Organic Salon Products

The Internet has proven to be a wonderful resource to research . Before evaluating different , you should first understand the definition of the word "organic" which means "raised or conducted without the use of drugs, hormones or synthetic chemicals". It seems simple enough that should be healthful, promote wellness, non-toxic, and be natural. However it is important to keep in mind that a product labeled as being organic does not necessarily mean it is.

Most women are surprised that cosmetic products, or their ingredients, are not subject to review or approval by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) before they are sold to professional salons or directly to consumers. Therefore, it is incumbent upon the consumer to educate themselves on to determine just how organic they actually are.

The movement in professional has been in creating products that are substantially comprised by organic ingredients while not sacrificing professional performance. More importantly, some leading organic salon product manufacturers have been eliminating the particularly toxic, carcinogenic, and dangerous ingredients in their products entirely.

The Sinister Seven - 7 Deadly Sins of Salon Product Ingredients

Reg-3 Cocamine: this ingredient has been linked to human organ toxicity and is a suspected carcinogenic and eye and skin irritant. Peg-3 Cocamine is produced by ethoxylating Propylene Glycol and dangerous levels of dioxin are an abundant by-product of the ethoxylation process.
Resorcinol: Strongly linked to human immune system toxicity, cancer, internal organ toxicity, endocrine systems disruption, and skin and eye irritant, this ingredient is most commonly found in hair color and hair dyes.
Ammonia Hydroxide: In simple terms, ammonia hydroxide is ammoniated water. Ammonia is a toxic corrosive and when it is used in hair products, it will severely damage the hair's tyrosine protein which is responsible for the production of melanin. Melanin is the hair's natural hair pigmentation and lack of melanin will cause even artificial hair color to fade. Ironically, almost all professional permanent hair color products use high amount of ammonia. It is known human respiratory toxicant, sense organ toxicant, cardiovascular toxicant, and risk to severe health damages increases after repeated use at their is evidence of bioaccumulation in humans.
Phthalates: these hormone disruptors are commonly found in nail polish, perfumes, hair sprays and skin care. They are known to cause damage to the liver and kidneys, birth defects, decreased sperm counts, early puberty onset in girls and early breast development in girls and boys. The Safe Cosmetics Act of California was passed in response to the dangers of phthalates in children's products.
Propylene Glycol: This ingredients easily penetrates the skin and can weaken protein and cellular structure. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers Propylene Glycol so toxic that it requires workers to wear protective gloves, clothing and goggles and to dispose of any Propylene Glycol solutions by burying in the ground. Because Propylene Glycol penetrates the skin so quickly, the EPA warns against skin contact to prevent consequences such as brain, liver, and kidney abnormalities.
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES): These two foaming detergents are known to cause serious health threats. They are known to cause depression, labored breathing, eye damage, diarrhea, severe skin irritation, and even death. Recent studies have even indicated that they damage the skin's immune and, when combined with other chemicals, create nitrosamines, which is a very potent class of carcinogens.
Parabens: This ingredient is toxic, even in small amounts. These are widely used cheap preservatives in many salon products. Studies conducted by the Journal of Applied Toxicology revealed parabens have been linked to cancer and commonly found in breast cancer biopsies. They also contribute to sterility in men and hormone imbalances in women as well as early onset puberty in young girls and boys.

Certified Organic Ingredients and

In addition to eliminating the use of toxic, dangerous, and carcinogenic ingredients; should also maximize the use of nourishing, healthy, natural, and organic ingredients. Many claim to be certified organic based on self-certified standards. The most reputable organic certification will come from government agencies or government recognized certification organizations. For products that are manufactured in Europe, the Soil Association of the United Kingdom provides the most reputable source of organic certification. For products that are manufactured in the United States, the United States Food and Drug Administration provides an organic certification program.

often cost slightly more than their chemical based alternative. This is primarily because the organic raw materials are multiple times more expensive for the manufacturer than cheap chemical or synthetic additives. However, advancements in organic technologies, and a broader and deeper understanding of how effective natural ingredients can be, have enabled to outperform their chemical based alternatives. This has caused an overwhelming growth in the organic salon market as a huge swell of discerning consumers have realized that, for a little extra money, they can use products that work better and are actually healthy and nourishing for them rather than toxic and dangerous.

Nourishing and Healthy Ingredients in

The most desirable and effective certified organic ingredients used in include chamomile, sunflower extracts, aloe vera, comfrey root, soy oil, lichen extract, coconut oil, bergamont fruit, wheat protein, orange peel extracts, geranium, grapefruit seed extracts, sweet almonds, citrus extracts, jojoba seed, fennel seed, white willow bark, and sea mayweed.

should also contain nourishing and healthy ingredients like amino acids, anti oxidants, and vitamins such as Vitamins C, E, and B5.

Unfortunately, some of these organic raw ingredients can be quite expensive, especially when compared to the cheaper chemical or synthetic alternatives. However, when selecting from or for your Organic Salon, it will always be better to select the most healthy, organic and natural that don't sacrifice their performance.

Organic Salon Systems offers a trusted filter for salons or salon professionals committed to providing healthier, more natural, and organic products to their clients. The company's strong ethos, which is committed to providing the most natural, organic, and gentle products without sacrificing professional performance also includes only offering products that are certified by PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) as being both cruelty free and vegan. With a strong sense of of duty to preserving and protecting our global environment, their are also extremely eco-friendly and they offer the world's first biodegradable shampoo bottles that are infused with seeds so that, when planted after use, grow trees. Their products and services can be found at http://www.OrganicSalonSystems.com

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Is Organic Perfume Better?

ByChaya Langevitz

In the last several decades, we have seen organic products become extremely in-demand. Just about every city in the United States has a plethora of markets specializing in organic products. These supermarkets carry a wide range of commodities, ranging from groceries to toiletries. People who choose to shop organic argue that organic is better for us because it has no pesticides, chemicals and all other kinds of additives which may be harmful for our systems. But how much really needs to be organic? One can certainly see the benefits of organic vegetables for example, but what about something like perfume?

Everybody wants to smell good, but is your perfume filled with toxins that may be harmful when you inevitably breathe some in? And how harmful is it, really? Organic junkies claim that our perfumes are filled with chemicals that may interfere with our hormones and nervous systems, and can increase allergy symptoms. But no studies have been done to back this up. The truth is that such a minimal amount is inhaled when one sprays perfume, that it is not enough to do any damage. One would have to drink an entire bottle of perfume or cologne to have any damage done to the system. But for those of us that do not intend to get drunk on perfume and simply spray a small amount in the morning need not worry.

As a teenager I went through a pseudo-hippie phase and I admit to experimenting with different oils and natural fragrances. My favorite was Egyptian Musk. I would rub a little on my arms and behind the ears, and I'd always get compliments for it. Now that those days are long gone and I am a wife and mother, I happened to find an old bottle of my beloved Egyptian Musk. After putting some on I just thought, "I smell like a hippie." It just no longer fit my current life style. I'm sure my husband would not be a fan. So even though that whiff of Egyptian Musk put a smile on my face as I reminisced my hippie days, I decided that my beautiful bottle of Bvlagri Mon Jasmine Noir was a much better choice for the evening.

I definitely prefer organic food to non-organic, but I don't think it's necessary with something like perfume. Sometimes we need a little chemical to make us smell good. But if you're partial to the hippie style, then maybe organic perfume would work for you. Hop over to your local Whole Foods Market and check out their perfume section. They have a vast array of organic fragrances, which include sprays, lotions, and roll-ons. Some popular favorites (other than Egyptian Musk) are Ylang Ylang, African Violet, Lavender and Jasmine. You can also mix a few perfumes together to make your own signature fragrance. Just be careful not to mix too many, or it will be hippie overload. Just because it's organic doesn't mean you can't overdo it. Organic perfume would also make an excellent gift for a friend that's into this kind of stuff. But if you're looking for something more sophisticated and don't mind a little chemical in your perfume, go to Macy's or Bloomingdale's and sample some of their perfumes. You can never go wrong with a timeless brand like Bvlgari, for example. They have tons of options for both men and women, and would also make an excellent gift for your more sophisticated friend or loved one.

For a perfume that's sure to turn heads, like Bvlgari perfume, go to http://www.perfumeandcolognemall.com.

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Natural and Organic Hair Care for Colored Hair

ByCL Murphy

There are many hair care products that are safe and natural to use for colored hair. Organic brands are better and there are several products that stand out in this vast market. Dermorganic offers an organic product that will work on color treated hair. Rare El'ements is a high end product that has rave reviews. John Masters products are a mid end product that can give you shiny hair even after a color treatment. For those on a budget Burt's Bees is a nice and economical choice.

Dermorganics is a vegan hair care treatment. It is an all natural organic product to use. The main ingredient is Moroccan Argan fruit oil. It has been proven to restore softness and shine to color treated hair. It instantly absorbs into the hair and this instant absorption can help dry, damaged and color treated hair. This hair care product speeds up blow drying by up to thirty percent and therefore assists in counteracting further damage to your hair with extensive blow drying. The Argan oil helps strengthen and nourish hair that has been damaged with color treatments. It can be applied wet or dry and this is a great benefit to people who do not wash their hair every day but would still like to keep it shiny and healthy. This is a high end product but a little bit goes a long way. They also have a variety of skin care products that offer Argan oil.

Another high end product is Rare El'ements hair care products for color treated hair. They have a color preserving shampoo that will add weeks to your color and keep it vibrant and shiny. This product is for any hair type and it is very pricey.

John Masters Organics is another choice for color treated hair and it is in the mid range as far as cost to the consumer. This product is well known for its invigorating aromas. It has a reputation to work well on hair that is damaged or color treated and it will leave your hair smelling wonderful in the process as well.

Burt's Bees is another organic hair care product that is great for color treated hair. Burt's Bees color keeper is a wonderful choice for those on a budget that still want to preserve their color. Their hair care products are made up of green tree extract and vitamins E, B and C. You can also pronounce everything in the shampoo and it is not pricey.

Whether you want high end products made out of Argan oil, mid range products that make your hair smell wonderful or all natural economical products you can meet your hair care needs with one of these products. All of these products can be found online and many of them are sold in salons and retail stores as well. If you have color treated hair you can keep it shiny and vibrant with one of these organic and all natural products.

I Love My Hair and Skin is an Orlando Hair Salon that Serves the Metro West area and supplies it's customers with Organic Argan Oil Products that will make you say "I Love My Hair!".

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Professional Organic Hair Color

Organic Hair Color

As our population continues to age, more and more women are turning to professional permanent color to prevent their hair from looking dull and grey. Because of this, there has been a heightened awareness of the highly toxic chemicals found in most permanent colors. This has led to a huge increase in the popularity of organic hair products.

Organic color offers an alternative to the more health conscious woman who does not want to sacrifice her health for her beauty. Although organic hair color is a much safer, healthier choice than it's toxic alternatives, it can actually perform much better than the chemical brands that are used in most salons. Although a professional colorist may charge between 10% and 15% more for organic haircolor than chemical based haircolor, the results will be a more vibrant, healthier, shinier, and longer lasting color that does a superior job at covering resistant great hair. The reason why products costs a bit more than chemical based professional color products is all in the ingredients. The organic raw ingredients required to make high quality organic color is several times more expensive than the cheaper synthetically created chemicals used in chemical based color.

How is Organic Hair Color Different?

There are three primary differences between professional organic color and chemical based color products. First, organic color will not contain ammonia while chemical based color contains high amounts of ammonia or ammonia hydroxide (ammonia and water). Second, organic color will minimize its use of synthetic chemicals. Third, a good organic color will maximize its use or certified organic raw ingredients to nourish and restore the hair while providing it with a rich, permanent, lustrous color.

Ammonia-Free Hair Color

Ammonia is a dangerous corrosive toxin whose primary purpose in the color process is to blast open the cuticle. Opening the hair's cuticle is necessary for the color molecules to enter the hair's cortex where it oxidizes with hydrogen peroxide resulting in permanently coloring the hair. High quality professional organic color will use a swelling agent like cocamide (which is naturally found in coconut oil) to gently swell the cuticle open allowing the color molecules in the color to enter the hair's inner cortex. This process usually requires the use of heat to assist in the swelling process. After the oxidative color process is complete, the heat is removed from the hair and the cuticle swells down to its natural state sealing the color inside the hair's cortex naturally protected by the in-tact cuticle. This is preferred to using ammonia to blast open the cuticle as doing so will damage the hair and leave it damaged allowing the color to slowly fall out. When color begins to come out to the hair's cortex through daily activity, it is called color fade. Color fade rarely happens with organic color and is quite common with chemical color.

There are other reasons why it is a good idea to leave ammonia out of color. First, ammonia free color provides superior performance as discussed above. Second, ammonia produces a foul and unpleasant smell, scalp irritation, discomfort, and damage to the hair cuticle. Finally, ammonia is a known toxic and has been linked to several types of cancer.

Minimizing the Use of Synthetic Chemicals

Any color is a chemical process. Fortunately, advancements in organic sciences have provided high-performance safer alternatives to many of these chemicals involved in the color process. Two ingredients that are often found in chemical based color are resorcinol and formaldehyde. These two chemicals are among the most dangerous chemicals used in color products and are known toxins and linked to many diseases including many forms of cancer, reproductive disorders, neural system and brain disorders, and respiratory system problems. Also, color products should never contain any form of 2,5 Diamine Toluene Sulfate, or (PTD). 2,5 Diamine Toluene Sulfate is a common substitute for a dye that has been found to be allergic in some people. The problem is, 2,5 Diamine Toluene Sulfate, while usually not an allergen, is extremely toxic and highly dangerous, especially in the quantities necessary in color products.

Maximize Use of Certified Organic Ingredients

To nourish and rejuvenate the hair, a high quality professional organic color product will contain certified organic ingredients that are specifically formulated to treat the hair naturally and organically. Some excellent certified organic ingredients you will find in the best products include hydrolyzed wheat protein to act as a conditioner, extracts from fruits that are effective anti-oxidants like orange and grapefruit, natural soothing agents like comfrey and chamomile extracts, as well as essential vitamins for the hair like vitamin C and vitamin E which are also antioxidants. There are several natural ingredients that should only be used with caution such as essential oils because of the tendency of some essential oils to dry out the hair and grape seed extracts because of its high acidity.

Other Things to Consider About Organic Hair Color

Some organic color products are also certified by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) as being vegan and cruelty-free. This means that none of their products have ever been tested on animals and that they do not use any animal byproducts in their products. Organic Color Systems is one that is also certified as being ammonia free and containing only certified organic ingredients by the Soil Association of the United Kingdom. Such socially responsibility is an additional benefit of using an organic color over a chemical based one.

John Massers
Austin Texas

Celebrity hair colorist John Massers has dedicated his career to the elevation of organic salon coloring to an art form. As an internationally acclaimed organic salon colorist, educator, and product consultant, John is recognized as one of the world's leading experts in all phases of coloring.

Prior to entering the professional salon industry, John studied Color Theory and received his Masters degree in Perceptive Sciences. John began his career as director of education at L'Oreal, where he was instrumental in the development and launch of their most innovative hair color products.

John enjoys an impressive list of celebrity clients, such as Julia Roberts, Britney Spears, Christie Brinkley, Matt Dillon, Faye Dunaway, Cameron Diaz, Brad Pitt, Julianne Moore, Kirsten Dunst, Evan Rachel Wood, Edie Falco, Rene Russo and Emilie de Ravin. He has also been named as the South American Hair Colorist of the Year four times.

John Massers is a Certified Organic Hair Colorist specializing in hair color correction, hair color education, salon development consultation, platform performances, and editorial work. John has been using Organic Color Systems for 5 years and as been a Master Colorist for 20 years owning several salon throughout the world.

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