If you can read and understand the ingredients in your shampoo and conditioner bottles, congratulations! You are one of the very small percentage of people who can do this. For the rest of us, it looks like we’re operating on blind faith that the makers know what they’re doing. But what exactly are they? Below is a detailed description of some of the most common ingredients you’ll see on these labels.
sodium lauryl sulfate:
This substance is obtained from coconut alcohol. It is a surfactant which is anything that allows oil to mix with water that has a slight negative charge. It lowers the surface tension between it and water and is used in shampoos for normal to oily and oily hair. Others are surfactants; Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, Ammonium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Potassium Cocoa Hydrolyzed Collagen and Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate.
isopropyl alcohol:
This substance is derived from petroleum and is a drying agent. Isopropyl alcohol should not be left on the scalp for too long as it can begin to strip off the top layer of skin. This can leave the scalp susceptible to infection.
Propylene Glycol Distearate:
It is crystallized stearic acid and ethylene glycol that give your shampoo the look and feel of mother of pearl. It is a common thickening agent in hair dyes and shampoos and has a moisturizing effect on the hair and scalp.
disodium EDTA:
It is a substance that is a chelating agent that gives a stable look and feel to shampoo products. This product, like some other products, should not be left on the scalp for long periods of time as it has the potential to penetrate deeper into the skin allowing more chemicals to potentially reach the bloodstream.
cetearyl alcohol:
Cetearyl or cetyl alcohol is made from coconut oil and is used as an emulsifier. This is what makes your hair feel like velvet. While Glycol Distearate makes the shampoo creamy and pearly, Cetearyl Alcohol leaves hair silky smooth.
Good:
These components perform many functions. They act as detergents for cleaning the dirt, oil and debris from the hair, it also provides conditioning for your hair and it is the foaming agent that makes us feel that we have really cleaned the hair and scalp. have been They can leave your hair feeling velvety soft, absorb oil, or leave dry hair feeling moist.
bad:
These are all chemicals that can be absorbed into the skin and hair. Many of the chemicals in shampoo products are petroleum or alcohol based, some of which are the same products used to make antifreeze or garage floor cleaner.
Unattractive:
There may be health risks associated with all of the above chemicals. They all have the potential to be absorbed into the bloodstream and down into the scalp, where they can be deposited in major organs such as the brain, eyes, heart, lungs, kidneys and liver, where they can cause damage over time. Special care needs to be taken to avoid getting these chemicals in the eyes of children of all ages as they can cause potentially permanent damage. Long-term use may cause skin irritation or allergic reactions and in some cases (such as with sodium EDTA) may have carcinogenic effects on the body.
More people are becoming health conscious about processed foods and avoiding them, but how about all these chemicals? They are also processed and although they may all originate from nature, processing alters the chemical composition to the point where the body cannot recognize what it is.
If you do decide to use these ingredients, I can only suggest that you shampoo and rinse quickly to avoid as much absorption as possible. Better still, find chemical-free cleansing shampoos and conditioners and avoid potential contamination altogether!
Source by Willie Jones
