http://www.care2.com/greenliving/to-dye-or-not-to-dye-in-a-salon.html
To Dye or Not to Dye in a Salon?
By Annie B. Bond
The first time I dyed my hair I used a dye product I bought at the health food store that was made of roots and seeds.
My sister helped me, and we followed all the directions exactly. When I stepped out of the shower after washing out the dye, I could tell in one glance at my sister that the result was a disaster! My hair was as orange as a carrot. Thank goodness my daughter wasn’t yet a “tween,” or she wouldn’t have gone out with me in public (although as a teenager she might have been proud!)
I tried one more natural plant dye brand to use at home, and while the results were nice, they were inconsistent, and it wasn’t long before I began to research dyes used in salons, for convenience and better results. I quickly discovered that as of yet, there are no salon hair dye brands that are 100 percent plant-derived. I didn’t want to put toxic, petroleum-based ingredients in my hair and on my scalp because petroleum products can be a risk to your health and are non-renewable for the environment.
In my research to find an acceptable alternative for a hair dye that could be provided within the ease of a salon, I discovered that Aveda salon dye products seem to be the best solution available today. Ninety-nine percent of Aveda’s demi-permanent dye is plant-derived, and the permanent dyes are 97 percent plant-based. The results are nice—the hair color is surprisingly natural looking, and the dyes aren’t nearly as drying to the hair because they don’t contain harsh petrochemical solvents. Aveda Concept Salons.
Salon brands of hair dye are almost all 100 percent synthetic and petroleum-based. The dyes are usually the controversial oxidative dyes. Aveda uses oxidative dyes like the rest of the industry (albeit in a small percentage), because so far there are no plant formulas that can provide consistent, long-lasting dyes. Oxidative dyes make up the 1 to 3 percent synthetic ingredients of the Aveda formulations. For an overview of the cancer risks, and controversy associated with synthetic permanent dyes for dark hair, click here.
Oxidative dyes have no pre-existing colors until they are combined and joined with oxidizing ingredients. Most dyes use a synthetic to do this, but Aveda did research into essential oils and plant extracts, and have found and patented a process to oxidize the dye using green tea extract. Not only is the end process less petroleum-based, but the result is more natural looking. The common base formulas for dyes are petrochemical solvents, and in this process Aveda has substituted protective and lubricating plant oils in the formula so that it is significantly less drying to the hair than the solvents normally used.
Permanent hair colors are the harshest for hair, and pose the most potential health risk. For more on this, here is a glossary offering the choices and safety of the different hair dyes—permanent, demi-permanent, and semi-permanent.
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19 comments
add your comment »I looked up Aveda on the cosmeticsdatabase.com and it rates a 6 which means moderate hazard. In its ingredient list for light colored hair it listed 3 ingredients that cause cancer. Is this a product you really want to use on your scalp? Remember everything you put on your body soaks into your bloodstream.
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I recently left an Aveda salon where I get my hair colored , cut and used all there hair products - now I am considering a Redken salon , but not sure if the products are good for my hair?
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For Dawn M:
The EWG website is a good guideline, but they do not take into consideration the QUANTITY of ingredients in a formulation. In other words, if PPD is present, it is rated toxic..because if a formulation has greater than 6% ppd, it could cause disease. Not al color lines are transparent and reveal the quantity of ingredients. In the EU, PPD is limited to 2%. Ask the color companies for QUANTITY of a questionable ingredient. Just because it's present doesn't mean it's toxic if it's in an acceptable quantity.
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FYI.Ammonia is not toxic in small amounts. It's even in larger amounts in some cleansers. Our bodies produce it! Our bodies do not produce monoethanolamines(in the nonammonia colors) and the MSDS of ethanolamines that's in the nonammonia colors seems to suggest it is toxic if left on the skin AND has an odorless fume.
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My friend is a stylist and she tried Sanotint and it did not cover gray. she tried another Natural based color and it did not cover gray. The only one she likes is Ecocolors.
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Want to hear from any Aveda color users about grey coverage with the color. I want to take my hair business to Aveda, but clients have told me that it doesn't last or cover as well as other color lines
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I have been a hairdresser for over twenty years and am considering going to work in an Aveda Salon, problem is several of my clients have remarked the color does not last or cover grey well. Anyone that has experienced this add comments please
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continued from previous post:
If sodium lauryl sulfate and propylene glycol are used i the same cosmetic, they hold hands and make a third toxic byproduct. It can be overwhelming, huh. Do your research, learn a little every time and try to stay with comapnies who are transparent and educate their customers, without just using "slogans" like "ammonia free". Ammonia is not toxic in small amounts. The nonammonia alternative in haircolor is not intended to be left on the skin and has an odorless fume.
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Ecocolors uses ammonia instead of monoethanolamine in the "non" ammonia colors. you can read about monoethanolamine here:http://ptcl.chem.ox.ac.uk/MSDS/ET/ethanolamine.html Another informative site is: http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/ingredient.php?ingred06=702286
I know Ecocolors was approved by the European Union for being nontoxic, but you should still do an allergy test before every application
Just because a chemical is present, does not make it toxic. There have been many studies done on the toxicity of chemicals. Ecocolors uses NONTOXIC amounts.
The campaign for safe cosmetics is a guideline. If a cosmetic contains a certain ingredient that is rated toxic, this does not mean the product is toxic, unless the cosmetic contains toxic amounts.
Ask the manufacturer for the QUANTITIES they use in their product. The cosmetic companies are required to list the ingredients in order. The first ingredient on the list is the largest quantity present, as as the ingredient list progresses, the ingredient quantity decreases. If you see PARABEN at the top of the list, stay away! Some ingredients like PTHALATES should be avoided at all costs, because they cause problems in pregnant women.
MEA, DEA and TEA are all common toxic ingredients still used by many mainstream companies. Ask them for the quantities present. do your research. Each chemical is going to have different toxic levels. If sodium lauryl sulfate and propylene glycol are in the same formula, they hold hands and
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I don't know if EcoColors really is the ECO solution !! After all, it has AMMONIA in it!
I tried SanoTint Hair color without ammonia, with minimal peroxide and no PPD! It is THE GENTLEST natural hair color I have ever put on my scalp!! Check out the website for more details: www.cosvalitaly.com
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