You’re brushing your hair in the mirror and you see it. Your first grey hair. It’s a moment, a rite of passage. Whether you decide to pluck it, cover it or embrace it, I’ve got you.

What is the best toxin free hair dye for crunchy women - Going Grey, Hair Dye, and Toxins- An Interview with Stephanie of the Sustainable Minimalists 

I was so excited to once again have the opportunity to be a guest on Stephanie Seferian’s podcast, the Sustainable Minimalists. A few weeks ago we talked about safer nail polish options and now we’re on to safer hair dye.

Why do we need to look at our hair dye?

Because of the ingredients of course! If you’re wanting to go natural, non toxic, and eco-friendly with your hair color, then the ingredients are where we need to start.

• Chemicals in hair dye are designed to open up your hair follicles to absorb the color. With all over hair color, those harmful chemicals are sitting on the scalp for the entirety of the hair color processing time.

• Most conventional hair color has harmful chemicals like formaldehyde, formaldehyde releasers ammonia, coal tar, fragrance, and the list goes on. You know that horrible smell? It’s always good to listen to your senses! They are there to alert us to things that aren’t so good for us.

It’s ok if you’re not ready to go grey! There are options.

I follow the 80/20 rule on this one. I use really clean skin care products, cleaning products and we eat healthy. So getting my hair colored is part of that 20 percent of some less healthy choices that make me happy. Plus I choose highlights so the chemicals aren’t on the entirety of my scalp like an all-over dye would be. 

There are definitely ways to make coloring your hair cleaner and safer. Here are some of my suggestions:

• Go with highlights or balayage instead- the coloring (or bleach if you’re going blond) is touching the foil and not your scalp which means less exposure.

• Use a cleaner hair dye product- The two that I suggest are All-Nutrient or Oway. Now, I wouldn’t label these as 100% toxin-free, but they definitely use safer ingredients.  

  • If you’re looking for a salon that uses safer products, check out the website for a salon locator so you can get your hair colored by a professional but with safer products that you’ve chosen. 

• Talk to your stylist- I know this can be an awkward conversation, especially since hair stylists are often well trained and committed to certain brands. But maybe your stylist has never even heard of safer hair dye but they are on a holitsc journey in their personal life, or at least open to a better alternative. Next time you're in that chair, share about your toxin-free journey and let them know you care about their exposure all day to these chemicals too.

• Try Henna- If you want to go dark or red, henna is great! It’s a little messy and time consuming, but it's permanent and actually good for your hair. It is a commitment though as you can’t switch back to commercial dye until it grows out. But it’s definitely the cleanest and safest option available. Make sure you do your research and find a reputable henna brand.

• A new type of coloring called Hairprint- It’s not really a dye but instead brings back the natural color to your greys. It works best on dark hair and is time consuming, but much safer and natural than traditional coloring.

Going Grey Boldy and Beautifully

Maybe you’ve decided to just embrace the grey with grace. Grey is gorgeous! Beauty is about what makes you feel good, not just what makes you look good. Make an intentional choice that works for you and own it! An all over lighter hair color will help greys blend more naturally, or embrace the grey and go for it!

So are you ready for safer hair coloring? Or do you have gorgeous grey that you want to show off? I’d  love to see it! Snap a photo and tag me on Instagram @themeganmikkelsen or join my Facebook group where we discuss all things toxin-free at Toxin-Free Talk

Stay tuned for more talks with Stephanie Seferian of mamaminimalist.com and host of the Sustainable Minimalist Podcast. In the meantime, go check her out! She has great methods on simplifying all areas of your life.