With so many haircare products on the market, there’s really no reason at all to continue using any that contain suspicious and potentially harmful ingredients. But it’s also difficult to differentiate between shampoos, conditioners, and serums that contain nourishing ingredients that support healthy hair and those that are made with common ingredients that can cause dryness and even hair shedding. It remains as important as ever to check labels, know what ingredients do (or at least have a working understanding of the ones to stay away from), and choose haircare products that are ideal for your specific hair type and needs.
It may take time and learning to get a handle on ingredients, but you can start by avoiding these four toxic haircare ingredients that can be dangerous to your health and damage your hair — they can even cause hair fallout.
Silicones
Silicones are a preservative commonly added to many haircare products in order to make your hair look and feel smoother and shinier. And sometimes they work: they can make your hair look temporarily healthier, but they aren’t boosting the health of your hair in ways that truly count. Silicones are possibly carcinogenic and may cause hormone disruption and scalp irritation, which can be a culprit behind hair fallout. Silicones can also be called Dimethicone, Phenyl trimethicone, and Cyclomethicone — shampoos and conditioners are popular products where you’ll find silicone.
Sulfates
It’s not unusual to associate soapy suds with cleanliness — which is why sulfates are often added to shampoos. These ingredients may bring on the lather, but they’re also responsible for drying out your scalp and hair, creating frizz, and possibly causing skin and scalp irritation, to boot. The most common surfactants include Ammonium lauryl sulfate, Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), and Sodium laureth sulfate (SLES). More disturbingly, sulfates have been associated with a carcinogen called 1,4-dioxane that has been shown to contribute to cancer in laboratory animals.
Alcohols
Drinking alcohol is dehydrating — and so is using haircare products that contain alcohol as an ingredient. Alcohol is present in hairsprays, but also shampoo, conditioner, and styling gels, and it’s added because it helps aid other ingredients in doing their job. But alcohol can also cause scalp irritation and dry out your hair, and if your hair is already in a fragile state, it can cause shedding. You may not be able to avoid alcohol in every product, but reading labels and not choosing products that list it as a one of its first ingredients can be a smart move.
Parabens
Like sulfates, parabens are preservatives found in products like shampoos and conditioners (including keratin masks) that are added to maintain the integrity of the product for longer. But the benefits do not outweigh the negative risks — they may contain possible carcinogen and hormone disrupters and can cause skin irritation, on top of everything else. Parabens can go by the names Methylene glycol and Formalin.
Generally speaking, the fewer ingredients present in any of your haircare products, the better. A natural haircare product that contains more plant-based ingredients, like argan oil, coconut oil, and organic green tea, may be a better option for you if you’re looking for ways of incorporating healthier, less damaging products to your hair routine.
