Death to Dye

Many of us know Rachel McAdams from movies like "The Notebook" and "Wedding Crashers," but she is also an avid believer and practicer when it comes to going green. She has even created her own charity and website called Green Is Sexy. Below is what she has to say when it comes to hair dyes and some great environmentally friendly alternatives:

For many of us, it’s been a while since we walked the world in the hair color we were born with. You might be legally blonde, brunette, burgundy or black, but at what cost to your health and the environment? Chemical hair dye ingredients contribute to both environmental pollution and a variety of health problems. Studies have linked the use of hair dyes to an increase in bladder cancer, dermatitis, depigmentation, rheumatoid arthritis and respiratory ailments. Here’s why: All permanent hair dyes are made up of two components — color and developer. The developer contains hydrogen peroxide and ammonia to modify the molecular structure of the hair shaft and allow the large color molecules to penetrate, while phenylenediamine (PPD, or its derivative names benzenediamine dihydrochloride, or aminoaniline dihydrochloride) permits the color to bond with the hair. Some permanent hair dyes may also contain coal tar, a potentially detrimental petrochemical, and toxic metals such as lead or mercury as developers. Holy cow! That’s a lot of ugly crammed into something designed to make you look pretty. Since some of us are, shall we say, hesitant to rediscover our roots, there are alternatives. Herbatint, for example, comes in 30 shades and contains low concentrations of PPD and peroxide, uses no ammonia, is not tested on animals and is biodegradable. We also like Rainbow Henna, who make a great line of non-tox hair color in every shade under the you know what. Feeling extra sexy? Ask your stylist to look into using Earth friendly colors at the salon. One popular line for professionals is Tocco Magico from Italy. Now if only we could find a way to recycle all those little foil pieces…