Your shampoo is so clean it’s basically a smoothie. Your makeup bag doesn’t have a toxin in site. Your fave cotton tee? Sustainable, obviously. So what’s the harm in highlighting your hair with traditional dye?
Non-toxic hair color isn’t a hot topic in wellness right now, but we think it should be. While some of the most suspect ingredients in hair color have been phased out over the years, hair dyes are still an area for considerable concern.
We asked Christine Thompson, Color Director for top natural salon, Spoke & Weal, to explain why we really need to go green when going blonde. It’s that time of year when so many of us think about refreshing our hair color. If you’re thinking of cleaning up your beauty act, hair color is a key place to start…
Why Non-Toxic hair Color Matters
think about your stylist. You may only encounter the color solutions used for that wicked blonde or brunette shade for two hours every month or so, but think of the stylist handling the chemicals every day. One of the most harmful effects, both for you and for anyone who works in a salon, is the effect of inhalation during color processing. The daily exposure for stylists in any traditional hair salon is one of natural beauty advocates’ biggest concerns.
Products that absorb through the skin. When it comes to detoxing your beauty regimen, some products matter more than others. Products like color, which sit on your scalp for a length of time, are included in that category of products that matter. Body lotion, shampoo, foundation and hair color are all applied to and absorbed by large areas of skin – and usually massaged in. These are the products you want to be sure are safe and clean! Two other hair products that should always be non-toxic? Aerosol hairspray (inhalation) and leave-in conditioner (absorption).
Beauty with benefits. Not only is natural color safer, Christine argues that natural color, especially from the Aveda line which they rely on produces a longer-lasting, more realistic color. Aveda’s hair colors are infused with oils that cause less damage (hence the longer wear) and the natural chemistry relied on for these new natural solutions results in, surprise, more natural hair tones.
Are you a chameleon when it comes to your hair color? How do you navigate the issue of clean ingredients when it comes to salon visits?
Let us know if you’ve found a natural salon you love and what you plan to do on the issue!
