Buy Environmentally Friendly Products

• Commercial shampoos, conditioners, gels, waxes and hairsprays usually come in plastic containers that take centuries to break down. Once they finally do break down, they poison the environment with toxins. And that's just the packaging. The ingredients these products contain are equally toxic to the earth and to your health, according to the National Toxicology Program (NTP). Many hairspray products contain butane, propane and/or diethanolamine (also known as DEA). Some products even contain petroleum.
  
  Fortunately, more companies are showing their concern for the environment and your health by providing green hair products as an alternative. Both www.natures-gate.com/ and www.burtsbees.com/ have a variety of eco-friendly cosmetic products to choose from. Another plus: These products are often packaged in recycled materials.
  
  

Choose All-Natural Conditioning Hair Color

• Henna comes from a plant that is native to the Middle East, North Africa and the Indo-Pak subcontinent. The leaves are used to make dye. When you open a package of henna, it is in powder form because the leaves are finely ground and sifted several times.
  
  Henna is a 100 percent natural way to color your hair. It provides a temporary color that fades away after several washings. The henna powder is mixed into a paste and applied to the hair. You can add ingredients like coffee or tea leaves to bring out highlights and low lights in your hair. It is also used by some as a conditioning treatment, and it adds lots of shine to straight hair because it helps seal the hair cuticle.
  
  

Make Your Own Hair Products

• You can make environmentally friendly hair products all on your own. A pre-conditioning shampoo treatment can be obtained by warming a couple of tablespoons of olive oil on your stove and working it into your hair. Let it sit for about 10 minutes before washing it out with shampoo.
  
  For a deep conditioning treatment, mash one avocado, one egg yolk and 3 tbsp. of honey. Work it throughout your hair, and keep it on for 15 minutes before rinsing.
  
  Make your own shiny hair rinse by blending half a lemon, apple cider vinegar and 1 cup of water. After shampooing your hair and rinsing, pour the mixture over your hair and rinse away with cool water. Using cool water also helps save energy.