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I originally purchased two shades of ammonia-free Herbatint (honey blonde and platinum blonde) to counteract effects of traditional hair color with ammonia, namely brittle hair. Being excited to find an ammonia-free product, I failed to recognize that there are still four other potential toxins in this product:
1) Upon reading the label, I immediately noticed a high concentration of propylene glycol (second ingredient from the top). Propylene glycol is a cheap alternative to glycerin and is universally used in personal care products to keep products moist. However, propylene glycol is actually the active ingredient in antifreeze! It quickly penetrates the skin and can cause brain, liver and kidney abnormalities, as well as immunotoxicity, respiratory toxicity, and skin or sense organ toxicity. The EPA requires people who work with this substance to wear protective gear to avoid skin contact. One product rating site called GoodGuide has determined the use of propylene glycol in this product to be a medium-level threat.
2) Another toxin found in both shades is p-phenylenediamine (PPD) which can cause neurotoxicity, as well as GI, liver, cardiovascular, blood and kidney toxicity. Use of this substance is restricted in Canada. This also has been determined by GoodGuide to be a medium-level threat in this product. Unfortunately, I have read that all permanent hair colors contain PPD, and the only thing one can really do to avoid it is to use a semi-permanent hair color which Herbatint also offers and is rated much higher.
3) Sodium hydrosulfite, present in both shades, can cause skin, eye, and respiratory tract irritation. Interestingly, the GoodGuide site lists sodium METABIsulfite as an ingredient in the above-mentioned shades of Herbatint hair color, again of medium concern. However, sodium HYDROsulfite is actually what is listed on the boxes I purchased. I wonder if perhaps Herbatint recently changed to a less irritating sulfite. In any case, either sulfite can cause irritation in susceptible individuals.
4) Resorcinol is present in at least the honey blonde shade which has been shown to cause cardiovascular and blood toxicity, as well as endocrine disrupting effects.
In light of the above, GoodGuide has given the Herbatint Permanent Haircolour Gel a rating of 2 on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the most healthy and environmentally friendly. In addition, this product is on NO certification listings such as "Safe Cosmetic Pledge," etc. As mentioned above, Herbatint does have other hair products that score higher.
The above facts notwithstanding, I DO want to commend Herbatint for NOT using sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) or isopropyl alcohol in their permanent hair color formulation. SLS is another cheap ingredient that is widely used in personal care products but is among the most irritating and dangerous, and isopropyl alcohol will actually dry hair and cause breakage.
As far as relative ease of using the product, I experienced no major problems understanding the instructions or mixing the product. The main difficulty I encountered while applying the product was that the HUGE gloves provided made actual application somewhat awkward and cumbersome. I would advise anyone with small-to-medium hands to plan on using their own gloves.
BOTTOM LINE: If you just want an ammonia-free product, this is for you! If, however, you are searching for a more "natural" product without potentially toxic or irritating ingredients, I would recommend searching for hair color without propylene glycol and other substances listed above. Such products DO exist, and I will be trying them next in my quest for a more natural product!
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My wife who colors her hair every month started to develop reaction to the last product she used for many years. I have always said that there was a danger with these products. I did research and found this product for her and she loves it. No More smell no reaction and she looks great! I did find it $3.00 cheaper at another online supplier and ordered more from them.Best Deals on Herbatint Herbatint Permanent Honey Blonde (9N)
About 50 percent of my hair is gray, so I chose a color that has an "N" in its code, as the company recommends for covering gray. I love love that the product's scent is minimal. The conditioner that is included, however, has an intense perfume, so I couldn't use it. Instead I used a fragrance free conditioner by another company. The result after using the Herbatint coloring and my own conditioner was very shiny hair and a great color. But I don't know whether the shine was from the conditioner or the Herbatint. Also the bleaching effect of the Honey Blonde color I used possibly was a reason the hair looked shinier. In any case, the Honey Blond was pretty and the shininess also minimized the drabness of the gray tones.. There was still some subtle silver-gray showing through in parts. It's been a few weeks now since I used this product-now the honey blond color is less than at first, and there is more gray visible (and not just at the roots). Yet the Honey Blond overall is nice and takes away some of the drabness that the gray in my hair normally has. Other people's results could be different -based on their present hair color and their hair's porosity, etc. Because of the low scent of this product I would use it again, unless I can find another low-scent hair coloring product whose color lasts longer.Honest reviews on Herbatint Herbatint Permanent Honey Blonde (9N)
I thought the formulation was easier on my scalp than most of the other products I've tried. It did bring out more of the reds in my hair probably due to the "honey" colorant. I think I will try more of an ash next time since I was actually going more for a lighter blonde. Although my husband claims it looks very natural and it matches my littlest ones hair color.
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