Well my hair didn’t grow back in rich, luxurious or curly; it’s grey – field mouse grey. So I decided it was time to do something about it, but there is no way I’m jumping back on the hair dye wagon. Earlier in my research into what causes lymphoma I constantly came across the suggestions (no proof, research in progress) that pesticides, and chemical hair dyes may be culprits.
Now I haven’t’ been rolling around in a freshly sprayed grub-free lawn, but I don’t eat organic vegetables, (yet) so there’s a possible infiltration source. I do/ did dye my hair religiously every month since I was 14. Seriously, I’m not sure about god, but I know Clairol has always been my savior! Could it be my faith was misguided?
I started looking into alternate hair dyes which lead me to hennas and chemical ingredients to avoid in colourants. Thus far I know I’m looking for something ammonia, resorcinol, paraben, phenylenediamines (PPD) and hydrogen peroxide free; good luck lady! It would take to long for me to outline the concerns with each of these chemicals, just Google them and nasty stuff will come up; I will however get into PPD’s.
This one is great, listed as a potential (means not yet confirmed so go ahead and lather it on until we figure it out) carcinogen (cancer-causing agent) used in hair dyes, rubbers, textiles dyes and pigments. This one seems the worst to me, and yet it is found in every “natural” hair colouring product I have looked up, not to mention the chemical colouring products I used to use like Clairol. What to do?
So I went to the mall to pick up a book I saw awhile back called Gorgeously Green. It outlines concerns with traditional home, beauty, lifestyle and food products, and then gives you alternative products to use. Sounds great, someone has done a bunch of the work for me right? Wrong! First section I opened up to, hair dyes, states “the following dyes contain no harmful chemicals:” So I bought the first brand on the list to try out and right on the packaging it lists PPD’s in the ingredients.
So I don’t know what to do anymore??? I want to be part of this fashionable world that we live in where products can enhance the outside you, but not if they might kill the inside me. To carry on using the same night creams, eye make-up’s, hair dyes etc that I know are filled with chemicals that are bad for me seems as reckless as smoking.
So I’m stuck; grey haired and wiser to the world of what can kill me, but I’m jealous of those who’s bleached highlights, fake nails and glitter scream ‘blissfully ignorant and lookin good!’ I miss my misguided faith.
1 comment:
I empathize with you, though on a different plane (since I have only in my life dyed my hair once and use no makeup, creams, etc. - just soap and shampoo).
Food and food containers are the new frustration of my existence. PBAs are rampant. Artificial sweeteners are in freakin' everything. I have sworn off plastics for the most part, but find me cheese that's not in plastic. Or yogurt. And then I learned that aluminum cans (that canned veggies comes in) are lined with PBA-containing plastics! Microwave popcorn? Same problem. ARGH!
It's hard, once your eyes are opened to carcinogens, to avoid them. I wear sunscreen faithfully, though I hate it (though apparently some sunscreens contain possible carcinogens -WTF?) as my doc said "Melanoma is a common secondary cancer." The other things I've done a bit at a time. It's definitely a lifestyle change, along with a change in priorities. It's hard, but I assume it will be worth it...
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