By Andrea McVeigh.

Lemon juice and henna just won't cut it when it comes to home-colouring your hair.

But us Green Living types don't want to resort to nasty chemicals and potential carcinogens just to get the latest look.

Plus, it's not always possible to pay salon prices, even when you can find salons that offer suitable products.

So what's a girl to do, when she wants to change her look in the most natural, yet effective, way possible?

Try a 'chemically-light' hair dye - that's what!

So Green Living took the Naturtint challenge - using the UK's No 1 'chemically light' home hair colourant - and transformed its mousy locks into a rich chocolate hue.

Within the brand's two options, Naturtint is the permanent choice for those seeking long-lasting colour while the semi-permanent Naturtint Reflex range offers a temporary look that lasts up to one month.

Using nutrient-rich and selected organic ingredients, both products are free from harmful chemicals such as ammonia, resorcinol and parabens so they're ideal for women with sensitive scalps as well as those chemical conscious types.

That's especially good to know since ammonia is a known irritant; resorcinol is an oxidising agent that can irritate the eyes and skin and parabens, which are used as preservatives, have been linked in studies to breast cancer.

Naturtint, by contrast, is formulated with active vegetable ingredients and is the first 100 per cent permanent hair colour that's free from ammonia, so you won't be knocked out by the usual chemical whiff either.

"Ammonia is particularly bad for the hair as it is a cheap bleaching agent," says Naturtint MD, Janine Carroll.

"It's used in other colourants to swell the hair follicle and open the pores to allow the colour to enter.

"Naturtint's easy-to-use, non-drip gel is much kinder to the scalp as it is free from ammonia and doesn't have that nasty smell associated with other hair colourants."

Naturtint Reflex is also free from PPD and peroxide - offering an alternative for pregnant women and those sensitive to PPD (para-phenylenediamine) which can cause allergic reactions.

The great news is that it's also easy to use and results in a fabulous, glossy shine - thanks to Meadowfoam extracts which give the hair an enviable shine, as well as Vitamin B5 and sun filters that protect and revitalise.

After using the Naturtint Reflex in Dark Chestnut Brown, my hair was beautifully soft and shiny, very easy to manage and, with its new chocolate sheen, looked uber trendy too.

You can buy online and view step-by-step videos by Naturtint's Colour Consultant Marc Ramos on how to conduct skin and strand tests and apply colour at home at www.naturesdream.co.uk .

From light blonde to winter black, and boasting a blend of oat, soy, corn, coconut and wheat extracts, Naturtint (£8.99) is available in 29 shades.

The semi-permanent Naturtint Reflex (£10.99) comes in 10 shades, from honey blonde to black.

You'll find it in selected Holland & Barrett stores (Naturtint only) as well as independent health food stores, including Framar on Belfast's Lisburn Road and The Nutmeg, on Lombard Street, plus some independent pharmacies.

Top Tip - always conduct a skin sensitivity test and a strand test 48 hours before use to ensure you don't have an unexpected allergic reaction to the product and so make sure you achieve the exact colour that you want.