When choosing a hair colour, we tend to look at how long it will last, what it will do for our hair and the depth of colour.
We already know that mainstream dyes can be damaging for our hair. One recent study released in 2018 found that chemicals in commercial dyes, dark ones especially, speed up signs of hair ageing.
The FDA also showed that some of the ingredients used in the permanent dye used by up to 80% of American women are carcinogenic.
But did you know that colourants also impact the environment? So, choosing an eco-friendly hair dye is an important consideration if your aim is to be earth kind.
How Do Hair Dyes Impact the Environment?
Mainstream hair dyes can be extremely damaging for the planet in several ways.
WATER POLLUTION
Paraphenylenediamine (PPD), a major ingredient in many black hair dyes, can be toxic when it enters our waters.
It’s so harmful to human health that many markets have banned it, but you can still purchase dyes containing it in the UK. Not only is it highly allergenic, but it is also extremely damaging to fish and aquatic life.
The UK hair dye market alone is worth upwards of £400million. This represents a lot of chemical pollutants going into our waterways.
PPD has been detected in wastewater from commercial hair salons. It remains in the treated effluent. Animal studies have also shown that paraphenylenediamine is carcinogenic and can cause other negative health effects.
Alongside this, many permanent hair dyes contain hydrogen peroxide. Research demonstrates that hydrogen peroxide reduces the amount of oxygen in the water when it meets organic matter. This change in oxygen levels seriously impacts vital algae, fish and plants.
DAMAGE TO PLANT LIFE
According to the National Pesticide Information Centre, dye chemicals are very toxic to plants, especially those requiring a lot of water to thrive.
If these ingredients find their way into soils, accidentally or through poor disposal, it can take decades for the soils to recover, and particles have been found many years afterwards.
NOT VEGAN or ANIMAL-FRIENDLY
Not all dyes are animal friendly. Firstly, some are not vegan; an important consideration if you are. Secondly, the ingredients that harm humans are just as harmful for animals.
PACKAGING WASTE
Most commercial dyes are designed for convenience, meaning they are packed in mountains of unnecessary single use plastics. The applicators, bottles and tubes cannot be recycled because of the chemical contaminants within.
How To Choose Eco Friendly Dyes?
You can immediately limit your environmental footprint by switching from mainstream chemical dyes to a natural, organic alternative.
At Suvarna none of our hair dyes contain p-phenylenediamine (PPD), ammonia, peroxide, parabens, resorcinol, propylene glycol or any other harmful chemicals. They are safe if you have an allergy to PPD in conventional hair dyes.
We have over 50 pure natural hair dye products to choose from, in a range of beautiful radiant colours from blonde, strawberry blonde, auburn, chestnut brown, to dark brown or black.
Its Pure: Made in the UK, certified organic and 100% natural, It’s Pure offers a wide range of rich, semi-permanent henna-based colours.
Logona: Logona are natural and plant based - These natural hair dyes contain natural plant colourants and conditioning ingredients, such as certified organically grown henna, walnut shells and bark extracts. They are Certified Natural by NATRUE.
They also have no PPD, peroxide, preservative, or ammonia.
Sante Hair Colour: Natural and trusted, in 8 beautiful shades.
Henna Hair Colour: Another great solution is traditional henna powder, made from henna leaves.
Henna is pure plant powder; no PPD, Ammonia or additives, and is mixed by you. You can add other natural ingredients like lemon juice to the mix if you like. Henna leaves have been used in India since ancient times to dye hair, clothing, and even fingernails. It works incredibly effectively as a hair dye. And by combining with another herbal powder, indigo, you can achieve all sorts of different shades.
Going Grey: You can also stop dying your hair and switch to Ayurvedic means to care for beautiful grey hair.
You can learn more about dying your hair with Henna in our natural hair care centre. For more information about choosing a hair dye, ask our experts.