The ONE ingredient you want to avoid!

I still remember a time, not so long ago, if we wanted to use organic hair or skin products we did not have many options, we had to either look for them in natural food markets or make them ourselves, which I sometimes still do because it’s SO GOOD. Slowly but surely, consumers have realized that chemicals, salts, and synthetics are not safe for us or the environment and are demanding for safer products that are more conscious about these subjects too. Now it is way easier to find good brands that sell naturally made products for my hair and skin, even my Instagram feed is selling me this stuff, it’s amazing!

There is a problem; there’s always a problem. A lot of brands out there are selling their products claiming they´re organic and natural, and they might NOT be completely what they say they are. As we have mentioned before, if you look closely at the ingredients on the packaging you will always find the black bean in the middle of the rice. A good example of this is Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS). SLS is a chemical that you will probably spot in the ingredients of your shampoo, shower gel, toothpaste, and others. Its close cousin, Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES), is as harmful or even worse. SLS and SLES are the cheap ingredients that make your shampoo foam when you wash, and although they both help remove grease from your hair, they are both highly irritant – the reason why your eyes sting if you get shampoo in them – plus they are toxic and harmful to the environment.

So, what can we do to avoid these ingredients and still get healthy, clean hair?

You can look for substitutes that are produced from natural sources and that are permitted and certified as safe cosmetics; like Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate (SLSA). I know it sounds like it comes from the same family as the other two, but it doesn’t. SLSA comes from coconut and palm oils; it is a cleanser much milder than others, and completely safe for the skin. You still get frothy foam, it dissolves much quicker with water, and it rises faster. Finally, the best part about SLSA is that it is beneficial for all hair and skin types, even the most sensible ones!

Sulfates and Surfactants you want to avoid:

(you might want to screenshot this)

Sodium Laureth Sulfate

Sodium Myreth Sulfate

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate

Ammonium Laureth Sulfate

Sodium Trideceth Sulfate

Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate

Sodium Myreth Sulfate

Sodium Alkylbenzene Sulfonate

Sodium Coco-sulfate

Ethyl PEG-15 Cocamine Sulfate

Dioctyl Sodium Sulfosuccinate

TEA-dodecylbenzenesulfonate

TEA Lauryl Sulfonate

Now you know what to look for regarding ingredients used in your daily routine, which ones are safe and harmless, and which ones are not. Soon I will be sharing with you more information on ingredients your hair will love, and ingredients you should completely avoid, but until then…you can follow us for more tips and info on Instagram and Facebook as @TheHairRoutine.

Find hair products without these nasty ingredients here.

’till next time,

Lucía.