11 Chemicals in Popular Hair Products You Should Avoid and Why
Healthy hair can be a tricky and bumpy road for some. It requires, patience consistency, trial and error. Often times it makes you want to give up and go the easy route. But what if you knew what to look for when it comes to products? We have spent years searching to find the best ingredients that your hair needs and put them into our products. In our research we have also come across the worst ingredients, ingredients that you should be avoiding. So before you give up, keep reading and we just may make your healthy hair journey a little easier.
A lot of popular products that you may just be using right now contain these 11 ingredients you should be avoiding:
1) FD&C Color Pigments, which include Yellow #11 and Blue #5, contain coal-tar, which is a carcinogen. They also deposit toxins into the skin causing irritation to the scalp.
2) Tetrasodium ETDA, made from ethylenediamine, formaldehyde—a known carcinogen according to the National Cancer Institute and sodium cyanide (which is made from the toxic gas hydrogen cyanide). This ingredient is also a penetration enhancer. That means it breaks down the skin’s protective barrier, making it easier for other potentially harmful ingredients in the formula to sink deeper into your tissues and perhaps even into your bloodstream.
3) SLS (and all other sulfates and sulfonates) are a key ingredient in industrial detergents and cleansing agents -- including engine degreasers and garage floor cleaners; severe damage it does to hair by drying it out. If it can degrease an engine, it certainly should not go anywhere near your hair.
4) Mineral oil. Mineral oil in your hair allows nothing to get in and nothing to get out. Mineral oil can clog your pores and hinder hair growth.
5) Parabens. Parabens on labeled methyl, propyl, butyl, and ethyl on products. They are used as inhibitors of microbial growth and extend shelf life. Studies have shown that some parabens can mimic the activity of the hormone estrogen in the body’s cells and have been associated with certain forms of breast cancer. Parabens are also of high molecular weight to prevent evaporation and subsequent water loss from the hair, which can lead to frizz as well as dry hair.
6) Isopropyl Alcohol is used in antifreeze, wood finish and shellac. Isopropyl alcohol is designed to dissolve oils, which can strip the hair of moisture and cause serious breakage. The holding spray, hair gels, root lifters, volumizers you love so much will only cost you broken ends and dead strands. Inhalation or ingestion of vapor from isopropyl alcohol may cause headaches, flushing, dizziness, mental depression, nausea, vomiting, narcosis and even coma.
7) Proplyene glycol (PG) which is found in conditioners, shampoos, hair dyes, styling gels, and lotions, causes scalp irritation, breaks down healthy hair proteins, and cellular structure while giving the APPEARANCE of shiny and smooth hair. In the world of hair care, proplyene glycol would be the proverbial "wolf in sheep's clothing." BEWARE!!!
8) Silicone, another wolf in sheep’s clothing also gives the appearance of shiney healthy hair, but eventually causes the hair to become dull and lifeless. It not only attracts dirt, free radicals and other nasty things but it also prevents necessary moisture from getting into the hair shaft. Without moisture the hair needs, it will become dry, brittle, and a breeding ground for split ends and breakage.
9) PEG comes from the ethoxylating, of Propylene Glycol. This ingredient works for what it is intended to do, deep cleaning ovens that have accumulated a ton of baked in grease. But unless you're regularly deep frying your hair in oil, you're not likely to ever need such a harsh chemical to dissolve oil and grease buildup on your hair.
10) Diazolidinyl urea is a formaldehyde-releasing preservative, which has been classified as a human carcinogen. It often is used as a pesticide in the cotton industry and to kill microbes for cosmetics. It can cause dryness, itchy scalp, and a potential allergic reaction.
Whether you are just beginning the natural hair journey or you are already a naturalist, please read the ingredients on your hair products because you never know what you are ingesting and the harm it could be causing. With OrganiGrowHairCo products only the best Organic Ingredients are used. No dyes, parabens, mineral oils, fragrances, or chemicals. Happy Growing.