Pregnant women & hair dyes: eco-friendly products reduce risks

Kourtney Kardashian, Drew Barrymore & Snooki
wearing dyed hair while with child. Image: people.com.

When Kourtney Kardashian and Snooki were caught with dyed hair, the celeb media circle went into a frenzy. A miniscule issue, but they're pregnant. People even created a poll asking readers about the issue but failed to mention the eco-options women have now.


Since hair dyes unfortunately contain strong toxins like P-Phenylenediamine (PPD) and "methyl" chemicals, it is recommended people with certain health conditions like pregnancy should try to live without undyed hair.

But does a glam girl really have to sacrifice her beauty routine for health? The answer is no. Because of the rise in eco-beauty, there are plenty of eco-friendly, non-toxic hair dyes like EcoColors and Advanced Cosmetic Technologies. Popular natural dyes are making a bigger splash on the scene like henna and lemon juice. 

An issue is many major hair salons still don't use naturally based hair dyes, but an online directory can lead you to local green salons, which are sprouting like wildflowers across the country.

Check this earlier entry about a town with several eco-beauty hair salons opening within a year.

H+M's spring 2012 Conscious Collection heads to stores this week

On Thursday, select H+M stores will release its spring 2012 Conscious Collection line. The line is a part of the department store's initiative to deliver sustainable clothing to the masses with using eco-fabrics like blending recycled polyester and organic cotton with other mainstream fabrics. 

When the much-anticipated collection debuted in fall 2010, it had lackluster choices (in my opinion) with mostly the basic whites, blacks, and grays coloring basic designs. But it looks like this year the collection finally found its niche and decided to actually make eco-fashionable pieces that resembled the rest of the H+M inventory. 

This spring, H+M focuses on the island chic style with a splash of sophistication.

Dress in Powder Pink/Pattern (tencel), $14.95, hm.com.

Skirt in Coral Pink (recycled polyester, organic cotton), $14.95, hm.com.

Dress in Powder Pink (organic cotton), $29.95, hm.com.

One of the major hardships in the eco-fashion world is to make garments a girl would want to wear to formal events, but the collection has taken on this challenge head-on by creating beautiful dresses and gowns with recycled polyester and organic cotton amidst the splendor of the beads, sequins, and silk. 

Dress in Neon Yellow (recycled polyester), $79.95, hm.com.

Dress in Gray/Brown (recycled polyester), $199, hm.com.

Dress in Light Gray (organic cotton), $299, hm.com.