Hair dyes come in nearly as many variety and shades as lipsticks. And are used by a big chunk of the world’s population – despite many studies stating its health complications. Experts argue there’s an ugly flip side to constantly dyeing your hair because many “contain carcinogenic properties” and “can cause severe allergies”.
Regardless, a lot of women (and men) routinely brave the possibility of cancer when they change their hair color. Arctic Fox Hair Dye is saying no more. No more harsh chemicals that irritate the scalp, and skin, no more carcinogenic ingredients. And finally, no more animal cruelty, because subjecting an animal to death – for vanity – is inhumane. Dyeing is not worth dying for (pun intended).
Admirable vision. However is this vision realistic? Dye works the way it does because some basic ingredients need to be present. Are the makers of Arctic fox hair color saying there are alternative ingredients, but most manufacturers deliberately choose to use carcinogenic ingredients? If that’s not what they’re saying, then how effective can Arctic Fox be without these ingredients?
Contents
How Natural is Arctic Fox Hair Dye?
Arctic fox hair dye claims to be a wholly vegan, organic, semi-permanent hair dye. It also donates 15% of its profit to stop animal cruelty. Let’s separate fact from fiction, because brands today will slap the tag “organic” to seem eco-friendly.
Unless you plan on using beet juice to color your hair, only the henna plant is considered natural dye. You may find naturally derived ingredients – but even that is subject to a chemical process before its professionally useable. However, just because 100% organic hair dyes don’t exist doesn’t mean you won’t find naturally derived ones.
The more natural based dyes don’t last up to 2 months, and will only enhance your natural hair color – for a short time. Because they use an extensive list of natural-leaning products, arctic fox hair dye has had to give up permanent hair color change. Permanent hair dyes contain:
- Para-phenylenediamine (PPD): a chemical compound that causes dramatic hair color changes. Think red head to blonde. The problem with this is that it has linked with cancer in animals.
- Coal Tar: has been used since the dawn of hair dyes. Its job is to create long lasting colors, i.e. extend the lifespan of whatever new color you add to your hair. Unfortunately, the FDA also determined it causes cancer amongst tested animals.
- Ammonia: like coal, increases the longevity of your hair dye. It allows it to stay put despite multiple shampoo sessions. Staying under the sun, for extended periods of time can cause skin irritation.
- Hydrogen Peroxide: is key if you want your hair color to resemble the model’s on the dye box. It removes your hair’s natural color in preparation for a new shade. It damages the structure of your hair, and can sting your eyes after you’ve dyed your hair.
Semi-permanent and temporary hair dyes exclude most of the above ingredients. Some may include peroxide, but they don’t include the carcinogenic ingredients.
Arctic Fox Hair Dye Ingredients
Their FAQ section states that no animals, fairies, unicorns or otherworldly mystically creatures were harmed while making their product. Here are some of the listed ingredients.
- Methylchloroisothiazolinone: is a commonly used preservative. In excess amounts, it can cause allergic reactions.
- Hydrolyzed soy protein: increases the protein density of your hair.
- Stearalkonium chloride: used as an anti-static (softener) agent in hair products. It’s gotten from stearic acid, which can be found in the fatty acids of both plants and animals.
- Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride: biodegradable, organic compound that’s usually found in guar gum. It’s responsible for adding conditioning properties to hair care products.
- Propylene Glycol: colorless, odorless liquid gotten from petroleum products/vegetables. It’s an antifreeze.
- Glycerine: mosturizer. Can be derived from vegetable oil or animal fat.
- Glyceryl Stearate: acts as a protective barrier, to prevent moisture loss. Found by combining vegetable oil or animal fat with stearic acid.
Because some of these chemicals have plant and animal variants, the assumption is that Arctic fox hair dye contains the plant variant, since they’re a vegan product. The list of ingredients is a bit longer than what’s stated here. But you can definitively say they don’t include any of the problematic ingredients usually found in permanent hair dyes.
How Effective is it?
Okay, so you’ve seen that this hair dye doesn’t contain all the “good” permanent stuff, so just how effective is it? Let’s take hair dye features one at a time, and see how well it holds up.
- Arctic Fox hair dye comes in a wide array of beautiful, vibrant colors. But the problem with not using peroxide as a major ingredient is that you have to add to your current hair color. You can’t subtract. Hence, if you want your hair to look like the model’s on the pack, you’ll need to have a much lighter shade of hair. Basically, you can’t go from a brunette to a blonde bombshell. You might get some brownish tones, just not platinum blonde locks. This doesn’t apply to all the colors though. A brown haired person might still their desired dark red, you just have to be realistic when choosing your colors.
- Arctic Fox hair dye is advertised as a semi-permanent hair dye. This means it’ll wash off before your roots have a chance to grow out. Some faithful day, technology might evolve so we don’t need carcinogenic ingredients to make dyes permanent, but that day isn’t here yet. So again, while this dye might last longer than most temporary dyes (which wash off after just one shampoo session), don’t expect it to last more than two months – pending your hair regiment. Some people suggest using dry shampoo if you want it to last longer.
- If you’re dyeing your hair yourself, color bleeding is almost a certainty. Even with arctic fox hair dye. The best way to prevent it is first to ensure you’re using tepid or cold water to rinse, instead of hot water. Second, ensure you wash the dye off your hair in a sink – not while you’re having your bath. Third, and most importantly, make sure your hair dries COMPLETELY before going to bed
- This hair dye gets gold stars for not only using plant products, but actively donating 15% of its profits to stop animal cruelty. It literally asks you to put your money where your eco, animal loving heart is.
- Is completely subjective. You’ll find customer reviews both raving about the awesome scent of Arctic Fox hair dye, and decrying its sickly sweetness. One thing you can count on is that the lack of peroxide means you won’t have to deal with harsh odor stinging your eyes.
- This hair dye comes in an opaque bottle, meaning you can’t determine the dye’s color without buying one. It does come in 4 oz. and 8 oz. bottles, so you can decide to save cost if you go with a bigger bottle.
- You don’t need to be a pro to dilute this right. The color comes in one bottle, with no peroxide attached.
- People often associated organic with safe, but that’s not always the case. A person with a peanut allergy will react even to organic peanut. So don’t get them confused. While Arctic fox hair dye has done its best to prevent unnecessary animal cruelty, stop using inorganic and carcinogenic ingredients, you should go through its ingredients with a fine comb. For example, if you have soy allergy, use a different semi-permanent dye because this product contains soy protein.
- Drippy dyes are usually awkward and messy. Fortunately, this hair dye has a creamy texture, which is easier to mix and apply than drippy dyes.
How to Apply Arctic Fox Hair Dye: Tips & Tricks
Tip #1
Hair textures differ so do a strand test and see the result before you commit.
- Step 1: unlike what most hair dyes advise, you’re to shampoo and dry your hair before applying the dye. Don’t apply on dirty hair. The less you wash your hair after applying the dye, the longer it’ll last.
- Step 2: apply some olive oil or petroleum jelly around your edges, to prevent stains. Then take off the cap and seal.
- Step 3: put on protective gloves, then pour the content of the bottle into a bowl. Note that Arctic fox hair color doesn’t need to be mixed before its ready for use. However, it does come with a mist/diluter that allows you customize the hair dye to a different shade. This diluter has no color of its own, it’s only helpful if you prefer a lighter shade of the color you bought.
Tip #2
Do a patch test. Organic simply means primary ingredients weren’t doused with chemicals, not that they won’t cause allergic reactions. Rub some dye on a small patch of skin, leave it at least over night, and see if your body reacts.
- Step 4: Use the color brush to apply the dye evenly across your hair, from the roots to the tips. Make sure every strand is saturated.
- Step 5: Cover your colored hair with a plastic cap and leave it one for at least 30 minutes. Because there are no harsh chemicals in this dye, you can leave it for longer, before rinsing it off. After rinsing, dry your hair out, before going to bed so it won’t bleed.
Tip #3
Only rinse with warm water, not hot. Use dry shampoo in between washes, and go without heat treatments if you want your dye to last longer.
Overall: Is Arctic Fox Hair Color a great product?
It currently stands as one of the best semi-permanent hair dyes in the market. It dots its T’s and crosses all I’s to ensure only the safest ingredients are used. And it’s against animal testing. It does all this while adding brilliant colors to your hair. So yes, Arctic Fox Hair dye is an awesome product.
Arctic Fox Semi Permanent Hair Dye
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FAQ
How Long will the color last?
Like most semi-permanent hair colors, Arctic fox lasts between 6 to 12 shampoo washes. A few other factors the color’s longetivity – like whether you use dry (and sulphate-free) shampoo or heat treatments.
What is Arctic Mist?
It’s a diluter that allows you go a few extra shades lighter, based on the hair color you pick. You can use the dye without it, but you can’t use the mist without the dye, as it’ll be ineffective.
Can I use a conditioner instead of Arctic Mist?
Technically, it should serve the same purpose. Arctic mist was designed to ensure all ingredients are vegan and cruelty-free. If you’re sure your conditioner doesn’t contain any harmful substances, oils or silicone that will compromise the integrity of the hair dye, go for it. Otherwise, Arctic mist comes with the pack, you can just use it instead of discarding it.
How long till an open bottle loses its effectiveness?
Arctic fox uses a mild preservative. So even if the bottle’s opened, you’ll have 12 more months to use it before it expires. Unopened, a bottle has a shelf life of two years.
Do I need to bleach my hair first?
No. It’s true that Arctic fox hair dye works best with lighter hair shades, but that’s primarily for light hair dyes. You may get better results if your light colored hair was like a blank canvass, but there are lots of shades that work well with dark colored beauties.
As a general hair dyeing rule, you shouldn’t go more than 2 shades lighter than your current hair shade – if you’ll be doing it yourself. Professionals can handle drastic color changes better, so only go one or two shades higher. Don’t try to go from brunette to platinum blonde.
Can I use Arctic fox hair color on children or pregnant women?
Children and pregnant women are prohibited from using permanent dyes because they contain harmful chemicals. Because Arctic fox has none of these harmful ingredients, it’s theoretically possible to use this on both children and pregnant women. You should always seek a second opinion before committing.
