Do you know what's in your shampoo? Could your shampoo be contributing to your hair loss?
In the race against time we are constantly looking for better, healthier ways to live and treat our bodies. Only a few years ago you would walk into JB Hi-Fi expecting to see not much more than CDs and DVDs, now you’re greeted with a wall of health-related wearable tech before you even spot your first CD.
It’s no secret that being more active and more closely scrutinising the chemical additives we put into our bodies is beneficial to our health, however, many of us are forgetting to pay attention to the chemicals we put ON our bodies.
And so it’s no surprise then, that the spotlight has recently been turned onto the products we put on our hair and scalp, especially if we find ourselves on the journey down the hair loss path.
A common chemical in hair products is sodium laureth sulfate which, according to New York’s Hair Loss Control Clinic seems to cause a dramatic decline in the hair growth cycle, prolonging the hair loss phase (normally three months) by a factor of 8. Simply removing the corrosive and irritating effects of these ingredients begins to restore the healthy function of the hair follicle.
But what are natural hair care products and are they worth the switch?
Chemical Free, Organic Shampoos and Conditioners
Unlike most of the supermarket offerings, the newer, natural shampoos and conditioners use essential oils along with plant and herb extracts to naturally cleanse and nourish your hair without having to expose it to damaging chemicals.
Here is a list of the benefits of going chemical free:
- Safe for everyday use
- Won’t strip the hair of natural oils
- Won’t interact with or strip hair colours
- Won’t dry hair out and make it brittle and susceptible to breakage
- Safe for use on all hair types
- Safe for use by the whole family, children and pregnant or breastfeeding mothers included
- Usually smell AMAZING!
However, chemical free shampoos in particular can be difficult to lather. Shampoos that do not contain sodium laureth sulfate will be more difficult to lather since SLS is an anionic detergent and surfactant which is added as a foaming agent.
Chemical Shampoos and Conditioners
These are your run of the mill supermarket and chemist brands. They use chemical cleaning agents to clean the hair, some of which can be harmful to your health. They usually contain SLS which makes them:
- Easy to lather
- Super (and maybe too much) cleansing power
- Can be very cheap
However there is much evidence that some of these chemicals:
- Are often harmful to hair with regular use
- Strip hair of natural moisture which can cause breakage, i.e. there is such a thing as ‘too clean’!
- Can irritate the scalp contributing to or exacerbating issues like dermatitis and dandruff
If you’re looking for a great range of natural shampoos and conditioners that will boost your hair volume and help you slow your hair loss, then try the Nut Job Range of Shampoos and Conditioners.
All of Nut Job’s hair fibre products are natural too, so you can rest assured that your complete hair care system is free of harmful chemicals.
Looking for a Woman's Hair Loss Blog? Click here to head over to the Women's Hair Loss Blog written by women for women.
