4 Nasty Ingredients In Conventional Hair Care you should Avoid

June 18, 2024

There’s loads of emphasis put on using natural skin care products, especially in recent years, and this makes us so happy, but what about those conventional hair care products you use on a daily or weekly basis?

We think it makes a lot of sense that if you’re prioritizing natural ingredients for your skin, that you’d want to do the same for your hair.

Every time you lather up in the shower or apply that pre-blowout cream to your scalp, you are opening yourself up to an influx of chemicals that may enter your bloodstream through your scalp and cause endocrine disruptions that no one has time for.

Even if you aren’t applying a product directly to your scalp, simply inhaling it via the shower steam can put your health at risk.

Apart from the chemicals you are exposing yourself to, these synthetic ingredients are also not a fun time for your strands and can leave your locks limp and lifeless, not to mention dry and frizzy!

Synthetic hair care products are also terrible for the environment, as these chemicals swirl down your drain where they enter rivers, lakes and streams and put wildlife at risk.

Here’s 4 of the worst ingredients, in our opinion, but don’t despair, there are natural alternatives ahead!

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)

You know that rich lather you work up when shampooing your hair in the shower? It’s usually thanks to this guy; sodium lauryl sulfate.

You may enjoy the lather in the moment, but your hair may feel tangled and dry when you rinse it out and SLS can cause a host of health issues from skin irritations and hormonal disruptions to an increased risk of cancer!

We don’t think any beauty product is worth the cost of your health, which is far too precious.

Isopropyl

If you’ve ever felt dizzy after your hairdresser has manically sprayed your hair with hairspray then you aren’t imagining it!

Isopropyl is a nasty alcoholic chemical, more commonly found in antifreeze.

Not only can this nasty chemical cause dizziness, headaches and nausea, you run the risk of hair breakage, which means your hair just never grows!

Parabens

Okay, so we think we may be on more familiar ground here, as we are certain you have heard of this one!

Parabens are one of the most common and widely used preservatives in the cosmetics industry.

Parabens have been linked to cancer, particularly breast cancer, as it mimics estrogen in our body and an overload of estrogen causes an array of issues from an increased risk of cancer to spider veins on the surface of the skin.

Perfume

We are all for natural scent as a result of essential oils, Rose being one of our favorites, and for good reason!

It can take thousands of chemicals to create one artificial fragrance that can be extremely toxic to your system. It’s also an unfortunate fact that most manufacturers can simply list “perfume” or “fragrance” on the label without listing the nasty chemicals lurking behind these innocent sounding names.

Just a few issues from artificial fragrance include nausea, skin reactions and vertigo.

We know it may be really disheartening learning that so many products contain nasty toxins, but the good news is that you can make a positive change right away!

If you’re eager to get started on your natural hair care journey, one that will leave your tresses tamed and smooth, and more luscious than ever before then this is the trio you need to start with!

As for shampoos and conditioners, a quick google search will lead you to loads of clean options!

Photo by Noémie Roussel on Unsplash