More than four years ago Queen Letizia decided to stop dyeing her hair and to assume naturally the appearance of her first gray hair.
A determination that has generated controversy, but that has become a vindictive gesture on the right of women to age with dignity.
Although at the beginning it was barely noticeable small white highlights in her brown hair, with time Doña Letizia’s gray hair has become more evident.
However, in many public appearances, she manages to hide them masterfully. What is her trick? Everything points to the Queen resorting to mud baths, a natural coloring technique ideal for managing the transition to white hair.
Queen Letizia: What are mud baths?
Mud baths consist of applying a mixture of hot water and vegetable pigments extracted from plants, algae, wood, and earth to the hair.
These natural components subtly color the hair, allowing gray hair to be toned down without modifying the base color as with chemical hair dyes.
The effect of the vegetable mud is not permanent, it is attenuated with washing. This would explain why the tone of Doña Letizia’s gray hair seems to vary depending on the day, alternating between looking more or less white at different events and appearances.
In addition to adding a hint of color, mud baths have other benefits for the hair.
Because they are made from natural ingredients, they provide deep nourishment, shine, and moisture, and do not damage the hair fiber like chemical hair coloring with ammonia.
For this reason, experts recommend plant-based hair products especially for middle-aged women with sensitive scalps, as is the case with 51-year-old Letizia.
Although Queen Letizia no longer dyes her hair to hide her gray hair, she has found in this natural technique an intermediate solution that allows her to alternate between looks where she masterfully conceals her white color and others where she shows off her natural gray hair as a vindication.
Beyond the criticism she may receive for her gray hair, the truth is that the wife of King Felipe VI has become a style icon and an inspiration for many women her age.
Her decision to assume the passage of time with pride and without complexes sends a powerful message about feminine beauty beyond stereotypes.