Following on from our last article about the safety of hair colouring we had several questions raised about mixing colours to get an exact shade for you. This is not an exact science but it isn’t nearly as difficult as it might at first appear. Mixing Tints of Nature products to get your exact colour is actually quite easy.
Why mix colours?
Continue reading
Frequently Asked Questions
Q] Will Tints of Nature cover grey hair?
A] The natural shades 1N – 8N in the Tints of Nature range will cover 100% grey hair. If you wish to use one of the fashion shades, then you simply need to mix this with the corresponding natural shade in equal amounts, e.g. 25ml 7D + 25ml 7N + 50ml Colourfix. Please note, 10N is not guaranteed to cover grey hair.
Q] Can I use Tints of Nature over another hair colourant?
A] Tints of Nature can be used over other hair colours, except metallic based products. If you have used a hair colour which contains a metal such as lead acetate, zinc, iron or copper, please wait at least one month before using Tints of Nature and shampoo your hair thoroughly during this time. This advice also applies to using Tints of Nature over a henna colour, which can leave a waxy residue on the hair and make colouring difficult.
Q] I have used hair colour for years without any problems. Why do I need to carry out a sensitivity test before using Tints of Nature?
A] It is possible to become sensitive to ingredients used in hair colour over time. Also some medication may have an affect, as well as permanent make-up or tattoos. If your scalp is irritated or damaged, this might also cause a potential reaction. We always recommend that a sensitivity test is carried out at least 48 hours before use, every time you use Tints of Nature. Full details are included in the instruction leaflet in each box.
Q] Why should I carry out a strand test, when the colour result is shown on the box?
A] The colour result shown on the box is an indication only of the actual result you will get with your Tints of Nature colour. There are mainly variables which can affect the final result; for example, condition of the hair, percentage of grey in the hair, previous colourant on the hair, medication, etc. We advise that a strand test is carried out at the same time as the sensitivity test, to make sure that you are happy with the colour. Full details are included in the instruction leaflet in each box.
Q] Are Tints of Nature products suitable for vegans and vegetarians?
A] All the colours are suitable for use by vegans and vegetarians, along with Tints of Nature Shampoo, Conditioner, Reconstructing Treatment and Seal & Shine. Sulfate-Free Shampoo and Scalp Treatment both contain a milk derivative, which may be something that vegans choose not to use.
Q] Can any unused colour be saved and used for another application?
A] Any unused colour which has been mixed with the Colourfix should be disposed of. However, any unmixed colour can be saved in the bottle and should last several months, so can be used for another application. Please make sure that the bottle is sealed properly and is stored in a cool place out of direct sunlight.
Q] I am pregnant. Can I colour my hair?
A] We do not recommend that Tints of Nature is used during pregnancy or whilst breastfeeding. Please consult your doctor, if you do decide to colour your hair during this time and make sure you carry out a sensitivity test.
Q] Can Tints of Nature be used by people undergoing chemotherapy?
A] Due to the nature of the treatment for cancer, we do not recommend that Tints of Nature is used during chemotherapy, radiotherapy or other forms of treatment. Please consult your doctor if you do decide to colour your hair during this time and make sure you carry out a sensitivity test. After treatment has been completed, it may be possible to colour the hair once there is about an inch of growth, although if the scalp is damaged, excessively dry or irritated, or the hair is brittle, then colouring should not take place. We recommend that semi-permanent hair colour is used for the first few months, until hair becomes stronger. We always recommend that both a sensitivity and strand test are carried out.
Q] My hair needs colouring, but it is dry so I do not want to risk damaging it further. Can I use Tints of Nature?
A] Tints of Nature will not damage your hair so you are fine to colour it. Tints of Nature shampoos and conditioners will help to repair the damage and restore the natural protein and moisture balance of the hair.
Q] My hair is dull and feels damaged?
A] Use the Tints of Nature shampoo and conditioner range, which is designed to work with coloured hair to maintain a natural balance of protein and moisture.
Q] How can I darken the ends of my hair without having all my hair coloured?
A] Choose the same colour as before, mix 25mls colour with 25mls Colourfix in a clean plastic bowl, add a small amount of Tints of Nature shampoo and mix thoroughly. This can be applied to the faded ends with a sponge. Check colour after 15 minutes – this should be enough time, add water and work up to a lather. Rinse off then condition using Tints of Nature conditioner.
Q] Is there a way of removing permanent hair colour if I am not happy with the result?
A] Yes, but it has to done at a hair salon, as they have the correct products to do this. This is the reason why we recommend that a strand test is done before full application.
Q] The colour result is too dark. What can I do?
A] We always recommend a strand test before the hair is coloured, which will indicate the actual colour result on your hair. If the hair is too dark after colouring, you can use a saline solution, which will fade the colour over the course of a couple of weeks.
Saline solution instructions: Shampoo hair and rinse. Mix 1L of warm water with 2 tablespoons of salt to make the saline solution. Dip a sponge in the solution and run through the hair. Repeat until all the solution has been used – leave on for 15 minutes. Rinse, shampoo, rinse and then condition the hair. Rinse. These simple steps should release the pigment, but fading may not appear immediately. It can take a few days for the process to become evident. This process can be repeated once a week for three weeks.
Q] What can I do about the brassy yellow tones in my grey hair?
A] Ash colours are perfect for this problem. You can use 6C or 10C.
Q] What is double processed hair?
A] Hair that has two or three chemical processes on it, and Bleach and Hilift colours using high volumes of peroxide.
Q] Can Tints of Nature be used for lightening hair?
A] Tints of Nature will lift hair by approximately one shade, e.g. if you are a natural base 5, then it will lift your hair to around a base 6. For a greater lift, we offer a lightening kit, which is suitable for medium brown to blonde hair.
Q] I want to highlight my hair. How do I do this?
A] We offer a highlighting kit, which is suitable for dark brown to blonde hair.
Q] How often should I colour my hair?
A] If you are covering regrowth, we recommend that you colour your hair when there is 1 – 1½ inches of regrowth. This is usually about every four to six weeks, but the time is dependent on how quickly your hair grows.
Q] The colour did not work on my grey hair. What can I do?
A] Grey hair that is resistant to colour will need to be shampooed first. Shampoo, towel dry well and apply the colour to damp hair. You can extend the development time up to fifty minutes. Medication can also be a problem; HRT and Thyroxin can block colour. You could also apply very low heat with a hairdryer for the first ten minutes of the development time.
Q] Do any of your colours contain henna?
A] Although we use the term henna in the name of some colours, this is just to indicate the shade. We do not use any henna in the products.
Q] I have recently permed my hair. Can I use your colours?
A] We recommend that you wait one week after having your hair permed with an ammonia-based perm. If you have had your hair permed with Organic Curl Systems ammonia-free perm, then you can colour your hair straightaway.
Q] Can I use the highlighting kit with the colour or someone else’s colour?
A] The highlighting kit is compatible with the Tints of Nature permanent hair colours, but may not be compatible with other brands of colour.
Q] When can I apply the highlighting kit if I have just coloured my hair?
A] The highlighting kit can be applied directly after colouring your hair with Tints of Nature.
Q] What’s the difference between the highlighting and lightener kits?
A] The lightener kit is designed for a full head application, to lighten the whole of the head. The highlight kit uses a cap and hook to create highlighted strands throughout the hair.
Q] Can I go back to ammonia-based hair colours after using Tints of Nature?
A] Tints of Nature will not damage your hair, so you should be able to apply another brand of colour over the top. We recommend that you consult the manufacturers of the brand you wish to use, to make sure that it is compatible with Tints of Nature.
Q] I have a stain from the colour on my skin. How do I remove it?
A] Soap and water should remove any staining on the skin.
Q] Is Tints of Nature suitable for afro hair?
A] Due to the nature of the product, Tints of Nature is unlikely to be suitable for afro hair.
Q] Is Tints of Nature hair colour suitable for use on children?
A] Tints of Nature is not for use by anyone under the age of 16.
Q] Do any of your products contain heavy metals?
A] No, none of the Tints of Nature products contain any heavy metals.
The skin is the largest single organ in the body and when people say that ‘we are what we eat’ they are partly right but in truth we are what we absorb and the sad truth is that we absorb many chemicals through our skin.
Even when we shower we absorb chemicals from the shower water – chlorine and anything else thats in the water. In truth the shower is probably one of the most harmful place in the home. Firstly we breath in the fine aerosol of chemicals created by the shower spray and then the warmth of the water opens up our skin pores to exacerbate the issue.
One scary though for today is that whenever we throw unused pharmaceutical drugs down the toilet (we recommend returning them to the Pharmacy) or just use pharmaceutical drugs they invariably end up in the sewer. Most people have never even thought about the way sewage treatment plants work but the sad truth is that these chemicals simply pass straight through. They then end up accumulating in the river water, sea water and ground water. Guess what we do them – yes you’ve got the picture – we then extract the water and feed it back into our water supplies. The water companies don’t test for chemicals generally or specifically and the reality si that the water we drink and wash in has all sorts of different chemicals in it and they all have the potential to harm.
If you want to read a good book about how to survive on a toxic planet the book by the same name authored by Dr Steve Nugent is a good place to start.
We like to think that we are not adding to the chemical polutants and by using perfume free Shampoo and hair conditioners that have reduced chemical profiles that we are also protecting ourselves when we shower and bathe.
One of the best products out there is made in Denmark.
No Perfume shampoo Organic 500 ml
No perfume – For all hair types.
Ingrediens: Water, vegetable glycerine*, coconut and corn sugar soap, alcohol*, glyceride of coconut oil, glyceride of sunflower oil, citric acid. Nothing else.
* = Organic
International ingredients (INCI)2010: Aqua, glycerin*, coco-glucoside, cocamidopropyl betaine, sodium coco-sulfate, alcohol*, glyceryl caprylate, glyceryl oleate, sodium cocoyl glutamate, citric acid. Nothing else.
* = ingredient from Organic farming.
100% of the total of the ingredients are of natural origin. 13% of the total of the ingredients proceed from Organic Agriculture.
Natural and Organic Cosmetics.
Certified by ECOCERT SAS – BP 47- F-32600 Lisle Jourdain
Asthma-Allergy Association, Denmark
The Danish Astma-Allergy Association The Danish Astma-Allergy Association is a highly respected and reputable organization taking care of the interests of people who suffer from allergy. General advice on allergy and declaration of products which can be used by allergic people is part of their work.
To declare products in association with the Danish Astma-Allergy Association manufacturers must submit their recipes for control by external and independent specialists on allergy appointed by the Danish Astma-Allergy Association. Besides the total composition of the product the specialists check and approve the individual ingredients and the manufacturer of same, to assure the total product and the individual ingredients are safe for use by allergic people.
Products declared in association with the organization are allowed to be labeled with the blue logo of the Danish Astma-Allergy Association.
The Danish Astma-Allergy Association has sister organizations in other Scandinavian and continental European countries.
You might think that Soap, one of the most widely used and recommended things to keep you safe at home, would be safe to use. Sadly due to modern developments in terms of chemicals, the old favourite soap is now worthy of carrying it’s own health warning. So why has it become so much of a threat?
The Sun Jar stores sun light. Literally, it collects and stores sunshine, so that you can use it at night. The Sun Jar was voted Eco Friendly Gift of the Year 2007!
Features:
Free Sunlight forever! Sun Jar stores up sunshine for the night-time.
The Sun Jar stores sun light. Literally, it collects and stores sunshine, so that you can use it at night.
http://www.ecohip.co.uk/energysavingproducts/sun-jar.html
Where does the plastic we use end up? Sure some of it ends up in the landfill sites (those are filling up fast), some is used in waste to energy plants that create electricity, some is reused, some is recycled and some of it just gets lost or seems to disappear – where does it go? We may have found out where it is ending up. If you look in the right places in the oceans you’ll find huge floating rafts of plastic that has accumulated over the years and still is accumulating.
The most prominent is the so called Pacific ocean garbage patch – and it is currently the size of Africa and growing daily. Every Ocean has the same issue – and that’s just the stuff that floats. Imagine the stuff that sinks. If you look at the water in our oceans today under a microscope you will see finely ground up plastic – almost invisible to the human eye from the deepest oceans to the very top.
If you go to the Antarctic and drill through the ice you’ll find in certain places a thick layer of brown smelly goo just underneath the ice. If you analyse this you’ll find every chemical known to man and a few new combinations that have never been made – DDT, PCBs etc are all there and they are collecting in our oceans. Can you wonder why our fish don’t want to live there anymore? If we continue to rely on industrial plastics then the future is gloomy to say the least.
So how can we reduce the amount of plastic we use?
If you have to use the supermarkets then choose unpackaged products where ever possible
Don’t buy bottled water – buy a filtration jug and save money in the process or buy your water in glass bottles – there are many good stainless steel refillable water bottles on the market today
The arguments continue to rage around the safety of mobile phones (cell phones) and we are all spending more time in contact with these really useful devices. Smartphones, like the IPhone and Samsung Galaxy, are encouraging even more ‘contact-time’. The debate continues when one study comes out and says there is no evidence of harm done by the radiation and then another comes about and says there is evidence of harm even cancer.
Modern hair colouring owes its very existence to French chemist Eugene Schuller, who in 1909 pioneered the use of the chemical paraphenylenediamine. Colouring hair has become commonplace and it is estimated that in excess of 75% of all women colour their hair but the range of chemicals has increased. Hair colouring works because of the chemical (peroxide, ammonia etc) reactions between the hair and pigments.
Hair is made of mostly keratin, the same protein found in skin and fingernails. The natural colour of hair depends on the ratio and quantities of two other proteins, eumelanin and phaeomelanin. Eumelanin is responsible for brown to black hair shades while phaeomelanin is responsible for golden blond, ginger, and red colours. The absence of either type of melanin produces white/gray hair.
People have been colouring their hair for thousands of years using plants and minerals. Some of these natural agents contain pigments (e.g., henna, black walnut shells) and others contain natural bleaching agents or cause reactions that change the colour of hair (e.g., vinegar). Natural pigments generally work by coating the hair shaft with colour. Some natural colorants last through several shampoos, but they aren’t necessarily safer or more gentle than modern formulations. It’s difficult to get consistent results using natural colorants, plus some people are allergic to the ingredients.
Tints of Nature produces outstanding results whilst protecting and caring for your scalp and hair as naturally and as gently as possible. Contains organic aloe vera, comfrey extract and roman chamomile to soothe, calm and heal. Maintains hair’s natural moisture and protein balance. 100% grey coverage.
Contains all organic ingredients:
Ingredients:
Colour Gel: PEG-2 Soyamine, Aqua, Cocamide DEA, Alcohol Denatured, Oleic Acid, Propylene Glycol, Ethanolamine, Hydrolysed Wheat Protein, Parfum, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Certified Organic Symphytum Officinale (Comfrey Extract), Certified Organic Aloe
Check out our Tints Instruction Leaflet
We also have a very good Self Colouring Step by Step Guide
Many gardens today are small and city gardens are often little more than a courtyard but it is still possible to grow a good selection of salad and small vegetables.
Herbs, salad vegetables and many fruits thrive in pots and containers. They are perfect for beginnersd and those with small gardens. There are all shapes and sizes of pots and containers and even some surprising ones. Check recycling yards – old sinks, toilets, wheelbarrows, coal scuttles, yoghurt pots, fertilizer drums in fact anything that can hold compost could be suitable.
1. Choose suitably sized containers
Salad vegetables like raddishes, beetroot and lettuce tend to have shallow roots so you might need only a couple of inches soil depth. Carrots and deep rooted vegetables might need a foot or more. Some crops like courgetes like to spread so you’ll need a larger area. Potatoes grow very well and can often be grown in columns 4 or 5 feed high for super yeilds. Bean need more depth and plenty of organic material as they are hungry plants and need lots of nutrients.
2. Water, Water, Water
Pots will dry out quickly and plants will die. So make sure you have the facility to water your pots. There are water retaining gels and high tech solutions but a simple watering can is a great place to start.
3. Good drainage
It seems counter intuitive that while plants need water they will die if they get too much – so you will have to make sure that your pots have adequate drainage so they don’t get waterlogged.
4. Compost
Compost is a complex subject but get along to your local garden centre and buy a bag – 20 litres will cost about £5 or so and don’t forget growbags act as a container as well.
5. Regular feeding
Most plants only need feeding once a week and there are many liquid feeds in the garden centre that are suitable for all plants.
6. Good positioning
The positioning of plants in containers is critical and be prepared to move them if you need to. Full sun and wind are the main issues and some plants like neither. Indirect sunlight is often best and some plants even thrive in the shade so check out different varieties.
Following on from the great response we had to the article a few weeks back about food price escalation we had many people ask us if it was possible to grow your own food in a big city or in a small back yard/garden. Many people are waking up to the idea that they can grow their own food.
The very clear answer is yes but the question is then what to grow? Continue reading