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Hair Dye

 
Wanting to improve what we got naturally, wanting to bring back our childhood color, wanting to look playful, have more fun, look sexy, younger, hide the grey, or just to get noticed, we look to dye or highlight our hair color.  Three out of five of us do it!  Unfortunately, we are dying to be beautiful and poisoning ourselves.  More than damaging our hair, we are setting ourselves up for potential health problems and disease.

Conventional hair dyes may contain lead acetate, a hormone disrupter.  Even greater is the risk to children of lead poisoning since bits of the chemical get onto everything it comes in contact with and children, especially babies, put everything into their mouths.  Ingesting just one drop of a dye with lead acetate exceeds the acceptable levels of lead for pregnant women and children.

Conventional hair dyes also use PPD, a carcinogen banned in Europe.  Hair dyes are also petroleum based and can contain other harmful chemicals.  Reports suggest women who regularly use hair dyes have a higher chance of many cancers including cancer of the blood, bladder and lymphatic system.

Hair dyes are not regulated by the FDA so claims of safety are not regulated either.  Even natural products that use plant pigments also use chemicals.  Usually more natural products are not as strong.  That sometimes makes them safer for our health and the environment but also not as effective at coloring.  But even "natural" dyes can contain known carcinogens including 4-methoxy-m-phenylenediamine (4-MMPD) and 4-methoxy-m-phenylenediamine sulphate (4-MMPD sulphate), Resorcinol, Peroxide, O-Aminophenol, Ethan-olamine, Propylene Glycol, Nonoxynol.  Even the "safest" of hair dyes, rank pretty high in potentially harmful ingredients.

Lighter dyes tend to be safer than darker ones, though Henna is a safe natural dark color commonly used across the globe.  Henna can be mixed with coffee and a little vinegar for a rich natural color.  Of course, the most natural way to highlight is to mist lemon juice into the hair and use the sun for a couple hours to lighten the color.  Get Red highlights with red hibiscus flower and boiling water according to "Living Healthy in a Toxic World" and let it steep to the desired shade before using it as a rinse.
     
  Links:  
     
 

Living Healthy in a Toxic World

David Steinman

Healthy Baby, Toxic World

Melody Milam Potter

Our Toxic World,
A Wake Up Call 

by Doris J. Rapp

  

Better Basics for the Home

by Annie Berthold-Bond
 
     
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