Walnut Stain To Color Your Hair: How To Use It?

Have you ever heard of walnut husk? With its brown pigments, this vegetable dye is mainly used to dye and protect wooden furniture. But then, what does it have to do with our names? Walnut husk has many virtues and is a natural ally of our hair! Walnut husk can be used in hair care as a tincture or mask. Not only does it contribute to the excellent health of our hair, but it makes it more beautiful thanks to its beautiful natural coloring with brown reflections. Let’s go, and we will tell you everything about walnut husk, its specificities, and its use!

Walnut Stain: What Is It?

Everyone knows the walnut, but the walnut husk… What is it exactly? Walnut husk comes from the rind that covers walnuts. This bark is green when young and turns brown over time. Indeed, the bark contains tannins which will oxidize in the light and take on a brown color. Once mature, the bark dries out and then splits open to release the nut, which falls to the ground. Therefore, the walnut husk is a dye obtained from this brown bark that is reduced to powder once dried and burned. It has the advantage of being completely natural and ecological but also economical!

What Is Walnut Husk For Hair?

You have understood it; the walnut husk is a natural dye that we can use to tint our pretty hair! In addition to giving them a pretty brown color, a vegetable coloring based on walnut husk will make your hair softer, supple, and shinier!

What Hair Colors Can You Get With Walnut Husk?

The walnut hue will allow you to obtain a very natural color and nuances with pretty brown and warm reflections. Combined with henna, it will add beautiful brown highlights to the color. Walnut stains can be used to tint and darken lighter to brown hair . As for blonde hair, it will give them a darker but very luminous “golden” color. Red hair can also use walnut husk to achieve a darker coppery red. Finally, for white hair, the walnut husk does not entirely cover it but gives it a very natural golden color.

How To Use Walnut Husks On Your Hair?

The walnut husk can be used alone or mixed with henna or other coloring powders, depending on the desired final color. It is used to make coloring pastes but also as a mask or added to your shampoo to maintain the color. Many recipes are possible to prepare your homemade coloring. We give you here an example of coloring based on the walnut husk. 

You will need the following:

1. Walnut. The quantities vary according to your length: approximately 100g for short hair, 150g for medium-length hair, and 250g for long hair;
2. water;
3. Gloves;
4. A wooden utensil (no metal utensil for this preparation).

Then follow these simple steps:

1. Heat the water until it simmers;
2. Gradually add the water to your walnut husk and mix until you obtain a homogeneous and consistent paste;
3. Leave your coloring paste to cool for about 30 minutes;
4. Apply a thick layer to clean, dry hair;
5. Wrap your hair in plastic wrap to keep the dough warm;
6. Leave on for 1 to 3 hours, depending on the intensity of the desired color;
7. Rinse thoroughly with clear water and admire your new color!

Can You Use Walnut Husk On Bleached Hair?

Instead, it is not recommended to use walnut husk on recently bleached or chemically colored hair. If your bleaching is not recent, it is possible, but the results may be different from those observed on natural hair. If you have bleached hair, do not hesitate to ask a professional.

Where To Buy Walnut Husk To Make Its Vegetable Coloring?

The walnut husk is easily found and can be purchased online, in specialized shops such as Biocoop or La Vie Claire, and in supermarkets.

How To Make Walnut Husk Yourself?

The walnut husk is very easy to prepare yourself… provided, of course, that you have a walnut tree near you! The homemade preparation below is done in the fall when the walnuts (and their brown rinds) fall to the ground. To make your autumn walnut husk, you will need the following:

1. About twenty browned walnut shells;
2. A little water ;
3. A pair of gloves and old clothes (the walnut husk stains a lot!);
4. A container.

Once equipped, here are the steps:

1. Crush the browned rinds with a pestle;
2. Put them in your container and cover them with water;
3. Crush your mixture to release the brown pigments;
4. Heat for two hours over low heat;

Once cooled, filter the preparation twice with a sieve and then a paper coffee filter; Leave for a week before use. There you go. Your walnut husk is ready! You can dilute it to get a lighter shade if needed. After each use, remember to close your container tightly. Store your walnut husk away from air, humidity, and light.

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