Natural beauty: how to boost red hair with cranberry juice

Gloriously refreshing on a summer’s afternoon (we take it with a splash of gin), cranberry juice isn’t exactly a beverage you would expect to chuck over your head. Unless, of course, you made someone really mad.

But it’s been said that 100% natural cranberry juice does wonders for boosting the colour of ginger hair shades, in an inexpensive, non-damaging and tasty way.

Whether you are a dyed or natural redhead, the harmless red colouring in cranberry juice will give your red hair an added oomph of gingerness, which is what we aim for in life.

So, naturally, I had to give this theory a whirl for myself, DIY-styley. And, despite not using 100% CJ (it was Ocean Spray instead), my ginger shade was definitely enhanced even on the first try, with the results being especially noticeable in direct sunlight.

The added bonus is the smell! Cranberry juice makes your red hair smell good enough to drink.

How to Boost Red Hair With Cranberry Juice

1. Wash your hair as normal

2. Rinse your hair generously with cranberry juice. Any brand that you can find is great, but the higher concentrate the better. About one carton should be fine, but depends on how much hair you have

3. Comb cranberry juice through your hair

4. Leave to ‘marinate’ for…

– 30 minutes (if you have a lighter, strawberry blonde shade of hair)

– 45 minutes (if you have a mid-shade of red hair)

– 1 hour (if you have deep ginger hair)

5. Rinse, and apply a leave-in conditioner to help the staying power of the colour

6. Repeat as necessary!

I found that the colour stuck with me for approximately two washes, so I’d recommend rinsing your hair with cranberry juice once or twice a week to keep it consistent. But if you’re looking for a quick fix for a pop of colour without damaging your hair with harmful chemicals, it’s ideal!

Just a side note: The cranberry juice can feel a little itchy around your scalp if your skin is quite sensitive (like a lot of redheads), in which case I would suggest that you rinse your hair sooner than the suggested above timings.

It’s a sticky job, but someone’s got to do it.

Of course, if this is too sticky for you, there are hair products for redheads from Gingerful that have a more enhanced effect! Also available in the Ginger Parrot Store.

By Emma