Natural Hair Care on the Rise

In the last few years, “organic,” “green” and “natural” have become international buzzwords, attached to everything from foods to clothes. Naturally, the personal care industry has followed suit. Though it is still difficult for hair care companies to obtain organic certification for their lines, many have unveiled natural alternatives.

Frederic Fekkai & Co. recently launched an offshoot of its luxury hair care brand, dubbed Fekkai Au Naturel. The plant-based collection of shampoo, conditioner and styling celebrate the “art of beauty without artifice,” using orange fruit extract, Vitamin C and B complex, bioflavonoids, potassium, zinc, phosphorus and natural sugars. The combination of ingredients is said to nourish the hair and scalp, while the lack of synthetic fragrances, parabens, sulfates and dyes meets Fekkai’s standards without “sacrific[ing] pleasure or performance when choosing to use a naturally based product.”

Pravana’s new botanical-based Silk Degrees Naturceutical hair color treatment meets demands for “healthier, chemical-free alternatives.” Deriving effects from jojoba seed, rosemary leaf and theobrama seed butter, Pravana’s formula works without ammonia, peroxide and p-phenylenediamine (PPD). Though the color washes out in six to eight shampoos, Pravana says it’s a good way to test out colors before deciding to go permanent.

John Masters Organics has carried the organic banner for 15 years. A strict, in-house formula policy ensures that all products are sulfate- and paraben-free; contain no artificial colors, fragrances or fillers; contain natural, wild-crafted ingredients; and are even Fair Trade certified on occasion. The shampoos, conditioners and styling products then fill the (exponentially) growing niche market for natural products.

To satisfy the request for green hair care products, Jonathan Products introduced Green Rootine, a shampoo, conditioner and silkening cream formulated with 100% natural ingredients. The Green Rootine Nourishing Shampoo is a mild, sulfate-free cleanser formulated with coconut, jojoba and rosemary extract, combined with olive, spearmint, orange and avocado oils to rid the hair and scalp of impurities. According to the company, the shampoo is free of synthetics, parabens, sulfates, silicones and petrochemicals.  

Though there are obvious challenges to organic hair care causing an increasing number of companies to find that the natural alternative is being clamored for by consumers.

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