Switch to natural hair spray
Why This is Green
Conventional hair sprays look innocent enough on store shelves but they can contain a number of synthetic chemicals that have been linked to everything from cancers to hormone disruption to birth defects to skin or eye irritation.
While hair sprays vary brand to brand, they tend to contain multiple controversial petroleum-derived ingredients, parabens, and synthetic fragrance, among others. The Environmental Working Group deems fragrance a high hazard due to its links to allergies, dermatitis, respiratory distress, and potential effects on the reproductive system.
Because you’re spraying product into the air, hair spray presents a unique inhalation concern. Heed the directions and warning labels on the bottles. If a product says “flammable,” the directions say to only use in a ventilated area, and/or that deliberately inhaling the contents can be “harmful or fatal,” it’s good common sense to leave it on the store shelf.
Consider also how the spray is being propelled out of the bottle. Today's aerosol spray cans don’t contain ozone-depleting CFC's any longer, but they’re still not eco-friendly.
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How To
If your current hair spray doesn’t have natural or organic certification, look it up on the on the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Cosmetics Database and/or the GoodGuide. If it scores poorly, replace it with one that scores better and contains natural, organic, or biodynamic ingredients.
Not available in your local store? Check natural product stores or online.
Think outside the box. Depending on your hair type, something as safe as organic jojoba or coconut oil works well for styling.
