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Cosmetics tips: Is hair color really chemical- free?

BY PAULA BEGOUN

Q: 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 (www.cosmeticscop.com) 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?

--Sarah, via e-mail

A: 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.

I went to the Color by Robert Craig's 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." As colorful and hair-healthy as that sounds, at best the entire claim is completely misleading. 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 found in laundry detergents and other products as a way to keep hydrogen peroxide stable in the product.

Just as shocking, however, is that while this product doesn't contain "ammonia" 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 voila! 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.

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