By Michelle Donfrio

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Since becoming vegan a few years ago, I’ve been more aware of my surroundings and the environmental consequences of my actions. This exploration led me towards researching holistic ways of living. I’ve learned that although there is much in our lives we can’t control, there is also much we can adjust. Living your best life means taking control over how much toxicity you welcome into your body. Toxicity includes negative thinking, jealous thoughts, nutrient-empty foods, addictive substances, preservatives, and even beauty products. Yes, beauty products. As someone who used to derive much pleasure from “how I looked,” I am intimately familiar with the powerful marketing and advertising that drives women towards products they don’t need. We think we need them. Society tells us we need them.

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Realistically, a lot of beauty and body care industries only care about the money they are making. ​As women, we are under a lot of pressure to conform to society’s standard of beauty. In doing so, we are damaging ourselves and our cells. While I won’t get into all of the details behind the dangerous chemicals in most beauty products, I do recommend that you read No More Dirty Looks by Siobhan O’Connor and Alexandra Spunt. They also have a website/blog at: http://nomoredirtylooks.com/. They recommend safer products and provide insight into what chemicals we should avoid. I’ve been replacing toxic products with natural alternatives but have struggled to find an alternative for hair dye. I’m a natural blonde and have always accented my color with highlights. Hair lightening typically involves bleaching. Even at more “natural” salons, I could smell the chemicals sitting on my hair. The color was gorgeous, but the condition of my hair was dry. I also didn’t feel comfortable spending so much money every few weeks. ​At my wits end, I began google searching for natural hair coloring near my house in Aurora.

 

I stumbled upon Holistic Hair by Trish: www.holistichairbytrish.com. I made an appointment and met her at her studio in Yorkville. I felt good vibes when I saw she shared space with a yoga studio! She consulted with me about my hair and explained how she could tell the difference in hair texture from the top, where my roots were showing, and the ends. She also chatted about her experience in salon care, putting me at ease as she began trimming my hair. She gave my scalp a nice massage and told me it would help stimulate my hair follicles. After my excellent haircut, we discussed coloring options. She mentioned rosewater highlights and henna coloring. I was intrigued by henna, as I had seen packages of Light Mountain Henna at Woodman’s Grocery Store. This also happened to be the same brand she carried. As a safe introduction to henna coloring, she suggested the Neutral shade of henna which conditions your hair but doesn’t deposit much color. To assist in boosting my natural golden tones, she mixed honey, lemon juice, and chamomile tea with the henna treatment. After sitting with the goop on my head for a few hours, I was amazed when I washed it out at home. My hair was so silky and shiny! I also could tell that it helped heighten the blonde sheen of my hair.

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​I made another appointment a few weeks later and received the treatment again. In between visits, I learned more about henna and its benefits as compared to chemical dyes. More to come, readers, on this topic later! I wish I had known about henna earlier. So much knowledge is available for our access, but the daily messaging in our culture often blocks the knowledge we must need to hear. I am thrilled that I found a natural hair color solution. I’m also glad that Trish is friendly, professional, affordable, and passionate about healing her customers from the inside out. She will even teach you how to apply and purchase your own henna, if you prefer the “DIY” option. Consider giving her a call for your next hair appointment!