When I was 14, a girl lived down the block named Gia.
She was a little older than I was and she reminded me of a butterfly. She was always flying from one person to the next, seemingly high on life. She called herself a raver, even though she rarely went to raves.
Still, I envied her, because she went to public school and I went to an all girls catholic school. At public school, you could wear earrings. At public school, you didn’t have to wear our itchy uniforms or knee high socks. At public school, there were boys. At public school, you could dye your hair.
Gia’s hair was pink.
As we became closer, I realized that her hair really set her apart. Every single person in our town knew who Gia was. It became a part of her identity, like a badge of honor she wore that said, “I’m different.”
Today, it’s become a lot more mainstream to embrace a quirky color for a season or two.
According to a recent survey, women change their hair approximately 36 times in their lifetime, but this number is rapidly rising. Heck, I feel like I’ve changed my hair that much just in the last few years!
Recently, I went to my girl Nancy (I HIGHLY recommend her!) and told her I needed a change. I had something in mind – it was dramatic.
She suggested, gently, that maybe we didn’t want to ruin my hair completely. Nancy is the only person I’ve let touch my hair since I moved to San Diego, so I trust her. She’s always honest with me and she’s never been wrong. There’s a reason she has a six month waiting list!
“Tara, your hair would never survive that. I’m just telling you.”
Then she looked into my eyes in the mirror, smiled, and said, “What about pink?”
All at once, I saw it. The color I had truly been wanting all along.
“It’ll look SO cute. Tara, it’s SO you. Let’s do it. It’ll wash out in a few days if you don’t like it.”
I couldn’t say no to that.
I agreed. And then, I started to get excited.
PINK!!!
My mind flashed back to fourteen year old me. The girl who was SO bummed that she couldn’t dye her hair pink. The girl who wanted so badly to embrace parts of who she felt she TRULY was. I saw fourteen year old me.
She was beaming.
As Nancy washed the dye out of my hair and the lavender-red turned into cotton candy pink, I started beaming too. Nancy is an absolute master hair artist, and the color looked incredible – even organic! If hair could go ombre from dark to pink naturally, THIS is what it would look like.
I was very pleased, and feel like I am at my peak self with this color. It truly feels like ME.
So much so that I have kept up with the pink ever since!
MAINTENANCE
Colors like pink fade in a few days. It’s rare you’ll keep your color for a full week if you’re washing your hair every day. But I did NOT want to bombard my hair with chemicals to keep up the color. What was my alternative?
STOCK UP
Randomly, I had picked up some deep pink food coloringat our farmer’s market the week before. It was totally organic and plant based. This works!
BECOME THE HAIR ARTIST
I was seriously impressed with the results. It worked SO well, I just had to share it with you! You’ll feel like a hair artist, because the possibilities of color, saturation, vibrancy and hue are completely in your hands!
Here’s how to dye your hair at home – without chemicals:
Mix thoroughly until conditioner is 2-5 shades darker than the color you want
Add colored conditioner to the parts of your hair you want to dye (I focus on my blonde pieces + ends)
Leave conditioner in your hair for 30-60 minutes.
If you have thick, dark or ethnic hair, or you desire a richer color, leave it in for 90 minutes.
Pro Tip: The lighter your hair, the better the color will show up. It’s recommended if you have dark hair to bleach the pieces you’d prefer to dye. Read on if you don’t prefer bleach; there’s a section below on how to naturally lighten your hair…
If you want to maintain the color every day, you’ll need to do this process at least once a week. Alternatively, you can add the coloring to your favorite conditioner, mix and use that in the shower every day. I find the once a week method is less damaging to my hair. I find it relaxing to give myself an hour and a half to treat to my hair with this color.
How to Naturally Lighten Your Hair Without Bleach:
Honey naturally contains hydrogen peroxide, a natural bleaching agent, and cinnamonhas the ability to turn hair golden. (You can also try this concoction if you want reddish highlights in your brown or black hair.)
Most recipes call for equal parts cinnamon and honey, plus another part of either conditioner or olive oil.
Mix it all together, massage into your hair, and let it sit for about an hour before rinsing.
As with other natural hair dyes, you may need to do it several times to get the results you want.
Voila! Beautiful, healthy, vibrant hair – chemical free! 🙂
I had gotten a trim here and there, of course. Even bangs once (so I guess I cut a PART of my hair REALLY short, but to me, it didn’t count.)
By fifth grade I had curls that cascaded down my back. I always had to move my hair before I sat down, to make sure I wasn’t about to start sitting on it. Leaning back in the grass was a nightmare – my hands just about always intersected with my curls.
In fifth grade, my parents decided that a haircut would suit me.
I walked into the salon of a family friend’s with a mane of raven mermaid hair that I had never known life without.
I walked out with a bob that was chopped to just below my ears.
I didn’t even look like the same person.
Honestly, I think my hair was traumatized, because it’s never grown to quite the same length since – haha.
I have been striving since my early days of green beauty to find the perfect combination to keep my hair healthy. I feel like lately I’ve struck the perfect balance. If I do just a few things throughout the day thoughtfully, I am extremely happy with the results! My hair is SO much healthier today than it was when it was super long. I always used to struggle with frizz, dandruff and split ends.
I’ve realized over the years that the length of your hair does not equal the health of your hair. Although my hair was MUCH longer back then, it’s MUCH healthier now. Here’s how I’ve managed to keep my hair happy, bouncy, shiny and growing out at a great pace:
I usethis organic oil 2-4x a day. Malaya Organics Hair Oilcontains ONLY healing ingredients that nourish and repair hair, and I use it for styling and split ends as well. Your tresses will thank you! Many products on the market (in fact, many of the most heavily marketed) contain sulfates, alcohols and silicones to exfoliate, sud or “soap” up your products.
Sulfates strip your hair of natural oils, drying out your hair. Silicones coat your hair and weigh it down. Alcohols also weigh down your hair. Look for hair products that say “sulfate and silicone free.” Also, check your ingredient list and make sure there are no hidden ingredients!
If you can’t pronounce it, don’t buy it!
Here are 4 simple ways to use organic oil for flawless hair:
In The Shower
Before you shampoo, apply a few drops of oil to the ends of wet hair. This will minimize the appear of split ends and make dry ends feel softer. After a minute or two, the oil will soak into your hair, and since you’re following with shampoo, your hair won’t be left with a greasy film.
If you brush your hair in the shower (and do so gently, it is the leading cause of breakage!), use this oil before you comb through. This botanical formula contains vitamin e, which is an antioxidant that helps repair and build tissue. When you apply vitamin E to your scalp, it helps reduce inflammation and repair damage to the follicles, and healthy follicles encourage hair growth.
Styling
Water can only do so much. To keep flyaways down, apply just a drop of Malaya organic oil to your index finger and lightly coat the wild strand. This will also coat the places it’s applied and make them healthier, so hopefully they cooperate more with you in the future (as mine do now! YAY!) Curly or frizzy hair?
Use this oil to style your curls or keep frizz at bay! Borage oil is the richest natural source of gamma-linoleic acid or GLA (17 to 25 percent). GLA is an important polyunsaturated omega-6 fat that helps keep your scalp and hair healthy.
Split Ends
If your hair is colored, extremely dry, or damaged, try using this oil on the ends. It’s a great daily moisturizer and if used sparingly, it’s pretty much non-greasy. It contains healing ingredients like coconut oil, which is a fatty oil that will coat the hair and moisturize until it’s washed out. The second stellar ingredient, argan oil is proven to make hair softer, silkier and shinier.
A Spa Quality Hair Treatment
You don’t need to leave your house for great, spa-quality results on your hair! Seriously! Use this incredible organic oil as an overnight hair treatment or a conditioning treatment. Why spend a zillion dollars at a spa for someone to use who knows what on your hair?
Simply massage this luxurious organic oil into scalp roots to ends. Leave in or shampoo after several hours. If you want to “activate” the oil and stimulate your hair, warm it on the stove or microwave for a few seconds to heat it up.
The oil smells amazing because it contains healing essential oils like bulgarian rose and sandalwood. Rose oil also has stimulating, antiseptic, antiviral and bactericidal properties that are beneficial to hair and skin, making it useful as a fast-acting scalp tonic.
You can feel comfortable knowing that this unique combination of organic oils has been formulated to keep your hair healthy!
Ingredients: Coconut Oil*, Olive Oil*, Argan Oil*, Hemp Oil*, Apricot Kernel Oil*, Jojoba Oil*, Sweet Almond Oil*, Avocado Oil*, Sunflower Oil*, Borage Oil*, Herbal extracts – [Rosemary Leaf*, Nettle Leaf*, Lavender Flower*, Chamomile Flower*, Elder Flower*], Proprietary blend of Essential Oils and Absolutes * including – Clary Sage Oil*, Bulgarian Rose Absolute*, Sandalwood Oil* and Geranium Oil* (ideal for falling and dry hair), Vitamin E Tocopherols (GMO Free).
Recently, I shared my one solution that has solved all my hair problems: oil! With just the right amount of oil (not too much, not too little) you can control frizz, mend split ends, condition, thicken and grow your hair – and you can do it all with one product!
Specifically, this oil by Nordic Bliss has been my go-to for the last few weeks. I am actually almost all out of it. My hair has grown at least 4 inches in the last few months, since I use this to condition during my shower, after I shower I comb it through my hair and I use it as a hair mask at night. Don’t know what I would do without my hair oil ritual!
I wanted to share a discount with you so that you have the opportunity to try my favorites, too. Today, take 30% offyour order with code NORDIC30!
Super simple and the best way to organic, healthy hair!
Trust me, your hair is gonna thank you for this one!
Believe it or not, many of the most heavily marketed hair oils are heavily green-washed – that is, they appear to be healthy for your hair, but look closer and they’re full of toxins (like parabens or phlatales) or SLS, which actually strip your hair of nutrients and dehydrate your locks over time. Here are the ingredients of one of the most popular hair oils on the market:
Just a quick glance, and here is what the first (most plentiful) ingredients add up to:
Butylphenyl methylpropional, aka Lilal. In 2003, European Union Cosmetics Directive noted Lilial as being a dermatitis risk.
Cyclopentasiloxane and Cyclomethicone are volatile silicone solvents.
Parfum (Fragrance) which is supposedly Coumarin, a vanilla scent.
D&C Yellow 11 and D&C Red 17 which are food colorings.
Benzyl benzoate is a preservative and pesticide for scabies and lice. It’s also used as a fragrance.
Alpha-isomethyl ionone is a fragrance that the International Fragrance Association has banned for use in perfumes.
There are only two healing hair ingredients in most mainstream products, so for the most part, these products don’t TRULY do much. Also, for years I had been disappointed in many alternatives, like coconut oil (which was too thick), olive oil (which made me smell like a salad) or even many greener hair oils (which felt heavy or were too scented for me). Since converting to green beauty, I had basically skipped hair oil altogether and just hoped and prayed my hair wouldn’t get too out of control.
That is until recently. I lightened my hair, and I was SO stoked on it! It was the exact color I wanted and my hair stylist Nancy (give her a call if you’re in San Diego – she’s the best!) did an amazing job! However, after about a week I began notice that my hair was getting SUPER dry. So dry that I contemplated going back to a darker color because it seemed impossible to keep my hair hydrated and happy in combination with it constantly seeing the California sun. But it would be SUCH a bummer to compromise my color… I HAD to do something, because my ends were getting really frizzy and damaged looking, and it was NOT cute…
Natural oils are the best thing you can do for your hair, especially if it’s bleached, colored, long, dry or curly. I’ve used many different kinds of oils on my hair the last few years but honestly, it’s rare that I find a product that does the trick by giving my hair the deep down fix that it truly needs.
Most times, my hair sucks up the oil like a thirsty plant, OR the oil is so thick and heavy that it makes my hair super greasy (and I have to head straight back to the shower!)
After a lot of research, I made the leap and switched toNordic Bliss oil. I hoped that it wouldn’t be disappointing like most of my choices had been… and I was SO pleasantly surprised! I have to tell you – this oil is different. It straight up SAVED my hair! I HAD to share this gem with you guys because I have really never seen anything like it. Nordic Bliss is absolutely my JAM! My hair is SO healthy, so shiny, so bouncy – I get compliments every time I leave the house and I’m inspired to actually DO my hair instead of throwing it up in a bun and calling it a day (as has been my style since high school.)
I totally ADORE this magical oil! First of all, a little goes SUCH a long way! It’s light orange scent (which the hubby-to-be absolutely loves – citrus is his favorite!) carries for about an hour but isn’t overwhelming. I really love how light it feels on my locks – not greasy at all, even if I go a little heavy-handed sometimes. And it’s hard not to because I can’t get enough! I’m seriously impressed with how well it works. The synergy of oils is just right, plus, it’s 100% ORGANIC!
It changed my hair game for the better in just a few days!
Read on to learn the methods I used to restore my hair….
Please compare these again to the craaaazy amount of synthetic crap listed in the hair-oil-you’ve-definitely-seen-everywhere listed above. I mean, there is absolutely 0 comparison of which product is clearly safer and more nourishing to your hair (hint: it’s the organic one that’s not hiding anything unnecessary or synthetic).
Most people I know are on a quest for amazing hair, so with newly rising concerns about exactly what’s IN our conventional hair products, I was inspired to share my favorite clean products with you! Want perfect hair without the compromise? Keep your routine simple and light with these award winning, stylist-approved products. They’re guaranteed to give you plenty of style options while maintaining your hair health. I’ve tested and listed the cleanest, best products on the market by hair concern (Volume, Shine, Repair, Protect), so you can start achieving healthy, fabulous hair – today!
Volume
Balance Shampoo by Josh Rosebrook is crafted to offset excessive oiliness and create volume with aloe vera, gentle natural cleansers and advanced herbal infusions. Rich natural plant oils and herbal actives work in synergy to soften, add shine, treat scalp conditions and stimulate follicle circulation. This increases the flow of nourishment, encouraging strong, continued hair growth and more volume.
Mermaid Sea Salt Hair Spray by Captain Blankenship is a texturizing and moisturizing hair spray that helps add waves and life to your hair, giving it that just left the beach look and smell. A must have for mermaid hair! Atlantic Sea Salt adds texture and gentle beach waves to hair. Organic Sea Kelp Extract is naturally rich in beneficial minerals and vitamins that nourish both hair and scalp. Organic Essential Oils of Rose Geranium and Palmarosa create a beachy rose scent, and maintain volume while being an easy-to-use styling tool.
Essential Lite Conditioner by Rare El’ements is a wonderful hydrating conditioner that’s perfect for those looking for a nutrient-rich, shine-enhancing conditioner that adds a little more volume to their tresses. Not only does this conditioner restore, re-hydrate and add shine, it also helps shape and form the hair to make blow-drying and styling a lot easier. The all-natural Murumuru butter, Marula African “Miracle oil”, the healing elements of Camelina and the deep nourishment of Baobab are ideal for normal, curly or fine hair. Color safe, no synthetic fragrances, no silicones, no parabens. I love this conditioner!
Lift Spray by Josh Rosebrook is an amazing spray and a daily go-to! I like that the natural oils and minerals give the hair almost a matte look, but it isn’t so heavy that it diminishes natural volume and shine. A herbal synergy of horsetail, lavender, sage, thyme, rosemary and peppermint gently stimulates the follicle and scalp. When the hair follicle is stimulated, the bulb is nourished through increased circulation, creating stronger, thicker hair.
Shine
Argan Oil by Acure Organics is absolutely perfect as either an overnight hair treatment or to promote shine. Just saturate the hair with the oil, wrap it in a towel or shower cap and sleep on it! Another way to use it is for flyways or split ends, as it nourishes hair and promotes shine. With its high vitamin E and fatty acid content, argan oil is the ideal product to give hair a natural boost. It absorbs easily and is non-greasy and non-irritating, which makes it a great natural moisturiser.
Omega 9 Hair Mask by Rahua injects roots with life and shine, promoting scalp health and preserving color vibrancy. Unlike other oils that coat hair strands, Ungurahua Oil, rich in Omega-9, consists of tiny molecules that penetrate into the core of each strand to heal and fortify, infusing thirsty hair with moisture.
Marula Cocktail Leave In Hydrating Mist by Rare El’ements is a rare blend of penetrating oils that add a luxurious natural shine to the hair and deep conditioning throughout the day. This lightweight treatment features the most sought after nutrient-rich oils that include the “African Miracle Oil”, Marula and the shine-enhancing moisture-boosting benefits of Baobab Oil.
Enrich Mask by Josh Rosebrook is a hard working hair conditioning mask blending the most exotic, beneficial oils proven for hair revitalization. Enrich works to significantly improve dry and damaged hair texture. Precise amounts of fatty acid-rich plant oils from African Marula, Baobab and Argan, Jojoba, Tahitian Tamanu, Hemp and Coconut with ultra-hydrating aloe vera and potent active herbal infusions create a powerful synergy to dramatically soften, restore shine, elasticity, and manageability. Josh has done it again!
Repair
Ultra Repair Hair Mask by Evolvh is an intensive treatment for hair that has been compromised by color or bleach processing, heat styling, or environmental factors. Highly effective for smoothing coarse, curly or frizz-prone hair. Leaves hair bouncy, shiny and silky no matter its previous condition.
Bohemia Verde Hair Elixir by La Bella Figura is a long-time favorite! a sensually sweet hair elixir designed to enhance shine, enrich dull or dry hair, and smooth frizz with a potent blend or hydrating oils. Perfect for using on the ends of hair to repair and strengthen. Works marvelously as a hair treatment!
Capillary Strengthening Blend by Tammy Fenderblends restorative oils to create a formulation that delivers the highest content of essential fatty acids, vital nutrients and bioflavonoids necessary to repair and rejuvenate the skin’s delicate tissue at the deepest level. The healing properties of chamomile, neroli, rose and carrot seed strengthen capillaries, increase circulation and stimulate the regeneration of healthy new skin cells.
Anti-Aging Hair Growth Serum by REVERIE treats your hair and scalp to Cake, a restorative serum that smoothes, soothes, protects and promotes growth. This leave-in treatment is powered by active ingredients such as Apple Stem Cells to delay the aging of hair follicles, and Hydrolyzed Protein from the sweet white lupine plant restructures and regenerates. A blend of essential oils, including Frankincense, Sandalwood and Ylang Ylang, complete this intensely hydrating formula.
Protect
Anti-Hair Loss Premium Organic Argan Oil Shampoo by PURA D’OR is the only shampoo in the market that has a natural preservative system derived from 100% plant based extracts. This is combined with premium ingredients that are free of SLS (Sulfates), Parabens or any other harmful chemicals. It has all the advance DHT blockers of our proven formula plus more. All ingredients are clinically proven to help with thinning hair and scalp problems. DHT is a hormone that is responsible for hair loss. Thinning hair is a problem to men as well as women, that’s why prescribed drugs like finasteride are on the market and can be used to fight against hair loss.
Healthy Locks Dry Shampoo by One Love Organics blends a unique blend of highly absorbent Georgia Kaolin Clay, hyularonic acid, and silica rich bamboo extract, Healthy Locks Dry Shampoo Powder softens, strengthens and nourishes hair between shampoos, during travel, or for an anytime pick-me-up. Great as an alternative to taking a million showers!
The Petroleum Jelly Alternative by Waxelene will be the answer to ALL of your beauty needs! Only 4 organic ingredients, this 100% truly raw, all natural formula is really for all your hair, nails, face, body needs – and anything in between. This vaseline alternative is great for treating everything from dandruff to fly aways! A dime size amount if amazing for hair protection or a nightly hair mask to reduce split ends, nourish, and Waxelene does not clog their pores or cause skin irritation, so it’s also great following hair removal treatments. Line your hairline with this if you dye it to protect your scalp and forehead.
Clarifying Conditioner by Acure Organics promotes shiny, soft, healthy, clean hair. Organic argan oil, argan stem cells, pro-vitamin B5 and CoQ10 help support hair keratin and strengthen hair follicles. Absolutely love this formula – and so does my hair! Organic cocoa seed butter and olive fruit oil provides moisture. Hair is softer, smoother and more manageable. Safe for color treated hair!
My hair needs change a lot – depending on the color, length, amount of time I’m spending in the sun, and the time I’m spending in the ocean – my haircare routine can vary daily. But I’ve been using a couple of raw, organic, natural products the last few months that are all part of a new ritual that I couldn’t be more obsessed with: the Morrocco Method!
What It Is:
If you’re looking for an incredible, effective, natural boost for your hair, look absolutely no further than the Morrocco Method! The best in raw, vegan and paleo hair care, the Morrocco Method is much different than your normal shampoo or even your normal dry shampoo! Morrocco Method shampoos are a mud-like texture and color, and they smell very earthy! I adore the effective list of ingredients, like giant kelp, brown kelp, focus, nettle, white clay, green tea and blue algae!
The Zen Detox Hair and Scalp Therapy mask has been one of my favorites of this collection. Use it with water or comb it through dry, absorbent, potent clays work hard to remove chemicals, build up, and heavy metals from the scalp and hair.
Last but not least, the Sapphire Volumizer Mist in Etheris a leave in conditioner and volumizer. I apply this to my hair after I shower and work it through with a brush before blow drying. It’s great for styling or for curly or kinky hair that needs a little help to chill. It’s raw, vegan, wild crafted, gluten free, and all natural.
What It Does:
In combination, this powerhouse trio of products have completely transformed my hair – and my hair care routine! The shampoo helps me to remove any product, salt or sand, which I am constantly removing since I live at the beach. It also locks in moisture for my hair, helping it to stay hydrated and healthy instead of dry and damaged. My hair has gotten stronger, longer and more shiny since I began this routine! It’s sulfate free so it’s the best for colored hair.
The Volumizer is the perfect detangler with natural grape seed extract. Hair looks thicker, fuller and more bouncy after use and it really helps me get my crazy knots out! I did also seem a lot of volume from my hair recently, which I can only attribute to this spray.
Finally, the Zen Detox mask is great at night to remove any trace of chemicals, product or gunkiness from the scalp and start a-new! May I also say I’ve noticed way less grey hairs popping up since starting this mask? I am very impressed! Also doubles as a great face mask! 🙂
Hi, I'm Tara! A bestselling self-help author, singer and speaker. The Organic Life is a place where I share my healthy life hacks - so we can all become our best selves!
