Natural oil solutions have been used since ancient times. The organic or what we may call the green hair industry remained popular before the introduction of synthetics and chemicals, during the industrial age. It was not until the 1970s that people started to acknowledge the dangerous side effects of industrial products. Let us take a look at the recent history of these popular green hair products.
Victorian Era - Early 1800s
A very well known product in the Victorian and Edwardian era was Macassar oil, for men. It was developed by combining coconut or palm oil with the extract of flowering Ylang ylang tree. The only problem challenging men in putting on the conditioner was its sticky nature that would grease the chairs and sofas. As a result an anti-macassar, a type of cloth, was used to prevent it from spoiling the surroundings.
Henna was widespread in the 19th century by Turkish and Persian women. It is true that women of Istanbul and Smyrna used 15,000 pounds annually to color their hair. Henna became a symbol of exotic opulence among many European women during the mid of nineteenth century. Soon Henna was increasingly sold in boxes containing black, white, blonde and neutral henna. Henna was the favorite and most reliable cosmetics among the women in 19th century until the invention of industrial dye in 1930.
Rueben P Hall successfully sold his invention, the Vegetable silicon Hair Renewer in 1860s. Ayer Hair, a market leader in hair snake oil purchased the formula and marketed it successfully until 1930s. According to Hall, the formula included 52% water, 26 % glycerin with traces of sugar, Jamaica rum, bay rum, salt, sulfur, sage, raspberry leaves and citronella oil, among others.
1900s
The first women to pursue a methodical study to hair care was Madam C.J Walker, who is widely accepted as the first lady to market the products under an organic theme. In 1908, she started a college solely meant for researching hair care products. It informed and educated people on the reasons of hair loss. The popularity of her products was so sudden that it became a multi-million dollar industry. Initially it was marketed to blacks but soon it also became popular among other societies. Its fame gradually slowed down after her passing in 1932.
1960 saw a increasing popularity in the natural hair products. These were the products made from the extracts of carrot juice and watermelon. In 1970, an awareness campaign is credited to rescue the natural hair products by banning certain ingredients and passing out an endangered species legislation. It was basically the start of the modern green hair products. During these times, people turned towards fruits and vegetables to treat their hairs. Avocado, rich in vitamin B-6 and E when mixed with lemon juice was widely used the middle of 20th century, to treat scalp ailments. Similarly, beer and vinegar was used to bring shine and softness to the dull hairs.
Present Day
According to Natural Industry Analysts Inc., the demand for natural hair care products are rising. Aromatherapy oil, natural plant extracts, proteins, exotic botanicals and products featuring vitamins and UV enhancers are most sought after. A similar study by Packaged Facts Inc. discovered that the green hair item sales has become a 4.3 billion dollars yearly and is increasing at a consistent rate. These statistics are a proof enough that natural hair products are experiencing a renaissance that does not seem fading, anytime soon.
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