Ingredients to avoid on your natural hair journey
Thanks to availability and easy access, shopping for afro hair products is no longer a challenge for many people.
However, there are many black hair products that contain a lot of toxic ingredients that could be damaging to your hair, skin and health.
When shopping for products for afro hair, it’s important to find items that will moisturise and nourish your hair. Here are some of the ingredients to look out for.
Alcohol
Some alcoholic ingredients can dry out the hair, which is not good for textured hair. The aim is to retain as much moisture as possible from wash day, so avoid:
SD Alcohol
SD Alcohol 40
Ethanol Alcohol
Propyl Alcohol
Isopropyl Alcohol.
Benzene
Benzene is an organic chemical compound that’s found in cosmetic, skincare and hair care products. It has a sweet smell but it’s a carcinogenic ingredient, which means that frequent exposure increases the risk of cancer.
In fact, benzene is so dangerous that there is no safe exposure level. Also, it can damage the respiratory system, irritate the skin, cause developmental damage in fetuses and bone marrow failure, so avoid.
Diethanolamine and triethanolamine
Diethanolamine (DEA) and triethanolamine (TEA) are sometimes added in hair products to stabilise the pH balance, but the problem is that they can irritate the eyes.
If you find that your eyes itch right after you’ve washed your hair, then chances are that the products you used could contain either of these ingredients.
Formaldehyde
Formaldehyde is used as a preservative in skincare and hair care products, but it irritates the skin and eyes. It is also thought to be harmful to animals as it’s carcinogenic, so there is a potential carcinogenic risk for humans too.
Mineral oil
Mineral oil is a by-product of petroleum. It’s commonly used in many moisturisers and lotions because it’s a cheap lubricant that can be mass produced.
However, it just sits on your hair and scalp - it doesn’t provide effective nourishing benefits. Instead, you’re better off using natural oils.
Phthalates
High doses of phthalates are thought to disrupt hormones and the endocrine system.
Parabens
Parabens are used as preservatives in hair, skincare and beauty products. However, they are thought to be harmful to the scalp and they are easily absorbed into the skin.
Sulfates
Sulfates in hair products come in the forms of Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and Ammonium Laureth Sulfate. They strip the hair of its natural oils, drying it out and irritating the scalp.
Silicones
Heavy use of silicone can cause product build up, preventing moisture from getting into the hair where it is needed. This type of build up is not easy to strip off from the hair because some silicones (such as cyclomethicone and PEG modified dimethicone, polydimethysiloxane, Behenoxy Dimethicone and Simethicone) are more stubborn and cling on to the hair.
So what’s the solution?
The best solutions include:
Use organic and natural hair products that are gentle on the hair and scalp
Frequent deep conditioning treatments
Keep your hair moisturised every day.