What Ingredients in Shampoo Help Your Hair Thin & Stay Damaged
Do you have naturally thin hair, or perhaps as you’re getting older, you’ve noticed that your hair has lost some of its volume? What you may not realize is that the majority of shampoo brands contains damaging ingredients that could be creating more harm than help for your locks. Do you know which ingredients to watch out for on the back of your shampoo and conditioner bottles? We do!
Keep reading to learn what to avoid and which products you SHOULD be using...
Synthetic Chemicals That Are Damaging Your Hair
When you think of the word ‘Chemical,’ you don’t normally associate it with something as common as your hair products, but you will be surprised to learn just how normal these are added to your everyday products! Check out these synthetic chemicals in shampoo and conditioners that could actually lead to hair loss.
Haircare brands sell shelf-stable products that smell good and create an excellent lather – but those properties are often achieved through the use of synthetic chemicals that can lead to hair loss. (Not to mention what those chemicals can do to the environment once we wash them down the drain.)
We buy these products in the hope of ending up with the glossy cascading hair seen in the advertisements when in actual fact, the products could be having the opposite effect.
If your hair seems thinner than before, it could be from a number of causes – but you might want to check the ingredient list on your hair products and look for these specific conspirators:
FOAMERS AND THICKENERS
Sodium laureth sulfate (SLS): This surfactant is used as an industrial detergent and in a more diluted form, helps shampoo have a big bubbly lather. But it's also a well-known irritant and can strip hair of essential oils, break down protein essential for hair health, and halt growth.
Sodium chloride: There may be table salt in your shampoo! Well at least we know it's not toxic, but when added as a thickener in products containing SLS, it can cause a dry, itchy scalp and help aid the loss of your hair over time.
Polyethylene glycol (PEG): Also known as polyethylene or polyoxyethylene, this shampoo thickener strips hair of moisture.
PRESERVATIVES
Quaternium-15, formaldehyde, parabens like methylparaben and propylparaben: These are often included to make a product last longer, but some of them are known for their effect on hormonal balance and may encourage hair loss.
IRRITANTS
Not that manufacturers are adding things intended to irritate, but nonetheless, there are synthetic ingredients that can cause scalp inflammation and allergic reactions, which can exacerbate hair loss and make thin hair dry, brittle and lifeless.
Diethanolamine (DEA) & triethanolamine (TEA) These can harm your hair’s natural keratin and for some people, can irritate the scalp.
Fragrances and artificial colors: We've been talking about the problems of synthetic fragrance and color for years.
Propylene glycol: Otherwise known as car antifreeze – used to keep hair products from freezing during shipping and storage. (Yes, this can be found in hair products!)
ALCOHOL
Most hair products have some type of alcohol. Fatty alcohols can actually help condition dry hair, and these kinds are called cetearyl alcohol, cetyl alcohol, and stearyl alcohol. Avoid other alcohols that are in high concentration (listed in the top four ingredients), as they can dehydrate your hair.
GREASERS
Lanolin, petroleum, and mineral oil: Yeah, no petroleum in my hair, thanks! But aside from just being unsavory, these ingredients can weigh down thin hair and prevent natural oils from being absorbed.
Why Manuka Honey Shampoo is the Game Changer
Manuka honey is produced by bees that take pollen from the manuka bush native to New Zealand and Australia. The manuka shrub is said to produce bark, leaves, and pollen with medicinal qualities that can treat ailments such as head colds, burns, gingivitis, and aching muscles.
While there are still studies being done, honey is known to have antibacterial qualities, with manuka honey especially high in this content. It’s one of nature’s sweetest gifts with a wide range of usage!
There are several important facts about manuka honey that put it above the rest of some truly remarkable natural ingredients in shampoo. Manuka honey has even more nutrients than regular honey for starters.
Calcium, amino acids, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, and a variety of B vitamins have been found in manuka honey. These nutrients have amazing effects on hair and skin as our body produces these and requires them to maintain being strong and healthy.
Manuka honey shampoo and conditioner helps nourish and hydrate hair while fighting bacteria on the scalp that causes eczema and dandruff. Hair products using manuka honey are also known to replenish and restore dry, damaged, chemically treated hair.
Therefore, all of those hair masks and expensive salon brand products could’ve been swapped for hair care containing manuka honey for a fraction of the cost! Soap made with manuka honey should be noted too, as it will make the skin smooth and soft, and its antimicrobial properties will provide defense against bacteria on open wounds or sores.
Manuka honey also contains protein and amino acids, similar to keratin, which can be used to heal and strengthen hair of all types. However, hair growth can benefit from Manuka honey’s natural protein attributes as it boosts scalp health and strengthens individual strands of hair.
Other hair care ingredients are able to do this too, however, you normally need multiple ingredients to accomplish what manuka honey can do on its own! The rich number of antioxidants in manuka honey can also reverse scalp damage, such as dandruff, sunspots, and scalp psoriasis, while simultaneously strengthening hair follicles for long-lasting, beautiful hair.
Manuka honey hair growth products have been found to work and have even more perks when combined with other natural substances. Natural ingredients are the most beneficial and should be at the forefront of any beauty products label. You should look for products that also contain coconut oil, shea butter, and marine-based ingredients to have unstoppable, glamorous hair!
Wild Naturals Shampoo & Conditioner
With all of the above information in mind, that can seem like a night and day different between the hair products you've been using all your life to switching to something completely new. However, Wild Naturals produced a natural alternative to your regularly chemical-filled shampoo and conditioner to help nourish your hair and not have such damaging ingredients!
Visit the Wild Naturals online store to learn more about our shampoo and conditioner options!
