I have medium dark brown hair. I am looking for a color that just brightens up my hair by a shade or two.. no ammonia or peroxide. I have a tiny bit of gray in my hair so if anyone can recommend a good, non permanent hair color I would appreciate it. thanks :)

I use, and really like, Clairol Natural Instincts. Only trouble is, it washes out of my hair much faster than the 28 shampoos the box claims. Usually, it will look good for about 4 weeks. It's nice because you don't have the roots and "divider line" that you have with perm. hair color. And if you don't like the color, you don't have to live with it until it grows out or re-color. My hair is long and damages easly. I don't notice any damage after I color with the Natural Instincts. In fact, it feels healthier for a few days after I color. The conditioner in the box is great. I use the Hazelnut which is a dark brown. This color is almost too dark for the first 2 shampoos, but then it fades to the perfect color for me. I'm just careful to apply it a few days before a big event so it will fade before then.

Semi permanent/28 day colors have ammonia in them. In fact any hair color that you have to mix has chemicals, just lower levels than permanent. If you want to lighten your hair you'll need peroxide. If you just want a tint Loving Care do a dye that washes out in 8-10 washes so it's not too much of a commitment and there are no really harsh chemicals. It covers small amounts of grey. If you want to go completely chemical free Naturtint do a non permanent color. A health food store should have them. You could also try Sebastian's Cellophanes that have a great range of colors and make your hair shiny. You can get really nice rich red-browns or really bright scarlet colors.