Sustainability In The Beauty Industry: Part 2
Hair salons have a certain fragrance. You always know when you’re in one. No surprise, since nearly 5000 chemicals are listed as products for hair care, including 3300 synthetic compounds. Beyond the shampoo and conditioner, there are hair dyes, oils, propellants, and various sprays to keep hair in place. A recent study in Italy examined the concentration of a variety of these compounds in the air inside and outside of hair salons. These included a variety of alcohols, terpenes, and ketone compounds, with gaseous phases. Some such as benzene and xylene have potential carcinogenic properties. Again, no surprise: concentrations were often 10 times higher inside of hair salons, and were usually quickly traced to products in use. Many of these compounds are known to have human health...
