Photo by Khadija Dawn Carryl at Henna Sooq
If you’ve ever dyed your hair at home, you’re all too familiar with the burning chemical aroma that fills up your bathroom, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that many of the chemicals in hair dye are not the best thing for you or your hair.
Ingredients in common home hair-dying kits are very harmful, and anything but green, with a documented increase in risk of non-hodgkin’s lymphoma for people who dye their hair. Hair dye has also been linked to bladder cancer — a 2002 study found that some women who dyed their hair and had certain genes were twice as likely to develop the malady.
While The American Journal of Epidemiology also found that risk was much higher for people who started using or only used hair dye before 1980, and the American Cancer Society concluded that evidence remained “quite inconsistent,” it remains to be seen whether those of us who regularly color our locks will develop disease.
In the meantime, it might be a good idea to explore either embracing your natural color or finding all-natural alternatives. Luckily, there are a number of great products on the market that work without known carcinogens, such as P-phenylenediamine and other coal tar colors (identified by “F,D, & C or “D & C on the label).
The first and best alternative is Henna, one of the oldest beauty products known to man. Derived from the Lawsonia Inermis plant, Henna is an ancient technique for dying both skin and hair.
Photo by Khadija Dawn Carry at Henna Sooq
To dye your hair with Henna, you mix the henna powder with hot water, or you can mix it with tea, coffee or herbs for desired effect. HennaHair.com has pages of different mixtures and color examples.
You can find quality henna powder online pretty easily (or at your local Indian grocery store), but Rainbow Research Corporation or Henna Sooq, a reliable source for Henna information and products.
The problem with henna, however, is that it’s not permanent and washes out in time depending on the complicity of your hair. Luckily, a number of other plant-based dyes, such as Advanced Cosmetic Technologies‘ natural permanent hair color, are available. ACT’s permanent hair color is PPD-free and 100-percent plant-based permanent hair dye, is not tested on animals and comes in 13 different shades. Another alternative is the EcoColors brand which is another permanent hair color made of natural ingredients flax Oil, castor Oil, all-organic flower essences, vitamin E and C and natural preservatives.
By Amelia Harnish
September 9th, 2009 at 11:04 am
Henna is also the only product that is said to be safe to use during pregnancy. It’s a good alternative to generic hair dye, however can be a little bold for some people’s taste.
September 9th, 2009 at 3:17 pm
Chemicals, metallic salts or other plants must be added to henna to make any color other than red. These pre-mixed colors are compound hennas. If you buy a box labeled henna that claims to dye hair blonde, brown or black, there is something other than henna in that box. so as much as they might appear safer they are just as damaging to a developing nervous system, kidney function, and the overall well being of your developing fetus. honestly i’ve never come accross a pregnant woman whom didnt have the most grogeous healthy hair ever!
September 9th, 2009 at 3:21 pm
Henna is safe! They have been using it in India forever. Do you have any data to support that its not?
September 9th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
what do you classify as safe? sure just google Henna… how is it that the metals used to add color are toxic to ingest… yet safe to pour on the thinnest and most porous portion of the largest organ in your body..(SKIN) especially when youre pregnant?
September 9th, 2009 at 3:47 pm
The best product is no product! You must “protect your house” !
September 10th, 2009 at 2:35 pm
“Mo”, I am not sure where you got your information from, but henna and all natural henna “mixes” are available in a variety of colors ranging from strawberry blonde, to brunette, to jet black and many more shades in between. While it may be a little more time consuming, all you need to do is add natural ingredients such indigo plant, apple cider vinegar, lavender oil, ylang ylang oil, tea, lemon juice, beet juice, carrot juice and/or rosewater to the henna to come up with a customized color (you would need to research the desired mix to determine which blend of products to use). There is no need to by any pre-mixed “compound” product with chemicals in it.
Additionally, according to the organization of teratology information specialists, Mayo clinic, and various other sources, there are no conclusive studies to show that hair dying, of any sort, is harmful to a fetus. That being said, although I DO believe pregnant woman should avoid it all together during the first trimester as a precaution, the fumes of chemical hair dyes are more toxic than the affect it has on the skin and fetus.
September 11th, 2009 at 2:06 pm
Wonderful post!!
I have used henna for over 10 yrs and have had 6 amazing kids in that time. My midwives gave me the go-ahead and I have always came to appts with a henna’ed belly too, done by myself. So henna is safe to use for women at any time. As long as it is 100% pure henna powder, and not a henna “color”. Natural henna only dyes reddish tones. Anythng else has other herbs or blends in it.
September 12th, 2009 at 3:07 pm
Super post, Need to mark it on Digg
Saurooon
October 5th, 2009 at 2:50 pm
I have used henna on my hair for a few years including when I was pregnant. You have to make sure you get BAQ (Body Art Quality) Henna. Indigo on top of Henna dyes it darker colors, black for people with already dark hair, it may take a few times for people with lighter hair. I believe Amla is the lighter “blonde henna” it’s another kind of natural herb. Henna more coats the hair than dyes it. But like Jennifer B said you can add things such as carrot juice, beet juice (my favorite) for certain colors. I don’t like to use a lot of acidic things when I mix it because that dries out the hair but a splash is good to help release color, and some oil is a good idea to help moisturize but my main ingredient is just water. Let it sit over night (Indigo has to be used right after you mix it) maybe add the beet or carrot juice in the morning before you do it. The longer you leave it in the more vibrant it will be… Indigo is like 2-3 hours though. A great website to get safe natural henna and not a dye that claims to be is http://www.mehandi.com/ it will tell you about what you are buying and this is always what I used with no problems. I have also never dyed my hair with anything besides henna and I heard if you have beware because you don’t know how the already chemically dyed hair will react color wise with henna. Happy Hennaing!!