Try henna- you'd be surprised the various shades of reds, browns, and burgundys you can get. And even better yet, henna is completely natural and can actually help strengthen your hair. Woman have been using this stuff since the days of Cleopatra and theres good reason for it!

It can actually be fun sometimes too- there are dozens or herbs, spices, and essential oils you can add to the concoction that can be great for your hair and can sometimes effect the shading of the color outcome. Henna is not just for the "Lucille Ball" kind of red! For example, rosemary essential oil and coffees are great additives for enhancing brown tones. For more golden tones you can add chamomile, black tea, or turmeric. Reds are even more easily enhanced with paprika, cloves, or beetroot powder. Though remember this is a natural alternative and cannot actually lighten hair! The outcomes is highly dependent on your original hair color. The sky is the limit- have fun experimenting!

The bottom line is this is the safest way to go for a new hair color or to hide the grays. Hair dyes these days are so filled with chemicals that can damage your hair in the long run and some research has showed that it may actually have negative effects on our health and the environment, that it is simply not worth the convenience anymore.

You can visit this author's website at Chambers' Essentials- free healthy beauty and household tips & recipes.