What's In Your Shampoo

A lot of major shampoo companies claim to have a natural product, but very few offer true, organic hair care. In fact, most major brands don't even include any words you can pronounce!

Shampoos can be different colors, from translucent to neon, and smell like fruits, flowers, herbs or baked goods. Shampoos come with matching conditioners or have conditioning elements so you get a two for one deal.

But what's in them?

Here are three shampoos to compare. One is from The Body Shop, the second is a natural liquid shampoo, and the last is a shampoo bar.

The Body Shop's Nettle Oil Balance Shampoo contains:

Water - is usually about 90% of the product.
Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate - a detergent derived from coconut that is a foam booster.
Cocamide DEA - thickens the product and adds to the foam boosting properties.
Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate - has cleansing and foam boosting properties.
PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate - used as an emulsifier and thickener.
Quaternium-80 - derived from salt, this ingredient is used to condition hair.
Lauryl Betaine - a foam stabilizer.
Fragrance - can contain dozens of unknown natural and synthetic components - none of which by law have to be revealed.
Propylene Glycol - derived from mineral oil and used as a solvent and a preservative.
Phenoxyethanol - used as a solvent and a preservative.
Sodium Benzoate - a sodium salt that's a preservative.
Urtica Dioica (nettle) Extract - this ingredient helps balance sebum levels.
Citric Acid - natural preservative derived from lemons and limes.
Benzoic Acid - preservative derived from benzoin resin.
Honey - adds moisture.
Polyquaternium-7 - derived from salt, this is an anti-static agent.
Disodium EDTA - derived from inorganic salts, this is a chelating agent.
Methylparaben, Butylparaben, Ethylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Propylparaben - all preservatives and fungicides.

Any liquid shampoo needs an effective preservative system due to the fact that water is the main ingredient and products can be on shelves for several months to more than a year. Many people are alarmed when they see some of the above ingredients as they may be carcinogenic.

It should also be noted that parabens (the chemicals listed last) are often tested on lab animals.

Next is an example of a natural shampoo with many organic ingredients and a milder preservative system. It also has more plant-based oils than the previous shampoo. There's an abundance of organic ingredients - a sign that they are pesticide-free and not tested on animals.

Herbal Choice shampoo contains:

Purified water (Notice the word "purified" here is mysteriously absent in the commercial brand)
Saponified oils of
Coconut (organic)
Olive (organic)
Jojoba (organic) - derived from jojoba beans.
Henna (organic) - derived from the henna plant.
Horsetail herb (organic) - natural source of silica.
Chamomile flower (organic)
Rosemary (organic)
Lemongrass (organic) - lemony smelling, balancing herbal.
Apple cider vinegar (organic) - increases shine and is a natural preservative.
Guar gum (natural tree gum) - a natural thickener.
Aloe Vera (organic) - helps strengthen hair.
Rosemary (extract) - natural preservative.

If you travel a lot or prefer a shampoo with no preservatives, consider a shampoo bar.

Shampoo bars are more economical than liquid shampoos as they usually last much longer. They can be taken aboard an airplane, and are ideal for your gym bag or for camping. Forgot to bring your soap? Use a shampoo bar. Shampoo bars are minimally wrapped so there's little to recycle, as opposed to a monstrous shampoo bottle that requires a great deal of synthetic plastic to be wasted.

J.R. Liggett's Bar Shampoo contains:

Olive oil
Coconut oil
Castor oil- helps with lathering and moisture.
New Hampshire spring water - Notice it's not the first ingredient. This would not be the case with most synthetic blends, which certainly would not be using New Hampshire spring water, but most likely just regular tap. If you're buying high end, they might filter it first.
Sodium hydroxide - Lye is used to saponify oils, fats, and water into soap. (It is a necessity in all soaps and shampoos)
Essential oils & earth fragrances - A combination of natural and synthetic fragrances.

There are a wide variety of ways to avoid using shampoos made up of harsh, synthetic chemicals that could potentially cause more damage than good. Many will question the effectiveness of a shampoo that does not contain all these chemicals, but until one experiences a natural alternative, it can be difficult to fathom that there is any other option besides the cost-effective, mass-produced compounds that the major hygiene companies create.

For more information on shampoo and other hygiene products, visit the EnvyMyHealth.com Bath Channel

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