Do you want hair care products that aren’t toxic? Well so Do I! I want to tell you about the five best green organic hair care products available on the market today.
I have been using natural shampoos and conditioners for years and I have to say I do not miss the nasty, super-foamy, smelly chemical concoctions I used to put on my head every day.
Maybe you don’t get as much lather, but knowing that I am not using industrial grade cleaning products on my scalp makes me feel alright about the lack of foam. Using that toxic stuff does not appeal to me, especially when it is being used so close to my brain…..ya know what I mean?
Should I tell you about some of these toxic chemicals hiding in your typical shampoos and conditioners? Maybe you already know, but it’s nice to be reminded why we use natural products. Or maybe you aren’t aware, and you would like to learn more…..
Toxic Chemicals In Shampoos and Conditioners
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate/Sodium Laureth Sulfate
These ingredients help cleanse and foam. They are both derived from coconut oil but they are 2 different ingredients. The laureth goes through an ethoxylation process that results in a byproduct called 1,4 dioxane. This is the cancer causing part of the ingredient and is not listed on the label. You want to avoid ingredients with “eth” at the end, e.g ammonium laureth sulfate.
So what ingredients should you look for instead? Ingredients containing the words “glucoside” or “glucose” - for example, lauryl glucose or sodium lauryl glucose.
Glycol
These are common ingredients in many personal and hair care products. Polyethylene glycol is the most common (often labeled as PEG). These are ethoxylated and cancer-causing chemicals.
Amodimethicone
This ingredient gives your hair a smooth feeling and is present in conditioners. It is a silicone-based polymer used to seal in moisture. They also do not allow your scalp to breathe which is important. Look for natural oils like argan, jojoba, olive oil, or sweet almond instead.
Formaldehyde
Labeled as Diazolidinyl urea, 3-diol Imidazolidinyl urea, DMDM Hydantoin, Quaternium-15, Nitorpropane-1, Formalin, Methanal, Methyl aldehyde, Methylene oxide. It is used as a germicide and preservative in commercial conditioners. It can cause contact dermatitis, dizziness, chest pain, jiont pain, sinus infections, fatigue, and a breakdown of the immune system.
Phthalates
A known carcinogen, used by manufacturers to have their products retain a “soft” feel to them. It has been linked to causing birth defects, damaging the human reproductive systems, lowering sperm count in males and contributing to lung, kidney and liver cancer.
Parabens
This chemical is used as a germicide and a preservative and gives your conditioner a longer shelf-life. They are also known as types of methyls, propyls, butyls and ethyls.
This chemical can stay in the body and is classified as a hormone disruptor, this means that once a paraben enters your body it prevents human hormones from acting how they should.
This substance mimics the human estrogen hormone and has been linked to breast cancer and other reproductive cancers for both males and females.
Well if that isn’t enough to get you to ditch the toxic garbage I don’t know what will!
So what are the alternatives?
Alternatives are available. When it comes to natural hair care, you need to be aware of one thing: natural shampoo is not going to lather as much as you are used to. This is because natural shampoos use gentler, less irritating foaming agents.
They do not have the foaming (and stripping) power of Sodium Laurel Sulphate. Gentle cleansers, herbal extracts, plant oils, and essential oils are going to be what you find in natural shampoos and conditioners.
I have a few favorite products that I would like to share with you. These are high-quality, truly natural, and TBosc-Approved. The following products will be a great first step to getting you started in organic hair care.
#1 Rahua Shampoo and Conditioner
Impeccable ingredients, luxurious scents, and a formulation that works, Rahua brings high-quality hair care to your bathroom. The star ingredient in Rahua’s products is rahua oil. This plant oil has a small molecular size, allowing it to penetrate the hair’s cortex. Within the hair’s cortex, it can repair and smooth your hair.
#2 Yarok Feed Your Volume Shampoo and Conditioner
Yarok is a responsible and eco-aware company. They value transparency, giving back, and nourishing the scalp and hair. Every aspect of their company is focused on being Eco-friendly, from the packaging to the sourcing of ingredients, Yarok takes pride in offering truly safe products.
#3 Acure Organics Moroccan Argan Shampoo and Conditioner
As an honor to her grandmother’s battle with cancer, Kristy Guerra’s founded Acure Organics. Her mission is to provide safe and healthy products that are affordable and accessible to all.
#4 Argan Oil
Argan oil is da’ bomb when it comes to hair care. I love applying argan oil to my hair ends, it prevents splitting, softens and nourishes my hair, and de-tangles. My hair always looks nicer with argan oil in it. Learn more about Argan oil for hair.
This Argan oil by Pura d’or is certified organic, it comes in a dark glass bottle with a pump dispenser, and it is very affordable. My favorite Argan oil is by Kahina Giving Beauty, but not everyone can afford it, so I recommend this one as a high-quality, but still affordable Argan oil.
#5 Rahua Elixir
Rahua makes a potent hair elixir. This baby has only 3 ingredients, one of them being rahua oil. Rahua oil has a small molecular size that allows it to penetrate the hair’s cortex, repairing and smoothing the hair. It is gentle enough for color treated hair and will bring shine and strength back to dull and brittle hair.
Well there you have it, five green organic hair care products. I could have included more, as there are many brands out there that create exceptional products, I just wanted to share with you fave of my favorite. These are products I would recommend to friends and family, and as always, they have met my standards for being safe products.
Leave a comment below and tell me, what do you use in your hair?
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Featured Photo Credit: Aimanness Photography via Compfight cc
Hi Andrea!
Your posts are very good and informative… 🙂 Planning to go organic!! Its better to start being organic NOW than NEVER… Thanks for sharing some useful and important information. However, I do have a question.
Is there any organic shampoo for dandruff and thinning hair problem?
Thanks so much for your kind words Kaushi 🙂
To answer your question, just the simple act of going organic should help your dandruff and thinning hair problems. The chemicals in regular shampoos such as Sodium lauryl sulfate can cause skin irritation.
My main concern for you would be to find a shampoo that uses gentle cleansers (these include sodium cocoyl isethionate, cocamidopropyl betaine, and decyl glucoside). You need to expect that with natural and gentle cleansers, the foam is not going to be huge. Natural shampoos do not and should not foam as much as regular ones do. Those foaming agents are harsh and can be a cause of itchy scalp.
For a scalp friendly shampoo I would recommend products by Moogoo (an Australian Company). I have used their Shampoo, it really helped my itchy scalp, and left my hair feeling clean and soft. Their conditioner is great to.
Two brands I love are Yarok and RAHUA, they both make volumizing shampoos and you can get them on Amazon.