Not all natural hair products are created equal. While some are formulated with premium, safe, and effective materials, others, unfortunately, contain harsh chemicals that do more harm than good.
When shopping for hair care, being a smart label-reader is essential to ensure you aren’t buying products that sabotage your natural hair goals. So, if healthy, moisturized, and thriving hair is what you want to achieve, then here are eight ingredients to avoid in natural hair products.
8 Ingredients to Avoid in Natural Hair Products for Healthy Hair
1. Parabens
2. Mineral oil
3. Harsh sulfates
4. Bad Alcohols
5. Toluene
6. Silicone
7. Retinol palmitate
8. Propylene Glycol
Let’s take a closer look.
1. Parabens
As this study on Parabens shows, parabens are sort of a double-edged sword. On the plus side, they act as a preservative, extend the shelf life of your products, and protect your scalp from bacteria. On the other hand, parabens can be absorbed through the scalp and enter the body. Then, they can interfere with your body’s hormones, and this has been linked to several chronic illnesses. Also, parabens can affect the appearance of your hair, causing it to become dry, brittle, and highly frizzy. These disadvantages thus outweigh the advantages and make parabens one of the ingredients to avoid in natural hair products.
2. Mineral oils
While mineral oil is cheap for manufacturers to use, this byproduct of petroleum has negative effects on natural hair. For one thing, it sits heavily on the strands and creates a heavy coating that blocks moisture from getting into your hair while causing severe product buildup on the scalp. And over time, this buildup irritates the scalp and severely hinders hair growth. Products that contain mineral oil can also cause your hair to become stiff and lifeless.
3. Harsh Sulphates
Sulfates are usually used in cleansing products. They are aggressive detergents designed to strip dirt and oil from the hair. However, while they cleanse very well, they are far too harsh for natural hair. Harsh sulfates are ingredients to avoid in natural hair products because they completely deplete the sebum that your scalp naturally produces to moisturize your scalp and strands. Especially for coily, kinky, and curly hair, this ingredient is a massive no-no, as it causes frizz and leaves the hair susceptible to breakage.
4. “Bad” alcohols
Not all alcohols are bad for natural hair. In fact, fatty alcohols like cetyl alcohol are actually great for slip! However, short-chain alcohols like isopropyl or SD alcohol are ingredients to avoid in natural hair products because they are very drying and can lead to damage. Since these alcohols evaporate quickly, they take your hair’s essential moisture with them. And because natural hair already struggles to retain moisture, these alcohols can dissolve the natural oils your hair desperately needs, leading directly to snap-breakage.
5. Toluene
Often found in hair dyes and colours, toluene is a harsh solvent; so harsh that it is even used to dissolve paint! Exposure to this chemical can irritate the skin and affect the respiratory system. For pregnant women, exposure can even create developmental risks for the fetus. So when checking labels for ingredients to avoid in natural hair products, look out for Toluene and its alternative names: benzene, toluol, phenylmethane, or methylbenzene.
6. Silicones
Like sulfates, silicones are ordinarily not terrible for natural hair, but continuous use can do more harm than good. Silicones such as dimethicone provide a very smooth, “easy-slip” feel and give your hair an immediate illusion of shine. However, they still count as one of the ingredients to avoid in natural hair products since they do not provide any actual lasting benefits. Instead, they create a waterproof seal around the hair shaft. So, if used consistently without heavy clarifying, silicones can lock moisture out, cause massive buildup, and leave your natural hair looking dull and feeling brittle.
7. Retinyl palmitate
Retinyl palmitate is a derivative of vitamin A that is often added to personal care products in high concentrations. While vitamin A itself is a common supplement, retinyl palmitate has potential associations with increased reproductive toxicity. It has also been discovered to enhance photocarcinogenicity, meaning it can increase the risk of cellular damage upon open exposure to UV rays from the sun.
8. Propylene Glycol
The final ingredient on our list of ingredients to avoid in natural hair products, propylene glycol, is a strong solvent and wetting agent or surfactant. It is so powerful that industrial workers handling it in raw forms are required to wear safety gloves and goggles, since direct exposure can lead to severe abnormalities in the brain, liver, and kidneys. In hair care, however, propylene glycol can break down the protein and cellular structures of your skin and hair, leading to weakened strands and premature ageing of the hair cuticle.
Conclusion: Choose Safe Ingredients
Natural hair is easy to nurture with the right techniques and effective products. To avoid setbacks such as breakage, severe dryness, and scalp irritation, you have to be on the lookout for harmful ingredients to avoid in natural hair products before buying or proceeding to use them. As such, the eight ingredients in this article should be kept far away from your wash day routine. So, be sure to go through the ingredient list of any product you intend to use before going ahead to apply it on your scalp or strands.
At MyKitchenIsCoily, we do the label-reading for you. When you sign up for a MyKIC curated wash-day box, you are guaranteed premium, safe, and highly effective products tailored specifically to your hair’s needs.