Not willing to sacrifice gorgeous hair or your health? Tired of worrying about chemicals and toxins in your cosmetics and hair care products? Join the club! In fact, the hair care industry has been revolutionized in the past few years by companies who have taking the initiative to create products that are both effective and healthy.
When it comes to hair products, there are thousands of chemicals and toxins being used in conventional products that are proven to be dangerous to your long-term health. The most common include:
• Foaming agents such as sodium laureth sulphate, ammonium lauryl sulphate and 1,4-dioxane.
• Synthetic colors and fragrances which are not always labeled or identified completely on labels and may be an amalgam of hundreds of chemicals.
• Parabens, which are often used as preservatives and have been linked to breast cancer.
• Propylene Glycol which can cause liver and kidney damage.
To avoid these chemicals you can choose products that are specifically created to exclude them. Companies like Nature’s Gate, Aubrey Organics, and Avalon Organics have been making affordable, natural hair products and cosmetics for years, but there is a whole new generation of luxurious products that include lines like Intelligent Nutrients and Rahua.
Whether you’re buying shampoo and conditioner, styling products or at-home hair color there are three important things you want to consider before making your purchase:
1. Is the product as natural as possible, without phthalates, parabens, and other chemicals that will absorb into my body over time?
2. Has the company that makes this product demonstrated a commitment to the environment in its overall business practices?
3. Does this company have a strict cruelty-free/no animal testing policy for its products?
If you’re not sure, you can always email or write the company directly to inquire about any of these criteria. Most companies that make eco-friendly and green products are passionate about these causes and are more than happy to give you information about their efforts to promote them.
Remember, just because something is legal doesn’t mean it’s harmless. You are the one who cares the most about your own health (and the health of your family) and you can’t simply rely on bottom-line driven companies, special-interest-indebted policy makers, or slick marketers to look out for your best interests. We can, however, be grateful that we live at a time when we have more choices than ever to be health conscious, eco-friendly and glamorous all at the same time.

Photo Attribution:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/limpciano/ / CC BY 2.0

~Amanda Quraishi is the amazing voice behind Fashion, Evolved, as well as many other mind-blowing projects too fabulous to mention.

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