What Feels Good ‘Aint Always Right: 5 Ingredients in Hair Products To Avoid

January 10th, 2012 - By MN Editor

"Woman with big hair"

Products with Parabens

Ever used a popular new hair product, only to turn around and have your allergies act all the way up? There’s a few reasons why this could be happening, but I wouldn’t rule out that parabens in your product possibly played a role. Parabens like propyl, methyl, butyl and ethyl find their way into many shampoos and they are known to mess around with your hormones. It has also been suggested that too much exposure to estrogen, which parabens mimic, may possibly increase breast cancer risks (in some studies parabens have been found in tumors, but in others, results have been inconclusive).

Products with Alcohol

As if your hair isn’t feeling Brillo pad-ish enough from the wind whipping it every which way, alcohol in some of your favorite hair creams and shampoos can have your hair feeling even crunchier. On the other hand, for some, alcohol can make hair a bit too greasy–which depends on what alcohol was used short chain for dry, fatty alcohol for greasy). Whichever hairy situation you have found yourself in, you should try and avoid products with alcohol in them in general. Look out for alcohol based products with everything from ethanol and isopropyl alcohol (makes the hair dry) to lauryl alcohol and cetyl alcohol (which can make the hair greasy). These things are often find in solid hair oils that are sold in tub-like plastic containers.

Shampoos with Sulfate

You probably already heard this, but still, sulfate is NOT your friend, girl. Not only have sulfates been known to irritate the skin, but products with sulfate are very good at stripping your strands of their natural oils. So if you get in the shower and have a head full of bubbly suds all over, you are most likely still using a product with sulfate. Ditch it. An added perk is the fact that when shampoos don’t have sulfate, they won’t necessarily burn if said shampoo gets in your eyes. How awesome would that be!?

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  • MIA

    Also look our for too much protein! Too much protein will dry the hair and it will shred and break off.

  • Coco

    The only ingredient I’ve had a reaction to is Mineral Oil!! I avoid sprays, oils, hair creams etc that include mineral oil. As all it does is cause serious flakes on my scalp and itchness. It doesn’t agree with me all at!

  • Gmarie

    ehh. I feel like if it isn’t broken don’t fix it. There isn’t anything wrong with this advice, but there isn’t a once size fits all regimen for all hair types. Everyone’s hair thrives on different things. If you’ve been having success with products that contain sulfates and mineral oil etc. by all means continue to use them.

  • MissK

    MY PERSONAL RULE: DON’T USE ANYTHING THAT CONTAINS INGREDIENTS A 5TH GRADER COULDN’T PRONOUNCE…I STARTED WITH MY LOCS AND NOW I APPLY THIS RULE TO MY ENTIRE BODY.

  • Mscandy_00

    I’m glad you guys are taking steps to inform your audience about harmful substances in hair products. They are also very prevalent in body products such as lotions, face creams, and sunscreens. Synthetic & plant estrogens as well as parabens are increasingly causing a variety of health issues like (as stated) tumors (uterine & fibrocystic), early onset of puberty, man boobs, just to name a few. There is a growing amount of empirical support that suggest that tumors are fed by estrogen. Many AA hair products are packed with these chemicals which explains why our young kids are getting breasts and beginning menstrations at such young ages. For the guest who does not agree with this…I challenge you to google it. Especially if you have young children I challenge you to watch what is in their products and strive to use natural and organic products. Sorry if this reads like a dissertation. Lol

  • Astrid

    I work at a spa and the other day when I was bored to death, I started to look up the ingredients on the back of the products and saw a lot of parabens in there & was blown away. It’s true that the study regarding paraben and cancer is inconclusive but when you sit down and think of all the paraben and synthetic ingredients in in almost every single item that we put on our bodies(lotions, face moisturizers, makeup, deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, hand sanitizers etc) and then you think about all the foods that we ingest that contain hormones, synthetic ingredients and artificial preservative. It really is food for thought. I know that I for one, don’t need a study to tell me how much all of these unnatural ingredients can honestly affect my health. When I look at the use of these items that have these ingredients and I take into consideration that this is something that I use day in and day out, all over me and inside of me for countless years, Yes, it makes me pause and really start looking into items that are more natural. Even if that mean that I have to put on my Toms of Maine natural deodorant 3-4 times a day so I don’t smell funky, even if that means that I have to add a little extra Morrocan oil to my locks cause my natural conditioner, did not leave my curls all silky like my paraben infused Neutrogena triple moisture conditioner. Now when I purchase my everyday stuff, I TRY to buy as natural as possible but it’s costly and sometimes I don’t have the money for all natural products and organic all organic foods so I buy regular products. For me it is now something that I am conscious about and I’m trying to incorporate natural more into my life. As my mother always tells me, t all we can do in life is try.

  • Guest

    I disagree with this list. First the study on parabens are inconclusive. Secondly, although mineral oil can keep moisture out if you properly moisturize your hair mineral oil can be an effective sealant to keep moisture in. I’ve used tons of products with mineral oil in it and have seen no negative side-effect and no greasiness . Lastly,  one of my favorite moisturizing shampoos I’ve ever use has sulfates in it and it is by Cream of Nature. 
    Cream of Nature shampoo works better than any of the sulfate-free natural shampoos I’ve used.

    • MNeditor

      Greetings! And thanks for commenting, as well as for the heads up on the FDA results.
      Everyone’s hair is different, so I understand that while these things might be a no-no to me, they might work well for others. I’ve known many women to shun the use of alcohol-based moisturizers, and when I used to use mineral oil based greases, they would create a lot of build up on my scalp. And I know personally (sorry for all the personal crap, lol), shampoos with sulfates dry my strands out soooo bad. It just depends on the person, so to each their own. Thanks again for reading!