Summary. Baking soda is a great natural remedy for gray hair, as it helps to clarify the hair and scalp while also restoring vibrancy and shine, especially if you're struggling with hair loss. Plus, baking soda can prevent discoloration due to exposure to sunlight, extreme dryness, or other factors.
Baking soda is abrasive and can dry out hair and scalp. This is the reason that baking soda is not good for gray hair and it must be used cautiously. Regular use of baking soda on gray hair can be damaging in the long term, but it can be used once in a while.
Baking soda has a pH of 9, which is far higher than that of the scalp. Using a product with such a high pH may harm the hair. Over time, baking soda can strip the natural oil from the hair, lead to breakage, and make the hair fragile.
A serum is another must-have product if you want that extra shine in your hair. It makes your gray hair not only smooth and shiny but also soft and manageable. Always use a clear, colorless serum instead of amber-colored ones. This will add shine to your grays without affecting their tones.
“Eumelanin production increases as we age, and as we age we tend to go grey. Therefore hair may get darker before the greys take over,” she explains.
Applying black seed oil to the scalp in areas where hair has turned grey, can naturally encourage colour pigment cells. In instances where hair strands have already greyed, black seed oil has proven to change this process by stimulating melanin production and turning it dark again.
Using Coffee to Color and Cover Gray Hairs
Coffee works great if you're looking to go darker, cover gray hairs, or add dimension to dark tresses. Simply brew a strong coffee (espresso works well), let it cool, and then mix one cup with a couple cups of leave-in conditioner and 2 tablespoons of coffee grounds.
As well as damaging your hair, leaving baking soda on for too long can also be harsh on your scalp. The alkaline nature of baking soda can strip your scalp of its natural oils, leaving it dry, itchy, and irritated.
The easiest way to use baking soda on your hair is to mix it with water until it forms a paste. Apply it to your scalp and down the length of your wet hair. You can let it sit anywhere from one to three minutes and then rinse clean.
Baking Soda Paste
Baking soda can be an effective way to remove permanent hair dye naturally because of its lightening properties. Try mixing baking soda with lemon juice, which is acidic, to create a paste. Then, work the paste through your hair, allow it to sit for five minutes, and rinse thoroughly.
Vinegar can help lighten and refine hair color when applied to gray hair. Gray hair normally looks brassy because of its light tint, which shows stains and poor hair health easily. ACV can help remove the stains and improve the health of your hair, making it look brighter and healthier.
To counteract the more coarse and often wiry texture of gray hair, it is important you use a good daily conditioner and, as needed, a deep moisturizing treatment once a week. A shine boosting spray will also give you a smooth and healthy look.
So far, there are no natural remedies that can slow down the hair-graying process. The best thing you can do is to stay healthy, eat a well-rounded diet, and lower your stress levels as much as possible.
Vitamin A, C and B12 are the most needed vitamins to increase the melanin production in your hair. Add citrus fruits like oranges, grapes, pineapple, and melon to your diet. Also eat vegetables like potatoes, carrots, beans, etc. Non vegetarians can try adding red meat, chicken liver, fish, and eggs to their diet.
The mixture of coconut oil and lemon juice nourishes the scalp and protects the pigment cells, therefore can prevent the growing of grey hair. Besides, coconut oil is rich in strong antimicrobial properties, medium-chain fatty acids and lauric acids, which can help reverse the original color and strengthen your hair.
Wash Hair with a Purple Shampoo
Let your gray clients know that they can wash their gray hair Opens in a new tab with a purple shampoo Opens in a new tab. It's not just for blondes; the violet pigments can neutralize the hints of yellow in grays and silvers too.
For the lips, pink, rose, and coral shades are perfect complements to gray hair. Just be sure to choose the shade that best suits your skin tone.
Does purple shampoo work on gray hair? The short answer to this is yes – purple shampoo does work on gray hair. Gray hair can actually turn brassier and yellow more quickly than blonde hair because it clings onto particles found in the air that cause that unwanted discoloration.
Silver hair toner is a popular option when it comes to showcasing your grey. Instead, a blue pigment is used to neutralise yellow undertones. Gradually, your hair stylist can reduce the colour pigment at each application, smoothly easing you into an all-grey look thanks to a silver toner for hair.
Use two teaspoons of baking soda to two teaspoons of shampoo for long hair. Mix and coat your hair gently from root to tips, leave on hair for around 3 minutes and then rinse thoroughly, you can shampoo again if you feel you want to get all the baking soda out, and then do the QSH mask.
Combine Baking Soda and Hydrogen Peroxide
Combining hydrogen peroxide with baking soda, though, creates a paste that can sit on your hair and work magic, lightening it by one to two shades.