SOCIAL MEDIA

Monday, December 10, 2018

MY BEAUTY FAVES :: Healthier Hair Color


A couple of weeks ago, I did something I never thought I could.  I colored my own hair.  Surprisingly, I am thrilled with the results and how well my hair feels and behaves.

What inspired me to take the plunge?  It's been a work in progress but I reached my tipping point about 4 weeks ago when I went to my last styling appointment.  I found out at the last minute that the salon would not be opened on Sunday which is when I usually get my hair cut and colored.  My whites were showing around my hairline in plain sight.  I am very neurotic about them.  As soon as they show up, I have to cover them up.




I had a new stylist at my appointment.  When I got home I realized the whites around my hairline did not look like they had been fully dyed.  You could still see the white hair and within a few days the roots were showing. I realize that I should have probably just gone back and had them color my hair again but I just could not bring myself to do so.  Every time I go, it's about a 2.5 hr visit and I'm not the kind to enjoy sitting down for that long.  I know I should just relish the quiet time, put my feet up, read a magazine while I sip a latte and what not but I never seem to enjoy my time.  If I'm at the nail salon or the spa, it's a different story.

The color application process itself used to bother my scalp a few years ago.  The color dye would burn and feel very uncomfortable so they started applying oil and that would help mask it.  My scalp would still feel irritated the day after though. I never really payed attention to it since I focused on the finished product-  the masked whites.

I started to think about just trying to color my hair myself.  It's never quite felt right and now it's not turning right I thought.  As crazy as it seems, I've almost done it previously when they could not fit me in for an appointment and I had whites everywhere.  Somehow, if you mentioned you might just try to color your own hair, the response was always unanimous- "oh you can't do that yourself".

I went to Wholefoods and checked out their selection.  I figured they would have something "safer" that I could try. "Tints of Nature" came highly recommended for "stubborn whites".  Needless to say, I dreaded running into a student while I was browsing for the perfect shade so I went after dinner.  Like having whites is the end of the world.  The whole process at home went a lot smoother than I thought.  I should have started earlier but bedtime at my house is mayhem.  The hardest part is washing your hair after you color it.  Surprisingly, this hair color did not bother my scalp at all which was a pleasant surprise and my scalp did not feel irritated after I rinsed the color.  My hair feels very smooth and looks shiny.  It has been very easy to style because it's not as dry as usual.


I figured it would be interesting to compare how my usual 96% naturally derived hair color would compare to this store bought 95 % naturally derived hair color.  I had to call the company of my salon brand to get the full ingredient list since it's not available on their website.  Then I went on the EWG database and looked up each ingredient, one by one.  I did the same for the box of "Tints of Nature" hair color.  I was very surprised to find that my usual brand has 4 ingredients that score an 8 in the EWG database.  This means that they have moderate to high toxicity and that they have more serious health concerns associated with them.  For "Tints of Nature", I found that there were a few 5s and one 7 but overall the health concerns associated with the ingredients are milder.  

I was very surprised to find out that the brand of hair color I have been using for years is not as safe as I thought it was.  I'm sure that there are safer brands than Tints of Nature out there but it seems so far like a healthier alternative to my usual brand.  My hair and scalp seem to like it better too.  I wish I had taken the plunge earlier!  

I'm curious-  have you colored your own hair?  Are you satisfied with the results?

This post is not sponsored and contains my own personal opinion.  

Post a Comment