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Lime Kool-Aid! Just kidding. Actually we’re talking eco-friendly hair coloring, which is in fact possible and easy. You don’t have to use toxic and harsh chemicals to color your hair a lovely shade. There are plenty of ways to keep your hair color green:
Know that the grass isn’t always greener: Fact; my whole family, minus me, had lovely dark, almost black straight hair. Then I come along with blondish brown curls and OMG did I hate my hair. I always wanted dark straight hair like the rest of the family. Then once I decided, well, I could color my hair darker, and proceeded to do so, and guess what? There’s a reason I was born with lighter hair – it suited me. Darker hair just doesn’t look as good on me as my own light brown curls. Try to be happy with what you’ve got, which eliminates the entire hair color issue.
If you really are still motivated to color your hair, go with a responsible coloring. Why? Many traditional conventional hair coloring products and dyes contain petrochemical; which are toxic. Exposure to petrochemicals occurs when you inhale or absorb these chemicals through your skin. These same chemicals wash down the drain and pollute groundwater and soil. Also contenders in hair coloring products are chemicals like methyl chloroform that deplete the ozone and most hair coloring companies test on animals. Further issues include allergic reactions, hair and skin damage, and sadly, a lame, unnatural look. Natural non-toxic hair coloring methods tend to look better and more natural plus don’t contain all these icky chemicals.
Greener hair coloring options:
Henna is a popular hair coloring choices; a powder that mixes with water to form a paste that can be applied to your hair. Henna is good especially for thin hair because it coats your hair so your hair may appear thicker after use. Henna products vary and can be found in many shades but true hennas will always produce a red shade or if chamomile is added, a golden highlighted look along with the red. Henna is not perfect because it’s not permanent (which is only a con if you care) and it’s a nightmare in long hair, especially long curls. I can’t use it because it’s so hard to wash out. Also folks with light hair (blond, ash, silver) can’t use true henna because it’s way too vibrant a shade.
Another choice is to choose a naturally made (or more naturally made) hair coloring product. There aren’t too many, but some companies are making less toxic, less chemical laden hair colors nowadays. See below for options.
This topic is one that I have wrestled with for some time. My genetics (or level of stress?) have both contributed to a very unappealing head of silvery locks despite the fact that I’m in my 30s. The box has been my friend for a good 10+ years now, but I feel REALLY guilty about the chemicals that I wash down the drain (http://bit.ly/Zyrio).
With well over a decade of color weary tresses under my belt, I’ve always been told that switching over to henna is a baaaaaad thing, and that it can cause breakage. Do you have any information on this? Is it accurate, or just a ploy by Clairol et. al. to keep women like myself coming back for more? Also, do you know if both henna and/or natural hair color brands are capable of dying white hair as effectively as conventional brands?