Dye plants have a long tradition that lends itself well to the field of hair styling too. Michele Rinaldi is the pioneer of plant-based hair dyes — we interviewed him.
Imagine walking into a hairdresser's and smelling nothing but the fragrance of flowers. No artificial substances used — just leaves, herbs and bark. These are the hallmarks of salons where dye plants are used to colour hair, as an alternative to conventional products. The pioneer of this choice is Michele Rinaldi, born in 1981, who, after developing a severe allergy from daily contact with chemical dyes, converted to plant-based alternatives. The transition cost him years of study and sacrifice, but today it is bearing fruit, with training courses held throughout Italy and abroad. A quiet green revolution is effectively under way, giving rise to a new generation of zero-chemistry hair stylists.
We interviewed him between a blow-dry, a colour application and a herbal tea made with the same water and the same plants used on the hair.
Why is choosing dye herbs a sustainable option?
It's a sustainable choice because the dyes are prepared exclusively with hot water and one-hundred-per-cent pure plants, with no added chemical ingredients. As a result, they don't pollute drainage systems or groundwater either. A couple of years ago a farming company even asked if they could collect the rinsed-out material to use as fertiliser and for sowing their fields. We didn't go ahead only because hair was also present in the material, which meant it couldn't be used.
What are your clients looking for?
If twenty per cent of women are allergic and are looking for a treatment that won't make them ill, eighty per cent are lovers of a natural lifestyle. These people embrace organic living and make conscious choices in every aspect of their lives: from food to cosmetics, household cleaning and right through to hair colour. Many of them are also vegetarian or vegan.
Which plants do you use most?
Indigofera, Lawsonia (known as red henna), Marshmallow (soothing and moisturising), Hibiscus, Madder, Alkanna (ideal as an anti-yellow), Logwood — to name but a few. I never associate a single plant with a colour, because the result depends on too many variables, starting with the development time and the blend.
Where do the dye plants come from?
The plants I use come from crops in India and Central America, because at our latitudes they are currently unable to grow. Each plant comes with a detailed technical data sheet showing that no chemical products were used in its cultivation.
How are they processed?
The dye plants I use are processed in Italy — that is, sanitised and disinfected of any bacteria using laser machinery. They are then individually packaged in paper wrapping. The same ingredients are used for food purposes. Hibiscus, for example, goes into the herbal tea: the only difference is that for the cup I use fruits or leaves, whereas for colouring the plant is ground into a powder. If it weren't reduced to a fine powder, the creamy batter wouldn't form when hot water is added, and it wouldn't adhere to the hair.
What benefits does it have on hair compared with a conventional dye?
The dye plant doesn't open the hair cuticle the way chemicals do, so it can't damage it — instead it wraps around it like a film. The effect is hair that feels fuller, more elastic and more lustrous. Even the scalp benefits, as it doesn't flake or redden. All the plants also have a pH almost identical to that of our skin, in a range of 4.5 to 5.8. That is why we feel no itching, burning or irritation. For this reason, unlike conventional dyes, they can also be used during periods when chemical colour is not recommended: during pregnancy, while breastfeeding, or during oncological treatment.