Photo courtesy of likethedew.com
In the quest to find the right products for our very fickle hair, women stock up on so many hair products, by year’s end they’ve spent more on their hair than they needed to, and only wind up using one or two tried and true oils, shampoos and conditioners. A gal doesn’t like to waste her hard earned money by throwing away any old thing, but if some of your favorite hair products contain these chemicals, aka toxins, it will benefit you to kick ’em in the trash bucket. Not to make you a label-head, but keep your eyes out for these harmful and unhelpful ingredients.
Products with Parabens
Ever used a popular new hair product, only to turn around and have your allergies act all the way up? There’s a few reasons why this could be happening, but I wouldn’t rule out that parabens in your product possibly played a role. Parabens like propyl, methyl, butyl and ethyl find their way into many shampoos and they are known to mess around with your hormones. It has also been suggested that too much exposure to estrogen, which parabens mimic, may possibly increase breast cancer risks (in some studies parabens have been found in tumors, but in others, results have been inconclusive).
Products with Alcohol
As if your hair isn’t feeling Brillo pad-ish enough from the wind whipping it every which way, alcohol in some of your favorite hair creams and shampoos can have your hair feeling even crunchier. On the other hand, for some, alcohol can make hair a bit too greasy–which depends on what alcohol was used short chain for dry, fatty alcohol for greasy). Whichever hairy situation you have found yourself in, you should try and avoid products with alcohol in them in general. Look out for alcohol based products with everything from ethanol and isopropyl alcohol (makes the hair dry) to lauryl alcohol and cetyl alcohol (which can make the hair greasy). These things are often find in solid hair oils that are sold in tub-like plastic containers.
Shampoos with Sulfate
You probably already heard this, but still, sulfate is NOT your friend, girl. Not only have sulfates been known to irritate the skin, but products with sulfate are very good at stripping your strands of their natural oils. So if you get in the shower and have a head full of bubbly suds all over, you are most likely still using a product with sulfate. Ditch it. An added perk is the fact that when shampoos don’t have sulfate, they won’t necessarily burn if said shampoo gets in your eyes. How awesome would that be!?
Products with Synthetic Colors
People might fancy shampoos and conditioners with pretty, very unrealistic colors inside of them, but if you knew what was good for you, you would avoid them at all costs. Why? Synthetic colors can be cancer causing agents for one thing, and also cause allergy and nerve problems. You’ll know that synthetic colors are in your products when you see letters and numbers like this on the contents part: FD&C or D&C Red No.6. These fake colors also show up big time in hair dyes–be careful!
Products with Mineral Oil
Why so greasy? If your hair looks like it has been dipped in canola oil ready to be put in a pan to fry, but is actually gathering up a lot of dandruff, it might be because hair moisturizers you’re using have mineral oil in them. Mineral oil can clog your pores and cause breakage because of the fact that it interferes with the natural oils you create. Not to mention, touching a greasy head in this day and age is not hot.
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