| The Marketing Angle: Hair care is a massive market | | | | Summary: All these chemicals added together in a |
| with big brands and thousands of products to choose | | | | single product are bound to cause irritation at least in |
| from, but with today's media and seductive advertising, | | | | many people, but even if they don't - the marketing |
| it's easy to get drawn into believing that Shampoo's | | | | alone encourages us to use more product than |
| with Herbal Extracts, Pro what ever's and "real" | | | | necessary and only serves to waste our money by |
| essential oils are all the best thing since sliced bread | | | | washing it down the drain in excess and increasing |
| and will make us look irresistable. Lavender Shampoo | | | | their sales and causing more unnecessary harm to our |
| may contain natural lavender extracts and lavender | | | | waterways. |
| essential oils, but what else does it still contain? | | | | Don't panic! I'm not about "Scare Times" just plain and |
| I Knew That: What many people know is that you | | | | simple information that helps. I like to look at positive |
| should change your shampoo regularly to prevent | | | | information that can help you choose a way forward. |
| "build up" from leaving your hair dull. If you wash your | | | | There are plenty of healthy, organic shampoo's on the |
| hair and rinse it clean - what is there to build up? | | | | market that avoid all harmful ingredients and in doing so |
| Having used almost every "suitable" shampoo on the | | | | create a double benefit to you as the user and to the |
| market over the years, my personal experience was | | | | environment. |
| that the more the advertising claimed it was GOOD | | | | Using Shampoo & Conditioner: Your hair can't |
| for my hair, the more it made my hair dull or wiry and | | | | read the instructions and everyone is different. Wash |
| my scalp itchy, irritated and flaky. Dandruff shampoo's | | | | you hair as and when you feel it necessary. For |
| were the worst, leaving me feeling like I wanted to | | | | someone in a busy dirty job, daily washing may be |
| wash my hair several times a day to get rid of the | | | | essential but the amount of shampoo you need should |
| wiry feel and the pungent smell they left behind. Great | | | | just be enough to rub through the hair effectively with |
| for their sales, but not for my hair. | | | | only a slight lather. Rinse thoroughly and only repeat if |
| Which Shampoo Next? I eventually started looking into | | | | necessary. Conditioning hair only requires a small |
| ingredients that commercial shampoo's contain and | | | | amount in the palm of the hand. Apply the conditioner |
| was horrified to find that Sodium Laureth Sulphate (a | | | | to the top of the hair if standing, or across the back of |
| detergent) found in Shampoos, soaps, bubble baths, | | | | the hair if bending over a bath/sink. Use a comb to |
| toothpastes including children and baby products, was | | | | spread the conditioner through the hair. It will go a long |
| originally listed as a garage floor cleaner. Because of | | | | way and save you money too. |
| the manufacturing process, SLS can sometimes | | | | By using only Natural healthy ingredients, your scalp |
| become contaminated with carcinogens. SLS and | | | | and hair can benefit from the therapy of real plant |
| SLES are esters of sulphuric acid and are known by | | | | ingredients such as lavender and Tea Tree that create |
| around 150 different names. These chemcals cannot | | | | their own therapeutic fragrances and health benefits. |
| be processed by our liver if they enter the | | | | Choose organic ingredients like Chocolate for a real |
| bloodstream in any way. They can cause skin irritation | | | | feel good factor. But which ever organic shampoo and |
| and because SLS was designed to strip grease from | | | | conditioner you choose, it's not only you that receives |
| garage floors, it strips grease from your hair and scalp | | | | the benefits, but our environment too. |
| often to a point of leaving hair split and dry. | | | | Tips for Choosing: Some natural and organic shampoo |
| Smells Nice: OK, so that explains how some | | | | still lists the ingredients in chemical form, making them |
| shampoo's clean your hair, but what about smelling | | | | sound scarier than they really are. Simply |
| great too? Most commercial shampoo's contain | | | | understanding a few basic ingredients to avoid and |
| fragrances simply described as "perfumes". They | | | | why makes it a little easier. SLS or SLES, Parabens |
| might smell like your favourite flowers or herbs but | | | | and Alcohols are three of the main ingredients to avoid |
| where to they really come from? There are a number | | | | initially and are usually easy to spot. Others to look for |
| of possible side effects of synthetic perfume affecting | | | | are lanolin if you wish to avoid animal ingredients while |
| skin, health and even potential harm to unborn babies | | | | glycerine should state it is vegetable derived - |
| at the feotus stage. TigerFlag Natural Perfumery | | | | otherwise it is a by-product of petrochemicals. |
| provides list of harmful chemical perfume ingredients | | | | Looking for products that are Certified Organic, |
| and their side effects. | | | | Vegetarian, Natural Ingredients and BUAV approved |
| That Foamy Feeling: Further more, foaming agents are | | | | generally ensures that the manufacturer has taken all |
| added to give a further false feel of cleanliness. Many | | | | the above into account to ensure you get the best hair |
| products including washing up liquid and toothpaste are | | | | care possible. |
| marketed on the base that the Bubbles do the | | | | Green East have a range of natural and Organic Hair |
| cleaning. The detergent does the cleaning but there | | | | Care products available, as an example of just some |
| are much kinder alternatives available. The foam is not | | | | of the many products available both online and in the |
| a necessary part of cleaning your hair and actually | | | | shops. |
| makes it harder to rinse from some hair types, making | | | | Oh, by the way - Your hair looks GREAT! |
| skin irritation more likely with residue chemicals. | | | | |