How to switch to plant-based hair color? - Christophe Nicolas Biot Paris

The confinements of the year 2020 have led people to reflect on their lifestyles, with a search for more naturalness. Many women have decided to switch to vegetable coloring. But what about the process? Is it easy to switch from chemical or conventional hair coloring to vegetable coloring? What are the constraints?

Christophe Nicolas Biot gives you his advice.

Why switch to plant-based hair color?

When you've been used to your cosmetics for a while, you get attached to them and find it hard to see how you could do otherwise. However, while living a healthier lifestyle calls into question our lifestyle and diet, it also means eliminating peripheral toxins as far as possible. These toxins can be found in creams, serums, shampoos, masks, conditioners, etc. They are called silicone, sulfate or aluminum salts.

For Christophe Nicolas Biot, there are many ways to make the transition to natural hair. Not only can you switch to vegetable coloring, but you can also use natural hair care products on a daily basis. This is even recommended to preserve color and hair quality. However, you won't see the effects immediately, as you need to give your hair, scalp and body time to eliminate accumulated toxins.

But be careful! Don't be fooled into thinking that accidents don't happen with plant-based hair coloring. You can 't invent yourself as a vegan hairdresser, even if it's the big trend at the moment. Knowing how to handle and work with pigments is a long and arduous apprenticeship, requiring much more than a few days' training. Christophe Nicolas has been working with pigments for as long as he can remember, since he began coloring with botanicals, and today he's one of the hairdressers with the greatest mastery of the botanical hair world.

Should silicone be banned?

Silicone is the #1 enemy of hair and scalp. Like a foundation, this molecule masks everything. It will smooth the hair and make it shiny for a while, but in fact, it suffocates the scalp and the hair itself. Silicone doesn't nourish hair. In the long run, the hair will denature and fall out, because silicone acts like a drug for the hair. The more you use, the more your hair needs to look its best. It's a vicious circle that can be hard to break.

If you're used to using silicone products, you'll need to give your hair time to detoxify before it regains its natural shine. With natural products, your hair will be nourished and treated deep down, not just on the surface.

A noter : En réalité on dit « la silicone » mais il existe deux types de silicone mais aucun n’est bon pour les cheveux.

What to think about parabens?

While it's easy to spot and avoid silicones and sulfates, the same can't be said for parabens. Indeed, parabens are often replaced by far worse preservatives, but this is done to suit consumers who hunt parabens on labels. It's a good idea, however, to be a little more measured, as a product that contains no preservatives has no shelf life and must be consumed quickly after opening.

Daily care products to use

Christophe Nicolas Biot recommends using silicone-, sulfate- and paraben-free skincare products, and opting for 100% natural, and possibly certified organic, products.

The key is to use gentle, non-aggressive products. For example, clays are interesting because they have multiple properties, including the ability to purify and cleanse the scalp.

Et pour Christophe Nicolas Biot, si il est important de décrypter les compositions il est aussi important de regarder les textures et les utilisations des produits que l’on va en faire au quotidien. Ainsi, il n’est pas favorable au shampoing solide qu’il trouve peu hygiénique. « On l’utilise une fois, puis on le laisse dans sa salle de bain et tout le monde y a accès. Les produits et les soins sont personnels et tout le monde ne doit pas mettre ses mains dessus. À transporter aussi, c’est compliqué. Je préfère les formats en poudre, qui permettent d’être emportés sans couler et qui sont dans un flacon nomade facilitant leur transport ».

Switch to vegetable coloring and learn how to use natural products

Quite often, not only do we use the wrong products, we use them incorrectly. So shampooing doesn't mean scrubbing and washing hair. It's all about cleansing the scalp. Shampooing should remain a beauty routine to oxygenate and relax the scalp. It's the step that will restore body to the hair. A bad shampoo will destroy the color of colored hair, and repeated use will damage the color and the scalp.

For a healthy scalp, you need to detoxify and oxygenate it with gentle massages and daily brushing. It's important and essential to use a soft brush with silk or boar bristles.

When you get rid of chemicals, you have to relearn how to nourish your hair. You need to use a cream to nourish your hair, just as you do for your face and body.

You can use a conditioner to close the scales and add suppleness, why not withclay and shea butter to add shine. Finally, rinse with cool water to close the scales.

For a professional appraisal of your hair, and to treat yourself to an appropriate treatment, don't hesitate to make an appointment at one of Christophe Nicolas Biot's beauty salons.