Hair dyes: even the "natural" ones contain controversial substances. The best and worst dye brands in the test

A new test shows that some plant-based hair dyes actually contain controversial and potentially harmful ingredients as well

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Many people instead of traditional chemical hair dyes choose to rely on more natural alternatives made with plant ingredients. But are these products really "cleaner" in terms of formulation? To find out, a new test compared 12 natural “over the counter” dyes.

Especially during the pandemic, there are those who have started coloring their hair independently at home, perhaps choosing to rely on dyes made on a plant basis and with natural ingredients. It is therefore not surprising that on the market, even with regard to alternatives to the more classic chemical dyes, there is an embarrassment of choice.

These dyes often defined as "natural" and considered as such are (or should be) exclusively based on herbs and therefore made with leaves, flowers or ground roots of different plants with a coloring effect. They are easily found in the supermarket as well as in pharmacies or herbalists but are these products really made exclusively with plant ingredients and free of controversial substances?

Not always, as the test has shown, in some cases the "alternative" hair dyes use ingredients that certainly cannot be considered natural and harmless.

The results

Let's start with the good news: 7 hair dyes are recommended by the test having obtained a "very good" score.

However, there are 5 hair products considered "unsatisfactory" and therefore not recommended. The problem with these dyes is that they contain, in addition to natural ingredients of plant origin, also potentially allergenic and irritating substances for the skin.

Some alternative hair dyes are therefore not purely vegetable, the test gives the example of the products they contain aromatic amines, which belong to the precursors of synthetic dyes. Some of these substances are classified as strong or even extremely strong contact allergens by the EU's Consumer Safety Advisory Committee (SCCS).

Once such substances have triggered a contact allergy with painful redness, swelling and itching, the allergy will last for a lifetime. With each further contact with these substances, the skin reacts again.

In the test, aromatic amines were detected in a total of 5 products, and, the German experts point out, usually these contain a whole cocktail of different representatives of this group of substances.

In addition to aromatic amines, other well-known problematic ingredients in cosmetics have also been identified:

Organic halogen compounds (AOX): many representatives of this group of substances, for example 4-chloresorcinol, are considered allergenic and some are carcinogenic.
PEG compounds: are substances that can make the scalp more permeable to foreign substances.
Problematic fragrances: in two shades the presence of artificial musk fragrances which accumulate in the human adipose tissue and enter the environment through the waste water is contested.
Synthetic polymers: can be released into the environment via wastewater and the damage they can do is not yet well known.

The best and worst dyes

Among the better products are Garnier Color Herbalia, two branded vegetable dyes Logona, the vegetable color Ayluna, l'henné Sitarama, il Radico Color Me Organic 100% and Terra Naturi henna.