Alkanet root for red hair highlights!

 

Okay - I have to admit it, I'm not a natural redhead. Hmmm - and nope, this is not a picture of me (I wish.) So many people are surprised when I tell them that. Yes, I have the natural coloring for a natural redhead plus lots of freckles and I am of Irish descent, but the red comes from a bottle. Now, that I've gotten that out of the way, here is a quick and easy recipe for those of us who want red highlights without having to use harsh, potentially carcinogenic, hair products from your local beauty supply store - or wherever it is you buy these things. I also have to admit I haven't tried this yet, but I think it is definitely worth the effort. I'm also thinking it would be great to use between colorings. I have alkanet root powder because we use it in our soaps, but I'm not sure how readily available it would be for you locally - perhaps the health food store? I do know we purchase ours from Mountain Rose Herbs and love doing business with them. They also carry the whole root and apparently this is a common dye for all sorts of different projects from soap to clothing. All of their products if not organic, are wild-crafted and tested for pesticides and other things you really don't want. Here's a picture of what we purchase to use as a natural colorant for our soaps. Not the greatest picture with my new camera and I'm obviously still figuring out all the settings but I'm like a kid at Christmas learning how to play with their new toy.

certified organic alkanet powder

RED HIGHLIGHTING RINSE:

1 cup (250 ml) filtered water
1 tbsp (15 ml) alkanet root (I will use the powder, I think the recipe means to use the actual root - not really sure)

Bring the water to a boil. Place the alkanet root in a glass jar. Pour the boiling water over the alkanet. Cover and let steep for 10 minutes. Strain the infusion.

To use: Shampoo and rinse hair as usual. Pour the alkanet infusion into your hair, catching the liquid in a basin (of course wait until the water has cooled to a comfortable temperature.) Repour the infusion through the hair 10 times. Let your hair sit for 5 minutes. Rinse with cool water.

I'll let you know how it works for me - should take before and after pictures with my new camera! Let me know if you have tried this, if you do try this and if so, what results did you get? Obviously, the results will depend on the color of your hair now, but I think it would be interesting to see if it just adds highlights. Next to try is henna!

Recipe from The Herbal Home Spa, by Greta Breedlove.

Thanks for listening!

Ann