Adore YOUR BEAUTY

What our hair wants and needs isn't always what's sold on store shelves. Ditch these top 6 most harmful ingredients and just watch how your hair will thank you!
 

#1

Mineral Oil
Found in: Shine serums, conditioners, moisturizing creams, pomades
Why you don’t need it: Unlike other oils found in hair products, like olive, Argan and jojoba, mineral oil doesn’t do much to benefit the condition of the hair shaft. “The molecules that make up mineral oil are too big to penetrate the cuticle so they just sit on top of the hair and can weigh it down," says Chicago-based dermatologist and haircare expert Victoria Barbosa, MD, MPH. Since it just hangs out on the surface of your hair until your next wash, mineral oil can also lead to clogged pores and breakouts around your hairline. No thank you.
 

#2

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate/Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate
Found in: Shampoo

Why you don’t need them: The truth about SLS and ALS has really surfaced over the years. Once used as the main staple for removing oil and dirt from hair, new knowledge tells us it's not the best solution. And yes, it's received a bad rap, according to Piradi Mirmirani, MD, a dermatologist in Vallejo, Calif., who specializes in hair. There's good reason to be wary, especially if you hair is natural. “While these detergents are safe and effective in [small] concentrations found in cosmetic products, they can be irritating to sensitive skin and scalp,” says Dr. Barbosa. Play it safe with alternative ingredients that provide the same result—with or without suds—like sodium laureth sulfate and ammonium laureth sulfate. If your hair is natural, stick with newer products which are completely sulfate-free, which won't dry hair out.
 

#3
Fragrance
Found in: Shampoo, conditioner, hair lotion, hairspray, scalp treatment
Why you don’t need it: Your hair doesn’t need to smell like a bed of roses to be clean. Fragrances—synthetic and botanical—can cause irritation or allergic reactions in sensitive skin/scalp. If you think your scalp is flaking due to fragrance, switch to products that are clearly labeled as “unscented.” Like smelling like a field of flowers? Do a patch test to ensure you don’t get any irritation after 24 hours. 

#4
Sodium Hydroxide
Found in: Lye-based relaxer
Why you don’t need it: To demonstrate the strength of this ingredient, it may be beneficial to know that it’s also used in drain cleaners. No wonder it has the ability to straighten strands to an inch of their life. "Sodium Hydroxide has a really high pH" says Dr. Mirmirani. With the higher pH, relaxers infused with this ingredient straighten faster, but “this ingredient can be too harsh for the scalp and hair, causing redness, burns and damage,” says Dr. Mirmirani.
 

On the other hand, no-lye is actually not that much better. While they are less caustic on the scalp, meaning they rarely burn the scalp, they can burn the hair. “No-lye relaxer kits actually have a higher pH than the lye relaxers,” says Barry Fletcher, author of “Why Are Black Women Losing Their Hair?” This makes the hair dry out and becomes brittle, especially when women with coarser hair leave it on for too long believing that because it doesn’t burn the scalp it won’t be harmful. If you must chemically straighten and your hair texture is medium to coarse, stick with a lye relaxer, applied by a salon professional. If you have fine hair, a no-lye can deliver the straighness you want without damaging the hair. But remember: never leave it on for longer than 10 to 15 minutes.
 

#5
Formaldehyde
Found in: Brazilian Keratin hair-smoothing treatments.
Why you don't need it: Labeled by the World Health Organization as a carcinogen, formaldehyde has been linked to cancer and has been known to cause nose bleeds, headaches in salon professionals who have used hair-straighteners with the product. In May of this year, OSHA sent out a hazard alert to salons using a specific Keratin-hair smoothing formula due to complaints from salon professionals who were exposed to the harmful ingredient. The primary problem? The product claimed to be formaldehyde-free when they had more than three times the amount deemed safe by OSHA. Our solution? Press, people!
 

#6
Isopropyl alcohol
Found in: Hairspray, shampoo, color rinse
Why you don’t need it: A synthetic alcohol, isopropyl, can dehydrate hair and lead to split ends. And if you have a natural (which is already prone to dryness), this ingredient can intensify brittleness in hair. But not all alcohols are moisture-stripping. Stearyl and cetyl alcohol are derived from natural sources and much less drying on strands.