Is Your Hair Growth Shampoo Working?

In the most basic sense, shampoo is a cosmetic product used to clean hair. There are specialized formulas like a hair growth shampoo or a hair loss shampoo, but all have at the heart of their chemistry substances called surfactants.

A surfactant reduces a liquid's surface tension allowing for the creation of foam and for penetration of a solid. There are a wide variety of surfactants added to shampoo recipes to influences such factors as detergency lather, and degree of irritancy.

Wide Variety of Available Shampoos

Consequently, the plethora of available shampoo products can be highly confusing. Most are divided into products that address a particular kind of hair (dry, normal, or oily) or speak to the presence or absence of particular ingredients. Herbal shampoos are very popular as are products that promise the presence of no artificial ingredients.

DRY, NORMAL, OR OILY HAIR

Although there are far too many available products to list, a popular shampoo for dry hair is Vitamin Shampoo by Healthy Hair Plus. A similar shampoo for frizzy hair is Frizz Ease by John Frieda. For normal hair a standard product would be something like Alberto VO5. In many instances, however, "normal" hair is also quite fine or fly-away so there are many "volumizing" products that would also be appropriate for normal hair. An example of a hair thickening shampoo would be Real Volume by Aussie. For oily hair there is Advanced Natural Oil Hair Shampoo by Healthy Hair Plus.

SHAMPOOS BY INGREDIENT

In recent years herbal shampoos have enjoyed great popularity like the Herbal Essences Fruit Fusions line. In choosing an herbal shampoo it is important to read the ingredients to make sure you are getting the herbs that best address the condition of your hair. For dry hair you want a product with comfrey root, avocado, elder flowers, or orange blossoms. Dandelion, horsetail, and clover are good for normal hair. For oily hair, look for watercress, strawberry leaf, white willow bark, or lemon grass.

As concerns have grown over the possible dangers of artificial ingredients in hair shampoo and other cosmetics products, alternatives that promise all natural ingredients have become more popular and more available. Often times these products can only be purchased at a health food store or online. A good example of such a shampoo would be Mill Creek's Henna Shampoo.

Potentially Harmful Ingredients

The rise in popularity of all-natural products has focused attention on the presence of chemicals in shampoo products. In some instances a given chemical will not only negate the desired effect of a so-called hair growth shampoo but will actually make hair loss worse. For this reason, and due to concerns about carcinogens and allergies, it is important to become familiar with potentially harmful ingredients often used in shampoo.

ETIDRONIC ACID

Such ingredients include etidronic acid, which is limited by federal guidelines for hair care products to 1.5% of the total solution. Etidronic acid is used as a stabilizer to render the shampoo resistant to chemical change, but has been found to reduce fertility in women and to cause problems during pregnancy.

LINALOOL

The fragrant but colorless oil, linalool, is distilled from rosewood, bergamont, lavender, and other plants. Many advocates of natural products refer to perfume agents as "sweet poisons." In this instance, the perfume linalool can cause facial psoriasis and has been linked to respiratory problems.

COCAMIDOPROPYL BETAINE

The foaming agent cocamidopropyl betaine is responsible for outbreaks of contact dermatitis and contact allergies. In addition it may cause carcinogenic nitrosamines to form on the skin or in the body after absorption.

SODIUM LAURETH SULFATE

The industrial degreaser and corrosive agent sodium laureth sulfate can strip the skin of its natural oils causing severe dryness. This is also the substance most responsible for the cautionary message on bottles of shampoo that reads "avoid getting into eyes." Sodium laureth sulfate can cause cataracts in older individuals and can damage children's eyes. In addition, it has been found to actually inhibit hair growth. Its presence in a shampoo for hair loss would be a point of concern.

COCAMIDE MEA

The emulsifier cocamide MEA causes allergies and contact dermatitis. Like other questionable ingredients, it also creates carcinogenic nitrosamines on the skin and in the body when the product is absorbed.

PROPYLENE GLYCOL

The humectant propylene glycol, used to prevent shampoo for drying out, can alter the skin structure to the point of inhibiting cell growth. It is also responsible for carrying chemicals deep into the skin where they can be more easily absorbed by the bloodstream. The very fact that propylene glycol is an industrial anti-freeze gives many people pause when they discover it is part of a cosmetic product.

SODIUM BENZOATE

The preservative sodium benzoate is known to cause asthma and to affect people with aspirin sensitivities. It has also been linked to various skin allergies. Children are especially susceptible to its effects.

BENZOPHENONE-3

Benzophenone-3 is used to protect shampoo from being damaged by exposure to the sun. It can cause contact dermatitis and is responsible for photosensitivity (lack of tolerance to the sun) in people with sensitive skin.

BENZYL ALCOHOL

The preservative benzyl alcohol can be irritating to the skin and is responsible for some outbreaks of contact dermatitis. If accidentally ingested, benzyl alcohol causes abdominal pain, nausea, and diarrhea.

DMDM HYDANTOIN

Also a preservative, DMDM hydantoin is limited to only 0.6% of any hair care product. In addition to irritating the skin and causing contact dermatitis, the substance may release carcinogenic formaldehyde.

SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE

Sodium lauryl sulfate is even harsher than sodium laureth sulfate. Also an industrial corrosive and detergent, it increases the permeability of the skin so that other chemicals can more easily work their way into the bloodstream. In addition, it corrodes the hair follicles and inhibits hair growth.

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