Why are natural box dyes so bad?

[infinity_girl]

What is so bad about the natural box hair dyes that you can buy in health food stores such as "Naturtint"? How are they worse than henna?

I am thinking of trying one as henna seems to dry my hair out something rotten. I want to go dark brown but don't want to use peroxide or ammonia (or henna/indigo).

[PeacenQuietGal]

So glad you asked this question - I am wondering the same.

[millyaulait]

I think a lot of the time these 'natural' dyes still have tonnes of chemicals in them, and often actually have really low quality henna in them.

You can get ammonia & peroxide free dyes that are probably even less damaging than some of the 'natural' ones.

I'm using Garnier Olia right now which is infused with Mineral Oil. I use MO on my ends regularly anyway, my hair likes it.

I keep it on for 3/4 of the time so it doesn't go too dark, I also sparingly run some coconut oil through my hair an hour before dying it.

[lastnite]

they still contain chemicals, peroxide and one of them even has on their website they have PPD, a low amount but still has it in their dyes. Although it looks like they have less chemicals than drugstore brands... but, it is still like trying to say Clairol Natural Instincts is natural or better for you hair just because it has a few herbal extracts.

Unless you mean dyes like Rainbow or Light Mountain brand that just use herbs and henna (and these won't lighten hair)

[Anje]

Not all of them are. But yes, a lot have chemicals that people tend to react badly to. Most also contain at least some peroxide, often at a higher dose than someone who is dyeing darker would need, so they're more damaging than necessary. (Some folks bypass this by getting their own peroxide in the most appropriate concentration for them and mixing that instead of the developer that the dye comes packaged with.)

For what it's worth, henna dries my hair and scalp out too. What works for me is to mix it with a small quantity of water (I added so it's like thick clay soil or something), then add a whole bunch of olive oil to the mix until it's at the desired batter-like consistency. The resulting mix dyes just as well or better than henna mixed with only water, isn't drying, and seems like it rinses easier.

[AnnaB]

Box dyes force open hair cuticles and force colour underneath. Then the hair cuticles close up and keep the dye in.

Henna and indigo, wrap the colour around the hair. So its much better for the hair than any box dye.

[infinity_girl]

Somebody suggested I try "Adore" hair dye which has natural shades too (it's a vegetable dye like Manic Panic/Directions etc). I bought mocha brown. Wish me luck!

[hufflepug]

Somebody suggested I try "Adore" hair dye which has natural shades too (it's a vegetable dye like Manic Panic/Directions etc). I bought mocha brown. Wish me luck!

Good luck and let us know how it goes! I'm trying to stay away from harsh dyes and I've been thinking about trying Adore as well

[Chanie]

I have tryed bleaching with tints of nature, and it completely screwed up my hair!!!! I had always bleached with normal box colours from the supermarket such as scwarzkopf, and my bleach damage where never no way near the damage i got after tints of nature!!!! Ive heard something about the problem beeing metallic salts reacting bad to already coloured hair..

[Chromis]

I found henna drying when mixed with lemon juice. I use water now instead (with herbal tea thrown in for the heck of it) and a squirt of honey after dye release. The honey really seems to help with the dryness!