How to Make your Hair Darker Overnight: 7 Natural Ways to Darker Hair

Black, they say, is beautiful.

If you are among the many who adore black but your hair tends to fall on the lighter or browner side, you may be disturbed and wish for a change.

Perhaps your hair has always been black but you have recently noticed some lightening.

Annoying? I know, right!

The good news is, that there are tips on how to make your hair darker overnight.

And wait. This does not include introducing your hair to chemical hair dyes and their possible side effects. This post will take you through all-natural ways to make your hair darker.

Are you ready to get your hair that black hue you’ve always adored?

Then, let’s get started!

How to Make your Hair Black without Dye

Without chemical hair dyes, getting darker hair may seem impossible.

But there are natural hair ingredients that are very effective for making your hair darker.

We’ll show you the seven best ones. For each, we’ll discuss how to use and precautions to take.

Here’s your list of ingredients to make your hair darker naturally:

1.    Coffee

The revitalizing drink loved by many! Coffee has impressive staining effects that can help you darken your hair without hurting it.

The process is also pretty straightforward, so you don’t risk getting all messed up with your hair.

This option is best for:

• Hair that has not been previously bleached with chemical dyes. If your hair is used to frequent chemical color processing, a coffee rinse is less likely to darken it.
• Brown hair. Coffee is less likely to work for darkening gray, red, or blonde hair.

How to Use Coffee to Make your Hair Darker

• Brew three cups of black coffee the usual way
• Allow it to cool down till it becomes warm to touch
• Optionally, add two teaspoons of leave-in conditioner to the coffee and mix. You may include this step if you want your hair to feel smooth and soft after the process
• Cover your neck and shoulders with a towel
• Apply the coffee mix to your hair and allow it to soak in it for about 30 minutes. Your hair should be neat and damp (recently washed) before you apply the coffee
• Rinse your hair with clean water.

A one-time coffee rinse may not make your entire hair dark enough so you’ll need to try this method repeatedly to get desired results.

Go through the above process two to three times again to make your hair darker.

2.    Black Walnuts

Black walnuts are a type of nuts common in North America.

They are rich in proteins and other nutrients that provide many health benefits.

Interestingly, it is not just the edible nuts that are beneficial. The walnut’s hull that is usually peeled off is an effective hair-darkening ingredient!

An alternative way to use black walnuts for darkening the hair is to buy walnut powder.

This option is best for:

• Hair that has not been previously bleached.
• Hair that uses non-silicone shampoo and conditioner. 

How to Use Black Walnuts to Make your Hair Darker

• If you are using walnut powder, add about 4 tablespoons of the walnut powder to 8 cups of clean water and mix well.
• Boil the powder and water mix for about half an hour.
• If you’re using walnut shells, crush one handful of walnut shells and pour them into a small bowl of water. Boil the mixture, and then sieve. The water is what you need.
• Leave it to cool down, you don’t want to burn your hands or hair.
• Cover your neck and shoulders with a towel
• Apply the mixture to your hair. If you want to darken only specific parts of your hair, soak a cotton ball in the solution and rub it on the specific strands. If you’re darkening your entire hair, carefully pour the mixture on your hair and spread it evenly.
• Leave in your hair for about 30 minutes.
• Rinse your hair with clean water.

Black walnuts have high dyeing properties.

If you would not like to see your hands black-stained after this process, you should use gloves when preparing the mixture and applying it to your hair. Repeating this process twice would give you that dark hue you desire.

The good thing about this option is that you can use the mixture more than once, just store it in a fridge and boil it again the next time you want to use it.

3.    Onion peels

Onions do not look black, but they have surprisingly amazing dyeing properties.

Onion peels especially can help you get your hair as dark as you want.

This Option is Best for:

• Hair that has not been exposed to chemical dyes
• Hair that wants to restore its natural, black color

How to Use Onion Peels to Make your Hair Darker

• Gather about two handfuls of onion peels.
• Soak them in three cups of water.
• Boil the water with onion peels and then let it cool down. 
• Sieve the water in a clean bowl.
• Place your hair in the bowl of onion water and let it soak for about 30 minutes. 
• Then, wrap your hair in a shower cap and towel for about 15 minutes without squeezing out the excess water
• Remove the shower cap and rinse your hair with clean water.
• For best results, repeat this process twice a week.

Unlike black walnuts, onion peels will not leave your hands stained so you do not have to worry. 

But then, onion mix has a strong smell so you’d have to endure that. Apart from that, this process is safe and easy.

4.    Mustard oil

Mustard oil has popular use in skincare. You may also be familiar with using it for cooking.

Well, save all that, mustard oil is also an effective hair darkening ingredient. 

But before you use it for your hair, be sure that it will not irritate your skin.

You can confirm this by doing a small patch test. Rub a little mustard oil on the back of your ear and wait for about 40 minutes.

If it doesn’t irritate you, then it’s safe to use for your hair.

This option is best for:

• Hair that has been dyed a few times before
• Natural hair
• Previously black hair has lost its color over time.

How to use Mustard Oil to Make your Hair Darker

• Warm the oil in a pot. You could also use a microwave. It does not have to be too hot, just a little above the usual temperature
• Wrap your neck and shoulders with a towel to avoid spills and drips
• Apply warm mustard oil to your hair. Start from the hair ends and apply evenly till you get to the hair root
• Give your scalp a gentle massage using the oil.
• Use a wide-toothed comb to run through your hair and ensure all parts of your hair is touched
• Cover your hair with a shower cap.
• Wait for at least two hours. You can leave it overnight preferably so that the oil soaks into your hair.
• Wash your hair with a mild shampoo
• Rinse with clean water twice or more to get the oily feeling off your hair.
• Repeat this process thrice a week for better results.

While some say that mustard oil is not edible, it is still a useful ingredient. It can make your hair finer, silkier, and most importantly, darker.

5.    Black Tea

If coffee can darken the hair, then black tea definitely can too!

You see, black tea contains tannic acid — a type of acid that leaves dark colors on whatever it comes in contact with.

Your hair is no exception, black tea is an effective hair darkening ingredient!

This option is best for:

• Hair that has been exposed to dyes
• Natural hair
• Hair that wants to restore its natural, black color

Black tea is similar to coffee and has the same dyeing effect on the hair.

But the way you use black tea for hair is different from how you use coffee for hair.

How to Use Black Tea to Make the Hair Darker

• Boil a large amount of black tea in a kettle.
• Allow it to cool down to room temperature. 
• Pour the black tea into a bowl big enough for you to dip your hair fully in it.
• Wrap a towel around your neck and shoulders
• Soak your hair in the bowl for 30 minutes. This allows the tea (and the staining tannic acid) to fully saturate your hair.
• After 30 minutes, use lukewarm water to rinse your hair.

You should repeat this process often for two weeks to see amazing results! You can maintain the dark hue by repeating the above steps once a week after the first two weeks of using it. Interestingly, you can mix other ingredients with black tea for more effects. Ingredients you can add with black tea to darken your hair include:

• Coffee
• Rosemary leaves
• Shampoo
• Tulsi
• Cinnamon
• Local herbs

6.    Hibiscus flower

The Hibiscus flower is a hair-darkening treasure that lies all around.

In many spa houses, hibiscus flowers are placed on clients’ hair after a session.

This isn’t just for fancy, it helps to retain hair color.

You can also harness the power of hibiscus flowers for darkening hair.

This option is best for: 

• Hair that has not been chemically processed or colored

How to use Hibiscus Flowers to Make your Hair Darker

• Pluck one or two hibiscus flower
• Get a hair oil of your choice
• Boil the hibiscus flower with the hair oil in a clean container for about 10 – 15 minutes
• Sieve the portion, then allow it to cool.
• Massage your hair with the mixture
• Do this for like 40 minutes before showering.

It takes 2 to 3 months before the result can be visible. This option is one of the easiest ways to keep your hair dark.

It is less expensive and can be easily done in the comfort of your home without getting all messy.

7.    Soy sauce

Soy sauce is known for its Chinese origin, made of fermented soybean paste, roasted grain, and Aspergillus Oryzae.

You can darken your hair by combining this ingredient with Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV)

This option is best for:

• Natural hair
• Chemically dyed hair
• Brown or grey hair

How to Use Soy Sauce to Make your Hair Darker

• Mix half a cup of soy sauce and a half cup of apple cider vinegar in a container
• Thoroughly mix both ingredients and keep the mixture aside. 
• Shampoo your hair and apply conditioner as usual.
• Pour the mixture through your hair and spread it evenly.
• Let your hair dry naturally.
• Do not rinse out

Unlike the other methods in this post, you do not have to rinse out the soy sauce mix from your hair.

Leaving the soy sauce in your hair helps it darken your hair with time. ACV helps to retain the dark color. You can do the application once a week or for straight 15 days.

Darker Hair is Possible

Even without using hair dyes that contain bad ingredients, you can make your hair darker.

You’ve learned seven options. Pick one that’s most available in your locality and apply it to your hair as discussed above.

Then enjoy flaunting and caring for your beautiful and darker hair!