Tuesday 24 January 2012

THE ALTERNATIVE ...NATURAL HAIR COLOURING - NATURTINT HAIR DYES

So, you’ve started to eat more organic food. You’ve swapped your regular washing powder for an eco-friendly version and you know your Echinacea from your cod liver oil. But what are you using to colour your hair every 4-6 weeks? Have you ever considered using a less chemical hair dye free from some of the harsh ingredients used in most mainstream and salon dyes?

NATURTINT is our chosen brand of hair colourings at Elixir and offers a permanent range of 30 shades, all of which are free from Ammonia, Resorcinol and Parabens. Ammonia and resorcinol are known potential skin irritants and products containing these ingredients have to carry the necessary warnings. The use of ammonia in hair colorants can also be very damaging to cuticle structure, leaving hair feeling dry and coarse. By removing these chemicals, Naturtint avoids scalp irritation and leaves hair feeling softer with a healthy shine. Active vegetable ingredients also offer protection for the scalp and help to hydrate the hair.

Of course a permanent colorant that is available in all shades from black to blonde, all of which cover 100% of grey, cannot be completely natural. Some chemicals such as PPD and peroxide simply have to be used in the formula of any permanent colorant and are often found in long-term semi-permanents too, so a skin test should be carried out 48 hours before the use of any hair dye. Instructions on how to carry out a skin test can be found in every box of Naturtint, plus video demonstrations are available at their website, www.naturesdream.co.uk.

Unsure about colour choice? Scared of a colour disaster? You can easily check how the colour you have chosen develops on your own hair type and that you are happy with that shade by carrying out a quick and easy strand. Here are our top tips for making an informed colour choice:

• All 30 shades within the Naturtint range are given a code, usually consisting of a number and then a letter, e.g. 1N. The number represents a scale of how light or dark a colour is, with 1 being the darkest and 10 the lightest. The letter afterwards tells you what kind of tones and colour you can expect, for example G stands for ‘Golden’ and M for ‘Mahogany’.
• You can go as dark as you like with Naturtint but you can only lighten by one or two shades. Most people generally suit shades one or two darker or lighter than their natural shade, as this complements the skin tone.
• If you are colouring your hair to cover grey, but want to add a brighter tone such as a mahogany or copper, mix this shade with a ‘Natural’ one first to ensure the grey hairs are covered effectively.
• If your hair naturally throws up warm or brassy red tones when you colour it, try mixing in an ash tone, to counteract these unwanted golden hues.
• If in doubt, ask for expert advice! The team behind Naturtint have a fantastic helpline with a hairdresser on hand to answer any colour queries or ingredient questions you may have.

A small number of people will still find that they are allergic to even a less chemical permanent colour, if they have developed an allergy to the ingredient paraphenylenediamine (PPD) because this chemical (which can have a number of different names), has to be included in some form in every permanent hair dye. Recent coverage of PPD reactions in the media serve as a warning to all about the importance of a skin test but you should always be vigilant when using hair colours if you have such an allergy, as alternatives to PPD (for example Toluene-2, 5-Diamino Sulphate) can be just as potentially allergy-inducing, if not worse. Keep in mind that if something sounds too good to be true then the likelihood is just that, so contact the manufacturers for clarification about the ingredients.

The Naturtint range does have an alternative available for those sadly sensitive to permanent dyes – Naturtint REFLEX Non-Permanent colorants which are not only free from PPD, but Peroxide, Ammonia, Resorcinol and Parabens too. This gentle range of temporary colours is available in six shades that cover the early signs of grey hair and will wash out by about 4-6 washes.

To buy this product, click on the following link Naturtint Hair Colours. If you wish to speak to a customer adviser, you an telephone us on 01208 814500 for further information.

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