Looking to Buy Hair Products? Watch Out for these 4 Harmful Ingredients

Rozer Napper
2 min readOct 14, 2016

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Exposure to pollutants and other harmful compounds exacerbates the damage to your hair, especially in the absence of proper care. Many hair product stores offer hair nourishment shampoos with rich ingredients that improve the overall health of your hair. Regular use of these products can help you preserve your hair quality and stop hair loss. That said, some marginal products also feature substandard ingredients (that too in high concentrations) that do more harm than good. This blog post enumerates some such hazards that you must avoid when looking to buy hair products. Take a look.

1. Sulfates

Avoid hair products that include different variants of sulfates, such as sodium lauryl sulfate, ammonium laureth sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate, and ammonium lauryl sulfate. Commonly used in shampoos, these compounds produce froth, but at the same time, they can also wash away natural oils, resulting in dry and damaged hair. Prolonged use of shampoos that include these substances can cause irreversible damage to your hair. Other side effects of using hair products with sulfates include skin and eye irritation.

2. Parabens

Parabens include anti-bacterial components and are usually included in shampoos to avoid bacterial contamination. Overuse of products with this ingredient can cause dry hair, scalp irritation, discoloration, and in some cases, hair loss. Moreover, parabens have endocrine disruptors that may cause different types of cancers. Although the studies on the subject are non-conclusive, it goes without saying you wouldn’t want to play the guinea pig!

3. Isopropyl Alcohol

Many hair care products manufacturers include isopropyl alcohol in their products, as it aids the hair absorb useful nutrients. That said, a more than optimal rate of absorption can cause dry hair, stripping it of useful moisture and resulting in hair breakage. Be wary of hair moisturizing products that include this compound.

4. Propylene Glycol

Propylene glycol is used in hair care products to aid the scalp’s ability to absorb nutrients. It also acts as an anti-freezing agent to avoid damage to the product when shipping in freezing conditions. Overuse of such products may harm your skin and also cause eye irritation. Therefore, it is advisable to avoid buying any hair care products with a high concentration of Propylene Glycol.

Final Words

When it comes to hair care, it is always advisable to avoid products that include any of the substances we have discussed in this post. Always scan through the ingredients carefully before choosing a product. Last but not the least, shop from reputable hair product stores that are known for providing high quality products and value for money. Do a little research on products before buying by checking reviews from other users before you put your money down.

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Rozer Napper

Rozer Napper is an experienced cosmetologist specializing in natural hair care.