The Millstone Times - December 2022

♥ HEALTH & WELLNESS Ingredients in Shampoos and Conditioners You Should Avoid Reading the labels might just save your life one day! By Pam Teel

Does a brand's ad help you make the decision as to what shampoo you pull off the shelf? It’s time to see beyond the ad. It’s a great idea to actually start reading the ingredients on the back of the bottle that you will be putting on your hair. Most commercial shampoos and conditioners are made with a large portion of harmful chemicals, and their levels of toxicity are not just limited to hair health. This article includes expert evidence from haircare experts at SkinKraft, based on a review by Dr. Kaustav Guha, that identifies harmful ingredients in sham poos and conditioners. Now you know that most hair products are loaded with toxic chemicals. They help give you clean, shiny, bouncy hair, but these short-term benefits can cause long-term ill effects ranging from cancer to hormone imbalance. Here is a list of ingredients in your shampoos and conditions that can turn out to be harmful in the long run: Sulfates are surfactants (surface acting agents) that are used to clean the dirt and excess sebum on the scalp. They are used for lathering purposes in your shampoos. These surfactants like SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate), SLES (sodium laureth sulfate) and ammonium lauryl sulfate are all damaging. They can cause an allergic reaction on your scalp and may even cause frizzy hair. They also can be hormone disruptors when used for prolonged periods. Sulfates are also harmful for the environment and aquatic species. Parabens-To increase the shelf life of hair care products, manufacturers add preservatives called parabens. They prevent bacteria from growing in your shampoos. Parabens (Butyl, propyl and ethyl parabens) are known to mimic the function of hormone estrogen (female hormone responsible for reproduc tive functions) and can increase the risk of breast cancer. Polyethylene glycol is a derivative of petroleum that is used in hair care prod ucts as a thickening agent. There is not enough research available to claim the toxicity of PEG, but hair care experts believe that PEG can have a damaging effect on your scalp. PEGs can be identified as numbers like 100, 120, 14M, 30, 32, 40, 75 and so on. Phthalates are used in hair care products to increase the spread ability of a product. They are used to make the perfume stick to your scalp and hair. They are endocrine disruptors meaning they can cause early puberty in girls and re duce sperm count in men. They are also highly dangerous for the environment. Formaldehyde- Considering a fancy Brazilian blowout or a treatment? These treatments may contain an ingredient called formaldehyde. Bronopol, imidaz olidinyl urea, DMDM hydantoin, quaternium-15 and diazolidinyl, urea are all formaldehyde releasers. Formaldehyde releasers are carcinogenic These ingre dients are known to be absorbed by your skin. Companies add formaldehyde as a preservative in these treatments. Triclosan was an important antibacterial agent in soap bars until recently. But it is still being used in shampoos, toothpastes and deodorants. It is a known hormone disruptor. Triclosan is believed to get accumulated in your fat cells and keep the body in a state of toxicity. Dimethicone is a type of silicone added in hair care products. It acts like a pro tective layer to your hair shaft but over time, builds up residue on your scalp. It prevents moisture from entering the hair and can cause scalp irritation by clogging the pores. Retinyl palmitate is the ester of retinol and palmitic acid. This ingredient can cause skin itching, redness, scaling and peeling. It may also cause cancer, repro ductive problems and toxicity to organs.

Alcohol used in hair care can make your hair extremely dry. Steer clear of alcohols like propanol and isopropyl alcohol. Alcohols are used as thickening agents in shampoos. Sometimes, they are used as emollients when derived from palm oil or coconut oil. Alcohols can cause brittleness of hair. Fragrances-Hair care brands are smart enough to not reveal the exact ingredi ents and put them all in one category - fragrances or parfum. These fragrances are made synthetically with a blend of a variety of toxic chemicals. How else can you make rose, lavender, etc., smelling shampoos in the lab? They obviously don't add natural flowers and fruits in your shampoos and conditioners. Synthetic fragrances may cause cancers, reproductive issues or asthma attacks. Some fragrances can affect the scalp and lead to hair loss. Colors-We love to see pretty-looking colors in our shampoo and conditioner bottles. The kind of ingredients that go into making synthetic colors of hair care products will leave you shocked! These colors are derived from coal tar or petroleum. You can identify synthetic colors on the labels by the terms 'FD&C' or D&C'. Toluene is a petrochemical solvent used in most hair dyes. They can hamper your immune system and may even cause birth defects. Toluene can have a detrimental effect on your central nervous system. Toluene is often labelled as benzene, phenylmethane, toluol and methylbenzene. Resorcinol, a common ingredient in hair dyes and bleaching agents, is linked to skin irritation. It can also cause functional disabilities of the immune system. In animals, it causes thyroid function disruption. Selenium sulfide is a proven carcinogen (cancer causing compound). Lab tests on mice showed the development of tumors due to selenium sulfide. Read the ingredients of your anti-dandruff shampoos to stay away from selenium sul fide. Quaternium-15 is a surfactant and preservative in hair care products like shampoos and conditioners. It is an ammonium salt that is carcinogenic. It is also a formaldehyde releaser. Quaternium-15 is also a possible eye irritant. What Ingredients Should Your Shampoo&Conditioner Contain? Choose a sulphate free formula with mild surfactants. You could look for hu mectants like coconut oil to counter any roughness, quaternium salts to condi tion hair and silicon oils for shine and luster. Look for oils like coconut oil, olive oil, jojoba oil and palm oil in your con ditioners that help nourish your hair. Hydrolyzed keratin is an ingredient that you can opt for in your conditioner that repairs damaged hair. Butters like mango butter and shea butter form a protective layer around the cuticle of your hair. Vitamin E, argan oil and vitamin B5 are also great condi tioning ingredients that not only nourish your hair, but make the hair fall flat. Make sure you buy from brands that disclose their full list of ingredients on the labels or website. Sometimes, even plant derived ingredients may cause al lergies in some people. Watch out for potential irritants whenever you are buy ing shampoos and conditioners. Also, be careful of shampoo’s that say organic on them. They can still be loaded with many of these chemicals. Some may leave out one or two chemicals, such as fragrance free, or paraben free, but still contain the other harmful chemicals. Want to switch to a healthier shampoo for your mind and body, start here: re search Eco friendly shampoos, plant-based shampoo bars, shampoos without chemicals!!!! Don't forget to read the labels on your shampoo and conditioner bottles before you make a purchase.

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