When we think about toxins, we usually immediately think about food items and drugs. Ingestible items are a strong area of consideration for toxin exposure, but what about the things that get on our skin? Toxic chemicals can damage our hair heavily, leading to breakage and hair loss. Toxin-free hair care products are extremely important if you want to improve and strengthen your hair.
Take the story of one of my clients, Sarah. Sarah reached out to me years ago about her continuous hair loss. She washed her hair regularly and couldn’t understand why her hair was falling out in clumps. My immediate suggestion for this is to switch to a sulfate-free shampoo. Within days of switching her hair care products to a natural brand, she noticed less hair loss after each wash.
So how can you get those luscious locks you always see in commercials? The first step is knowing what to avoid.
Hair care ingredients to avoid
Sodium lauryl sulfate
Sodium lauryl sulfate is what causes our shampoo to lather. This chemical is commonly used as an emulsifier in personal care products, meaning it holds ingredients together and stirs up dirt when used. It may feel cleaner to have a lather going, but suds do not equal cleaning. In fact, sodium lauryl sulfate is an aggressive drying agent. This leads to skin and gum irritation, hair breakage, hair loss, and even slowed hair growth.
Artificial fragrance
Artificial fragrance is common in personal care items and laundry detergents. Fragrance is a blanket term for many chemicals that aren’t always listed on ingredient labels. The chemicals behind the smell can lead to skin irritation and allergic reactions.
Mineral oil
While the word “mineral” sounds natural, the oil is actually derived from petroleum. Petroleum contains cancer-causing hydrocarbons, and could lead to disease down the road with prolonged exposure.
My all-natural hair tips
- For shiny hair, rinse your hair with half a cup of apple cider vinegar after washing. The smell is temporary and the results are impressive!
- Oil can be your friend. A mixture of oils such as avocado, olive oil, and coconut oil can act as a weekly deep conditioner for your hair.
- Essential oils can promote hair growth. Try adding a few drops of lavender, cypress, cedarwood, peppermint, clary sage, roman chamomile or rosemary to your favorite shampoo.
With a heavy saturation of chemicals in our personal care products, our hair can suffer the consequences. Being mindful of those harmful ingredients and taking steps to avoid them can truly mean a world of difference.
For a more in-depth look at hair care labels, check out The Slightly Greener Method, available on Amazon and where books are sold.
