The safety of hair dyes has become more of a concern these days after news of young girls falling ill immediately following an at-home hair color treatment. Unfortunately, dying your hair in a salon is no safer than using an at-home dye kit. Compounding the problem is that there are plenty of hair dyes to choose from, which causes even more confusion when figuring out how to find the safest hair dye.
Now some people will suggest sticking with hair dyes that are labeled organic or natural; however, you can’t always trust labels because some dyes aren’t as organic as suggested. So in your quest for finding the safest hair dyes, you need to do your own research, and learn what is safe to use. But before we get into specific dyes that are okay to use, let’s look at the basics of dye products.
Basics
Hair dyes are offered with different levels of staying power including temporary, semi-permanent, demi-permanent, permanent and natural hair dyes.
Permanent hair dyes will change the natural pigment inside of your hair shaft, and if not dyed on a regular basis, can leave you with unappealing root re-growth.
Demi-permanent hair color is great for covering gray hair, and for enriching your hair color. It contains lower amounts of hydrogen peroxide and artificial color molecules, which has a smaller effect on the structure of your hair shaft. Demi-permanent hair dye also fades between 4-6 weeks after the application.
Semi-permanent hair dye fades much faster than demi or permanent dyes since it only stains your hair shaft. Like demi-permanent hair dye, semi-permanent hair color is good for quick cover-ups of gray hair, but it washes out within eight shampoos.
Vegetable & Henna
A well-known and certified organic method of coloring hair is “henna”. Finding the safest hair color leads you to henna hair dye because it is made from a flower, and is becoming more and more accessible. Henna is a gentle and natural way to dye your hair without using chemicals like ammonia.
The problem with henna is the limitations it has in regards to coloring hair. Blondes who use henna will have a red hair color, and brunettes who use henna come out with a deep red color with added shine to their hair. The plus side of henna is that you have the ability to use it as often as you’d like without causing serious damage to your hair.
Pure vegetable hair dyes won’t change the natural structure of your hair shaft or alter your natural color, but they will boost color and enhance shine. Look for these types of products online or in beauty stores that sell a variety of hair dyes.
Herbatint
Herbatint is safe hair color, which is also organic, and made with natural herbs like sage, which are perfect for dark hair, and chamomile for the shades of blonde hair.
You can even create your own Herbatint at home by using chamomile tea and sage. But always remember to read the labels because some Herbatint hair dyes do contain some of the same chemicals as non-herbal hair dyes.
DIY Hair Darkening & Brightening Treatments
Here we have for you 2 simple, yet great recipes for homemade DIY hair dyes. First one is for you ladies interested in “blackening” your hair; while the second is for all of you that want to lighten the color of your hair.
Homemade Black Hair Dye
Here is an easy way to make a safe black hair dye at home; plus it’s not expensive, and also lasts an exceptionally long amount of time.
- To begin, round up some black tea bags, coffee and black henna.
- Boil the tea bags and a pot of coffee per usual, and then combine the henna into the brewed water after removing the tea bags. It’s suggested that you use a glass bowl since this mixture will stain plastic mixing bowls.
- Continue to follow the directions for the henna, and you’ll have black hair in no time!
How to Brighten and Lighten with Chamomile
In your search for how to find the safest hair dye, products with chamomile are always good to use.
And it’s especially nice that you can make your own chamomile product to brighten or lighten your hair!
- When starting, bring three cups of water to a boil in a pot, and steep one cup of chamomile flowers.
- Afterwards, rinse your hair with the cooled liquid to brighten blonde and light brunette hair.
- When you rinse your hair with the chamomile liquid, rinse over a large bowl so that you can repeat the process a few times, rather than only rinsing once in the shower.
This is one of the safest forms of dyeing hair, and if used on a regular basis, can gradually lighten your hair.
Concerns
It’s no secret that hair dyes are associated with cancer and other health issues, which is why finding safe, natural hair dyes is so important.
In fact, studies show that both men and women working in salons – where chemicals are used on a daily basis – are more likely to develop bladder or salivary gland cancer.
Some hair dyes contain coal tar bases, which link the dyes to serious health risks such as cancer. The more exposure you have with such products, the more likely it is that you will develop serious health problems.
Other concerns about chemical-filled hair dyes are ingredients that have the ability to cause serious and sometimes deadly allergic reactions.
The chemical triethanolamine is known for causing lung issues, and the ingredients p-phenylenediamine and resorcinol are responsible for strong allergic reactions.
P-phenylenediamine and resorcinol are serious ingredients, and even if you perform an allergy test before dying, you’re still at risk for suffering from a reaction at any time after applying the dye to your hair.
Dark hair colors typically have more of the coal tar-based chemicals than the light hair dyes. Highlights are less harmful since the product isn’t rubbed onto your scalp, and less hair is colored.
If you’re set on dying your hair, avoid products containing triethanolamine, resorcinol and p-phenylenediamine, and stick with safe, chemical-free hair dyes instead.
When coloring, be sure that you’re in a well-ventilated space, and always follow the directions that come with the hair dye kit.
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