Are you making one of these mistakes?
When customers come to me suffering from dry, brittle hair and itchy, flaking scalps, often they’ve fallen into one of the 10 Damaging Natural Hair Care Pitfalls. Sign up to read this 45 page guide delivered right to your inbox along with special offers and discounts! I never spam or sell your information.
Wild Honeybees Adopted Us!
We've been blessed with wild honeybees! Come see the adorable fuzzybutts and learn how we care for these precious pollinators.
Lunar Hair Care & 2023 Calendar
The practice of Lunar Hair Care dictates when in the moon's cycle to trim and do other treatments for maximum effect.
Tips & Tricks: How to Use Lassëa Solid Shampoo & Conditioner Bars
Making the jump from liquid shampoo and conditioner can be intimidating, so here’s some tips and tricks on how to get the most out of your Lassëa Solid Shampoo and Conditioner Bars!
Let’s Talk Mermaid Hair: Enchanted Living Interview
In this interview with Enchanted Living Magazine, I talk about how mermaids keep their hair so lovely.
Zero Waste Beauty at NightBlooming
Zero-waste packaging describes packaging in which every part of the packaging are reusable or recyclable, meaning no actual waste is generated. While not every product at NightBlooming is Zero Waste, I strive to give eco-friendly options whenever I can.
Etsy Fees vs NightBlooming
Etsy changed in ways that make it hard for NightBlooming to be what I want it to be in that marketplace. Let's talk about the new store.
Color Your Hair at Home Naturally with Henna & Other Herbs: A Quickstart Guide
Color your hair at home with henna and other herbs, safely, effectively and naturally with this quick start guide.
Pre-Raphaelite & Victorian Reds- Interview
I talk to Enchanted Living Magazine about Victorian Era auburns and Pre-Raphaelite reds both in art and historical hair dyes
Destroyed & Reborn: Melissa’s Hair History
It took me five years to completely destroy my hair with chemical dyes, and another seven to rehabilitate the damage and then regrow it after a devastating shed. It was this long, often miserable, journey that spurred me to learn about natural hair care and...
DIY Nymphéas Toning Mist: Selkie, Lotus & White Willow
DIY Mermaid Face Mask pairs Selkie Herbal Detangler with green clay, kelp and other natural ingredients to make a rich, nourishing mud that moisturizes, gently exfoliates, and sucks the crud out of pores. Learn how to make it yourself, or take part in a Patron...
How to Lighten Too-Dark Henna to Natural Ginger Copper
After 'natural' lightening methods failed to put a dent in my henna, I used Sun-In to get my too-dark burgundy henna to a bright, natural ginger-copper. It was simple and, with the addition of proper precautions, didn't damage my hair at all.
DIY Mermaid Face Mask with Selkie, Green Clay & Kelp
DIY Mermaid Face Mask pairs Selkie Herbal Detangler with green clay, kelp and other natural ingredients to make a rich, nourishing mud that moisturizes, gently exfoliates, and sucks the crud out of pores. Learn how to make it yourself, or take part in a Patron...
How (and how not) to ask for a Discount on Etsy
Everyone likes feeling like they’re getting a deal, but there’s a right, and a very wrong way to go about asking for a discount on Etsy. I’ve wanted to write this post for awhile in light of a particularly obnoxious new trend by financial bloggers, but...
Strand Testing Part 1: Creating Test Locks
You’ve heard it over and over–henna is permanent so make sure you strand test! This series of articles breaks down this often-glossed over topic in to easy steps. We’ll start with a rather critical set, getting hair upon which to test! Why Strand Test? Being...
Silicones: The Mighty List for Buildup Prevention
Silicones, waxes, and non-natural oils can build up in hair over time making it feel coated, locking out moisture, and impeding dye uptake from natural dyes. They can be removed with shampoo or other clarifying methods, but very gentle or natural cleansing methods my not...
6 Types of Henna Controlled Testing on Human Hair
Which henna is reddest/most orange/most [ whatever ]? You may read claims that (for example) Moroccan henna stains more brown, while Rajasthani is more ruby red, and Jamila more copper. And while that may be true to some extent, the problem with this sort of...
FAQ: How to Transition from Chemical Dyes to Herbal Dyes
One of the reasons that people are hesitant to switch from chemical dyes is that they are familiar and in common use–the devil you know. Dispelling some of the uncertainty about the transition changes jumping into herbal dyes from something full of trepidation to...
Sarenrae Blonde Herbal Hair Color for Natural Gray Coverage
One of my customers generously shared pictures of how she uses Sarenrae Blonde Herbal Hair Color for natural gray coverage. Her hair is so lovely and healthy, and Sarenrae gives her a lovely sun-kissed color without bleaching, chemicals, or damage. The Method In these pictures...
Faster Hair Growth & Reduced Shedding with Hinoki Hair Growth Support Signature Oil & Other Natural Methods
Nothing is more frustrating than hair that won’t grow, or worse, hair that’s thinning due to a shed. It’s possible to get both faster hair growth and reduced shedding with Hinoki Hair Growth Support Signature Oil. I developed this oil after I changed birth control,...
Fire Genasi Herbal Hair Color for Natural-Looking Ginger Hair
Become a Natural-Looking Redhead without Chemicals Natural red hair fades with age, sometimes becoming more blonde or brown, but Fire Genasi Herbal Hair Color convincingly restores natural redheads and gives natural-looking ginger hair to others without chemicals! I have wanted red hair ever since the...
DIY Herbal ACV Rinse
Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) rinses are a go-to for natural hair care enthusiasts. They smooth the cuticle, making hair shine and tangle less and restore the acid mantle, making hair shine and keep the scalp happy. They’re often used as a follow-up to no-poo washing,...
How to Henna Eyebrows (or other facial hair)
One of the things my customers love about henna (particularly Fire Genasi) is the natural ginger color it gives their hair. Hennaing your eyebrows is an easy way to complete the transition to red, and for natural redheads, who may have either very light copper...
Herbal Hair Colors vs. Hair Dye: Cost Analysis
One of the things I hear often is “I’d love to try henna, but it’s so expensive!” In this article I break down a cost analysis of herbal hair colors vs conventional hair dye, both over-the-counter boxed and done professional at a salon. There are a...
6 DIY Natural Spa Recipes with NightBlooming Signature Oils
On of the things I love doing is blending up unique mixes of quality, natural oils and essential oils into a Signature Oil Blend. It’s exciting to try each one, but most people only need so much hair oil. In addition to oiling your hair...
Sedr, Senna, and Henna: Herbal Conditioning Properties
Sedr, Senna, and Henna: The Trinity of Herbal Conditioning Sedr, senna, and henna are three of the most common herbs used to condition hair naturally. I’ll break down each of these herbs, by what mechanism they condition, how long it lasts, and debunk a few...
Identifying Pure Henna vs. Chemical Henna Compounds
Identifying pure henna and other herbal hair colors vs. potentially dangerous henna compounds is tricky, even for the experienced user. While writing my book Coloring Hair Naturally with Henna & Other Herbs, I wanted to give my customers the tools to identify potentially harmful henna...
Washing Hair with Baking Soda is a Damaging Trend
Washing Hair with Baking Soda is a Damaging Trend If you’ve been on either Pinterest or checked out a clean living blog in the last couple years, you’ve likely heard of washing hair with baking soda as a natural alternative to shampoo and conditioner. What...
NightBlooming Herbal Hair Color Strand Tests: Red
NightBlooming offers five herbal hair colors in the gold to red range, and while one of the amazing things about herbal hair colors is how they work with your own hair color to produce a color unique to you, many people want a little more...
Selkie Herbal Detangler & Henna, a heavenly blend!
This past weekend I had kind of a crazy thought: what would happen if I mixed up my Fire Genasi Herbal Hair Color with Selkie Herbal Detangler rather than just water or Sunlit Meadow? Would Selkie Herbal Detangler and henna be it easier to rinse?...
NightBlooming Uses Quality Oils
One of the things NightBlooming goes through a lot of is oils. You’ll find them in our Signature Blends, our hair salves, Triple Moon Oil, Selkie Detangler, and Thriae Scalp Scrub. But seeing something simple like “Avocado oil” on the ingredients list doesn’t really tell...
Gradient Lock: Multiple Applications of Henna
When I first started hennaing, now more than 15 years ago, my hair was very, very damaged. I joked that the strengthening proprieties of henna was the only thing holding my hair together. It really wasn’t a joke. One thing that wasn’t as well...
FAQ: What is your most moisturizing oil?
When customers ask, “What is your most moisturizing oil?” what, I find, they’re really asking is, “My hair / scalp is so dry. What is your most moisturizing product?” The Myth about Moisturizing Oil There’s a myth out there that oils are moisturizing, when...
NightBlooming Red Herbal Hair Color Strand Tests
The center strand is a control lock of medium blonde, the end of which is dipped in a blend of all the colors. Color Swatches top to bottom: Enyo War Goddess Ruby Red, Kitsune Fox Fire Red, Fire Genasi Bright Copper, and Rusalki Strawberry Blonde...
Meet our Honeybees!
Several years ago we switched to only using locally-sourced ethical honey in our products. Because of the honey bee crisis, I wanted to make sure that NightBlooming was doing its part to only support local beekeepers who put the health of their bees in front...