Do you know what’s in your conditioner? So, until we discover that almost all of the conditioners available at the big box stores are made with harmful substances that not only harm our health but sometimes even do the opposite of what we want to our hair. It appears that there are several dangerous components in our conditioners that we need to be cautious of. Below you will find the list of them.
Ethoxylated ingredients (prefixes PEG- and poly-, suffixes -eth and -oxynol)
These products go through the ethoxylation process of being mixed with ethylene oxide, which in turn can produce 1,4-Dioxane. 1,4-Dioxane is one of the ingredients included in California’s Prop 65 warning for cancer causing agents.
This product is a known carcinogen and has been shown to be harmful to a developing fetus, as well as increased incidences in nasal cavity, gall bladder, and liver tumors after exposure in animal studies.
The prefixes and suffixes above will help to identify ethoxylated ingredients but here is a list of others found in common household, beauty, and self-care products:
- Acrylates/Steareth-20 Itaconate Copolymer
- Ammonium Capryleth Sulfate
- Ammonium Pareth-25 Sulfate
- Ammonium Myreth Sulfate
- Ceteareth -20
- Cocamidopropyl Betaines
- Disteareth-75 IPDI, -100 IPDI
- Emulsifying Wax NF
- Isosteareth-20
- Steareth – 2, -4, 10, 16, -20, 21
- Isosteareth -2, -10, -20
- Magnesium Laureth Sulfate
- Magnesium Oleth Sulfate
- PEG’s – ingredients listed as a polyethylene glycol or with a PEG- prefix such as PEG-20, PEG-40
- Phenoxyethanol
- Polyoxyethylene
- Polysorbate-20, -40, -60, -80
- Steareth-2, -4, -10, -16, -20, -21
- Sodium Coceth Sulfate
- Sodium Deceth Sulfate
- Sodium Oleth Sulfate
- Sodium Laureth Sulfate
- Sodium Myreth Sulfate
- Sodium Trideceth Sulfate
- Zinc Coceth Sulfate
Sulfates
Sulfates, like Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, or Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, are surfactants used in both shampoos and conditioners. In shampoos, they’re used to remove the oils from your hair. In conditioners they can be reformulated to add oils to your hair.
No matter how they’re formulated, the sulfates are damaging to your hair and your health in every product they’re in. Sulfates strip oil and dirt out of your hair, causing the naturally produced sebum (your hair’s natural moisturizer) to deplete, causing frizzy hair.
In addition to the frizz, sulfates can cause allergic reactions and disrupt hormones with prolonged use.
Parabens
Parabens are used in cosmetics as a preservative, lengthening the shelf life of the product, preventing bacteria from growing. They are proven to mimic hormones like estrogen in the body. Animal studies show that parabens cause reproductive harm while human studies showed an association with decreased fertility in both males and females.
What to look for on the label:
- Ethylparaben
- Propylparaben
- Isobutylparaben
- Isopropylparaben
- Methylparaben
- Butylparaben
- Any ingredient which ends in –paraben
- Any ingredient named ‘ethyl’, ‘butyl’, ‘methyl’ and ‘propyl’ (sometimes they drop the -paraben to be sneaky)
Sodium Benzoate
Sodium benzoate is a preservative commonly used in foods, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. Sodium benzoate is a synthetic chemical produced when benzoic acid; which is found naturally in some fruits and spices, is combined with sodium hydroxide. Since sodium benzoate contains a natural ingredient, it is probably safe, right? After all, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Canadian Health Protection Branch have pronounced this chemical preservative to be acceptable when consumed in low amounts. In fact, the FDA has granted sodium benzoate GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) status. A small percentage of people are hypersensitive to sodium benzoate and can experience asthmatic attacks, hives, or other allergic reactions when they consume the preservative. A more common problem, however, is the combination of sodium benzoate and citric acid and/or ascorbic acid (vitamin C). When these ingredients get together, they form benzene, a cancer-causing chemical associated with leukemia and other blood cancers.
Potassium Sorbate
Potassium Sorbate is commonly used as a “safer” replacement preservative for parabens. However, this ingredient is known to be a “serious” eye irritant and can cause skin and scalp irritation with prolonged use.
Triclosan
Triclosan is a synthetic anti-bacterial additive in hair products to prevent bacteria growth, extending the shelf life. It is a known hormone disruptor, linked to an increased risk of breast cancer, and has shown to raise testosterone levels in infants from prenatal exposure.
Triclosan is absorbed through the skin and can cause dermatitis, allergies, or skin irritation. It is also believed to accumulate in fat cells, keeping the body in a state of toxicity.
Formaldehyde
While Formaldehyde is rarely used in its pure form, formaldehyde releasers are commonly used as preservatives in many cosmetics including our conditioners. Formaldehyde is a well-known carcinogen, linked to leukemia and tumor formations.
While Formaldehyde could be listed on an ingredients list, it’s unlikely. Here’s a list of formaldehyde releasers to stay away from:
- Formaldehyde
- Diazolidinyl Urea
- Imidazolidinyl Urea
- Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate
- Benzylhemiformal
- 2-Bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol
- 5-Bromo-5-nitro-1,3-dioxane
- Quaternium-15
- DMDM Hydantoin
- Methenamine
Synthetic Fragrances and Dyes
Fragrance is a blanket term that allows companies to hide thousands of ingredients under this one ingredient, allowing them to conceal their “trade secret”. Unfortunately, many of the ingredients that are under this one term are the cause for allergic reactions including skin irritations, migraines, sinus issues, and respiratory problems.
Dyes are no better. In fact, some synthetic dyes are derived from coal and petroleum sources, suspected to be skin irritants, linked to ADHD in children, and possibly even carcinogenic (cancer causing).
Dimethicone
Dimethicone is a silicone commonly added into hair products, promoting “protection” for your hair follicles. Unfortunately, it actually builds up residue on your scalp, forming almost a barrier, trapping bacteria, sebum and impurities. In turn, this causes the scalp to become very dry and irritated, causing skin irritation.
Retinyl Palmitate
Retinyl Palmitate is used in some conditioners to enhance the feel and appearance of hair.
This ingredient can cause a multitude of skin issues such as peeling, redness, itching, or scaling. It is labeled as a possible carcinogen because it can accelerate the development of skin lesions and tumors, and enhance photocarcinogenicity, which heightens the risk of cancer when exposed to UV rays (a good example of this is in facial products that have this ingredient recommending use at night only, to avoid exposure to the sun).
Quaternary Ammonium Compounds (QUATs)
QUATs are commonly added to household products for their disinfecting properties but they can also be used as a surfactant. QUATs can disrupt key cellular processes and have been linked to a broad range of health issues including reproductive and development problems in animals. In one laboratory where studies were completed on mice, the staff switched from a chlorine-based disinfectant to QUATs, which resulted in fertility issues and neural tube defects in the mice. It has also been found that QUATs are resilient on surfaces, and it takes months to get rid of the residue. So, it is crucial not to use them on food preparation surfaces. They are related to a broad range of health issues that include skin and eye irritations, as well as respiratory problems such as asthma and allergies. Children are particularly at risk of developing complications. These chemical exposures have been linked to 5% of childhood cancer and 30% of childhood asthma.
Watch for ingredients that end in “ammonium chloride”, some examples are listed below:
- Alkyl dimethyl benzylammonium chloride
- Didecyldimethylammonium chloride
- Dioctyldimethylammonium chloride
- Benzalkonium chloride
- Benzethonium chloride
- Guar hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride
- Behentrimonium chloride
- Cetrimonium chloride
- Stearalkonium chloride
- Methylbenzethonium chloride
- Cetylpyridinium chloride
- Quaternium-15
- Polyquaternium-7
Products that are labeled as “antimicrobial” or “antibacterial” most likely contain QUATs.
Phthalates
Phthalates are chemicals used in conditioners helping the fragrance last longer and increasing the ability of the other chemicals to spread within the product.
Phthalates are able to enter the body both through skin absorption and inhalation. According to research, these chemicals stay inside the body and slowly accumulate within our fatty tissues instead of causing immediate symptoms, tending to lead to long-term serious health conditions after prolonged use.
Several studies have proven the effects phthalates have on the reproductive system and defects in genitalia, causing hormone disruption, low sperm count, sperm DNA damage, and even infertility in some cases. Exposure to phthalates in pregnant women may also increase the risk of gestational diabetes and miscarriage.
In the case of exposure to infants and children, phthalates can cause asthma, allergies, eczema, lowered IQ, ADHD, premature puberty, and male genital deformities.
The EPA, or Environmental Protection Agency, named some phthalates including DEHP, Di(2-Ethlhexyl) phthalates, a probable carcinogen.
Phenoxyethanol
Phenoxyethanol is used as a stabilizer and preservative in cosmetics, including conditioners and other hair care products.
This ingredient can cause irritation to the skin, eyes, and lungs, as well as organ system toxicity, targeting the respiratory system.
Another one bites the dust!
Another list is complete and I understand that at this point it might be difficult to believe how so many products contain so many harmful ingredients. Especially if you’ve read my other posts outlining the contents in pretty much everything we possess. However, some businesses really do actually care about our health, and there are alternatives available without any of this garbage included. If you are interested in seeing a list of safe alternatives, you can check that out by clicking here.
