Do you ever stroll down the hair care aisle at Target, and you’re not entirely sure what you’re supposed to be looking out for? In my last blog post, we discussed some unsafe brands to be using. In this one, we’re going to touch on some ingredients to avoid.
We’ll start with a controversial one. You’ve most likely seen “free of sulfates” written on the front of many products, but what are they, and why don’t we want them? According to Medical News Today, sulfates (or surfactants) are the cleansing agent that makes shampoo foam up and becomes sudsy. It’s the thing that makes you feel squeaky clean. It’s not going to kill you, but the downside of sulfates is that they can be a bit too effective at cleaning and strip your hair of its natural moisture, resulting in dried-out hair and an irritated scalp. It might be good for you if you suffer from dandruff, but you should watch out for sulfates if you have sensitive skin, textured hair, or if you get color or keratin treatments done regularly.
This next ingredient goes hand in hand with sulfates. Parabens are essentially a preservative used in many beauty products to kill bacteria and prolong their shelf life. According to It’s A 10 Hair Care the reason they’re dangerous is that they can interfere with estrogen production, and it’s absorbed extremely easily through your skin, thus ending up in your bloodstream. As a result, it could cause breast cancer and reproductive issues.
Lastly, let’s talk about silicone! This ingredient is harmful for apparent reasons. You might as well dip your hair in a vat of liquid plastic. Companies might try to sell this to you as an ingredient that increases shine and protects the hair. However, they don’t want you to know that silicone causes a dry, waxy build-up over time. Just look up videos on youtube of hairdressers scraping off the residue from drug store shampoo. It’s just as fun to watch as pimple popping content! Anyways, if you crave a product that can give you smooth and hydrated locks, pick out some products with plant-based oils like B&B’s Curl Shampoo and Conditioner or HIO Shampoo and Conditioner.
