Beets are arguably one of the most delicious veggies you can throw in your smoothie, but I bet you've never thought to include them in your beauty routine. Dying your hair with beets is a great way to add a temporary reddish tint to your strands, without dealing with any nasty chemicals. You've seen what cooking beets does to your hands, right? It'll do the same to your hair, but in the best way possible. Plus, there are other ways to add them to your DIY beauty projects. According to Stylecraze, that same dying pigment, called betalain, is a powerful antioxidant that fights free radicals and premature aging.
My hair has never been naturally jet black. As a young goth, this was the bane of my entire teen existence. Throughout my days of putting all types of chemicals in my hair, I constantly dyed my hair at home with everything from Manic Panic to at home "permanent" dyes. Still, it seemed that my hair could never be black enough — though I did become a professional at removing hair dye out of clothes and tiles. Eventually, I outgrew chemicals and the quest for black hair. These days, I'm always seeking ways to add natural-looking browns and reds to my 'fro. Beets are one of my favorite ways to achieve this. They get bonus points for being much easier to clean out of my sink than traditional dye, but it's mainly the benefits of beets for hair is why I keep this vegetable stocked in my fridge.
This root veggie can protect your skin's elasticity, reduce inflammation, and protect our skin from the harmful rays of the sun. Rich in potassium, protein, vitamins A, C, and K, beets are a nutritious food you want to put all over your body for maximum natural beauty benefits.
With all the goodness beets have to offer, it's no surprise that, aside from eating them with some goat cheese, one of the most common ways to use beets is to rinse your hair with beets. A beet rinse can relieve an itchy scalp and dandruff by moisturizing and removing dead skin cells. Any hair rinse worth its merit is going to be packed with vitamins and crucial benefits for the scalp too, since healthy strands start at the source. Here's how you can use beets in your hair for a temporary auburn glow and a happy scalp.
Beet, Ginger, And Olive Oil Scalp Treatment
A mixture of beet juice and fresh ground ginger can add some shine to your hair, especially when you add in super-moisturizing olive oil. Juice two beets, ground a tablespoon of fresh ginger, and mix with two teaspoons of olive oil. Massage your rinse directly on your scalp and then work the treatment from the ends to the roots of your hair. Keep in for about 10 minutes and rinse well.
Beet, Rose, And Black Tea Hair Rinse
This is my personal favorite way to get a red tint. Since I often do weekly rinses with roses or beets, my temporary tint seems to stick around as well as the vitamins in each hair strand. I use one cup of beet juice, half a cup of rose water, and a half cup of black tea. The black tea is loaded with antioxidants for your scalp, but those tannins are dying as well. After several attempts of trying to get a natural red tint in the sunlight, I've found adding the black tea keeps that tinge lasting longer.
Image: woodleywonderworks, tracy benjamin/Flickr; Giphy; Kristin Collins Jackson
