Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/52422
Eco-Friendly Hair Products? From the Editors of Environmental Magazine Dear EarthTalk: I always hear about hair products and sprays that claim to be natural and organic based. What are some hair products that can be pur- chased that are legit and cause no harm to the environment? — Penny Siegel, Milwaukee, WI Many common hair care products, including shampoos, conditioners and hair sprays, can pose health hazards. Most of the shampoos for sale on su- permarket and drugstore shelves use a chemical called sodium laureth sulfate (or one of its derivatives), a foamy de- greaser that can cause follicle, skin and eye irritation, and which has been linked to some cancers when combined with other common shampoo ingredients. Meanwhile, mass-market condition- ers typically rely on so-called quater- nary compounds to produce thicker, silkier and tangle-free hair, but these chemicals can also irritate the skin and eyes and likewise have been linked to cancer. As for hair spray and other styling products, most work by coat- ing the hair with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), a plastic polymer that has been dissolved in solvents to keep it flex- ible. Environment Canada, Canada's counterpart to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, classifies PVP as a medium health priority, although phthalates, triethanolamine, parabens and other hair spray ingredients may be more harmful, having been linked to respiratory, immune and endocrine problems as well as cancer. Luckily for those who spend a lot of time and money getting their hair to look, smell and feel just right, a wide range of greener, healthier hair care products has emerged in recent years. Aveda has been a pioneer in the indus- try ever since Horst Rechelbacher launched the company in 1978 after visiting India and witnessing the healing powers of Hindu medicine and aroma. Today the company offers seven hair product lines tailored to different hair types, with the majority of the ingredients derived from plants, non-petroleum min- erals or other natural sources. Furthermore, upwards of 89 percent of the es- sential oils and raw herbal ingredients Aveda uses in its hair cars products are sourced from certified organic producers. There are hundreds of other companies, too, that sell natural hair products. Photo courtesy of iStock/Thinkstock Many mass-market hair care products rely on harsh chemicals that can cause follicle, skin and eye irritation. Fortunately, there is now a wide range of greener, healthier hair care products available. A great place to look is at the GoodGuide, a website that rates 145,000 foods, toys, personal care and household products according to health, environ- mental and social responsibility standards. Top-rated shampoos listed there include Burt's Bees Rosemary Mint Shampoo Bar, Aura Cacia Kids Shampoo and Aubrey Organics Men's Stock Ginseng Biotin Shampoo. GoodGuide's top performing conditioners include Dr. Bronner's Hair Conditioning Rinse, Burt's Bees Herbal Blemish Stick with Tea Tree Leaf Oil, KMS Haircare Liquid Assets and Nurture My Body Conditioner. As for styling, GoodGuide likes any of the varieties of Dr. Bronner's Hair Conditioner and Style Cream as well as L'Oreal's Elnett Extra Strong Hold. Another source for credible hair care products recommendations is the Guide to Less Toxic Products, a free online resource produced by the Environmental Health Association of Nova Scotia. The guide lists 25 sham- poos, 22 conditioners and 18 hair styling products that meet its stringent in- gredient standards. Also check out the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep cosmetics database, which provides detailed ingredient information and safety assessments for 70,000 personal care products, including hundreds of shampoos, conditioners and hair styling formulations. CONTACTS: Aveda, www.aveda.com; Good Guide, www.goodguide.com; Guide to Less Toxic Products, www.lesstoxicguide.ca; Skin Deep, www.ewg. org/skindeep. EarthTalk® is written and edited by Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss and is a registered trademark of E - The Environmental Magazine (www.emagazine.com). Send questions to: earthtalk@emagazine.com. 18 UCW JANUARY 11-17, 2012 JANUARY 7 • LEGENDS POOL TEAMS APPRECIATION TOURNAMENT Pool tournament starts at 7 p.m. There will be prizes and a lot of good pool playing! 867-2364. JANUARY 7 • SEMINAR SERIES at Ray Price Harley-Davidson 10:30 a.m. Tips and tricks for winter riding. http:// rayprice.com. JANUARY 14 • BIKERS FOR BIKERS POKER RUN at Ray Price Harley-Davidson. Registration 10 a.m. First bike out at noon. $20 per rider, $10 per passenger. Includes food, live music and more. http://rayprice.com. MARCH 9-18 DAYTONA BIKE WEEK. VISIT VISIT www.motorcycle- usa.com for more information. MAY 11-20 MYRTLE BEACH BIKE WEEK SPRING RALLY. Visit www. myrtlebeachbikeweekwest.com for more information. PATRIOT GUARD RIDERS The Patriot Guard Riders is a diverse group of patriots from every state that come together to honor fallen soldiers at funeral services across the country. Visit www.patriotguard.org for more information. TUESDAYS BIKE NIGHT at Chili's Grill and Bar in Southern Pines. Happy hour, drink and food specials. All bikes welcome. 4 p.m. to close. WEDNESDAYS BIKE NIGHT at Applebee's, Cotton Square, Fayetteville, drink and food specials beginning at 7 p.m. All bikes welcome. REVERSE RAFFLE 4624 BRAGG BLVD. CALLING ALL LOCAL BANDS Fayetteville wants to know you! So here's your opportunity. • E-mail Stephanie@upandcomingweekly. com for our Q&A. • Fill it out and e-mail it back to us. • Send a recent, high-resolution photo of your band. • Look for your article in an upcoming issue. WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM Drawn Wins