettier
color, but I wanted to go with a pre-packaged mix on my first time, a
little wimpy, I guess.

Results: Pretty good. The lowlights definitely blended better with
my roots (became darker), but the very light highlights did not take
on the dye very well. Overall it is a tad more red than I think is
appropriate for my skin tone, but I am happier with how much more
natural and healthy my hair looks.

Picture #1 was taken after shampooing, conditioning and allowing my
hair to air dry, approximately 24 hours after the henna process.

3/13/04
After a little over a week of reddish highlights and some research
about my skin tone (soft summer/soft autumn), I decided I wanted to
get a more golden brown look to my hair, something closer to its
natural color. So, I went to Penn Herb Co. Inc
(http://pennherb.com/index.html ) and bought some turmeric, senna and
black walnut hull powder. Penn Herb Co. Inc. is a wonderful place!!
I live in Philly so I visited their store, but you can also buy from
them online.
WARNING: Many people apparently are allergic to black walnut so I
tested it on my skin and allowed it to sit there for several hours
first. There was no redness where the paste was when I washed it off
so I figured I was not allergic. Also, I again did a test on some
hair from my brush. This is important, since I have used chemicals
on my hair in the past, and because turmeric can turn hair very
YELLOW, if too much is used. Again, it was hard to see anything with
the small sample, but it did verify, for me, the dye would not
drastically alter my hair, which was good. Next time I will do the
hairbrush test a few days before the “real deal.”
Here is what I did:
Step 1. I sifted these dry ingredients:
ľ cup of senna
ľ cup of black walnut hull powder
1 tablespoon of turmeric
Step 2. Meanwhile, I had boiled day old coffee (that was originally
brewed from fresh, whole, non-decaf, beans) and then brewed chamomile
(fresh, 4 tablespoons) and English breakfast tea (1 tea bag) in the
boiling coffee. Took away from heat and allowed to steep, covered,
for 10 minutes. I am not sure exactly how much liquid there was,
likely 4-6 cups.
Step 3. I added some of the liquid to the dry ingredients, along
with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. I
added enough to make it like thick pancake batter.
Step 4. I slopped the mixture on my freshly shampooed (not
conditioned) hair and allowed it to sit for 1 hour and 45 minutes.
Step 5. I added two more tablespoons of lemon juice to the
coffee/tea/olive oil leftovers and poured that in my hair, remixed up
the glob on my head and allowed it to sit for 30 more minutes.
Step 6. To rinse, I first soaked myself in a tub. The water become a
gross brown color, but black walnut hull is also supposed to be good
for skin so I figured it was not so bad to be soaking in it for a few
minutes. Once I got the bulk of it out, I stood up and rinsed it
with water and conditioner for about 15 minutes. I did not shampoo
my hair until the next day. One would think that if the black walnut
hull powder is really dyeing my hair, it should have browned my skin
as well. But, I was soaked in the tub for a very short period of
time, and I don’t think the black walnut hull powder mix made an
extremely potent dye. Again, I am looking for fairly subtle
results. Someone hoping to go really darker with their hair would
likely need to do something much more drastic than what I have done.
Results:
It darkened my hair a bit, not a lot, but this mix definitely turned
the reddish highlights a more yellow/gold/brown color, which looks
better with my skin tone. I am happy with the results so far, but I
think continued vegetable dyes every 4 weeks or so will make the
results darker and better. I think I am becoming an addict.

Follow Ups

Re: Black Walnut Hull Powder and my vegetable dyeing experience, for what it is worth... Sam 05:24:27 3/17/2004 (0)
Make sure you are using black walnut HULL (whole or powdered) NT Jane 13:45:59 3/16/2004 (0)

Post Followup

Name:
E-Mail:
Subject:
: For what it is worth, I am pasting my "vegetable dyeing" journal : below. Note, I am still in the experimental stages of what works for : my hair. I know for dyeing baskets with black walnut hulls, people : say to use the whole husk and brew in hot water for 10 minutes or : more and allow liquid to cool. I might try a similar method for my : hair next time, but as of yet I am not sure what effect this method : would have on hair. Anyway, here is my journal. I have not added : the pictures yet so it is not really complete. : : : A Journal of how I colored my hair with vegetable dyes: : : My hair while growing up was blonde—very blonde before age 12 and a : darker blonde after puberty. I was always in the sun, however, so it : is hard to determine when my hair really became brown. In my early : twenties, my hair was naturally light brown with very light sun- : bleached blonde ends. Around age 23, I started getting my hair : highlighted (bleach, no toner). At age 29, a few bad hairdressers : got a hold of my hair, didn’t listen to me, and did a number of bad : double processing jobs (including bleach, toners, chemical dyes, the : works). The last one was in early January of 2004. I waited 6 weeks : after that experience and decided to use vegetable dyes in my hair. : I read everything I could on the web before doing this on my own. At : this point, my roots were an ash/golden brown with a few natural dark : blonde highlights. The rest was a mix of low lights that were : slightly more orange and lighter than my roots and highlights that : were very blonde. I am a 30 year old with fairly thick, long hair, : no gray hair. The goal of using vegetable dyes on my hair is to get : back to a more natural ash-gold medium brown color and add shine and : vitality to my hair. I realize I cannot get back to my exact : natural color with vegetable dyes, because they simply “coat” the : hair, but I figure it is worth a try and hope to make the ends blend : a bit better with the roots. : First Experiment, 3/4/04: : (Note: I did a test first on the hair from my brush. Unfortunately, : I didn’t notice much of a difference with this test, but it verified : for me that the henna likely wouldn’t turn my chemically treated hair : a funky green color, which it can, so I’ve read. I have since : learned you should do the hairbrush test at least 3 days ahead of : time, as vegetable dyes, especially henna, darken over the first few : days.) : : Steps: : 1. Made coffee (from fresh, whole beans, NOT DECAF, ground just : before brewing). I am not sure why everyone instructs not to use : decaf or instant coffee, but I suspect it is because in order to get : decaf or instant coffee, chemical processes are used, and one wants : to use the coffee bean, not a chemically processed coffee bean. : 2. Let coffee sit approximately 1hour. : 3. Re-boiled the coffee and added it and 3 tablespoons of olive oil : to 8 oz. (2 packages) of Light Mountain medium brown henna mix.* : 4. I allowed the mix to sit for about 10 minutes. : 5. I piled the stuff on and sat for 1 hour and 15 minutes. : 6. After that 75 minutes, I poured more coffee and oil into my hair : and re-distributed the henna. (I was nervous about applying it : unevenly my first time, or having it dry out.) : Note: I used no heat, as I did not want to encourage too much red. : 7. After 45 minutes more (total of 2 hours with henna and indigo in : my hair) I rinsed (water only) everything out for about 15 minutes in : the shower. I did not shampoo until 24 hours later. My hair was a : little greasy that first day due to the olive oil, but after the : shampoo 24 hours later, it felt GREAT! : Note: I have long hair and did the whole process by myself. What a : mess!!!! : * I have verified that the only ingredients in the Light Mountain : medium brown henna are indigoferae folium (indigo) and lawsonia : inermis (henna). They use no chemicals, no PPD, no ammonia, no : peroxide, no yucky stuff. The box lists only indigoferae folium and : lawsonia inermis. I verified this by emailing @Internatural, who : sells Lotus Brands (the manufacturer of Light Mountain). Their : costumer service email address is: customersupport@internatural.com. : You can also find more information at www.lotusbrands.com. : Essentially, all of their “colors” come from mixing different : proportions of are indigoferae folium (indigo), lawsonia inermis : (henna), and cassia auriculata (senna), from what I understand. : Unfortunately, there is no way to know, exactly, their proportions. : I suppose that is proprietary information. Of course, it is most : peoples’ opinion that better quality henna yields a darker, prettier : color, but I wanted to go with a pre-packaged mix on my first time, a : little wimpy, I guess. : : Results: Pretty good. The lowlights definitely blended better with : my roots (became darker), but the very light highlights did not take : on the dye very well. Overall it is a tad more red than I think is : appropriate for my skin tone, but I am happier with how much more : natural and healthy my hair looks. : : Picture #1 was taken after shampooing, conditioning and allowing my : hair to air dry, approximately 24 hours after the henna process. : : 3/13/04 : After a little over a week of reddish highlights and some research : about my skin tone (soft summer/soft autumn), I decided I wanted to : get a more golden brown look to my hair, something closer to its : natural color. So, I went to Penn Herb Co. Inc : (http://pennherb.com/index.html ) and bought some turmeric, senna and : black walnut hull powder. Penn Herb Co. Inc. is a wonderful place!! : I live in Philly so I visited their store, but you can also buy from : them online. : WARNING: Many people apparently are allergic to black walnut so I : tested it on my skin and allowed it to sit there for several hours : first. There was no redness where the paste was when I washed it off : so I figured I was not allergic. Also, I again did a test on some : hair from my brush. This is important, since I have used chemicals : on my hair in the past, and because turmeric can turn hair very : YELLOW, if too much is used. Again, it was hard to see anything with : the small sample, but it did verify, for me, the dye would not : drastically alter my hair, which was good. Next time I will do the : hairbrush test a few days before the “real deal.” : Here is what I did: : Step 1. I sifted these dry ingredients: : ľ cup of senna : ľ cup of black walnut hull powder : 1 tablespoon of turmeric : Step 2. Meanwhile, I had boiled day old coffee (that was originally : brewed from fresh, whole, non-decaf, beans) and then brewed chamomile : (fresh, 4 tablespoons) and English breakfast tea (1 tea bag) in the : boiling coffee. Took away from heat and allowed to steep, covered, : for 10 minutes. I am not sure exactly how much liquid there was, : likely 4-6 cups. : Step 3. I added some of the liquid to the dry ingredients, along : with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. I : added enough to make it like thick pancake batter. : Step 4. I slopped the mixture on my freshly shampooed (not : conditioned) hair and allowed it to sit for 1 hour and 45 minutes. : Step 5. I added two more tablespoons of lemon juice to the : coffee/tea/olive oil leftovers and poured that in my hair, remixed up : the glob on my head and allowed it to sit for 30 more minutes. : Step 6. To rinse, I first soaked myself in a tub. The water become a : gross brown color, but black walnut hull is also supposed to be good : for skin so I figured it was not so bad to be soaking in it for a few : minutes. Once I got the bulk of it out, I stood up and rinsed it : with water and conditioner for about 15 minutes. I did not shampoo : my hair until the next day. One would think that if the black walnut : hull powder is really dyeing my hair, it should have browned my skin : as well. But, I was soaked in the tub for a very short period of : time, and I don’t think the black walnut hull powder mix made an : extremely potent dye. Again, I am looking for fairly subtle : results. Someone hoping to go really darker with their hair would : likely need to do something much more drastic than what I have done. : Results: : It darkened my hair a bit, not a lot, but this mix definitely turned : the reddish highlights a more yellow/gold/brown color, which looks : better with my skin tone. I am happy with the results so far, but I : think continued vegetable dyes every 4 weeks or so will make the : results darker and better. I think I am becoming an addict.
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