BENEFIT OF COFFEE FOR HAIR
CAFFEINE
Coffee contains caffeine, tannin, fixed oil, carbohydrates, and proteins. The main active component that we can most benefit from is Caffeine, a stimulant that is known to wake us up and lift our skin. It also contains polyphenols and flavonoids which antioxidants protect our hair and scalp from environmental damages such as UV rays, free radicals, and other pollution. Caffeine also reduces frizz and makes the hair shinier, softer and healthier overall. Caffeine also promotes hair growth being a stimulant and prevents hair loss by blocking DHT hormone that weakens the hair roots. The known benefit of coffee for our hair has been well documented and long listed.
These well established and scientifically proven facts make caffeine one of the popular ingredients used in many beverages and beauty products. Coffee isn't the only food that is known to have caffeine. Black teas also contain a large amount of caffeine. Both coffee and black tea are not only rich in caffeine but also known for their dark brown hues that are popular in hair color names especially for brunettes i.e. cappuccino, espresso and mocha etc.
However, the color of coffee does not come from the caffeine because caffeine itself is white powder and colorless in solution. The color of coffee or teas are developed during the roasting process, also producing a variety of different tastes and colors, commonly named as light, medium and dark roasts that we see in the packaging. Roasting process also releases essential oils from the coffee beans that make up the distinctive coffee taste and aroma of coffee that we generally identify them with. Brewing time and temperatures also affect the intensity of the coffee color.
Roasted Coffee Beans
Image Source: Pinterest - Kitchenjoy.com
That said, take note that there are caffeine shampoo products out there that contain caffeine but as a stand alone ingredient, different from the coffee shampoos which contain coffee as a whole. This also indicates that this coffee shampoo might not be for blonde hairs as it will add dark hues to the light hair. I am a brunette therefore, can't tell the effect of DIY coffee shampoo on lighter hairs.
TANNIN
Tannin is another notable component of coffee to discuss. Tannins, also known as tannic acids, are plant polyphenols and antioxidants, commonly found in red wine, teas, chocolate, beans, nuts and many other fruits and plants. This is the component that is responsible for those pesky coffee, teas and red wine stains due to its binding and pigmenting properties in the presence of protein and natural alkaloids like caffeine.
However, that's also why coffee and teas are used for natural hair coloring as tannins darken our hair strands (protein) by helping the color adhere to the hairs and deposit the coffee colors giving that subtle coloring and reviving effect. Many who like natural hair coloring use coffee or black teas to dye their hair or cover grays more naturally. But this is more of a tinting effect rather than a permanent one as the color will gradually fade and wash off. Some people mix henna with coffee or black teas to develop dark hues because henna alone has orange and reddish hues needing another indigo coloring process to achieve a dark brown hair color.
I'd also tried the tea tinting method myself in the past but it was quite messy and I found the process to be very cumbersome. Although the hair color had a nice tea hue, it left a bit of stain like cast to the hair and scalp, not to mention it faded away quite fast after a couple of washing. The method also required repetition in the course of several weeks to achieve a gradual tinting. These methods require you to brew coffee or teas and directly apply the liquid to your hair and you won't achieve any kind of color consistency with the watery brew and there is no easy way to leave them on your hair like other color dyes. The dripping mixture was simply too messy to deal with. it was also hard to achieve even tinting or the color result was even hardly noticeable especially if you have dark hair color since these natural dye pigmentation does not alter your color but simply coating them. Another note, these tea tinting methods ask you to wash and dry your hair to remove any natural hair oils and clean before applying the brew mixture to adhere better while most store bought hair color dyes ask to use on unwashed hair to protect your hair and scalp from the chemicals.
All said, when I found this recipe it was kinda A-ha moment. Why no one or have I ever thought of this? So let's see how this recipe does it. Only 2 ingredients are all you need - Instant coffee bottle and any shampoo of your choice maybe not the color-safe ones.
You can also add essential oils of your choice for an extra aroma or other benefit, i.e. Argan oil or coconut oil. Now, let's see how to make this simple and convenient shampoo in your bathroom.
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DIY COFFEE SHAMPOO INGREDIENTS:
Scaled up or down as you need
- Instant Coffee of your choice (not decaf version)
- Shampoo of your choice - Any store bought unless you are a shampoo maker
- Original bottle of shampoo or preferably dark container with a pump cap
INSTANT COFFEE
Instant coffee is a concentrated form of roasted & brewed coffee by freeze dried method. Instant coffee not only has the concentrated coffee color but also has other nutrients and additives preserved in it, not to mention the variety of brands that offers different tastes and ingredients for your choice. It is also easy to control the concentration of your coffee using the coffee power. One thing to note is that instant coffee does not contain more caffeine or other components compared to naturally brewed coffees as it is mass processed but these are measurable amount with more control than individual brewing.
Choice is yours but make sure you do not use a decaf version which will beat the purpose unless you are just using this shampoo for coloring only. Also read the ingredients at the bottle to ensure anything that you need are listed to maximize your own recipe.
BASE SHAMPOO
The reason for using a premade or store bought shampoo is that it is simply cost effective and convenient with all the ingredients and functionality of the shampoo already in it except for the coffee that you are adding into.
Choose base shampoo with some defined functionality, such as moisturizing, natural, volumizing, etc. for your needs. I suggest finding a shampoo with a dark container simply because the coffee will stain your bottle and could make it look messy in your shower rack. Also make sure to label in case someone else uses it by accident.
I recommend not to use a fancy and pricey shampoo here as adding a lot of coffee in it will wipe out any pre-existing aroma and the shampoo will mainly smell like strong coffee. In addition, the viscosity of the original shampoo will somewhat diluted down or become thinner as the mixing with the coffee powder will either breakdown the liquid stability of formulation of the base shampoo with the pre-existing surfactant and other additives. In addition, even if you add half a bottle of coffee into the half bottle shampoo, the volume of the final liquid will not be a full bottle since you are adding dry powder into the liquid to dissolve.
However, do not worry, it lathers very well as any other shampoos and does its work. The lathering sits well on your hair in the shower and washes off well, too. I recommend you to try a half bottle of this recipe to begin with and scale it up and down for your needs depending on how often you want to use this shampoo - everyday or from time to time. It would be even better If you have some left over(?) shampoo hanging around in the bathroom that you need to finish off. Try to use it up by repurposing it into a coffee shampoo trial!
Another thing to note is that I like strong coffee and my recipe was strong coffee shampoo by mixing half a bottle of shampoo and 1/3 - 1/2 bottle of the instant coffee powder. That said, my bathroom smells like coffee after my shower. So adjust your coffee recipe per your liking.
ESSENTIAL Oil (Optional)
Most of the pre-made shampoo would have essential oils in it for their own advertised functionality such as hydrating, everyday, strengthening etc. However, you can add any essential oil of your choice to make your own formula. After all, this is your recipe and DIY (do-It-Yourself). I like Argan Oil & Coconut Oil. Adjust the amount per your preference and need or simply skip.
OTHER THINGS YOU MIGHT NEED:
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CONTAINER : Preferably dark or with a pump cap: This is just my preference as coffee will stain the bottle. I used shampoo already in dark container with a pump.
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Funnel: If you don't own a funnel, you can use a coffee filter by cutting off the bottom. Spooning is a messy event so use any kind of funnel when you add the coffee powder to a narrow mouthed bottle. Don't have coffee filters? Well, no problem. Make a paper funnel by rolling a plain white A4 paper into a funnel cone shape. Make sure the spoon, funnel and the paper funnel are dry when you add coffee powder into the bottle for a cleaner process. For me, I just mark the coffee bottle with a marker at 1/3 - 1/2 point and directly pour out from the coffee bottle into the shampoo container.
HOW TO:
- Add 1/3 or 1/2 bottle of Coffee into a half full shampoo bottle of your choice.
- Let the coffee to dissolve.
- Swirl around and shake the bottle to mix well a homogeneous mixture.
- Use as regular shampoo or as frequently as you need.
- Lather and leave in for 5-10 minutes before rinsing and conditioning.
* You can add some Essential Oils of your choice into the mix. Add after #3 step after all coffees are dissolved and give it another mix.
Enjoy the gradual and subtle color enhancement after each use. But be mindful, you might not need a cup of morning coffee since you already have enough caffeine from shampooing!
That was easy! Wasn't it?
HOPE YOU ENJOY YOUR COFFEE SHAMOO!
