Safe Swap: Hair Dye
Itโs time to talk about… ๐๐๐๐ง ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐
Real life… when I was only 17 my little dance students began pointing out the gray โsparklesโ in my hair. My paternal grandmother had hair as white as snow when she was very young and I am about 40% gray at this point as well.
Someday Iโll let it fly and just rock it… but I just donโt have it in me to let that happen before I even turn 30.
Sadly, there is no such thing as a completely toxin free hair dye on the market. So it is up to us as consumers to find a balance of performance and safety that we are comfortable with.
Letโs back this up a bit…
Hair dye was invented in 1907 and main stream formulas have hardly changed since then. Hair dye works by using chemicals to open the cuticle of your hair which then allow your hair to receive and retain color. Unfortunately, these ingredients include a number of harsh chemicals that are linked to some not so great side effects. My awesome team has collaborated on breaking down a few…
A few of the heavy hitters:
- Para-phenylenediamine: linked to cancers and cell damage in animals. PPD is actually not approved for products that come in contact with skin...but somehow it is still used in many mainstream hair dyes.
- Formaldehyde: Preservative & carcinogen linked to developmental delays and endocrine disruption.
- Ammonia: corrosive and irritates mucus membranes. Can cause respiratory discomfort and lung irritation.
- DMDM Hydantoin: this ingredient releases formaldehyde over time
- Coal tar: Heavy metal contamination. Recognized carcinogen.
- Parabens: Preservative and endocrine disruptor. Has been linked to breast cancer and other serious issues.
๐๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ค๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ฌ๐จ ๐๐จ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ง๐๐๐ฃ ๐๐๐๐ช๐ฉ๐ฎ ๐๐ฃ๐๐ช๐จ๐ฉ๐ง๐ฎ ๐๐จ ๐๐ค๐ค๐ข๐๐ฃ๐, ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ง ๐๐ค๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐จ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ค๐ก๐ก๐ค๐ฌ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐จ๐ช๐ข๐๐ง ๐๐๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฎ ๐๐ก๐จ๐ค ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐จ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐๐๐จ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ข๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ก๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ง & ๐จ๐๐๐๐ง ๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐๐ช๐๐ฉ๐จ!
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Here are some less toxic options:
ย All-Nutrient
This is a salon professional color line that has without a doubt the BEST ingredients I have ever seen for hair color!! One of my girlfriends in New Jersey converted her entire salon to this line and is absolutely loving it! It is also what we used for Hawks cool โred swooshโ, and my stylist was very impressed with the gray coverage for me! I will say it faded about two weeks sooner than what he had been using on me though… but the ingredient trade off is 100% worth it!
ย Henna:
This isnโt used in salons but it is one of the strongest natural colorants. The downfall of henna is that itโs not available in a wide range of colors and can cause an unreliable result. Also, once you use henna you cannot just go back to using semi-permanent/permanent hair dye because henna treated hair can have an unpleasant reaction when mixed with hair dye.
ย Hairprint:
From the website, โhairprint is a patented scientific breakthrough that restores gray hair to its true color. It is not a dye. It replenishes the natural pigment (eumelanin) found in brown and black hair that has turned gray….The internal genetic template inside the cortex, what we call your hairprint, is missing due to the impact of the chemicals. Hairprint infuses the hair with its original pigment, eumelanin.โ This product is made with 8 food grade ingredients, it is hypoallergenic, odor-free, and you can apply it at home. It takes approximately 70-90 minutes to do a treatment. Before using it, you will need to detox your hair and remove residues and mineral build up. The downfall is that this option only works for black, dark brown, and light brown hair. The company is actively working on formulas for blondes and redheads.
*More info: https://www.myhairprint.com/products/true-color-restorer
ย oVertone:
For those who like vibrant colors and at home application, this brand may be for you! oVertone products are vegan and cruelty free, but not yet certified by leaping bunny. Typically vibrant hair dye can be extremely drying and damaging to hair but oVertoneโs formula has been recognized for being moisturizing. All of the conditioning agents, emollients, and oils used are plant-based. While oVertone does have not contain the heavy hitter offenders listed above- the formula does contain blacklisted phenoxyethanol. It simply depends on how committed you are to dying your hair, and if you feel this product has an adequate balance of safety and performance. oVertone has surpassed a lot of other at home hair dye brands in the industry, but as you can see they are not perfectly toxin free.
*more info: https://overtone.co
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It is my hope that this helps you make the best decision for yourself and your hair!
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If you have any recommendations I am missing, please let me know!ย
