Can you please suggest a  natural hair color(not henna)?I bought Naturtint but it has phenylenediamines. Is it a harmful chemical?

Hello

Dr. Weil says

"In general, I discourage use of hair dyes containing artificial coloring agents, which to my mind are as suspect in cosmetic products as they are in food. Hair dyes applied to the head are absorbed through the scalp, where there's a very rich blood supply that may carry them throughout the body"

But perhaps others will have some ideas?

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Indeed, Henna-based products are the safest ones. But  henna dries hair like crazy. Therefore, it is recommended to do a shea-butter hot oil treatment during and after application (that works: it moisturizes your hair really good).

Considering that just the application phase itself takes about 3 hours, henna is very time-consuming, indeed (there is no way you are going to attend a function on henna Sunday).

After doing some research, it seems to me that Herbatint is the most nearly natural dye out there. Yes, it contains that phenylenediamine. But I understand that they use the absolute least possible amount. Although I am dead set on natural food, medicine and products, I plan to try it:

 http://www.naturalhairdye.com/color/herbavita/herbatint/info.html

I have looked at the ingredients in Naturtint, but somehow, I am under the impression that Herbatint is more on the lower-risk side; besides, they are more forthcoming with information on their ingredients, which I appreciate. I am going to look into Aubrey Organics. I am thinking about alternating between one of these dyes and henna to further reduce my risk.

Somehow, I never thought of Clairol as being concerned about safety, but perhaps they are changing their mind, a sign of the times, I guess, so I am going to check them out as well.

Yeaah. It looks pretty bad. Choices are so tough, indeed. Prehaps I'll stick with my difficult regimen of extensive moisturization, then henna application, then another hot oil treatment, and then live-in moisturizer..

Not easy, but He! In view of all these ingredients.......

Actually, I had never come across this particular site for Aubrey, and now that I have it, I plan to use that hair color: it sound very good to me.

I personally would never do Tatoos or recommend them, precisely because of these risks (besides, I know that what they call "black henna" is a total poison: it is not henna at all, but a man-made dangerous chemical).

I am sure that some people could be allergic to henna; after all, it is a plant, and it is often mixed with indigo, another plant, to obtain a wide array of shades, so no wonder that henna, too, has some problems (albeit very, very minor ones, though).

I think I should be fine with Aubrey, I am just very happy that I found this dye.......Many thanks.

Will do (I am ordering it shortly and should have it in the next few days, hopefully).

OK, I have received my shipment of Aubrey organics. Turns out it's  henna powder, exactly the same as what I have been buying loose. So just as much work as usual. I will use it, though, now that I have it.

Indeed. The ingredients listed by Aubrey are:

Ingredients from packaging: Indigofera tinctoria, Lawsonia inermis alba, Emblica officinalis, Eclipta alba, Acacia cathechu.

Lawsonia inermis is henna. Indigo is the other plant used also by "Light Mountain" hair dye in its henna preparations to obtain different colors. Of course, both brands are 100% nontoxic.

So my plan is to alternate between henna and this Bioforce of America Herbatint, Dark Chestnut (3n) (from Herbatint).  I should not have to use it more than like 3 times a year, which is not bad, I think.

Indeed, even the very strict Environmental Working Group has classified this Herbating product as "moderate risk" (http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/browse.php?brand_id=4563), so alternating should be pretty safe...Yes, we would go nuts trying to live 100% nontoxic; I think that people like us are already doing quite well as it is, considering the amount of researching time we put into every product we use....

..... And talking about Similasan, I forgot to mention that I had also picked up Similasan Cataract Care at the same time I had gotten the Ear was relief. Although I don't have cataract, I have been suffering from what I call the "computer screen syndrome." Basically eye fatique causing my vision to be kind of blurred for a few minutes after waking up in the morning.

Well, Similisan cataract care took care of that, too, after only a few applications. My vision is now clear at all times. I am sure some doctors would have started subliminally suggesting surgery for that little problem of mine. Luckily, I took care of it with this wonderful homeopathic remedy (killed 2 birds with 1 stone).

Hoorah!!

....And yes, and you are not kidding saying that the regular doc would be skeptical. A  couple of weeks ago, I went to a podiatrist to have (get this) BUNIONS removed. Nothing else. I don't want to go to the shopping center for bunions, because I feel you need professionel help for that, not a beautician. 

After each removal, I am usually able to go 6 months to even 1 year walking without any pain at all (here too, another podiatrist (not my regular one) had once tried to suggest surgery and subsequently admitted that I did not need it, since I am able walk normally for months and months with a simple bunion removal). Anyway: this time again, my regular podiatrist was not available, so I tried another one in my neighborhood.

When I got there, that doctor could not stop talking about how his practice had been hit sooooooo hard by the recession (did I mention that this was the first time I ever met him?). He then went on to keep on rambling that he is going to have to hire a marketing firm to keep his business up, due to that damn recession, DIDAH, DIDAH, DIDAH.......... At that point, as one can imagine, I was starting to feel really uncomfortable. Of course, I was at his mercy, because I was in his office. Short of slamming the door, there was no turning back.

But that was just the beginning. He then decided to have me take an X-RAY OF EACH FOOT (no kidding).  Did I mention that I was there for bunion removal? I am very much against the excessive use of some of these "diagnostic" tools, especially X-ray s (which validity is hotly debated even in serious conditions like breast cancer detection).

By the time I left this man's office, he had charged me a lofty "extended consultation" fee, and he had, of course, charged my insurance company even more for those (perfectly useless) X-rays (.....where do skyroketting insurance premium come from?). Needless to mention: he will never see me again.

All that to say: Is there, perhaps, something wrong with a health care system that causes doctors to behave this way...................But now I am venting.