I'm always surprised to see nutritionally savvy people (organic vegans, raw vegans, holistic health care practitioners) with dyed and chemically processed hair. I think there is a huge lack of awareness when it comes to the dangers of chemical hair coloring.

Using chemical hair coloring is just as dangerous as the pesticides and toxins that are sprayed on produce (if not more dangerous). Even more alarming is the fact that when you chemically color your hair, it's seeping into your scalp (your skin) and into your bloodstream.

When you color your hair, you're dumping toxic chemicals onto one of the most important spots of your body–your brain. This is where the blood supply is the richest in the entire human body (thus increasing the likelihood of harmful chemicals being absorbed into the bloodstream). The National Cancer Institute estimates that 20% of the non-Hodgkins lymphoma (the cancer that killed Jackie Kennedy-Onassis) is linked to the use of commercial, chemical hair dyes.

According to an article published in Energy Times…

• Most commercial hair coloring products contain cancer-causing agents and harsh bleaches. Some of the most dangerous are resorcinol and phenylenediamine derivatives (often preceded by an o-, p- or m- on the label). Another common hair dye ingredient, nitro-2-aminopherols, can initiate free-radical damage and DNA mutation which can lead to cancer. All of these chemicals have been associated with an increased occurance of asthma, Hodgkin's disease, lymphoma, breast cancer, bladder cancer and a form of leukemia called essential thrombocythemia."
• According to a study published by The American Journal of Epidemiology, hairstylists who worked with hair dyes for five years or more had had triple the risk of developing breast cancer.
• According to the American Cancer Society, people who used dark hair dye for two decades or more had a four times greater risk of dying from two cancers of the immune system, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and multiple myeloma.
• Dr. Andrew Weil, the natural health care guru, advises against any use of hair colors or dyes whatsoever. Dr. Weil believes that the color additives in hair dyes "are energetic molecules that can interact with DNA, potentially causing mutations that lead to cancer."

More information on the dangers of commercial hair coloring.

The good news is you can color your hair naturally. How? The answer is Henna. It's 100% natural, and harvested from a plant that's grown in India and parts of China. Many people assume that Henna means red hair. While Henna does have a reddish hue, it will not turn your hair bright red. That's a misconception. You can choose from a range of colors: light blonde, brown, red, and black. From what I've read, Henna is effective at covering gray hair, too.

One caveat: You should understand that Henna has no bleaching properties. In other words, you can't become blonde if your natural hair color is brown or black. Also, make sure you buy 100% pure Henna, with no added ingredients. I recommend Morrocco Method Henna.

My friend and I applied Morrocco Henna a couple of days ago. The color turned out nicely, although the application process is pretty messy (it's a green plant paste you're working with).

Have fun!

What you put on your skin, face, and scalp is *just* as important as the food you put into your mouth. Be sure to read the label on all skin care and body care products.

Women need to consider eliminating makeup, which contains enormous amounts of synthetic chemicals, surfectants and "chemical cocktails." If you need makeup, be sure to buy all-natural, organic makeup without synthetic ingredients.

According to The Organic Makeup Company…

"The human skin wraps and protects our bodies. It constitutes a living, dynamic tissue system. It has the remarkable ability to absorb applied products, partially or completely, into the bloodstream."

• Up to 60% of the products we use on our skin are absorbed and deposited into the circulatory system.
• The average woman absorbs 30 pounds of the ingredients contained in moisturizers over sixty years.

Whatever food you ingest passes through your liver. Your liver functions to detoxify and neutralize harmful ingredients. However, body care products applied to the skin are absorbed *directly* through the skin. Since they don't pass through your liver, you want the highest purity level.

Both men and women need to re-evaluate the ingredients in the following household products…

toothpaste
shampoos & conditioners
deodorants
hairsprays, perfumes
lotions
chapstick
soap
sunscreen
nail polish & nail polish remover
houseshold cleaning products
dishwashing soap (which goes on your hands, into your skin, and into your bloodstream)

Here is a list of harmful ingredients to avoid when choosing skin care and body care products.

Another excellent list can be found at Aubrey Organics. Aubrey Organics has been creating natural hair and skin care products for almost 40 years. Here is their list of
10 Synthetic Ingredients to Avoid

Print this list, and take it with you when go shopping for shampoo, dish soap, lotion, etc. After 3 or 4 trips to the health food store, you'll have the list memorized.

Here's a tip: If the ingredient list contains very long words, and you don't know what the words mean, then it's probably synthetically manufactured in a laboratory and should be avoided. Only buy products with ingredients that you understand. If you don't know what the word means, don't buy the product. For example, can you explain what Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine is? How about Butylphenyl Methylpropional? Most people do not know what these ingredients are–aside from knowing that they're synthetically manufactured in a laboratory. They both sound artificial, and in fact they *ARE* artificial. These ingredients have Methyl, Propyl, and Butyl in their names, and should therefore be avoided.

What I Use & Recommend:

Toothpaste–> I use Tooth Soap which helps re-enamelize the teeth. Fantastic, great. Love it.

Shampoo & Conditioner –> Aubrey Organics

Deodorant –> Crystal Stick. This is a natural body deodorant for men & women that is non-sticky, non-staining, and guaranteed to last one year. It contains 100% natural mineral salts, and is completely free of perfumes and chemicals. And yes, it works.

Hairsprays, Nail Polish, Nail Polish Remover & Perfumes–> I don't use nail polish remover or perfumes. I have found a chemical-free nail polish called "No Miss."

Soap–> I use 100% pure olive oil soap. The soap is green (from the crushed olives).

Lotion–> Organic Virgin Coconut Oil from Tropical Traditions

Chapstick–> Beeswax Lip Balm from Burt's Bees.

Sunscreen–> Aubrey Organics

Dishwashing Soap–> The brands "7th Generation" and "Earth Friendly Products" both sell dishwashing soap that does not contain Sodium Laurel Sulfate (SLS), artificial colors, phosphates, dyes, or Cocamide DEA. You can find many more natural brands at Whole Foods or your local health food store.

Where to Buy
I buy all of the products listed above from Whole Foods—except for Toothsoap and coconut oil, which I purchase online.

Unfortunately, many products that advertise themselves as "all natural" are not truly all-natural. The next time you go shopping for a bottle of shampoo, take the list of "10 Synthetic Ingredients to Avoid." You'll be amazed at how many so-called "natural" products contain parabens, cocoamide DEA/MEA, and some type of SLS or SMS (Sodium Myreth Sulfate). Start reading ingredient labels for all products you put on your body.

If you wouldn't eat it, don't put it on your skin.

Even though many people eat healthy, they often put toxins in their body by unknowingly using harmful skin care products (lotions, perfumes, soap, makeup, etc.). Reading the label on your skin care products is just as important as reading the label on the foods you eat.

According to studies done by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, levels of toxic metals and pesticides can be found in the blood and urine of most Americans. Harmful chemicals are found in many skin care products including shampoos, soaps, shower products, and toothpaste. Over a period of years of applying these products directly on your skin, or in your mouth, the buildup occurs in the system since the skin is a highly absorbent organ.

Not only is the skin highly absorbent (I've read studies that say within 2-3 minutes whatever is applied to the skin is absorbed into the bloodstream) but it is also the body's largest organ and is used for elimination of toxins. Instead of using lotion sold in the grocery store, consider using organic virgin coconut oil, instead. Pure coconut oil is known for its benefits to the skin. For soap, I use 100% pure olive oil soap (the soap itself is green and can be purchased at local health food stores such as Whole Foods).

***

Press release below from a new line of natural skin care products called Raw Gaia.

Raw Gaia, a Brighton-based natural skin care company, announces the launch of an unusually pure range of hand-crafted creams, moisturisers, lip balms and massage bars made using only 100% organic, raw and vegan ingredients.

The main benefit of a skin care product made with raw, living ingredients — such as cacao butter, cold-pressed oils and essential oils — is that the body is nourished from the life force, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals present within these substances. In contrast, a high temperature treatment — such as that used to make the vast majority of skin care products — destroys most of this goodness.

Managing director Lisa Lennon comments: "Our products are made by hand, carefully avoiding temperatures above 40°C, to ensure the ingredients retain all their living energy. This makes Raw Gaia truly different."

Raw Gaia's skin care range is free from petrochemicals, artificial colourants and parfums, glycols, lauryl sulphates, parabens, preservatives, synthetic additives, bulking agents and hidden ingredients. Products do not contain any toxic transfatty acids, as the oils are not heat treated.

Hector Bolanos, sales and marketing director, adds: "Our products are absolutely pure — so pure that you could in fact, eat them. As a result of their purity and living nature, they are highly nourishing and effective. Many people have said their skin starts to feel firmer and softer, blemishes and dark patches start to disappear, that their eczema has improved after using our products."

All Raw Gaia products are available at selected stores or can be bought online.

About Raw Gaia
Raw Gaia was started in Brighton by Lisa Lennon and Hector Bolanos during 2006. For many years, the couple searched for the ideal moisturiser, made with ingredients as fresh and close to nature as possible. Unable to find anything suitable, Lisa started experimenting in the kitchen and making her own creams. Eventually, she came up with a product that is one of the purest creams on the market. The success with this cream led her to develop a range of other skin care products.