I have been dying my hair since I was 14 years old. I couldn’t even tell you what my natural colour is. I once commented that I had no grey hairs, many years ago when it was a possibility, and my hairdresser asked “How would you know?” This had to be taken into account when we were planning Vanlife. Even during the Covid lockdown, thanks to Amazon, I was able to dye my hair.
A few of my friends have let their hair go grey, most haven’t. Those that have suggested this was the answer to my dilemma of how to keep my colour, while living in a van. This was not an option for me, While grey hair looks good on most people, I just don’t want to go there yet. Dying my hair in the van is not an option. The hot water tank does not carry enough water to rinse the dye out. Rinsing out all the conditioner when I wash it uses enough.
With this in mind, I thought I would try making and using a natural dye.I had a trial run while we were still living in the flat, thinking that if it worked, it would be much easier to wash out. After watching a few YouTube tutorials, I bought a load of beetroot and made a start. I cooked the beetroot in the oven, then tried to mash it as much as possible. This was not a success – it probably needed more cooking, but I was impatient to get on with the experiment.
Once I had my nearly mashed beetroot, I added oil. I can’t recall what sort of oil now, maybe coconut oil. Then I applied it to my hair – and the bathroom sink, and the bathroom floor. And I waited, and waited, and waited – then I washed it off.
The end result – I had to pick bits of beetroot out of the bath and sink plug holes, use bleach to clean the colour off the floor, I had purple hands and some purple on my face – but my hair was exactly the same colour as when I started. Having a quick look on google, while writing this, I see you can use beet juice. Would have been less messy, but I’m sure the result, or lack of, would have been the same.
At this time, my hair was red. I loved it, the brighter the better. The trouble with red is it fades so fast, and the longer you have been using it, the worse this is. It had got to the stage where I was dying it every 2 weeks. That would not have worked with vanlife. My daughter-in-law rescued me. She stripped the red out, and dyed it dark purple. Then she told me I was only to use purple dye. She was right. The purple holds, and the grey has a chance to grow through before the colour fades.
So how does it work with vanlife? If we are on a site with good showers, I can dye my hair. If we are close to or staying with friends and family, I can dye my hair. (Not at the in-laws – their bathroom is very white!) And if I really can’t dye it, I use the spray colour or just wear a hat. I have also found that, because I can’t wash my hair as often as I used to, it does not need dying as often. I did have a blip in Germany – I use Schwarzkopf hair dye, so I didn’t stock up. It would be easy to get a German brand in Germany right? Wrong! I did not find any purple permanent hair dye in Germany. We popped into Czechia and I found some in Tesco – happy me.
Vanlife in winter is interesting from a hair point of view – wash it, dry it, even straighten it and it looks lovely. Wake up in the morning, and it looks like a bird’s nest. We don’t have an issue with condensation in the van, but my hair does. I have never used as many hair products as I do in the colder months. (I recommend Bed Head – Control Freak – no affiliation and other products are available)
Getting my haircut was something else that worried me. The answer – I don’t! I don’t like changing my hairdresser in the UK, where I can easily explain what I want, so the idea of getting it cut abroad was too stressful. I have a clip with a spirit level on it, and cut my own fringe when I can no longer see. My daughter-in-law probably wants to cry when she sees me, but she just tidies it up and cuts the rest, and I go back to my minimal hair care routine.
When it comes to haircare, vanlife is definitely easier for men. Neil popped into a barbers in France, and came out looking the same, just shorter. In Germany – same result. He can wash his hair in the sink with the minimum of water, so just uses the cold. I would have a headache all day, the amount of cold water I would have to use.
So haircare and Vanlife is very mixed. I don’t wash my hair as often, but when I do, I notice it is in really good condition. Long hair is a bonus. I often wear plaits, or wear it up, so I don’t have to worry about it. I use a lot of dry shampoo, much to the husband’s annoyance, as it leaves a film of dust over everything, but it keeps me sane. I am blessed that we have a great power set up, and I can use a hairdryer and / or straighteners, when I need to make an effort. And, most importantly, I love hats!
I really need to invest in a Bolenhut. I love these traditional Black Forest hats.
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