Again, from greenissexy.org: the skinny on your hair dying addiction.
"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 and 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..."
Extra notice for you: coal tar is also in MANY dandruff shampoos, so watch out if you use them! Nizoral is a good brand that doesn't contain coal tar, although it has other chemicals that may or may not be questionable.
