Ingredients

Hey there!!!
So, there's this big hoopla these days about which ingredients are good for you and your hair and which aren't. And now that there's a huge push for natural and organic products things are getting even more confusing. So, I thought I'd write about ingredients and give my take on them. First off let me say that I am a scientist by nature and trade, so if I don't have data or proof to back up what people say I usually don't fall for it.

I think the first thing to remember when looking for the best ingredients for you is that everyone's hair is different. What works on my hair may or may not work for you, so there are really very few blanket statements that are good to follow pertaining to products. I highly recommend always reading the ingredient label and learning which ingredients work well in your hair and which do not. Typically, ingredients are listed in order of abundance with the most abundant ingredients being listed first. Personally, if I see something not so great on the ingredient list, but it's past the first half of the list I'm okay with still getting the product.

So here I go. I am by no means an expert, so I have added links for you to refer to for each ingredient that I'm talking about here.

• Sulfates-there is a big push these days to avoid products, especially shampoos, containing sulfates. Sulfates are detergents used mainly in shampoo for the lathering effect as well as to cleanse. The problem with sulfates is that they may cleanse a little too well and dry the hair out of natural moisturizers and oils. Sulfates are thought to be stripping and are often shunned by curly girls. I personally have used several shampoos which contain sulfates that I have found to be quite moisturizing. My take on sulfates is that it really matters what other ingredients are contained in the product and where sulfate falls on the ingredient list. So, I use both sulfate containing and sulfate free shampoos. http://www.livestrong.com/article/265025-why-are-sulfates-in-hair-products-bad/


• Parabens-parabens are used as a preservative in a number of cosmetics. In the hair world they are usually found in conditioners, but can be found in other products as well. Parabens have been said to cause cancer. Now, let scientist Shayna come out for a minute. I have yet to see any compelling evidence that parabens really do cause cancer. I feel like the studies that I have read do not agree with one another, and other tests need to be conducted to affirm that parabens are or are not carcinogenic. I try to use products that contain little or no paraben simply because I think people still don't know what the relationship to cancer is yet. However, I don't know that the amount of paraben used by cosmetic companies is enough to cause cancer, if parabens do indeed lead to cancer. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paraben


• Mineral Oil-mineral oil is thought by some to be used as a filler ingredient, it's cheap, and therefore used. Others believe mineral oil to be a very good product for moisturizing. It is said that mineral oil dries hair out and clogs pores. I try to stay away from products containining mineral oil. I have used procuts with mineral oil and just didn't like it in my hair. My hair felt hard and dry and stringy after use. Here's a link against mineral oil http://www.articlesbase.com/hair-loss-articles/should-mineral-oil-be-used-on-the-hair-get-healthy-hair-now-1050163.html and one for mineral oil http://thebeautybrains.com/2006/11/28/the-top-5-myths-about-mineral-oil-part-1/


• Silicones-silicones are a family of synthetic materials used for a number of purposes. In hair care, silicones are often found in conditioners and may also be found in a number of leave in products. Silicones coat the hair which can keep moisture in, but also keep moisture out. Some silicones can be hard to wash out of the hair, requiring the use of sulfate containing shampoos to remove them. The major reason most people seem to avoid silicones is because it can build up on the hair, and be difficult to remove. My hair likes silicones (please not that there are different types of silicones and I am now referring to dimethicone). I have used both rinse out and leave in products containing silicones and I find that they smooth my hair and help control frizz very well. I have not had a problem with build-up using silicone containing products, at least not buiuld up that I can notice, and I didn't feel the need to scrub my hair to get it clean. http://thebeautybrains.com/2007/01/29/are-silicones-bad-for-your-hair/


• Alcohols-For a long time we were all told to stay away from hair products containing alcohols because it is drying to the hair. However, our alcohol warning usually came without notification that there are different types of alcohols. Cetyl alcohol I have read is a "good" alcohol. There are a number of types of alcohol and I'm too lazy to remember which is good and which is bad so I usually just pretend that there's no alcohol in anything I use. However, if I notice my hair drying out, I'll switch products. http://community.babycenter.com/post/a650595/good_vs._bad_alcohol_in_hair_products.

So, that's all that I have for now about ingredients. I hope this has been helpful.

Tootles for now,

Lady Shay