The mane advantage of natural ingredients to your hair
If you had a choice, wouldn't you prefer to use products that contain safe and non-toxic ingredients? Of course you would. Fortunately, there are scores of hair-care products that are based on natural ingredients and are cruelty-free, meaning that they are not tested on animals and do not contain animal by-products. Heres a run-down on what they are and what you might expect to find in them.
Shampoos: Chlorophyllin, parabens, allantoin, and extracts of botanicals such as chamomile, sage, lavender, wild cherry bark, rosemary, yarrow, nettles and aloe vera. Dandruff shampoos are often formulated with selenium, sulfur and silicin, and specific herbs such as horsetail (also rich in silica), nettles, rosemary and coltsfoot.
Conditioners: Keratin amino acids (such as arginine and leucine), panthenol (a vitamin B-derivative), glycerin, tocopherol (vitamin E), aloe vera, chamomile and rosemary extracts. Detanglers, a light-weight version of conditioner usually sprayed onto freshly-washed hair, often contain the same moisturizing ingredients as conditioners, plus an herbal extract or two, such as acacia, lemon or rosemary.
Deep conditioners: Sometimes referred to as hair masks, these deep-conditioning products often contain amino acids, panthenol, balsam, shea butter, and sweet almond or jojoba oil. Often, natural conditioners also contain ingredients such as panthenol, PABA, beta-carotene and vitamins C and E, which help to retain moisture and prevent UV-ray damage.
Styling gels, Mousses, and Hair sprays: Gels and mousses are styling aids that help to add body and volume to hair while hair sprays are designed to keep your hair style where you want it. These products contain either purified water or low doses of natural grain alcohol, vitamins, amino acids, natural gums, soy protein and herbs such as comfrey, horsetail, nettle, yucca, balsam and, sometimes, henna. As with conditioners, some hair-styling products also have ingredients to protect hair from the damaging effects of the sun.
Hair coloring: Wheat and/or soy proteins and a variety of herbal extracts depending upon the desired result. Light shades are obtained from chamomile, marigold and dandelion, while darker shades are achieved from utilizing walnut, indigo, coffee beans and, sometimes, black tea. Various berries, fruits and henna are used to make red shades.
Perming solutions: Even perm solutions that are mostly formulated with natural ingredients must contain a certain amount of synthetic ingredients in order to effectively change the shape of the hair; however, their concentration is kept to a minimum. Some may contain diluted amounts of ammonia and sodium laurel sulfate, while some semi-synthetic perm solutions (called thioglycolate perms) contain sulfur compounds.
So, whether you wear your hair straight, braided, pony-tailed or flowing about
you in a magnificent halo of curls, treat yourself and your hair by using the
best ingredients nature has to offer. After all, your hair may reveal a lot
about you, but how you care for your lofty locks speaks for itself.
Other Pages
The key to healthy hair 1
The key to healthy hair 2
The key to healthy hair 3
