How to add a golden sheen to dark brown hair

[cdonald2]

Any idea how to add a golden sheen to dark brown hair for a subtle effect in the light that is non damaging? I have tried red in the past with henna and it looked awful. As of right now i have virgin hair, and i know gold compliments my hair but i wouldnt want to add damaging dyes to it.

[Larki]

Cassia, maybe?

[ARG]

Seconding Larki, what you're looking for is Cassia. It doesn't lighten your hair, but brightens it, by adding a translucent golden gloss to it. Very similar to henna in application and method, but without the henna permanency. Check out the Recipes, Henna, and Herbal Hair Care part of the forums. There's a Cassia thread there, as well as some others that might interest you. Hope this helps!

[PraiseCheeses]

Cassia, maybe?

Came in here to say exactly this. :) The senna from herbco.com works really well and isn't terribly expensive.

[cdonald2]

Hmm, ive heard that henna clogs pores in the hair and damages it. Is this true? or will it make it thicker and more conditioned like i hear from others?

[PraiseCheeses]

Hmm, ive heard that henna clogs pores in the hair and damages it. Is this true? or will it make it thicker and more conditioned like i hear from others?


Whaaa??... I wonder if it's something that people are putting into their henna mixtures that's producing these effects. :confused: Henna and cassia/senna work very similarly in how they penetrate and coat the hair; cassia/senna is missing the lawsone molecule that binds to the hair protein and gives it the red/orange pigment. Some people report that henna dries their hair (nothing works for everyone) but most people report a strengthening/thickening result.

I've never used henna because I'm terrified I won't look good with red hair, but I love what cassia/senna does for my hair. It initially feels a bit dry immediately after the treatment, but after an extra deep conditioning my hair is at its absolute best in both appearance and feel. As far as blocking pores in the scalp, the senna I use from herbco is a finely ground leaf and acts as a gentle exfoliant! I mix it with only water (no conditioner or yogurt or anything) and it's done nothing but great things for my hair.

[Ingrid]

You could try a chamomile tea rinse. It's quite effective at imparting gold tones on hair. It's not permanent so if you don't like it, it washes out.

[MINAKO]

One word: Turmeric!

It's strong enough to boost the gold at any level exept 1.

ETA: http://rawcowgirl.blogspot.de/2011/04/natural-hair-dye-experiement.html

[Ingrid]

Turmeric will add gold to anything... hair, and the whole bathroom included :lol:

[fiðrildi]

Cassia and rhubarb. You could tell that my hair is light brown (even if it's dark blonde), and 50% Cassia, 50% Rhubarb makes my hair shine as a golden yellow. I've just left my mask on overnight, and washed my hair this morning. I'm waiting for my hair to get dry, and after that I'll take a picture and post it so that you can see the (subtle) difference.

This is how I do it: 200g for BSL hair, mix in a non-metalic bowl with a non-metalic spoon, with 50cl of hot chamomile tea. Add lemon juice, a bit of honey and olive oil (conditioning properties). Let the mix sit for 4 hours, and apply to hair.
I do it this way when I don't have time, but the ideal way is to mix it with lemon juice instead of tea, and let the mix sit for 12 hours before applying.

The best thing about this mask, is that you'll get all the benefits from Cassia (which are similar than the ones you get with Henna), and if you don't like the golden sheen, you can wash it out in a couple of washes. If you just do a Cassia mask, you'll likely not get any golden sheen, because your hair is too dark.
I'll come back with a photo later :wink:

[LadyCelestina]

Black tea rinses.Enhances the brown and gold tones,though it is a bit darkening.It fades quickly if you don't like it,but with repeated applications,the colour sticks and then you don't have to do it as often.

[fiðrildi]

I'm back with pictures :)
Upper left is my natural hair colour (with darker roots because I'm not exposing to the sun anymore), and upper right is how cassia+rhubarb looks on my hair, freshly done today. I tried to take them under the same lighting conditions, so that you can see the difference.
The two pictures below are taken in direct sunlight, as you can see cassia gives a plenty of shine! It adds plenty of volume too, but my hair is still not fully dry.
Hope that it will be useful for you :)

http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa41/PAJAROTRISTE/cassiarhubarb.jpg

[Johannah]

Seconding cassia as well.

Don't forget to take any before and after pictures ;)

[cdonald2]

i'll check it out :) i definitely think i may do it! Will it look okay as it's growing out though?

[Larki]

i'll check it out :) i definitely think i may do it! Will it look okay as it's growing out though?

I'm pretty sure cassia is temporary and washes out in a month or so - someone correct me if I'm wrong! So if you end up not liking it, no big deal - it's not permanent like henna.

[Bambi]

Turmeric will add gold to anything... hair, and the whole bathroom included :lol:

This...hahaha!!!!! So true!!!!

[StellaKatherine]

Ohh, now I want to try cassia!!!!

[cdonald2]

If cassia is temporary then even better! I worry how these types of things will grow out. Also, what is turmeric, where do i get it, and should i just add it to cassia? If so how much? If im not supposed to add to cassia then how do i use it by itself?