Ingredients You Should Avoid In Your Haircare Products

Human beings have been washing their hair for thousands of years with a variety of animal, vegetable, and mineral products. Everything from animal fats boiled with ashes to concoctions made from sweet bay oil, water, and lye have been used to remove dirt and oil from the scalp. However, the modern understanding of shampoo and its necessity for hygiene purposes is only about a century old.

According to McGill.ca, the shampoo formulation we use today was first created in the 1920s by Procter & Gamble. Other shampoos existed in the market, but this particular blend was a sulfate-based shampoo that worked well at attracting oil on your scalp and removing it. Over the decades, rhetoric from celebrities and famous hairdressers conditioned the public to think shampooing your hair daily was the only way to achieve beautiful, healthy hair. More and more products entered the scene, promising to solve a number of hair problems in response.

However, as shampoo and hair care products have evolved, so too has the number of questionable ingredients in them. A typical shampoo consists of 10 to 30 ingredients including cleansing agents, additives, conditioning agents, and specific ingredients meant to target scalp and hair issues like breakage or dandruff (via PubMed). Many of these ingredients and man-made chemicals present in our hair care products are damaging, not only to your scalp and hair but also to your entire body. If you're thinking about switching to a different shampoo, hairspray, or conditioner, consider staying away from the following ingredients.

Sulfates have come under scrutiny for their safety in hair care products as well. Sulfates, which are derived from petroleum, were once perceived as cancer-causing ingredients causing many people to boycott them (via Healthline). This has been proven false, and they are considered safe to use. However, they are still considered a controversial ingredient for their effect on the eyes, skin, and lungs, as well as their negative environmental impact.

Sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate are two common chemical foaming agents used in many shampoo products. According to For Hims, these surfactants reduce surface tension between your skin and the shampoo, allowing it to clean your hair and scalp better. However, regular use contributes to the stripping of natural oils and proteins in the hair, creating dry, dull, and brittle hair that is prone to breakage. Furthermore, products containing sulfates are often tested on animals due to their irritation level, leading more people to seek out sulfate-free products.

Many cosmetic companies have answered the call by producing "sulfate-free" shampoos, citing a gentler clean for dry, damaged hair. Some worry these products won't get their hair truly clean. Eric Schweiger, M.D., told Self, "It is possible to get clean hair without sulfates. With the lather from a sulfate, you don't have to work as hard to cleanse your scalp. With a product that does not contain sulfates, you will need to do more of a rigorous massage on the scalp in order to get it clean."

According to the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics (CSC), many personal care products list "fragrance" on their ingredients list but fail to disclose exactly what makes up said fragrance. You might not think there is anything wrong with using a shampoo that smells fruity or perfumed. After all, it makes you smell nice and gets your hair clean, which is the whole point. However, synthetic fragrances are often made up of proprietary blends with thousands of ingredients, some of which potentially have serious health effects.

Exposure to synthetic fragrances can cause serious gastrointestinal and cardiovascular problems. Certain chemicals used to craft these signature fragrances contain toxic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which have adverse health effects on the kidneys, the nervous system, and the reproductive system. Many are considered to be carcinogens, including benzophenone and butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA). Women's Voices for the Earth notes that fragrances found in cosmetic products can also cause allergies, exacerbate asthma and other respiratory issues, and cause migraines. Certain synthetic fragrances are also damaging to the environment.

If you want to avoid products with synthetic fragrances, look for the terms "fragrance" or "parfum" on the ingredients list. Furthermore, just because a product says it is "unscented" does not mean it is free of synthetic fragrances, per Lather. Look for natural fragrances made with pure essential oils like rose, peppermint, lemon, or lavender. Always do a patch test on the skin before using it to ensure you aren't allergic to the essential oil.

The presence of alcohol in hair care products is alarming to many people trying to understand what exactly they're putting on their heads. However, like silicones, not all alcohols found in your hair care products are bad for your hair. In fact, many alcohols work to nourish, thicken, and emulsify your hair.

According to Monpure, short-chain alcohols have drying properties that can have a negative impact on your scalp and hair. These short-chain alcohols contain fewer carbon atoms, which makes them evaporate faster, something that is useful for products like hairspray. They are also good for soaking up excess dirt and oil which is why they are commonly found in dry shampoos. However, continual use of products with short-chain alcohols can cause frizz, brittle hair, and a dry, itchy, flaky scalp. This is often a particular concern for people with curly or natural hair. If this is a concern for you, consider avoiding products with isopropyl, ethanol, propanol, benzyl, and SD alcohols.

On the other hand, long-chain alcohols are considered to be both safe and good for your hair. They contain fatty acids and are normally derived from plants like coconut or palm oil, per NaturallyCurly. These alcohols moisturize by drawing water into the hair shaft and provide enough slip for gentle detangling. They aren't good for cleansing the hair because they can't penetrate the hair shaft on their own. However, when combined with other ingredients in conditioners, they allow hair to feel softer and lay flat.

According to the EPA, benzene, or benzol, is a colorless, flammable liquid chemical that evaporates quickly in the air. It has a sweet odor and is derived from petroleum. A number of products are made with benzene including styrofoam, plastics, resins, nylon, lubricants, dyes, pesticides, and certain drugs. Benzene is a known carcinogen that can cause blood cancers like leukemia and other blood disorders. There are currently no set limits for benzene in cosmetics regulated by the FDA.

Many popular cosmetic companies have come under fire in the past few months for having dry shampoo products contaminated with benzene. Time Magazine reported the benzene levels found in certain dry shampoos by a privately-funded analytical lab were concerning because of the daily-use nature of the product. It is difficult to know where the benzene contaminant entered these hair care products, although many affected brands explained the propellant used to spray the product out of the cans was likely to blame. Benzene is a known contaminant of propane and butane propellants used to expel dry shampoo.

Generally speaking, it is best to avoid aerosol dry shampoos and hairsprays, as well as products that contain synthetic fragrances, and talc. Instead, look for powdered dry shampoos that contain rice starch, cornstarch, baking soda, cocoa powder, or arrowroot powder (via The Filtery). These natural ingredients are all effective at absorbing oil and impurities.

Phthalates have been present in a number of consumer products since the 1930s. According to the NRDC, these man-made chemicals are used to retain fragrances and help topical lotions and cosmetics penetrate the skin. Phthalates are found in hairspray, mousses, and conditioners as a way to increase their spreadability and improve absorption into the hair shaft (via Briogeo). They are also commonly used in products that come into contact with plastics during the production process.

Phthalates are known to mimic the body's natural hormones resulting in dangerous health effects. Despite their short half-lives, phthalates can wreak havoc on your body. For starters, they are known endocrine disruptors. They also have negative long-term effects on the reproductive system, organ function, and child development, per PubMed. They are thought to worsen allergy symptoms, contribute to insulin resistance, and cause asthma. Phthalates can also interact with each other once they are in the body, amplifying their harmful effects.

Phthalates are difficult to avoid because manufacturers don't have to list phthalates on their labels. Although they have been banned by the EU and Canada, the FDA does not regulate the use of phthalates in personal care products. To avoid products that use phthalates, keep an eye out for ingredients like DCP, DMP, DEP, DEHP, and BzBP.