Unfortunately, when it comes to hair products, we are usually so excited to get our hands on the latest and greatest products that we forget to pay mind to the ingredients we are exposing our precious strands to. Luckily, we have done endless research on this so that you don’t have to! We’ve compiled a list of some of the most important ingredients to avoid while shopping for your hair products to encourage the healthiest hair possible. Here’s our list, summarized by what they’re used for, of ingredients to avoid!
1.) Heavy Duty Degreasers: this includes, but is not limited to, isopropyl alcohol, sodium laurel/laureth sulfate (SLS), and polyethylene glycol which are commonly found in tons of shampoos (it’s actually scary how many). Their industrial use being used as solvents and engine degreasers should speak volumes about why they are inappropriate for use on your hair. Yes, our hair can get greasy sometimes, but a heavy duty degreaser is completely unnecessary. Over exposure to these items can strip our hair from essential oils and lead to brittle, dry, damaged hair and breakage. Who wants that? Another ingredient to steer clear from — propylene glycol, more commonly found in conditioners, but has the same effects with long term use.
2.) Oil Based Lubricants: Now, this is not to say you can’t use your favorite essential oils on your hair — in fact, most oils, are safe. However, there are two that you should avoid. Just like our skin, our hair needs to breathe, so using heavy lubricants such as mineral oil and petroleum based products can coat the hair and prevent other products from penetrating our strands and doing their jobs. Avoiding these heavy oils helps our scalp breathe which overall leads to better hair health.
3.) Unfortunately for us Keratin Lovers — Formaldehyde: Formaldehyde, a known carcinogen, is a very popular ingredient in our trending keratin treatments. Unfortunately, this is going to have to be a risk to benefit ratio that you use your judgement on while deciding which keratin option is right for you. Luckily, the formaldehyde free options are on the rise and we are super excited to see what more the formaldehyde free keratin world has in store for us in the upcoming years. It is not just keratin treatments that you need to worry about — formaldehyde can be snuck into hair products in many forms, including it’s precursor forms Imidazolidinyl urea and dmdm hydantoin. Be alert and be informed about this key ingredients as this may be the one that is most important for your overall health.
What’s our suggestion for the best way to avoid these ingredients all together? Stick to products that have a natural based like argan or jojoba oils, these products tend to have the lowest amount of added ingredients and help to promote overall healthy hair care!
Hope this helps ease your anxiety while product shopping!
