Hair color penetrates all age and gender markets; it shows no preference—young and old, men and women—hair coloring is pervasive and popular—from punk rock to highlights and gray-hair cover up. Problem is hair dye has so many chemicals. Marie Therese DuFour was diagnosed with lung cancer and had to put her profession of 25 years as a master colorist temporality on hold. But when she returned, she was pleasantly surprise to discover there was a movement toward natural hair color.
Coloring systems that are commonly used contain parabens, I’m sure you’re more than familiar with these; ammonia, yep, the stuff you clean your floors with; hydrogen peroxide, a common bleaching agent; and propylene glycol, pentasodium pentetate, hexylene glycol, alcohol and more chemicals . Many of these ingredients are known irritants and carcinogens. What’s more, if a consumer is allergic to any of these ingredients side effects such as facial swelling and rashes can occur.
DuFour goes through a few of the major offenders in hair dye, such as P-Phenylenediamine (PPD), which can inflame the skin if an allergic reaction occurs. Natural hair colors do use PPD, but it uses it in much smaller amounts in conjunction with herbal colors. She also breaks down how hair dyes actual work against the hair, damaging the hair’s natural protein structure. She also discusses the benefits of natural dyes with plant extracts for color that are not only better than the chemicals commonly used, but they offer benefits to hair, and tips on how to minimize chemical contact by using a brush and bowl versus a spray bottle. However, she does warn hair colorists that there is no such thing as a purely natural color, but formulas with plant extracts, proteins and enzymes are a much better option for consumer’s skin and hair.