Beautiful Hair Color the Cruelty-Free Way

Colorist Robert Craig, owner of Color by Robert Craig, offers a full line of salon-quality, permanent hair color that is never tested on animals.

New York, NY (PRWEB) April 19, 2007 -- Consumers are becoming more conscious of their purchases as it relates to the environment (i.e. organic food, energy-efficient cars, and less plastic bags at grocery stores) but often forget about an important part of our ecosystem altogether: animals. Many consumers remain blissfully unaware of the behind-the-scenes testing while they are simultaneously attempting to "go green." Animal testing has been around for years, and while some smaller companies have opted for the cruelty-free route, many large drugstore brands continue to test their products on animals.

Hair Colorist Robert Craig has developed his own line of permanent hair color that is completely cruelty-free: Color by Robert Craig. "We tested our coloring system on real human hair samples and then brought it to the salon for trials," says Robert. Robert developed his first line of hair color with the aim to make them completely non-damaging to the hair by leaving out ammonia, peroxide and alcohol and other harmful chemicals generally found in hair color. Roberts' motivation to be cruelty-free came after he saw a study on chemicals tested on animals. "When I saw images of beauty products being tested on animals, I was horrified," says Robert. "I told myself that when I began my own company I would never test on animals because it just isn't necessary in order to create a successful beauty brand."

How is Color by Robert Craig Different?
Color by Robert Craig differs from other popular hair coloring systems in that it does not contain ammonia, peroxide or alcohol. In traditional hair coloring, ammonia and peroxide are used to quickly swell the hair cuticle and allow the hair color to penetrate the hair shaft. Peroxide then develops the color so it is bonded within the hair shaft. Peroxide is also responsible for eating away the natural melanin and making the hair lighter. Peroxide and ammonia break chemical bonds in hair, releasing sulfur, which accounts for the characteristic odor of hair color. The entire process can be extremely traumatizing to the hair and often leaves it looking "fried."

How Does Color by Robert Craig Work?
Color by Robert Craig works through a process called polymerization. Polymerization is a process in which small molecules combine chemically to produce a very large chainlike or network molecule, called a polymer. Hair is mostly made up of protein, and through polymerization the hair color molecules bond with the natural color molecules inside the hair. When the pigment of the hair dies, the result is the white or colorless hairs. Through polymerization Color by Robert Craig penetrates the hair shaft in a safe, undamaging way. The conditioning properties found in Color by Robert Craig will smooth and tame coarse, wiry hairs.

About Color by Robert Craig
Color by Robert Craig is available in 20 intermixable, luxurious shades and a special Clear Gloss to add shine or fine-tune the other colors. Because there is no ammonia, peroxide or perfume, it does not have any odor normally associated with typical hair colors. Robert Craig's colors range from Light Golden Blonde to Jet Black and all are capable of covering gray hair in a beautiful translucent way. Without the damaging chemicals, color fades less even when exposed to the sun and chlorinated water. Color by Robert Craig is water-activated, which means that there is no separate chemical developer to worry about. Built-in conditioners leave hair shiny, silky to the touch and tame the wiry hairs that can come with grays. Color by Robert Craig retails for $9.99 and is available at www.robertcraig.com.

Meet Robert Craig
Robert Craig began his career as a colorist in New York City, where he became one of the top hair color artists in the country. While working in his New York City Salon, Robert saw the frustration his clients went through when coloring their hair with harsh chemicals. Robert spent five years testing and developing what is now Color by Robert Craig: a hair color that contains fewer chemicals than other products and allows for a more gentle coloring experience.

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