Buxus dioica AKA katam

**Riot Crrl** · July 15th, 2008, 05:23 PM

Originally Posted by SpiralingWaves

I think I had read somewhere on H4H that there might be a way to dye hair chocolate brown naturally. So I guess this would be it? I'd be willing to try it, as I have given up on indigo.

Yeah, that's what they're talking about. It is also supposed to be more of a workable endeavor to keep light browns and even blondes with this. It is said to be more predictable than indigo.

It may pay off to watch and see people's results as it becomes available and people are using it at home and posting about it. Kinda like how the iPhone early adopters were mad when within a year they fixed all the bugs and reduced the price.

**janaana** · July 15th, 2008, 05:30 PM

I am fairly sure I have seen it written كتم (if the arabic font doesn't show up, I mean k rather than kh, neither a written and the softer t with two dots rather than the tall t) but I may have remembered wrongly, as I can't remember exactly where I have seen it written down and it must have been some time ago. It looks like a nice colour in the picture- much lighter than indigo but without the warm tones most of the other natural colouring materials give.

**SpiralingWaves** · July 15th, 2008, 05:42 PM

Originally Posted by Riot Crrl

Yeah, that's what they're talking about. It is also supposed to be more of a workable endeavor to keep light browns and even blondes with this. It is said to be more predictable than indigo.

It may pay off to watch and see people's results as it becomes available and people are using it at home and posting about it. Kinda like how the iPhone early adopters were mad when within a year they fixed all the bugs and reduced the price.

Oh, I like predictable ... predictable is good! At least when it comes to my hair color anyway.

As far as waiting to see what other's results are before trying it, I think I will have to see how desperate I am when this is becomes available at H4H, lol. Seriously, I am currently using a brown dye and henna combo to keep things somewhat brown-ish, but I'd rather go all natural if it is at all possible. That would be ideal anyway ...

**Pierre** · July 15th, 2008, 08:37 PM

Thanks! The Arabic letters show well, and I have added it to Wiktionary.

**Treecrown** · July 22nd, 2008, 10:22 AM

Has anyone here tried this yet? I've been agonizing about whether to experiment with henna and cassia again, go to a salon and let them do "something, anything" or just let my gray be. (I have light brown/dark blonde hair which is now henna'd and highlighted to a reasonably nice shade of strawberry blonde--except for the roots, and the gray bits showing again on the temples and crown).

Anyway, so this katam/buxus sounds promising...I'd love to know if anyone with light-colored hair, trying to match their natural color with henna, etc, has tried it...

By the way, it looks like it's available from the person who posted about it on HT: http://www.henna-und-mehr.de/

**wintersun99** · July 22nd, 2008, 11:33 AM

I don't think H4H has it available quite yet, but maybe by end of month?

**mellie** · July 22nd, 2008, 11:38 AM

It looks very interesting! I wonder if I would have less reaction to it than indigo? (itchiness and headache). Also I feel that indigo just makes my hair too dark.

I could have sworn that I asked about this before here - perhaps it is on the archives which for some reason I can't get into?

SpiralingWaves, I am curious as to why you don't use indigo anymore?

**SpiralingWaves** · July 22nd, 2008, 03:40 PM

Originally Posted by mellie

It looks very interesting! I wonder if I would have less reaction to it than indigo? (itchiness and headache). Also I feel that indigo just makes my hair too dark.

I could have sworn that I asked about this before here - perhaps it is on the archives which for some reason I can't get into?

SpiralingWaves, I am curious as to why you don't use indigo anymore?

Hey Mellie!

The last time I hendigo'd I got a bad reaction from the indigo; itchies, headache and bumps on my ears. Plus, the indigo took too dark to my hair that time. So, I'm just like you now.