Eco-Friendlier Hair Color
Posted on November 12, 2008 by
Lately, I’ve had the opportunity to meet up with several old friends. I hadn’t seen some of them in 10-12 years. Inevitably, the first comment is, “Man, you haven’t changed a bit.” I suppose I should be flattered, but instead, it’s left me feeling a little sad. Internally, I’ve changed so much in the past 10 years, I wanted my exterior to reflect that. So, I went blonde.
Aside from a couple bottles of sun-in during my pre-teens, playing around with temporary color in my late teens, and the unfortunate home dye incident that left me with magenta hair for a few months in my early twenties, I’ve been a natural brunette. But when I found out I’d be seeing several old friends this past weekend, I was determined to not hear “Wow, you haven’t changed!”
I found a local salon that uses a product called Organic Color Systems. The dye doesn’t contain Ammonia, Thioglycolates, Sodium Lauryl Sulfates, or plastics. The colors don’t fade or yellow. They didn’t make my scalp itch, or sting. There was no odor while dying my hair, and in fact, the entire salon was odor-free. The website says that the lack of ammonia fumes makes the process safer for customers and salon employees.
And, I went from dark brown to light blonde, but my hair still feels soft and healthy. If there was any damage, it was minimal. The dye company also claims that their colors last longer and don’t fade, which makes me wonder why anyone uses anything else!
I am fully aware that not dying my hair at all would have been the more eco-friendly way to go. I’m trying to find a balance in my life between nurturing myself and being green, because without that balance, it would be too easy to get frustrated and give it all up. Sometimes those two things co-exist easily, but other times it’s not as easy. I’ve had a tumultuous couple of months. I felt like I really needed a change, and I’m really happy I found a way to tread a bit more lightly in making that change. In my cost/benefit analysis of this situation, the benefit outweighs the cost for me.
I am certainly not advocating running out to color your hair if you’re happy with your natural color, but I would recommend that if you are already coloring your hair, you look into a salon that uses friendlier hair color.
When I had lunch with my old friend, Joe, on Monday, the first thing he said when he saw me was, “Wow, you haven’t changed a bit.”
“I’m blonde!” I said.
He gave me the once over. “Yeah, but you’re still you.”
You look great! xo
Beautiful!
I’ve been dying my hair at home since I was 16 (Nice’n'Easy medium golden blonde), and it’s the one product I never let myself look up in Skin Deep. I tried switching to “natural” kits, but the color was never right and they still smelled and stung. I figure I’ll go natural (just a couple shades darker) when I decide to start makin’ babies.
How funny! I just went dark and you went light!
I hate hearing “you haven’t changed a bit!” – because oh, I sooo have! Obviously they’re not paying attention to me if they say that.
Haha.
The worst is when they just assume you’re the same person without even talking to you!
Anyway, I used Herbal Essences hair dye this time, thinking it would be slightly more natural (without costing much. I am poor, after all.). It was AWFUL. My hair smelled like ammonia for days. It’s the first time I’ve used hair dye with ammonia in it and I’ll never again!
Oh no, now I feel bad! When I saw a recent photo of you, the first thing I said was, “Oh my god, you haven’t changed at all!”
It was definitely intended as a compliment. In the ten years since we were in college together, I’ve lost a lot of hair, put on some weight, and look about ten years older.
You, on the other hand, still look as amazing. Of course you’ve grown wiser and even more brilliant. A lot goes on between twenty and thirty. But you don’t seem to have physically aged. So there.
Oooh, I love it!
Joe really hit the nail on the head. Sharp one, that Joe.
OK…let me be the rude one. How much did they charge you? Just curious to see how much in comparison to old school coloring.
I dyed my hair for years. It’s only been in the last 5 that I stopped and went natural. For the first time since I was 13!
I’m reading Rapunzel’s Daughters: What Hair Says about Women’s Lives and it’s educating me a lot about how much our hair defines our desires to change, become independent, conform, etc. Definitely check it out.
I always get the “you haven’t changed!” comments too. I guess donning a pair of glasses is only a major change if you’re Clark Kent.
Oh, and speaking from someone who saw you in person, I can say the color looks even better in the real world!
You look great as a blonde! I hardly recognized you.
Thanks everyone!
Organic Needle – It wasn’t any more expensive than getting my hair dyed at another salon in the same area.
Allie, thank you so much for sharing about the organic colorants. I found a salon in Milwaukee that uses that system and I’m so excited!!! I just can’t take the leap into ‘natural grey’ as yet.
Your hair looks amazing!!!
I need a change too, and hair is such an easy way to do it. I’m not going to color my hair, its the perfect color already, but I am thinking I’m going to cut it. Its down to my lower back now. All my life I wanted long hair, and I finally had the patience to grow it out and I hate it. Its too hard to take care of, you cant really do much with it, it always looks the same, and one of my son’s favorite past times is pulling it. Ouch! I’m done with super long hair!
[...] friend Allie found some “eco-friendlier” hair color. She says “The dye doesn’t contain Ammonia, Thioglycolates, Sodium Lauryl Sulfates, or [...]
Your hair really does look amazing!
I’m coloring my hair… darker. I have some henna blocks, and am nervous, but we’ll see!
Man, I need to do a better job of keeping up on my blogs. Allow me to say, though: hair looks awesome!
[...] Organic Color Systems – There’s a part of me that hates to admit this, but I love being blonde. It was kind of a [...]