Natural Dyes: How Was Hair Dyed in the Middle Ages?
Introduction
Changing hair color is not a modern invention. Natural dyes already existed in the Middle Ages, although they were less long-lasting than today's chemical dyes. Let's discover what they used and what hair dyeing meant at that time. In the Middle Ages, dyeing one's hair was not just a matter of aesthetics; self-expression, social status, and, in many cases, rituals linked to body care and health came into play.
Most Used Ingredients:
Golden and Reddish Plants
The much-prized golden and reddish tones were also obtained with: vine ash, saffron, crocus, dwarf elder, greater celandine, madder, myrtle berry, oats, and saffron. They were mixed with licorice and even used as shampoo.
Walnut Shells — Brown to Black Tones
Walnut shells were frequently used to obtain deep brown or black colors, using maceration or filtering techniques.
Chamomile, turmeric, onion skin — Soft yellows
Despite being more common in textiles, ingredients such as chamomile, turmeric, or onion skin also appeared in occasional recipes to tint light tones.
Henna — The Eternal Classic
Although with older origins, henna remained a popular resource for reddish tones in hair, especially in the Islamic world.
Ritual Mixes: Ashes, Vinegar, Pomegranates…
Some medieval preparations included pre-treatments with ash, vinegar, oak galls, or alum before applying the dyes, which helped to better fix the color.
Even more extreme methods are mentioned, such as the use of fermented animal urine (rich in ammonia) or mixtures with ashes to lighten hair more drastically.
Fermented Herbs
For greenish or yellowish tones
Which Techniques Are Still Popular Today?
- Henna: still widely used in natural cosmetics, for its long-lasting and completely organic effect.
- Macerated and vegetable extracts: eco-friendly brands use these ingredients (e.g., madders, turmeric, chamomile) in shampoos and semi-natural dyes.
- Walnut shells and yellow plants: reappear in artisanal formulations to tint tones.
- Also, DIY trends on social media revive ancestral recipes with flower or root infusions.
Social and Cultural Differences
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Nobility: used dyes as a symbol of status.
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Clergy: dyeing could be considered vanity.
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Common people: resorted to accessible home remedies.
Procedures
Hair was soaked with herbal pastes or liquids and left in the sun to fix the color. The result was less uniform than modern dyes, but enough to create a style.
Conclusion
Medieval dyes reflect a mixture of aesthetics, social symbolism, and experimentation with nature. The most extraordinary thing about these techniques is how they reveal the ingenuity and connection of our ancestors with nature. Hair care was not a luxury: it was part of an ancestral wisdom.
