When it comes to washing their hair many people don’t typically give shampoo and conditioner a second thought. As long as their hair is clean, many don’t consider the amount of harmful toxins that they are being exposed to just by doing something as simple as washing hair. This post will share with you the toxins hiding in your shampoo, benefits of ditching shampoo and natural alternatives to try instead.
The Problem with Shampoo
I’ve mentioned in past posts about the toxins in personal care products, but haven’t addressed shampoo directly. Many commercial brands contain harmful chemicals that are associated with problems such as:
- nerve/neurological damage
- auto-immune disease
- cancer
- liver disorders
- hormone disruption
- hair loss
And because our skin (scalp) included absorbs these chemicals, they have even been linked to birth defects! Think about how much we use these products over a course of a lifetime and the detrimental affect this has on our overall health and well-being.
So why do companies use these horrible and toxic chemicals when there have been many studies ties to these major health problems and how can the FDA allow this? Well, that’s a whole other post in itself. But if you are interested in learning more about that right now here is a quick video for you.
For me, this is frightening! So why not eliminate toxins we are exposed to be eliminating something simple such as shampoo! But it’s not just as if one could go without completely washing their hair, right?
What to do Instead
My friend Ashlee at The Crunchy Moose is the No Poo Guru! No-poo as in No Shampoo! She is the ultimate Queen of knowledge when it comes to this stuff and my absolute go-to for all my no poo questions. She is the author of the No Poo Method and you can checkout her site here. I have met Ashlee in person and I can personally attest that she has great hair! It’s not dirty, stinky or gross at all. In fact,
Why should you go no-poo?
As I mentioned earlier, with all the chemicals in commercial shampoos and the havoc they cause on our health why wouldn’t you give them the boot? Don’t you and your family deserve better? In addition to health concerns, there are environmental concerns as well. Toxins from the shampoo and conditioner make their way into our water ways and can destroy the delicate eco-systems they contaminate. In addition to reducing your toxin exposure your hair will be healthier and more manageable.
There are many different ways that you can go no-poo or low poo. make your own DIY healthy version of shampoo and conditioner which you can find here and here for babies. And if you are interested in learning more about No-poo click here for the ultimate gold-mine of information.
Toxins Hiding in Your Shampoo
If making shampoo isn’t your thing and you are interested in going low-poo you want to look for shampoos and conditioners without the following harmful chemicals:
- DEA (diethanolamine)
- Isopropyl alcohol
- Propylene glycol
- Sodium laureth sulfate or sodium lauryl sulfate
- Benzaldehyde
- Phthalates
- Parabens
I recommend buying from a company you trust and that has good ethical practices. This will ensure that they have the best interest of their consumers. Companies I personally use and recommend are Beauty Counter and Young Living.
