Goal: To find a less-toxic, permanent, non-drying Hair Dye that covers gray with no fumes.
Brand I Tried: Tints of Nature
Product: Permanent Hair Color in 4CH (Rich Chocolate Brown), & 4RR (Dark Henna Red).
Product Description: (Directly from their website) Tints of Nature is the only available line of permanent hair colors to use natural, certified organic ingredients wherever feasible. The highly effective formula also has a naturally derived base. It is paraben free and contains no harsh ammonia, resorcinol or nonoxynol, thus helping to ensure damage free results. We use extra mild, low odor, pharmaceutical grade peroxide and the lowest possible percentage of PPD pigments (Paraphenylenediamines) – ranging from 1N (the darkest) at 2.0% to 10XL (the lightest) at 0.03% – giving an average of 0.6% across the line. You can darken your hair by several shades, lighten it by 1- 1 1/2 shades, simply match or even enhance your natural color, and gently but effectively cover all gray hair. You can choose the color and we take care of the condition – leaving your hair soft and silky with a deep and lasting shine. Every carton contains a bottle of Tints of Nature color gel and a bottle of Tints of Nature color fix plus shampoo and conditioner sachets, a pair of plastic gloves and full instructions.
Ingredients: Color Fix & Color Gel (Hair Color)… Read Here.
- Price: $17.99 (you can usually find them on sale though).
- Size: 120 ml. / 4.2 oz.
- Uses: Permanent Hair Color.
- Amount Of Product Used For It To Be Effective: All. I have very long, thick, curly hair. Now that my hair is getting longer (almost down to my bra strap in the back) I think I might start needing 1 1/2 – 2 boxes of dye. It covers very well though.
- First Impression: WOW, no bad smell!
- Visual Attractiveness: Natural-looking packaging. Bottles are nice too. However- the pictures of the women on the boxes are a little scary (they look possessed) yikes!
- Texture: Like conventional Hair Dye gel.
- Scent: Very low-odor, which is awesome! Smells faintly like a mix of licorice & bananas (in a good way). Don’t ask LOL.
- How Long I’ve Used It: Several times since May 2010.
- Easy To Find And Where? Whole Foods Market, TintsOfNatureUSA.com, Amazon.com.
- Acquired: Purchased with my own money.
- Customer Service: Haven’t used it. They have a very informative website if you just click around.
- Sample, Trial, Travel Sizes?: No.
- EWG’s Skin Deep – Cosmetic Safety Database Rating: I don’t know for this one- but it has to be better than conventional ones- it is paraben, ammonia, resorcinol or nonoxynol free and has the lowest percentage of PPD pigments possible. Sadly, this is one of those products where none of them are actually natural or healthy- just less toxic (except Henna, I think).
- The GG’s Opinion: I’m not gonna lie. I am sooooo not ready to start going gray at 32. If you’re anything like me- there are just some things you’re going to do anyway- so you might as well be realistic and choose the lesser of the two evils, right? I used frequent high-end salons for highlights/ lowlights, etc. but times are tough and I’m on a VERY strict budget these days! When I used to play “Beauty Salon” at home, I was a pretty loyal Loreal Feria / Excellence user. To cover grey the best, have tried a a few different methods. I shampoo & condition my hair BEFORE I dye it, towel dry it really well and apply the dye to damp hair (this also helps the color to spread more easily). I leave it on for about 45-50 minutes, and I have even mixed colors 1/2 & 1/2 (like 4CHh & 4RR) which gave me better grey coverage. I noticed the reds don’t get as orangey and last way longer if mixed with a brown. I also, shampoo & condition after I rinse the color out. They have a lot of great Tips & Techniques here and FAQ’s here. I initially chose Tints of Nature because they had color swatches (dye runs a little darker- so I would go a shade or two lighter than you think) with very natural and realistic hair colors. Things I heart about it: it didn’t sting my scalp, my eyes and nose don’t burn from the toxic fumes, I don’t have to freeze my ass off (having to keep the windows wide open with wet hair in the bathroom when it’s snowing out) anymore, my boyfriend didn’t complain about the fumes, no dry, damaged hair or breakage at all. I like that this product gives you multi-faceted color (similar to Feria) and has lasted about 3-4 weeks with no fading. Woo-hoo! Downside: it’s a little pricey for an “at-home-dye” (especially if you have long hair and need two bottles), feels like forever to rinse color out (which I’m okay with), I usually use my own shampoo & conditioner instead – not because they are not good, but because I have hair products with cleaner ingredients (I wish these did too). It also does fade a little on the stray greys around my hair-line (from my face wash though, I think). As soon as I realized it and was more careful, it stopped. YAY for listing the % of PPD’s and more specifically EVERY single ingredient on their website, including for the Shampoo & Conditioner Sachets. Love, Love LOVE this Hair Color and would definitely purchase it again unless I find something safer that works just as well!
22 Comments
Anonymous
November 9, 2010 at 3:33 amThanks for the post.
Have you ever tried Naturtint? I am curious about this hair color.
It is sold at Whole Foods like Tints of Nature.
The Glamorganic Goddess
November 9, 2010 at 4:20 amHi “Anonymous” LOL. I actually have tried Naturtint and didn’t like it at all. I found it to be extremely drying on my hair and left it feeling like straw. However, it seems to get really rave reviews from everybody else- a lot of people swear by it and my mom really likes it (she’s all gray, and uses it for lowlights). Makeupalley.com and Amazon.com have tons of reviews of it… Hope this helps :) xoxo
Lorraine
August 5, 2018 at 3:59 pmI found this because I just tried Naturtint and got straw hair, too. I will definitely try the Tints of Nature next time. Great review!
Danielle
August 8, 2018 at 2:19 pmGreat! Keep us posted Lorraine! 💗✨
Anonymous
November 9, 2010 at 4:14 pmThanks, I am trying to decide which natural hair color to use. In fact I bought a few boxes of Naturtint a while ago, when they were on sale. I now have 5N, 4N, 4G colors of Naturtint. I was going to mix 2 of them to make a haircolor, but have been postponing..
Anonymous
December 21, 2010 at 1:11 pmI am a hair stylist and use Organic Color Systems. I changed brands about a year ago. I love it but am still on the look out for a “cleaner” color. But I love that it doesn’t smell or burn. Just wanted to let you know there is a more natural color out there at salons too. I would love to open a natural/organic salon someday!
Sheila
May 2, 2016 at 3:19 pmHELP>>>>. I currently use Organic Color systems (have my hair colored in salon). They are no longer going to carry Organic Color systems….but rather going to use Tints of Nature. They tell me the two products are the same ingredients. Reading your comments….what is your opinion? I have a chemical sensitivity…and love Organic color systems…no smell at all…no redness on my skin after getting my hair colored……love the color and texture of my hair when done. Do you thing switching to Tints of Nature is going to be the same in results? I am very nervous about the switch? Please give me your honest opinion. Thank you!
Danielle
May 2, 2016 at 4:57 pmHey Sheila! Unfortunately, I’ve never personally used Organic Color Systems… since I made the switch, I’ve actually been coloring my hair at home with usually either Tints of Nature, or Herbaceuticals Naturcolor. Or… I bring the color to the Salon + my hairdresser does it for me. I’m not exactly sure about how exact of a match the ingredients are, but I would call both companies + compare, just to be sure! I can tell you that compared to conventional hair color, these have much less of a chemical odor (at least to me), but none of the 3 brands are completely natural. For them to work properly, + coat the hair permanently, they need certain chemicals. However these 2 brands seem to be the lesser of the evils unless you go with a true Henna. Other options I’ve heard of but haven’t tried yet (that might be worth a shot) are HairPrint, Palette By Nature, Madison Reed, + Naturigin. Keep me posted, and let me know if you try any of these before I do! Hope this helps! xo <3
Sheila
May 2, 2016 at 5:38 pmThanks so much for the quick response. Which do you like better the tints of nature or herbaceuhicats? Is there definitely an odor to the tints of nature and how does the color you pick and the color you get match? I want to cover grey (actually white…haha). And my hair is light in color. And I do have highlights done…darker .
Do you have to put a darker shade on to achieve the color you want? Sorry so many questions….I am so thankful that you answered me back so quickly. THANK YOU!!!
Danielle
May 3, 2016 at 9:39 amHi Sheila!
I’m not sure if Tints of Nature is owned by Organic Color Systems or vice versa… I’d call them.
Honestly, I go back + forth between the two since Whole Foods is frequently out of my shade (in both brands) – must be a popular color, Lol ;) I tend to reach for the Herbaceuticals first, for some reason. I don’t have the boxes in front of me, but if I remember correctly, I think the Herbaceuticals is a little cleaner ingredient-wise, + has slightly less of an odor than the Tints of Nature. And, while the odor is pretty faint for both brands compared to conventional hair color, they still smell like hair dye due to the chemicals they need to make them work. No permanent Hair Color will be truly odor free. I have to say, I was surprised that they smelled as little as they did when I first started using them though – hopefully that’s helpful to you. I also haven’t experienced any reactions to either brand.
As far as color picking / matching – it’s really hard to say since my hair is really dark brown (with some greys I’m trying to cover). I tend to lean towards reds, chocolate browns + sometimes even blacks, so unless I’m lifting my natural hair color (which I haven’t done in a few years now), it’s not going to change that drastically. Plus, it depends on what I had in it before. My Mom’s hair is all grey though, + she has to use about a shade darker than she normally would with both brands, but you really have to try it to see – everybody’s hair is different. I know there’s also a better method to covering grays than what’s mentioned on the box with one of those brands (don’t remember which one). If you call them, they’ll tell you.
Hope this helps! xo <3
Sheila
May 2, 2016 at 5:56 pmThanks for your quick reply….I may be a little confused now….is the Tints of Nature made by Organics Color Systems? Which did you like better…the Tints of Nature or Herbacuehicats (spelling may be wrong on that one)? Would you say that it was pretty much odor free? Did you have any redness on your neck or face or itching after you used the Tints of Nature? From others reviews…they said that the Tints of Nature colors seem darker than the box notes. Did you find the color you selected was pretty close to the picture. I need to cover gray (well is really is white..lol). My overall cover is like a dirty blonde. I also have darker highlights but in as well. Thank you so much for all your help! I value your opinion!
Anonymous
March 31, 2011 at 2:29 pmHi Anonymous, a lot of us with gray hair cannot afford salon colouring. I have to retouch every two weeks my hair grows so fast so have no choice but to do it myself. I cannot use ammonia it breaks my hair and there is no permanent box colour that covers gray put out by L’Oreal, Garnier or Clairol that doesn’t contain ammonia. I alternate between this one and Herbatint, both give me okay coverage of the gray and my hair looks as good as most women my age including those who get the salon colours.
XtineBeanie
September 7, 2011 at 8:31 pmI’m happy to see this review; this was the exact product I’ve been wondering about! Thanks!
Rita
July 24, 2014 at 10:55 amHi there, GG! Have you ever tried or heard of Palette by Nature? Here is a link to their website: http://www.palettebynature.com/default.asp. I have not tried them or any natural hair color yet. I am currently in the process of switching my beauty regime to a more natural one and am new to your site. I appreciate all the reviews and great info you have here!
Danielle
July 29, 2014 at 9:44 amThanks Rita! :) I haven’t tried Palette by Nature yet… I’ve heard mixed Reviews, so I’ve been a little hesitant to try it. Don’t worry though… you guys will be the first to know if I do! Xo <3
krystal
November 1, 2014 at 5:58 amI use tints of nature but im unhappy with the colour fading!! Did u find urs done that too? Iv tried the golden brown, light brown and now on chocolate brown 4ch and its still all faded espeshly at my ends! Im getting over it to be honest… do you k ow if you can switch back to store baught brand like napro paletter or garnier nutrisse
Danielle
November 3, 2014 at 7:57 pmHey Krystal, Personally, I haven’t had that issue on my ends, but I have around my hairline {from washing my face}. BUT, I’ve found this happens with ALL of the natural-ish brands…not just Tints of Nature. I’m not sure what your natural hair color is like, but I’m always using dark on dark, or red on dark. I also only wash my hair about once to twice a week, so my color probably lasts longer for that reason. I’ve also noticed my hair is much healthier from not washing it so much. Contact them + see what they have to say… they may have a few tips to help you out + if I’m correct, I think the “N” colors might cover better + last a little longer. Also if you’re hair is long {like mine} you might need a box + a 1/2 or so as well. I’d contact them! Good luck girl! XO <3
LYNNE
May 21, 2015 at 12:44 pmHi Danielle,
This review and all the comments are really helpful! Please let me know if you have any updates!
Danielle
June 17, 2015 at 11:45 amGreat to hear! Totally will Lynne! XO <3
Barbara
May 27, 2016 at 4:51 amAlert: re fading and dryness: usually hair becomes porous after dying it. Then it can’t hold color. My manicurist got me something called “filler”. The brand is “colorful” and product is called “neutral protein Filler. It fills pores in the hair strands so it can absorb color. It also can be used as a conditioner.
My second hint is for those who get orange or red after putting on dye. Mic your dye with a color that has the word “ash” in it. Ash has blue in it and that drabs out red and orange. You can mix blonde tones with ash blonde; you can mix brown with different shades of ash brown ranging from light ash to medium ash it’d ark ash. Usually have to special order. Do test swatches first because ash I will darken deeper than brown.
Anonymous
November 15, 2017 at 12:07 pmI used Tints and Nature for the first time over the weekend and had a terrible experience and reaction to my scalp, forehead, ears, neck and my right eye that I had to go to Ugernt Care. I’m not so sure if this product is all organic with natural ingredients as indicated. However, I am not a big fan of this product and you should understand why. Ladies, I know we want to look our best but, sometimes manufacturers and advertisement does not have your best interest.
Danielle
November 30, 2017 at 7:43 pmHi Anonymous, I’m so sorry you had that experience! Please contact Tints of Nature directly here + let them know! Please remember to ALWAYS do a strand test first, when trying new products / brands to see how you react first, just incase. I have been using this brand since 2009 + have never had an issue… but… everyone is different + has different sensitivities to things! To clarify… Permanent Hair Color is never completely organic, or completely natural (unless it’s 100% Henna) + will unfortunately almost always require some sort of chemicals to work + last “permanently”. The natural-ish Hair Dye options I mention on here are based on my own personal experiences + are in the “better than most” category. Hope this helps! XO ❤️