Sanotint Hair Colours
Cleopatra, Marilyn Monroe and David Bowie were not only remarkable personalities of their time. By today’s standards, their hair colour would likely make them sought-after influencers for hair cosmetics. Whether out of an affinity for fashion, as a political statement or as an artistic staging, colouring hair has a long history. More than 4,000 years ago, the ancient Egyptians used henna, indigo and extracts from flowers and roots for this purpose. Dark hair was associated with youth and health and was regarded as a beauty ideal. However, it has never been clearly established which hair colour Cleopatra actually had. It is likely, though, that the famous monarch darkened her hair. Numerous mummy finds also show that in the realm of the pharaohs even the hair of the deceased was still dyed.
In ancient Rome, too, dyeing hair was widespread among members of the upper classes. The methods, however, were expensive and not particularly pleasant. To prepare a brew that would turn grey hair black again, dead leeches were soaked in wine and vinegar for weeks. The result was rarely natural and often provided perfect material for satirists. They publicly mocked vain old men who suddenly appeared with jet-black hair and beards overnight. Lightening the hair allowed for somewhat more nuance, but a natural and, above all, even blonde was rather the exception. In addition, the aggressive mixtures of goat fat and alkaline ash damaged the scalp and sometimes even caused hair loss. For this reason, wealthy Romans turned to blonde wigs made of real hair during the imperial period.
In the Middle Ages, dyeing hair played hardly any role. This was due to religiously influenced moral attitudes and social norms as well as a lack of cosmetic know-how. Moreover, a high forehead was considered noble during the High Middle Ages. Noble ladies therefore shaved or plucked their hairline and concealed the remaining hair under a bonnet. It was not until the 16th century that bonnets disappeared and hair was shown again. Blonde was particularly popular. Many court ladies therefore washed their hair with chamomile tea or tried to lighten it with lye or long sunbaths. In the 17th century, the beauty ideal shifted once more. And this time, the trend came from men. To conceal thinning hair, they turned to curly wigs. Within a short time, the size and lavishness of the wig reflected its wearer's social standing.
Dark wigs, however, soon came to be seen as old-fashioned, and instead of naturalness, impact was what mattered. Wigs were tinted white, silver-grey or ivory with flour, starch, chalk or plaster. These colours were regarded as a sign of status and dignity as well as distance from the common people. By the Rococo period at the latest, men were once again overtaken by women when it came to hairstyles. Their "pouf", a towering updo, could reach heights of up to 80 cm and had to be stabilized with padding, horsehair and wire frames. At masked balls, these works of art made from real hair and hairpieces were often coloured with powder in rose, blue or lavender tones to match the wardrobe.
The French Revolution brought an end not only to the courtly culture of the Rococo, but also to the era of wigs and pouf hairstyles. Fashion and hairstyles became somewhat more restrained again. The first industrially manufactured oxidative hair dye, created by Eugène Schueller in 1907, marked a decisive turning point. The synthetic hair colour now made consistent colour results possible. In the first half of the 20th century, these techniques were further refined, with hydrogen peroxide-based bleaching proving particularly reliable. The platinum blonde of film stars such as Jean Harlow, Jayne Mansfield and Marilyn Monroe became a symbol of glamour and modernity. Natural-looking brown and black tones, however, could only be reliably dyed from the 1950s onwards. In the following decades, dyeing hair then became something completely commonplace, and for almost every shade there was a suitable hair dye. With the constantly growing range, however, interest in alternatives to conventional, synthetic hair colours also grew. One company that embarked on the path to more nature 40 years ago is Sanotint.
The natural balance of hair can be disrupted by external and internal factors. Stress, environmental pollution, hormonal changes, medication or the natural ageing process can lead to the need for special care. What matters here are care products that nourish gently and whose ingredients are tailored to the needs of different hair types. In addition, it is advisable to use products that colour gently and safely when dyeing hair. The Sanotint brand stands for brilliant colouring results. The natural oxidation hair colours are based on a plant-based cream formula. Sanotint's recipe for success is a special formula with golden millet, olive and birch, which, combined with natural biotin, ensures well-cared-for and supple hair even during the colouring process. Application is very simple, as the colour and fixing agent are mixed directly together. The colour cream is easy to apply without dripping and only needs 30-40 minutes to take effect. The permanent colourations provide up to 100 percent grey coverage.
