Hair Color: Organic or Safer Solutions?

One of my Facebook friends recently asked: "Where, locally (Philly/South Central PA) can I find a good salon that uses organic hair color or highlights? I hate to color because of the chemicals, but alas, the grays are no fun and being that my hair is dark, I find myself needing to color more often than I like...I try and put up w/the grays as much as I can so that I don't have to color more than twice a year. I've heard Aveda...but have also been told that they are not truly organic? Also, do the organic products take long (hate sitting and waiting, another reason I don't like to color!) and how long do they last? I've been told of henna products, too; I am not sure how the color turns out. I don't get jet black color, more of a dark brown with a tint of auburn for depth."

I, too, feel compelled to color my hair, which so far is not very gray, but is very dishwatery in color. I've tried semi-permanent vegetable dyes (in a salon, I believe they are called Color Shines but could not locate in my research) which don't last long (8 weeks max) but give a really gorgeous rich tone and shine, true to their name. I do recall though that the colorist used to put saccarin into the mix so it would not burn my scalp. Big Red Flag there on two levels!

I also have used home colorants, though I'm sure they were not really natural as the box suggested. I figured it was not on my hair long and I was using plastic gloves, so my exposure was minimal. Probably completely false, but I wanted to spend $8 and not $80 for a single-process color. I've been to so many salons over the years, I have no idea what brands have been used on my hair (not even sure at my current salon, but I can tell you it does not burn my scalp and it has no odor whatsoever. I take that as a good sign).

First, here are some interesting stats I've found in my research:

From thedailygreen -- "A 1994 National Cancer Institute report states dark dyes used over long periods of time seem to increase the risk of cancers such as non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and multiple myeloma. And a 2001 International Journal of Cancer study found people who use permanent hair dye are twice as likely to develop bladder cancer as those who don't dye. The FDA doesn't regulate hair dye ingredients (synthetic or natural)."

Alexandra suggests avoiding the following chemicals in conventional hair dyes: "ammonia, peroxide, PPDs (para-phenylenediamines, the chemical that creates color and is widely thought to be carcinogenic), coal tar (the FDA issued a warning about it being a possible cancer risk back in 1993), lead, toluene and resorcinol."

Now if you go to a salon and ask if their hair dyes contain any of these ingredients, you're either going to get a non-answer or a "yes, but I'm sure they are safe" because most people have no clue, and do not want to admit that they are endangering their health every single day at their job.

From what I can tell, there are two clear favorites: Organic Color Systems (OCS) and EcoColors.

I cannot find a salon locator on the OCS site, which is strange but the website seems to be geared entirely to the trade. OCS does have a nice Facebook page, though it's still mostly professionals sharing results and application tips. You can see before and afters and also get an idea of where you can find the products. (Should not be this hard for consumers to find them!) I saw that Elle Salon in Camp Hill uses OCS. In Philadelphia, JuJu Salon seems to get great press and is fully committed to organic, nontoxic products. Another in Doylestown is Hair Artistry and Skin Care by Edye.

EcoColors Professional Haircolor claims to be "different from all other hair colors" because "the emollient soy base and the essential oils of flax and castor oil make this shine enhancing base stand out from the rest." It purports to provide "super conditioning, long-lasting color" and boasts a 10-year history of safe use on allergy-prone individuals with this thoughtful addendum: "Though Ecocolors works well for many who are allergic to other brands, please order a free allergy test before purchasing, because EcoColors Haircolor is not a 'cure all' for all allergies." Always smart to do a test, though I am too impatient to heed that advice myself at home.

EcoColors offers a home hair color kit for those of you who are brave enough to DIY and save money in the process. I've colored my own hair; if you're just doing a semi-permanent color wash, it's safe and easy. If you are going for a drastic change in color, I recommend finding a professional who provides less toxic dyes.

In the Philly area (Glenside), one salon carries the EcoColors line: Naturalis Studio.

I've tried to sort out all the disparate voices on Aveda. The corporate line seems to be 97% natural (derived from botanicals) with a touch of chemicals needed to bond to the hair. My personal opinion is that they have a lot of experience in hair care products and their products are probably better than the average, however, it's hard to find an unbiased, scientific review of the safety (which is true of most products today, sadly). I also get suspicious of sites that make it virtually impossible to find ingredients. I could not find anything on their professional color products, which signals concern for me. You can check out their products in the EWG Cosmetics Database (see below), keeping in mind the parameters for using this rating system (i.e., understand data gaps).

Additional articles and resources that may be of use:
Hair to Dye For (E Magazine)
EWG's Hazard Scores for Hair Color (not all brands are represented, and most are home kits)

This was informative for me. Thanks, Quyen, for the question. If I ever dabble in the at-home coloring again, I know now where to find a safer dye. Oh, and to answer one last question, I've never noticed that any brands take longer than others, but I've never tried henna, so I am interested in hearing what others' experiences with natural hair colorants has been! Comments are open.

Photo credit: Kvon Photography; Model: Shannon Larkin Haskell

Kate Hudson spotted in Hair-isburg

My source met Kate yesterday while she was here to promote her haircare line with David Babaii (presumably to Rite Aid). Silly me, I didn't know her eternal cuteness was shilling beauty products, much less ones that are eco-friendly and support WildAid.

About the products: "Volumizing vocanic ash. Rich Cupucacu butter. Blue Algae. Wild Orchid. Kiwi. Mango. Jojoba seed. Dead Sea Salt." Ooooh, sounds scrumptious.

"All part of the exclusive blend of exotic natural ingredients in our David Babaii for WildAid products. Free of Sulfates, Parabens, Petrochemicals, animal products. And, of course, free from animal testing." A bit of a red flag for me is that they do not list their ingredients on the website--at least I did not find them. This omission suggests to me that they are not as eco-friendly as they could be. Otherwise, why hide ingredients?

If you know me, you know I love a good tagline: "David Babaii for WildAid. It’s beautiful to be good." I could not agree more (frankly, I'm surprised no one's using line already)!

Next time I'm out, I'm going to check out the ingredients in the Bohemian Beach Spray and maybe the Amplifying Shampoo. I'll report back with a review. If you've tried any of these products, please comment.

Umm...just found the ingredient list for the Amplifying Shampoo on drugstore.com (ones in red pose a risk of 4 or greater, on a scale where 10 is worst):
Water, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Cocamide MEA, Lauramine Oxide, Spirulina Platensis Extract, Glycol Stearate, Cymbidium Grandiflorum Flower Extract, Volcanic Ash, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter, Hydrogenated Hemp Seed Oil, Panthenol, Thymus Serpillum Extract, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil (Olive), Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract (Oat), Caprylic/Capric Triglycerides, Algae Extract, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Mangifera Indica Fruit Extract (Mango), Actinidia Chinensis Fruit Extract (Kiwi), Urtica Dioica Extract (Nettle), Equisetum Hiemale Extract, Orchis Mascula Flower Extract, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract (Cucumber), Hedychium Coronarium Root Extract, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract (Ginger), Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract (Rosemary), Arctium Lappa Root Extract, Hedera Helix Extract (Ivy), Trigonella Foenum Graecum Seed Extract, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Wheat Amino Acids, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Amodimethicone, Citric Acid, PEG 150 Distearate, Fragrance, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Benzoate, Retinyl Palmitate, Hydrolyzed Wheat Starch, Panthenyl Hydroxypropyl Steardimonium Chloride, Tetrasodium EDTA.

It's not looking like these products would qualify as nontoxic...though I will say the reviewers on drugstore.com loved the shampoo and commented favorably about its scent. If the scent is naturally derived, it's probably not phthalate-laden, but the chances are slim.

Hair today: a fungus among us

Nontoxic haircare is one of the most difficult things for me. I've always been worried about how my hair looks, since it's so, well, noticeable. First, there's the products. Kenra works but it's full of sulfates. I tried a Shikai everyday conditioner, but it gets a "4" in the Cosmetics Database, plus I didn't really like it. Giovanni conditioner is rated better but I didn't like it either. I am now using Avalon Organics Biotin B-Complex Thickening Conditioner, which is still a "3" but I do like it. The search continues. If only I liked Dr. Bronner's. It's one of the safer ones and super concentrated (read: economical).

For the kids, I use California Baby Super Sensitive Shampoo & Body Wash (comes in gallon jugs so it's not only super nontoxic, it's also earth-friendly). Sometimes I use it, too. I've also started to use Kiss My Face Orange Shampoo & Conditioner (not the exact name) for Gregory.

I seek out great stylists (my all-time favorite is Christina Liberatore in NYC at Salon Chinois) and I always color it or lighten it to get rid of that dishwater ashy brown-blonde color it's become. I used vegetable-based dyes while I was pregnant and living in Connecticut. Pia at Noelle Spa did my color and it looked and felt great. Was it really healthier? I don't honestly know. I can tell you that the other demi-permanent color she used on my hair would burn my scalp, so I'm guessing that stuff wasn't so great. She used to add Sweet-N-Low to it and it would not burn as much. Evil calmed evil. Bizarre.

Single-process brunette is easy, but I'm always toying with the idea of going back to blonde, so this article caught my eye. A Japanese company is working on an alternative to the standard hydrogen peroxide bleach based on a type of white-rot fungus. While it's better for your hair, for salon workers and the environment, I have to chalk this up to one organic idea that's going to need some serious marketing magic to sell! Sorry, but I'm not easily able to associate "rot" and "fungus" with something I willingly put on my head.