Organic Hair Dye

A growing number of people are opting to dye their hair using safe, natural, organic hair dyes. Ingredients in organic hair dye products include nutrients, antioxidants and various plant extracts that not only add natural color to the hair, but also improve and condition it.

These may not be as long lasting as regular oxidative dyes that change the chemical structure of our hair, but they are definitely healthier, and they don't do the kind of damage chemical dyes are capable of doing.

We all know that truly organic hair dye is made from natural ingredients, including plants and things like henna (which is a now common dye extracted from a specific tropical shrub). But today organic dyes contain much, much more, and in fact now offer a real alternative to the chemical dyes we have been living with for so long. Because of the nature of chemical hair dyes – particularly those that permanently change the color of the hair – it is not so much what the products contain rather than what they DON'T contain that arouses interest.

For instance genuine organic hair color products will not contain toxins like:

  • ammonia or anything that is derived from ammonia, a nasty smelling ingredient of hair dye that produces fumes that inevitably get into our mucus glands and lungs
  • formaldehyde or anything that is derived from formaldehyde, considered to be a highly toxic irritant that is likely carcinogenic
  • diamine toluene, which is commonly used in cosmetics and hair dyes, but is now thought by some to be toxic and possible carcinogenic
  • any PTD (paratoluenediamine), a common chemical used in hair dye that is now considered toxic and is blamed for many skin allergies
  • plastic
  • SLS (sodium laurel sulfate), a "detergent", "emulsifier" and foaming agent commonly used in personal care products (including shampoo and hair colorants) that has been described in recent years as "one of the most commonly used poisons in the world"
  • thioglycolate, which was the precursor to ammonia and smells just as bad
  • parabens (para-hydroxybezoic acids) which are linked to breast cancer

Instead organic hair dyes should be packed with certified organic ingredients that are rich in anti-oxidants, amino acids and natural nutrients including bio-balanced vitamins and extracts from various plants.Today there are a growing number of companies that offer professional products that are being used at home and in hair salons, gradually elevating the concept of organic hair dye beyond the whims and fancies of a minority group.

Colors available in organic hair dye ranges pretty well match the colors offered by permanent, semi-permanent and temporary products, and there are just as many of them. However organic products – and organic salons specifically – are still in the minority and are generally considered part of a niche market. While many people claim enthusiastically that they'd rather go organic, these products are currently considerably more expensive than most of those we have become used to using to color our hair.

It seems that the US is taking the lead, and there are options. For instance one organic salon system offers 65 intermixable color, concentrates and brighteners in its professional salon range. All products are ammonia-free and all the ingredients are certified 100% organic. Organic hair dye options and availability can only improve.