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I saw this at Paula Begoun's website (the cosmetic cop) and thought I'd share. I've seen this website (www.robertcraig.com) and thought it sounded great, so I'm glad that Paula checked it out!
Dear Paula,
Robert Craig hair color claims to be the only dye that does not harm hair (www.robertcraig.com) because it doesn’t contain ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, fragrance, or alcohol. However I have read on your Web site that in order to permanently change hair color, some of the chemical process that takes place always causes some amount of damage. What do you think of Craig’s hair-color claims? Below are the ingredients in one of his colors: 2,6-Diaminopyridine Sulfate; 4-Amino-2-Hydroxytoluene; m-Aminophenol Sulfate; bis(2-Hydroxyethyl)-p-Phenylenediamine Sulfate; p-Phenylenediamine Sulfate; Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate; Sodium Lauryl Sulfate; Sodium Perborate; Sodium Silicate; Xanthan Gum.
Sarah, via email
Dear Sarah,
At first I was fascinated at the notion someone might have really developed a permanent hair color that didn’t use hydrogen peroxide. From everything I’ve ever read and from every hair-care chemist I’ve ever interviewed, it seemed improbable. Hydrogen peroxide is irreplaceable, as it is the only ingredient that can remove some (or a lot) of the color inside the hair shaft in order to make room for the hair-dye molecules. Other products often boast that they don’t contain ammonia but that claim isn’t of any significance, because most hair dyes don’t use it anymore, having replaced it with other substances (typically triethanalomine) that have the same effect on hair, but without the odor. Ammonia or triethanalomine both have a high pH, which opens the hair shaft, allowing the hair-dye molecules to penetrate. It is the combination of hydrogen peroxide and a high-pH ingredient that allows permanent hair dye to work. But not using hydrogen peroxide? Now that would be a horse of a different color.
I went to the Color by Robert Craig Web site and sure enough, there it was, the claim that his hair dye “is the all-new permanent hair color that delivers gorgeous, natural results without a trace of harmful peroxide, ammonia, alcohol or perfume. Plus, built-in conditioners leave the hair silky, luminous and shining with health.†As colorful and hair-healthy as this sounds, at best the entire claim can be described as sneaky. In reality, it is just blatantly false. Here’s why:
What this product does contain is an ingredient called sodium perborate. When mixed with water, sodium perborate reacts, releasing hydrogen peroxide (in fact, a lot of hydrogen peroxide). Sodium perborate is frequently used in laundry detergents and other products as a way to keep hydrogen peroxide stable. Not as surprising, however, is the fact that this product contains no ammonia. Yet it still has a very high pH, also due to the sodium perborate, which releases borax as part of the same chemical reaction with water. So, while this product doesn’t technically contain peroxide or ammonia (and they are not listed on the ingredient list), just add some water to the formula as directed and voilà ! you get hydrogen peroxide and an ingredient that raises the pH of the product to the same level ammonia would. You also get a hair dye that is just as problematic for hair as any other.
A few more points: Perfume isn’t harmful to hair in the least, though it can be irritating to skin; also, alcohol is not used in most hair-dye products. But in terms of harmful ingredients, as is true for all hair-care products, this one contains an assortment of p-phenylenediamines and 4-amino-2-hydroxytoluene. There are safety concerns about these ingredients, but as far as hair dyes go, if you want to change the color of your hair for any length of time, and in a controlled manner (so that you can, to some extent, rely on the color you will be getting), no other options have yet been developed, although Craig seems to have left that part of the information out of his marketing copy.
I almost forgot: If there are built-in conditioners in this product, they aren’t on the label, because none of the ingredients listed there are conditioning in the least.
from Paula Begoun's "Ask Paula" column.
Dear Paula,
Robert Craig hair color claims to be the only dye that does not harm hair (www.robertcraig.com) because it doesn’t contain ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, fragrance, or alcohol. However I have read on your Web site that in order to permanently change hair color, some of the chemical process that takes place always causes some amount of damage. What do you think of Craig’s hair-color claims? Below are the ingredients in one of his colors: 2,6-Diaminopyridine Sulfate; 4-Amino-2-Hydroxytoluene; m-Aminophenol Sulfate; bis(2-Hydroxyethyl)-p-Phenylenediamine Sulfate; p-Phenylenediamine Sulfate; Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate; Sodium Lauryl Sulfate; Sodium Perborate; Sodium Silicate; Xanthan Gum.
Sarah, via email
Dear Sarah,
At first I was fascinated at the notion someone might have really developed a permanent hair color that didn’t use hydrogen peroxide. From everything I’ve ever read and from every hair-care chemist I’ve ever interviewed, it seemed improbable. Hydrogen peroxide is irreplaceable, as it is the only ingredient that can remove some (or a lot) of the color inside the hair shaft in order to make room for the hair-dye molecules. Other products often boast that they don’t contain ammonia but that claim isn’t of any significance, because most hair dyes don’t use it anymore, having replaced it with other substances (typically triethanalomine) that have the same effect on hair, but without the odor. Ammonia or triethanalomine both have a high pH, which opens the hair shaft, allowing the hair-dye molecules to penetrate. It is the combination of hydrogen peroxide and a high-pH ingredient that allows permanent hair dye to work. But not using hydrogen peroxide? Now that would be a horse of a different color.
I went to the Color by Robert Craig Web site and sure enough, there it was, the claim that his hair dye “is the all-new permanent hair color that delivers gorgeous, natural results without a trace of harmful peroxide, ammonia, alcohol or perfume. Plus, built-in conditioners leave the hair silky, luminous and shining with health.†As colorful and hair-healthy as this sounds, at best the entire claim can be described as sneaky. In reality, it is just blatantly false. Here’s why:
What this product does contain is an ingredient called sodium perborate. When mixed with water, sodium perborate reacts, releasing hydrogen peroxide (in fact, a lot of hydrogen peroxide). Sodium perborate is frequently used in laundry detergents and other products as a way to keep hydrogen peroxide stable. Not as surprising, however, is the fact that this product contains no ammonia. Yet it still has a very high pH, also due to the sodium perborate, which releases borax as part of the same chemical reaction with water. So, while this product doesn’t technically contain peroxide or ammonia (and they are not listed on the ingredient list), just add some water to the formula as directed and voilà ! you get hydrogen peroxide and an ingredient that raises the pH of the product to the same level ammonia would. You also get a hair dye that is just as problematic for hair as any other.
A few more points: Perfume isn’t harmful to hair in the least, though it can be irritating to skin; also, alcohol is not used in most hair-dye products. But in terms of harmful ingredients, as is true for all hair-care products, this one contains an assortment of p-phenylenediamines and 4-amino-2-hydroxytoluene. There are safety concerns about these ingredients, but as far as hair dyes go, if you want to change the color of your hair for any length of time, and in a controlled manner (so that you can, to some extent, rely on the color you will be getting), no other options have yet been developed, although Craig seems to have left that part of the information out of his marketing copy.
I almost forgot: If there are built-in conditioners in this product, they aren’t on the label, because none of the ingredients listed there are conditioning in the least.
from Paula Begoun's "Ask Paula" column.
