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Bobs, bouffants, big bangs, braids: no matter how or where you cut the above' dos—your bathroom or in a salon—all that snippin' and shampooin' can result in something much more damaging than the mullet. Hair care products—boasting a global value of $4.7 billion in 2005[1]—are often considered the most powerful and trend-influencing of all personal care products. With this massive level of popularity and influence, the hair care industry also carries considerable eco-impact: the petrochemical-based ingredients in shampoos and conditioners that give your locks luster and shine before being washed down the drain; the toxic bleaching agents in the pot of blond hair dye; the waste created and energy consumed by these beauty rituals. It's enough to turn your hair white overnight.

Fear not: there are simple ways to maintain a dazzling, healthy head of hair, whether you're trying to emulate Jennifer Aniston or James Dean. Read on to learn about the environmental risks of hair care and how you avoid committing both a hair and earth don't.

Cleansing, conditioning, and full of chems

Like other personal care staples such as deodorant, shaving cream, and body lotion, many popular hair care products contain mineral oil, a petroleum-based substance.[2] The production of the petrochemicals used in items like hair dye and shampoo pollutes the environment by releasing hazardous chemicals into the air and water.[3] Mineral oil-based products support the hazards of the petroleum industry, which include about 2.6 million gallons of oil spilled every month during transportation and about 71 million pounds of toxins released into the air and water during refinement.[4]

Supplementary preservatives in many shampoos and conditioners include BHA, which has a negative impact on aquatic ecosystems and bioaccumulates in the tissues of organisms,[5][6] and parabens, known endocrine disrupters that are not only detrimental to human health, but also destructive to animal hormones and development. Additionally, the potent synthetic antimicrobial agent triclosan, used in some shampoos and other hair care products, has been found in 55 percent of streams examined in 2002 at levels high enough to disrupt the natural life cycle of frogs.[7][8] Another common synthetic to look out for in shampoo is diethanolamine (DEA), a foaming detergent.[9]

The fragrances in shampoos and other hair care products pose risks as well. Fragrances are volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which add to air pollution, are persistent in the environment, and contaminate waterways and aquatic wildlife.[10] An estimated 5.72 million Americans have skin allergies to fragrance, while around 72 percent of those suffering from asthma claim that their condition can be triggered by synthetic fragrance.[11]

Deadly dye jobs

Conventional permanent hair dyes work by a multi-step process that relies on toxic chemicals to achieve satisfactory results. Below is a brief rundown of these key toxics:

• ammonia: A toxic chemical used in hair dyes and bleaching and cleaning products that's been linked to long-term health effects, skin irritation, and environmental contamination.[12]
• ethanolamine: A toxic chemical that can cause central nervous system depression and other health problems.[13]
• hydrogen peroxide: A government-restricted chemical found in hair dyes, face washes, toothpastes, and as a common antiseptic.[14]
• lead acetates: Highly hazardous metal compounds that are known carcinogenic toxins affecting human reproduction and development, the nervous system, and respiration.[15]
• para-phenylenediamine (PPD): A chemical used mostly in dyes and as a photographic developing agent. Exposure is linked to a number of health problems, including eye irritation and tearing, asthma, renal failure, vertigo, and coma in humans.[16]

The bar is best

Although many hair care companies are taking steps to use recycled-content plastic bottles and encourage recycling, spent bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and other products can take hundreds of years to decompose, while ingredients in leftover product—including phenoxyethanol and parabens—can contaminate soil and water.

Shampoo bottles, like many consumer products, are usually made from HDPE, although they can also be made from damaging PVC. The manufacture of PVC creates toxic pollution, threatening the health of both factory workers and the communities surrounding factory sites. Incineration of PVC products produces dioxins and furans, which are among the most toxic environmental contaminants and are known carcinogens.[17] Recycling is not an option with PVC plastic: one PVC item can contaminate a batch of 100,000 recyclable bottles.[17]

The green alternative? Solid shampoo and conditioner bars (most likely made with natural materials) that completely circumvent the whole plastics waste mess. There are additional eco-boons, too. For example, Natural beauty and skincare company LUSH reveals that their unwrapped, solid products last longer and weigh less than their bottled products, which means they take less energy to transport. The company points out that that one truckload of solid shampoo bars is enough for 800,000 washes and that it would require 15 truckloads of bottled shampoo to perform the same task.[18]

Eco beauty parlors

It's obvious that permanent dyes, shampoos and conditioners, and other hair staples often contain a bevy of questionable chemicals that can cause health problems and environmental damage. So how does this affect having your tresses professionally handled? [19][20] A recent study by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection concluded that the wastewater being emitted from salons is more industrial in strength than other wastewater sources. They now encourage salons to use only non-hazardous, nontoxic substances.[21] Many salons are voluntarily cleaning up their acts by choosing eco-friendly products, such as Atlanta's EcoColors Salon, which lowered chemical usage by developing its own low-PPD hair color.[22]

Water and energy consumption (especially for heating the water) is also relatively high in beauty parlors. To combat this problem, one Aveda salon in Madrid installed a water recycling system that reuses rinse water to flush toilets.[23] Similarly, Boston's Fresh Hair installed solar panels and a graywater heat recovery system to reduce their carbon emissions and save money.[24]

Green claims

Shampoo and other personal care or cosmetic products are sometimes chock full of advertising claims that can be hard to sort out and verify. One such murky area is the term “organic.” While the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) maintains clearcut standards for organic food, the same can’t be said for body care products. The industry is in turmoil trying to agree upon a set of standards. Some companies use the USDA certified organic food standard, which requires 95 percent of the ingredients to be organic. Others use the less stringent California state standard for organic cosmetic products, which requires at least 70 percent organically produced ingredients.[25] And still others label their products organic without meeting any external criterion. In the meantime, a nonprofit standard-setting group called NSF International has released a draft set of rules for organic personal care products and a group of 30 cosmetic companies recently devised its own set of specifications called Organic and Sustainable Industry Standards (OASIS).[26] How it all washes out remains to be seen.

While you're contemplating green attributes, you may also wish to join the cruelty-free movement by looking for products with the Leaping Bunny Logo or the Certified Vegan Logo. You can rest assured that no bunnies (or monkeys or cats, for that matter) were harmed in the making of these non-animal-tested products. Just keep in mind: a company may claim it doesn't employ animal testing for its products, but without third-party verification, it’s hard to know whether these statements are, in fact, completely true.

Controversies

In a recent study that shook the natural products industry, 100 “natural” and “organic” soaps, shampoos, dish liquids, lotions, and body washes were tested and nearly half contained 1,4-Dioxane, a carcinogenic chemical. This toxin has been found in conventional personal care products but this study, commissioned by the Organic Consumers Association (OCA), was the first to test green products.[27]

In scientific studies, 1,4-Dioxane has caused cancer in animals; scientists have not yet confirmed the long-term effects on humans. The FDA says current levels do not pose a hazard to consumers but have advised manufacturers to lower amounts in cosmetics as much as possible.[28] None of the products tested that were Certified Organic by the USDA contained 1,4-Dioxane. In response to this study, some of the affected companies have said they will work toward removing 1,4-Dioxane from their products.[28]

Related health issues

Although the chemicals found in shampoos, conditioner, and other hair care products have largely been ignored by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), studies have found higher levels of parabens in tumors from human breast tissue.[29] However, because the potential damage to the endocrine system has yet to be proven, the controversy surrounding the toxicity of parabens is still being debated.[30] While DEA is infrequently used in skin and hair care products because it's a known carcinogen, the more commonly used chemicals TEA and MEA are often contaminated with diethanolamine. Lauryl/laureth sulfates are common skin irritants that can dry out the skin and hair with long-term use[31] and can also cause hair loss and scalp irritation.[32]

Shampoos with artificial fragrances can also contain phthalates, widely used industrial chemicals that are estrogenic or anti-androgenic. Studies conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health reveal a link between monoethyl phthalate, a chemical used to preserve scent in perfumes and colognes, and sperm damage.[33] Click here for a breakdown of the leading chemicals found in fragrance products and their related health effects.

Carcinogenic colors

Chemicals found in many permanent hair dyes contain possible carcinogens. Especially suspect are products with labels that warn against using dye on the eyebrow region.[32] While carcinogenic sulfates once used in petroleum-based or coal tar dyes have been banned by the FDA for their toxicity, similarly harmful chemicals like PPDs and ammonia come with just a warning on the label.[34]

Coal tar dyes (byproducts of the coal fuel industry) are frequently labeled as FD&C and D&C colors.[35] They also have known carcinogenic side effects, particularly bladder cancer.[36] However, the FDA has never banned their use. One study found that 71 hair dyes had ingredients made from coal tar.[32] In fact, the FDA does not strictly regulate most dyes used in hair coloring products, unlike the European Commission, which banned 22 chemicals found in hair dyes after research linked long-term use of certain dyes to bladder cancer.[37] Only one of the 22 banned chemicals appears on the FDA's registry of restricted cosmetics ingredients.[38]

It's estimated that 5 percent of permanent hair dye users develop allergies—primarily contact dermatitis—because of PPD, a chemical that despite being banned as a hair dye ingredient in several European countries, can still be found in two out of three permanent hair dyes.[39]

Glossary

• 1,4-dioxane: A petroleum-derived contaminant classified as a probable human carcinogen by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
• BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole): A chemical preservative used in cosmetics and certain foods to prevent fats and oils from becoming rancid.
• DEA: Diethanolamine (also related to the additives TEA and MEA). Suspected carcinogen, used as an emulsifier or foaming agent.[40]
• HDPE (high-density polyethylene): Plastic polymer, mainly derived from petroleum, used by the chemicals industry for bottles and industrial moldings. Has a resin code of #2 for plastics recycling. One of the main plastics used for plastic bottles for beverages and consumer goods.
• parabens: This family of preservatives (which includes methyl-, ethyl-, propyl-, and butyl-parabens) can affect the endocrine system, which produces the body's hormones.[40]
• phthalates: Sometimes labeled as DEHP, DHP, and DBP5, but not always listed on a product's label if it's part of a fragrance. May cause reproductive and developmental problems.[40]
• triclosan: An antibacterial agent. Effects may range from skin and eye irritation to the formation of dioxin and chloroform in the right circumstances, both probable carcinogens.[40]
• volatile organic compounds (VOCs): Organic solvents that easily evaporate into the air.[41] VOCs are emitted by thousands of products including paints, cleaning supplies, pesticides, building materials, and furnishings and they may cause immediate and long-term health problems.[42]

External links

• Campaign for Safe Cosmetics
• The Green Guide - Soap and Shampoo: Personal Best
• Sprig - Lustrous Healthy Hair (in the Color You Want)
• The New York Times - Is Organic Shampoo Chemistry or Botany?
• TreeHugger - TreeHugger Asks: What's a Good, Green, Cheap Shampoo?
• Ideal Bite - Do you change your hair color as often as you change your shoes?
• Environmental Working Group - Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database Before you lather up, check out where your favorite hair care product ranks on the hazard scale.