Is Your Hair Growth Shampoo Working?
In the most basic sense,
shampoo is a cosmetic product used to clean hair. There are specialized
formulas like a hair growth shampoo or a hair loss shampoo, but all
have at the heart of their chemistry substances called surfactants.
A surfactant reduces a liquid's surface tension allowing for the
creation of foam and for penetration of a solid. There are a wide
variety of surfactants added to shampoo recipes to influences such
factors as detergency lather, and degree of irritancy.
Wide Variety of Available Shampoos
Consequently,
the plethora of available shampoo products can be highly confusing.
Most are divided into products that address a particular kind of hair
(dry, normal, or oily) or speak to the presence or absence of
particular ingredients. Herbal shampoos are very popular as are
products that promise the presence of no artificial ingredients.
DRY, NORMAL, OR OILY HAIR
Although there are far too many available products to list, a popular
shampoo for dry hair is Vitamin Shampoo by Healthy Hair Plus. A similar
shampoo for frizzy hair is Frizz Ease by John Frieda. For normal hair a
standard product would be something like Alberto VO5. In many
instances, however, "normal" hair is also quite fine or fly-away so
there are many "volumizing" products that would also be appropriate for
normal hair. An example of a hair thickening shampoo would be Real
Volume by Aussie. For oily hair there is Advanced Natural Oil Hair
Shampoo by Healthy Hair Plus.
SHAMPOOS BY INGREDIENT
In
recent years herbal shampoos have enjoyed great popularity like the
Herbal Essences Fruit Fusions line. In choosing an herbal shampoo it is
important to read the ingredients to make sure you are getting the
herbs that best address the condition of your hair. For dry hair you
want a product with comfrey root, avocado, elder flowers, or orange
blossoms. Dandelion, horsetail, and clover are good for normal hair.
For oily hair, look for watercress, strawberry leaf, white willow bark,
or lemon grass.
As
concerns have grown over the possible dangers of artificial ingredients
in hair shampoo and other cosmetics products, alternatives that promise
all natural ingredients have become more popular and more available.
Often times these products can only be purchased at a health food store
or online. A good example of such a shampoo would be Mill Creek's Henna
Shampoo.
Potentially Harmful Ingredients
The rise in
popularity of all-natural products has focused attention on the
presence of chemicals in shampoo products. In some instances a given
chemical will not only negate the desired effect of a so-called hair
growth shampoo but will actually make hair loss worse. For this reason,
and due to concerns about carcinogens and allergies, it is important to
become familiar with potentially harmful ingredients often used in
shampoo.
ETIDRONIC ACID
Such
ingredients include etidronic acid, which is limited by federal
guidelines for hair care products to 1.5% of the total solution.
Etidronic acid is used as a stabilizer to render the shampoo resistant
to chemical change, but has been found to reduce fertility in women and
to cause problems during pregnancy.
LINALOOL
The fragrant but
colorless oil, linalool, is distilled from rosewood, bergamont,
lavender, and other plants. Many advocates of natural products refer to
perfume agents as "sweet poisons." In this instance, the perfume
linalool can cause facial psoriasis and has been linked to respiratory
problems.
COCAMIDOPROPYL BETAINE
The
foaming agent cocamidopropyl betaine is responsible for outbreaks of
contact dermatitis and contact allergies. In addition it may cause
carcinogenic nitrosamines to form on the skin or in the body after
absorption.
SODIUM LAURETH SULFATE
The industrial degreaser and
corrosive agent sodium laureth sulfate can strip the skin of its
natural oils causing severe dryness. This is also the substance most
responsible for the cautionary message on bottles of shampoo that reads
"avoid getting into eyes." Sodium laureth sulfate can cause cataracts
in older individuals and can damage children's eyes. In addition, it
has been found to actually inhibit hair growth. Its presence in a
shampoo for hair loss would be a point of concern.
COCAMIDE MEA
The emulsifier cocamide MEA causes allergies and contact dermatitis.
Like other questionable ingredients, it also creates carcinogenic
nitrosamines on the skin and in the body when the product is absorbed.
PROPYLENE GLYCOL
The
humectant propylene glycol, used to prevent shampoo for drying out, can
alter the skin structure to the point of inhibiting cell growth. It is
also responsible for carrying chemicals deep into the skin where they
can be more easily absorbed by the bloodstream. The very fact that
propylene glycol is an industrial anti-freeze gives many people pause
when they discover it is part of a cosmetic product.
SODIUM BENZOATE
The
preservative sodium benzoate is known to cause asthma and to affect
people with aspirin sensitivities. It has also been linked to various
skin allergies. Children are especially susceptible to its effects.
BENZOPHENONE-3
Benzophenone-3 is used to protect shampoo from being damaged by
exposure to the sun. It can cause contact dermatitis and is responsible
for photosensitivity (lack of tolerance to the sun) in people with
sensitive skin.
BENZYL ALCOHOL
The
preservative benzyl alcohol can be irritating to the skin and is
responsible for some outbreaks of contact dermatitis. If accidentally
ingested, benzyl alcohol causes abdominal pain, nausea, and diarrhea.
DMDM HYDANTOIN
Also
a preservative, DMDM hydantoin is limited to only 0.6% of any hair care
product. In addition to irritating the skin and causing contact
dermatitis, the substance may release carcinogenic formaldehyde.
SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE
Sodium
lauryl sulfate is even harsher than sodium laureth sulfate. Also an
industrial corrosive and detergent, it increases the permeability of
the skin so that other chemicals can more easily work their way into
the bloodstream. In addition, it corrodes the hair follicles and
inhibits hair growth.
