Conscious coloring with hair brownies from Instituut Haar en Gezondheid

Until meeting Dianne the Mebel of Instituut Haar en Gezondheid in 2011,  I’ve always dyed my hairs. Chemically. I did this to be different, to look different, because I wanted a change, not to cover up grey hairs (Started dyeing my hair when I was 10 or 11). As you’ve read HERE, Dianne introduced me to conscious coloring at her salon. This year I went back in search of Clean Shampoo  and Dianne introduced me to her henna hair brownies. She makes these by hand, so you can make your own unique colour compositions and naturally dye your hair at home. If you’re unsure of how to do this, you can also visit one of her workshops.

I was curious how red my very dark hairs could actually become with natural dye only, so I asked Dianne to prepare me the most colorful combination possible for my hair. She made me a unique combination of mahogany, auburn, apricot and golden blonde. Since I’ve got quite some grey hairs, the colour combination should give me highlights and I was really looking forward to how this would work out.

The henna brownies are really easy to use. Since they contain shea butter which melts at 32c, you simply hold it above a candle and grate it (It’s all natural, so yes, you can use your cheese grater). Then you mix it with warm water and this paste is your hair dye! It’s definitely easier and less messy than the powdered henna I once bought.

From the last time I knew that my darkest hairs would not become red from the henna paint, but the plants and spices in the henna brownies are so beneficial for the hair, that all my hair became healthier, shinier, curlier.  This time was no difference. My hair appears to be more full, even more thick and overall prettier. People around me did not see the colour difference unless I’d be in sunlight, but they did see I something changed in my haircut and they liked it, but couldn’t place their finger on it. I love it. My grey hairs are now golden red and the rest has a red shine.

While waiting for my colour to catch on, a new customer walked in, Valeriya. Dianne was very enthusiastic, because Valeriya was a hair-dye-virgin! She never chemically treated her hair, but wanted to cover her grey hairs and was recommended this salon by a colleague. Because her hair is quite a bit lighter than mine, I took some before and after photos with her permission, to show you what plant based hair colouring can do. Judge for yourself, what do you think?

Dianne made Valeriya a unique henna mix of nut brown, cinnamon, rust brown and golden.

 

Because of my bad photography skills you can’t really see how well the grey hairs are covered, but you can see that Valeriya’s hair now has a much warmer colour and is much healthier and curlier thanks to the henna and herbs. She was very pleased with Dianne’s work and pleasantly surprised by the effects on her hair.

So, whether you….
….would like to cover up your grey hairs,
….want to be more conscious about what you put in your hair,
….have decided to stop using chemicals,
….need to give your hair a boost,
….want to change your look,
….would like to have some highlights,
….are a blonde,
….have black hair,
….have chemically dyed your hair before,
….are a hair dye virgin…
The henna brownies from Instituut Haar en Gezondheid are for YOU!

Let me know if you have any questions and I’ll get Dianne to answer them for you.

You can find INSTITUUT HAAR EN GEZONDHEID’s WEBSHOP HERE and if you’re in Amsterdam, of course you can visit the salon: Amstel 186 (just behind Rembrandtplein and just across the Waterlooplein).

DLCS Management is now also on Instagram: www.instagram.com/dlcsmanagement
Keep an eye on the page, soon you can expect videos there of my last visit to Instituut Haar en Gezondheid.

 

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My search for conscious & natural shampoo ended at “Instituut Haar en Gezondheid”

Consciousness

When I started this blog, the term “consciousness” wasn’t hip yet. Luckily, conscious living and consuming became a bit of a trend. For me this process of becoming more conscious of how much waste I produce, what kind of products I use and what I consume, this awareness that almost felt natural to me, happened when I felt I was finally growing up.

The search for natural shampoo

Due to my mixed roots, my thick, dark hair is naturally curly. I’ve mistreated my hair, dyed it in many colours chemically (until I met Dianne te Mebel of Instituut Haar & Gezondheid) and used random beauty products for my hair and body. A couple of years ago I started getting rashes after showering and searched and found natural alternatives for the industrially made shower gels I used until then. The years after this though, I struggled to find good alternatives for my hair shampoos. I tried many shampoos that were advertised to be organic and natural, from many different countries, bought in local “organic shops” (“Natuurwinkels”), as well as online. The problem I had with these shampoos was, that most of them would clean my hair, but they would flatten my curls, make my hair frizzy and take away its shine. From some of the shampoos I ordered online from companies that branded as being completely organic, biological and natural, I figured out they had some chemical ingredients anyway AFTER I got them delivered at home.

Do you know what you put in your hair?

I’ve considered making my own shampoo and did some research, but you know, it’s one of those things that’s still on my To Do List for one day when I will make the time for it. For years I’ve continued my search to the perfect, natural shampoo and I occasionally tried some of the regular shampoos again as well. These actually sometimes make my curls pretty for a while, but contained chemicals and/or stuff like: Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES), Parabens, Sodium Chloride, Polyethylene Glycols (PEG), Diethanolamine (DEA), Triethanolamine (TEA), Dimethicone, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Triclosan, Retinyl Palmitate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS), Synthetic Fragrances, Formaldehyde and Alcohol. WHAT? You don’t know what these are, apart from one, or maybe two?? EXACTLY! That’s my point! Then why would you put them in your hair?

What if I would have remembered her sooner?

I’d never been in touch with Dianne te Mebel again since writing those blogs, when all of a sudden I remembered she KNOWS how to treat hair. She treats hair consciously and has been doing so before this became hip in Amsterdam. I decided to ask her advice about shampoos. I contacted her and she told me to pass by, so she could introduce me to her self-made natural shampoos and other natural hair products.

Instituut Haar en Gezondheid

Dianne’s salon is very centrally located next to the Amstel river that Amsterdam has been named after and it’s warm, welcoming and cozy. I don’t think she advertises much, because for sure people always come back after having visited her the first time. When I entered, I felt like all of the clients present were regulars that have been coming there for years. Dianne’s salon Instituut Haar en Gezondheid (Institute of Hair and Health) specialises in dying your hair naturally with henna (CLICK).

Instituut Haar en Gezondheid at Amstel 186, Amsterdam. Photo by DLCS Management

Natural hair products!

As soon as I entered, I was pleasantly surprised. I saw beautiful shampoo bars that looked like a piece of art, natural argan oils that Dianne brought from Morocco herself, natural apple cider vinegars that will give your hair a boost, henna brownies, hair masks that look super tasty but are for your hair, rosewater to condition your hairs and many more natural products without packaging that instantly made me happy; I knew I found what I’d been looking for.

 

Edible looking natural meringue hair masks at Instituut Haar en Gezondheid. Photo by DLCS Management

 

The shampoo bars smell like spices and weigh about 120 grams each. They’re being wrapped in some paper (with a cute ribbon) to safely take home (I’ve already reused these for a present), but other than that there is no packaging = no waste. They’re easy to take with you (Even in your hand luggage when flying!) and will last you about 50 washings. Oh and they’re vegan and only tested on humans!

 

A selection of the natural shampoo bars at Instituut Haar en Gezondheid. Photo by DLCS Management

 

Heavenly hair washing

To make my morning even better, Dianne announced that she’d be washing my hair for me, to demonstrate the shampoo bar. I love having my hair washed and she was explaining what the shampoo bar was made of and where she gets the ingredients, so this was heavenly.

Eden natural shampoo bar by Instituut Haar en Gezondheid

The Eden henna shampoo bars come in a few different “flavors” and Dianne chose me the “Henna Color shampoo Eden Red/Auburn”. Besides henna, my shampoo bar contains jojoba, rosemary, juniper and grapefruit, also cocoa butter and shea butter. Since my hair hasn’t been dyed for some time and is about black, we don’t expect that the henna will actually color my hair (apart from maybe the grey ones), but last time Dianne dyed my hair, it was revitalised and conditioned and super healthy again thanks to the henna (Read about this HERE) and this lasted for months.

 DLCS Management

Already after a minute I loved the smell. My hair felt clean. After washing my hairs twice, she also conditioned it with her “Sweet Rose Conditioner bar” enriched with sweet orange oil, shea butter and avocado oil and then sprayed in some of her apple cider vinegar (includes plants, blue malva and lemon), which made my hair shine and made the skin on my head feel fresh. Of course I had to test her rosewater and argan oil as well and this stuff smells and feels so amazing!

(I don’t like posting pictures of myself on this blog, but I just had to show you how happy Dianne’s hands & products made me)  

Conclusion?

After this visit I really stretched the time I waited until washing my hair again, just to observe the effect of Dianne’s products on my hair. After a week, my hair still felt and smelt clean. I just really couldn’t wait to try the shampoo bar myself, so I decided it was time. I figured out that you only need to make the bar a little moist to get enough shampoo on your hands and then hair. It foams a lot very easily! There is no way I’ll squirt shampoo in the shower instead of in my hands again and it’s just a tiny little bit that I need for every washing. I’m sure this bar will last for quite some time! It’s been a couple of weeks now and I’m still happy.

Institute Hair and Health, Amsterdam. Photo by DLCS Management

 

So. My conclusion? Until one day I’ll get to my To Do List and will make my own shampoo, I will never use anything else again.

 

My Eden natural shampoo bar by Dianne te Mebel . Photo DLCS Management

 

Exciting!

Oh wait, I almost forgot. I’ve got some exciting news as well.
1.:  Soon Dianne will dye my hair with her natural henna products at Instituut Haar en Gezondheid again and I’m very much looking forward to this.
2. : There’s a webshop! See:  www.hennabrownies.com . For now most of the website is only in Dutch, but Google Translate is your friend and of course you can leave me a message if you have a question. The Henna brownies come in 25 colors and there’s a step-by-step manual on the site (If you’re not confident enough to color at home with the manual AND you’re located in The Netherlands, FYI, every once in a while there are workshops in the salon where you can learn to color your own hair, how to best treat your hair and receive more tips while enjoying a healthy lunch).

 

Natural shampoo bars Eden at Instituut Haar & Gezondheid. Photo DLCS Management

Natural shampoo bars Eden at Instituut Haar & Gezondheid. Photo DLCS Management

Natural shampoo bars Eden at Instituut Haar & Gezondheid. Photo DLCS Management

 

www.instituuthaarengezondheid.nl
www.hennabrownies.com
Instituut Haar & Gezondheid
Amstel 186
1017 AG Amsterdam
(The Netherlands)

 

 

Which natural products do YOU use for your hair?

Are you as conscious about what you put in your hair as about what you put in your belly?

 

DLCS Management logo

 

Dominique is born, my sourdough starter

“Until the introduction of commercial yeast about 200 years ago, people had baked with sourdough for thousands of years. The slow fermentation of a true sourdough makes grains more digestible, boosts nutrition and produces delicious real bread. But you’ll need to make a starter before you can make the bread.”

 

An excerpt from the Zero Waste Chef, my inspiration for making my own sourdough starter baby. Thank you!

 

Dominique, DLCS sourdough starter inspired by the Zero Waste Chef – the making of

 

Have a look at the Zero waste chef’s detailed instructions on starting a starter HERE.

 

Dominique, DLCS sourdough starter inspired by the Zero Waste Chef

Dominique. Born 13-10-2018. 

 

Fingers crossed! It will take about 5-7 days to find out if she’s viable.

Am I ready to have this baby?

So.

I’m getting a day older, time has flown by and I have been mentally preparing for this big step in my life for months. I’ve been looking forward to this, but have also been putting it off, due to busy lifestyle, travels, work and being nervous for such a serious responsibility.

I’m attempting to live more conscious and healthy in any way and feel like such a different person when I read back old posts on this blog (okay, I did grow up a bit).

So.

Maybe it’s time.

I’m a big fan of The Zero Waste Chef . She’s a huge inspiration. I’d like to do a lot of things her way; from zero waste, to recycling, to shopping, to cooking, to fermenting and to having a sourdough baby. She already got me to carrying my breakfast and lunch in mason jars and she thought me it’s possible to freeze food in (glas) mason jars too (I only broke the first one, but with being more conscious and healthy comes patience, which I’m practicing since breaking that first jar)! I haven’t managed to get rid of all the old Tupperware yet, as I will not throw them, but I am slowly eliminating them in the household. Oh and did you know best way to peel ginger is with a spoon? 

I’ve been doing fine in taking care of my cat https://dlcsmanagement.wordpress.com/2012/04/11/my-1st-buzzbox/ for the last 9 years, but I feel like that’s different. The cat wakes me up for food EVERY morning. She cries when she feels sick. She tells me if her toilet is not clean enough, or if there are hairs stuck in her throat. A sourdough baby has to be taken care of a few times a day as well and keeps quiet. It has to be fed, stirred, taken care of and loved.

 

 

I think I might be ready to have this baby, but am very excited. Will I manage?

Conscious colouring; Dianne te Mebel

Do you remember my blog on Conscious colouring (see HERE if you haven’t read it yet) ?

Dianne te Mebel, owner and founder of the Instituut Haar & Gezondheid (Institute for Hair & Health) in Amsterdam has just launched her new website, with webshop to order natural and biological hairproducts.

 

Instituut Haar en Gezondheid Amsterdam

 

You can amongst others order the hairproducts of Pure pact and the official Henna “Startingpackage” online, and of course you can contact Dianne via the site to request personalised  information on consciously colouring your hair.

Pure Pact

Check out the site; http://www.diannetemebel.nl/

Burn calories

Passed by the Ams uni where I was reminded of the upcoming holidays 😉

Conscious colouring; natural and plant based hair colouring

I’ve always loved experimenting with different hair- styles and colours, but for a couple of years I’ve stuck to my own colour, ‘cause I had my doubts about the standard chemical ways of colouring. I recently met Dianne te Mebel, director and owner of the Instituut Haar & Gezondheid (Institute for Hair & Health) in Amsterdam. The Instituut Haar & Gezondheid is one of few salons in Amsterdam and even The Netherlands, which aims to use as much natural products as possible and integrate this in anything they do. Ever since Diane was young, she has a passion for nature, which she decided to incorporate into her profession. She developed herself as an expert in natural and plant based hair colouring.

I’ve always thought that to colour my dark hair,  the only way was de- colouring with ammoniac and then dying with chemical colours. Dianne dared me to test otherwise. She said that not only she could naturally add a hint of colour to my hair, but also promised to revitalise and regenerate my hair, to give it a “healing” treatment to prepare myself for winter. Perhaps, just like me, you don’t know too much about natural and plant based hair colouring? The ladies of the Instituut Haar & Gezondheid, definitely know their field of work and took their time to make me feel comfortable and inform me about anything I was interested in and more.

So.. well.. then what is natural and plant based hair colouring exactly?

The base is henna. Henna is a plant (a shrub actually, called Lawsonia Inermis, more info HERE ), with leaves that contain a tannin dye molecule. This molecule is called Lawson, and  is released when the leaves are pulverised, acidified and made into a paste. This paste can be applied to hair (or skin), to give it a deep, reddish brown stain, because it binds to keratin (that’s what the outer layer of our skin and hair is made of). The colours added to the henna, are extracted from parts of amongst others flowers, trees, and plants that are dried and pulvarised until powder. For example coffee, onion peel, blue wood, cinnamon, hazelnut, rhubarb, salvia, tea, marigold, grains, elderberries and birch bark  are commonly used. Before the colouring- process, the hair is first washed with a mild shampoo to open the hair scales (yes, just like the ones a fish has..), so the pigment can go in between. In my case the hair was washed with a shampoo of Pure Pact (Over HERE you can read my introduction to Pure Pact). When the hair is dried, the hair scales close and keep the pigment inside. The colour will stay in the hair for about 6 to 8 weeks. By washing the colouring, it will slowly get more vague, here for there  will not be any visible outgrow like with chemical hair colouring. Natural hair colouring does not change the colour of your hair, so being a brunette and becoming a blonde, is not possible (but if your hair is grey, you can become a blonde again with the help of marigold!). If you have some grey hairs, as effect of the colouring you’ll get highlights instead. Plant based hair colouring is transparent, it forms a layer around the hair instead of penetrating it. You will keep your own hair colour with a nuance in the colour. From solely natural resources, 40 nuances are possible. By repeating the process of colouring regularly, the colour will become deeper and more intense.

Dianne loves nature and the environment. While working in her hair salon, she realised that even if she was using natural products, in the process of colouring the hair was being packed with tin foil, which was trashed after use. It’s necessary to keep the hair warm after one applies the colouring, so it attaches better to the hair. This caused Dianne to think about a more sustainable way for this process, after which she invented and developed the sustainable heat cap for colouring. With this cap she got nominated for Duurzame Dinsdag 2011, where the countries’ best sustainable ideas are put in a suitcase and offered to the cabinet in order to create more awareness.

All over the world there are millions of women that colour their hair. Many of them do this themselves, at home. Natural and plant based hair colouring is completely safe and simple when you have the right ingredients and tools, so Dianne did a lot of research, imported products and developed a starting package to make it possible for you to create your own natural hair colouring and dye your hair in the comfort of your own home. The package comes in 15 different nuances, but you can also get in touch with her to create a colour combination of your choice, or pass by the Instituut Haar & Gezondheid to get advised, ask questions and pick up a personalised package. Over HERE you can order the package.  A starting package costs € 47.50,– (exclusive €2.30,– for delivery in The Netherlands) and consists of; a bag of colouring, a sustainable heat cap, and enamel bowl, a wide paintbrush, a twine of cotton wool and a manual. The package fits through your mailbox.

Check out a small introduction & explanation clip over here; 

When I visited the salon, the ladies made me a personalised mix of auburn, mahogany and henna colore. The nuances in my hair are mostly visible outside in daylight. Indoors, besides the exception of a very attentive individual, it’s only myself who notices the colour difference. BUT, even after having seriously neglected my split ends, a summer of sea and sun, living in a city with plenty of exhausts, as well as having often coloured my hair chemically in the past, my hair is obviously revitalised. It’s voluminous, it’s shiny, it feels soft and it looks healthy. I LOVE IT!  I’m already looking forward to my next treatment and curious to how my hair will be when the colouring gets more intense and deeper!

Have you ever coloured your hair? Are you conscious about what hair and beauty products you use? Are you aware that natural products are better for you than chemical based products?

Starting package natural hair colouring

Thx 2 Wiki.
For more info, personalised advise or to order the starting package; CLICK HERE
Questions on natural and plant based hair colouring? Ask them to experts on a specialised forum; HERE 
VERY SOON the brand new webshop of Instituut Haar en Gezondheid will be online, I’ll keep you updated of course. ‘Till then; http://www.instituuthaarengezondheid.nl

Puur Restaurant Week

Puur Restaurant Week

The Puur Restaurant Week (The Pure Restaurant Week), is a week in which more than 300 restaurants in The Netherlands offer a “pure” menu next to their regular menu as well, in which biological, fairtrade and  sustainably caught fish play a central role. In this week the price of the menu is not relevant,but the story behind the products is. The Puur Restaurant Week takes place in The Netherlands from 14 until 20 November 2011.

On November 9 the election of The Netherlands most pure Restaurant will happen, and I will keep you updated about that! (Thx again, Lisette! )

OOOow ooops and Happy , beautiful, healthy & tasty birthday Lisette ( http://www.lisettekreischer.com/ & http://twitter.com/#!/veggieinpumps )!!!

Don’t know who Lisette is? WHAT? You haven’t read my articles.
Check this one out; https://dlcsmanagement.wordpress.com/2011/07/22/i-want-it-all-inspired-by-holland%e2%80%99s-sexiest-vegan/

Puur Restaurant Week

Puur Restaurant Week

More info; http://www.puurrestaurantweek.nl

All the participating resturants; http://www.puurrestaurantweek.nl/restaurants.html