It’s no secret that more and more people are turning to more natural hair care products. These are products without silicone, parabens, sulphates and synthetic preservatives. In this article, I will explore what are the ingredients mentioned above and how they work badly on your hair and why it is important to replace them with care products that contain natural ingredients.
SILICONES
Silicones are often used in hair care products to give it shine and regenerate it. Their basic task is to coat the hair with a thin coating and thus prevent moisture loss from the hair itself, and protect it from adverse external influences such as UV radiation, cold, heat or mechanical force. After using shampoos with silicones, the hair becomes shinier, more supple and easy to comb.
However, silicones also have a downside. After prolonged and frequent use, the hair may lose volume, become matted and greasy. This is happening because it makes a thicker film around the hair where the silicone loads and aggravates the hair. The reason for that is because silicones are not soluble in water but accumulate on the hair over time and the hair becomes dry and brittle again. The result: silicones give an instant glow effect but damage the hair in the long run.
How to have shiny and nourished hair without the using silicones; is there a replacement for them?
There is! Vegetable oils have a very similar effect on hair. Damaged and dry hair restores shine, intensifies colour intensity and incredibly smooths hair. In addition, it has a positive effect on the hair root and scalp, protects against UV radiation and other negative environmental influences. Using hair washing and care products that, instead of silicone, contain natural oils, such as avocado, macadamia, coconut, argan, jojoba, shea butter, etc., you will have long-lasting and healthy hair.
PARABENS
Parabens are the cheapest chemicals used to extend product’s expiry date. Parabens are present in almost all commercial skin and hair care products. However, numerous studies have shown that parabens are potentially dangerous and cancerous. They are known to disrupt hormone functions, can act like oestrogen and cause many problems, including breast cancer.
Fortunately, many companies are addressing these health issues and developing paraben-free products so that a really large selection of shampoos, conditioners, and masks made of natural ingredients can be found on the market, which is wonderful! Be sure to choose products that contain as few parabens and its derivatives as possible.
PRESERVATIVES
What are preservatives used for? Products that contain a high percentage of water are particularly susceptible to deterioration, so various chemical substances are added to them to prevent the growth and reproduction of microorganisms causing their deterioration. We call such chemical substances preservatives. Their task is to prolong the durability of the cosmetic product without altering the positive organoleptic properties of the product (colour, odour, appearance) and to ensure its quality.
Natural preservatives are preferred in the production of natural cosmetics, such as grapefruit seed extract, various combinations of essential oils and other plant extracts, but also to some synthetic preservatives such as DHA under the name Dehydroacetic Acid (and) Benzyl Alcohol (trade name is Geogard 221). Namely, Geogard 221 is a preservative accepted by EcoCerta Laboratory as a synthetic preservative approved to be used in organic and organic certified cosmetics.
SULPHATES
Sulphates are basically molecules that attract water and oil, and this property allows them to separate dirt and oil from your skin and hair. However, they do it so efficiently that beside the dirt, they also remove the natural oils and proteins found on your skin and hair. They also remove colour from dyed hair and damage the hair follicle. And you were wondering why your hair lost its shine and the colour faded after dyeing… Also, besides impurities, sulphates also remove ingredients that are essential for your skin, they can also cause allergic reactions. They are also harmful to people suffering from eczema, psoriasis or other scalp and skin problems.
Therefore, avoid sulphates as much as you can and choose products made with coconut glucoside. This cosmetic ingredient is much milder, sugar-based and has a beneficial effect on the hair. Products that contain coconut glucoside with a little less foam but perfectly remove impurities. Remember – the more foam the product makes it contains more harmful sulphates!
Instead of a conclusion, I’ll give you some helpful tips, so you can choose easier:
- Read the declarations carefully and look for some of the following ingredients in the INCI composition:
Shea butter, coconut oil, macadamia oil, walnut oil, jojoba oil, olive oil, castor oil, avocado oil, honey, glycerine, aloe vera juice / gel, tincture of nettle and chamomile, essential oils of rosemary, tea tree. If the shampoo does not contain any of these ingredients, do not take it and choose the one that contains as many of these ingredients as possible from this list.
- Detoxify your hair and scalp
Environmental pollutants, dust, dead skin cells on the scalp and, above all, residues from hair washing and styling products, make hair greasy and clog pores. The hair loses its shine, becomes dull and flabby and sometimes the scalp becomes oily and itchy. The simplest way to help hair is to clean it thoroughly to wash away the accumulated impurity and remove the stubborn impurity to restore the hair’s shine, lightness and freshness. Now is the right time to do it, and to have beautiful hair you need to do the following 4 easy steps:
1.Combing – thoroughly brush the rest of the hair styling products, dirt and dust before washing your hair; it is best to use a real wooden comb
2.Exfoliating – You can make a very simple scrub for this purpose: mix 1 tablespoon of baking soda, 1 tablespoon of shampoo (some natural, preferably) and 5 drops of tea tree essential oil. Massage the scalp with it and rinse thoroughly. This scrub will work antifungal and it is also great for solving dandruff problems
3.Washing – After exfoliation, thoroughly massage the shampoo twice into your hair. We recommend rosemary-nettle shampoo that will clean, tone and soothe the scalp
4.Care – Finally, spray your scalp and hair with rice water for hair which is a true miraculous hairspray; if you will use it regularly, your hair will get strong and it will grow faster
- Drink 2 cups of rosemary tea during the day!
Rosemary is a versatile herb, very medicinal and useful, in the kitchen and in the production of cosmetics. Rosemary leaves are rich in beta-carotene / Vitamin A, vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6 and B12, biotin and vitamins C, D, E and K. Because of such an impressive composition, rosemary is a natural remedy for hair recovery and you will get the most out of it by using it as a tea. Pour two to three teaspoons of fresh or dried rosemary leaves into a cup of boiling water, cover it and leave it to stay for 10 minutes. Drink two cups of tea a day to prevent hair loss due to poor circulation, but also to stimulate its growth after chemo.
I hope this article is going to motivate you to start gradually introducing herbs into your daily routine which can be a very powerful substitute for certain substances in skin and hair care products!
