Approximately 16 years ago I learnt, what was put into certain shampoos were pretty much guaranteed to give me consistent “bad hair days.” Prior to learning this, my hair would either be dry and frizzy or limp and unmanageable. I thought it was just my hair type.. Turns out almost all commercial shampoos and conditioners are full of chemicals that will destroy the health of your scalp and hair.
I have people who are shocked when I tell them about this. Here they are, buying the most expensive designer hair products, yet their hair is dry, thinning, and losing its lustre.
But just look at what I learnt was in these shampoos…
Sodium laurel sulphate makes your shampoo foam up. But it’s so damaging, scientists use it to irritate skin so they can discover how to heal it. It corrodes hair follicles so badly it can make your hair fall out and not grow back.
Ethanolamine DEA and Cocamide DEA are also chemicals that help shampoo lather up. They can make your hair dry and unmanageable. Worse, while sitting on the store shelves… or your bathroom counter… they react with other ingredients to form a potent cancer-causing chemical that gets absorbed right through your skin.
Parabens, like methylparaben and propylparaben, act as preservatives. Parabens not only irritate the skin – which can make your scalp unhealthy – they can also affect your hormonal balance.
Alcohol. Don’t ask me why anyone would put alcohol in shampoo. It will dry your hair out and irritate your scalp. Always avoid hair care products that contain alcohol.
There are a whole lot more ingredients in shampoo that aren’t good for you or your hair, but these are five of the biggest offenders.
So, if you love having thick, shiny, and lustrous hair, start reading ingredients and selecting the most natural products you can find. Bypass anything that contains the chemicals listed above.
And do your homework! If you can’t pronounce an ingredient, look it up on the internet.
Chances are good anything that sounds “scientific” or can’t be pronounced is bad for your hair.
Here are a few more tips to keep in mind while searching for the perfect natural shampoo that’s right for you…
1. If you have dry or damaged hair, look for shampoos that contain these truly natural moisturizers: shea butter, coconut oil, or avocado oil. They’ll not only seal in moisture; they’ll also add shine and keep your hair hydrated throughout the day.
2. For oily hair, lemon and other citrus ingredients can naturally remove that “grimy” feel and leave your hair feeling soft and bouncy. Green tea can also have a clarifying effect.
3. To get rid of dandruff, try products with tea tree oil, eucalyptus or aloe vera. They’ll help revitalize, cleanse, and heal your scalp.
I share the above information with passion, as I personally had to overcome severe health challenges that may have been linked to using shampoos, conditioners, skin care and make-up all containing nasty, nasty ingredients, that the body cannot deal with, so they build up in our system causing toxicity and ageing.
Here’s to Staying Youthful!
Judy
