top of page
Jon Waterman-Smith

Is your shampoo/conditioner safe and eco-friendly?



Love your skin and that includes your hair! We haven’t provided an exhaustive list of ingredients below, and to be fair, many ingredients are not known health risks, but you have to ask yourself to begin with – why do such products need so many questionable ingredients? The risk to humans from the long-term use of such chemicals is not known, and typically comes from the statistical analysis of medium-term toxic exposure on animals, and the then predicted risk from those experiments to humans.


At Wild4Men firstly we simply do not believe in such manufactured conditioners. They are created to balance and buffer the pH from the harsh effect of detergents used in shampoos and the use of silicone-like chemicals to create “tangle-free” hair. If you want an alternative, take a look at communities around the world who still use natural products to condition their hair such as the use of coconut oil in India. Our vegan and organic shampoo simply cleans your hair and scalp, and then we recommend and use ourselves, one of our vegan and organic daily moisturisers. Just 3-4 drops massaged into your face and scalp is sufficient protection to keep your skin and hair moisturised, replenishing the oils your skin and hair has lost. A 50ml bottle literally lasts you months and smells great!:) If you have sufficiently rinsed your hair after shampoo, there should be no residues that have an impact on your skin or hair. If you are purposefully leaving chemicals on your hair and scalp post shampoo, perhaps you should ask, “what could be the impact on me?”


Take a look at the ingredients in a leading 2in1 Shampoo and Conditioner for sale in the UK.


Ingredients:


Aqua, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Caffeine, Carbomer, Citric acid, Dimethiconol, Disodium EDTA, DMDM Hydantoin, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Menthol, Parfum, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium benzoate, Sodium chloride, Sodium hydroxide, TEA-Dodecylbenzenesulfonate, TEA-Sulfate, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Limonene, Linalool


Aqua – water.


Sodium laureth sulfate - detergent & surfactant. Go to this BBC article to see how sodium laureth sulfate may be damaging your skin. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/1DjRTHSCZK3h7V6dlxyHRdP/are-my-wash-products-damaging-my-skin


Allergy to cocamidopropyl betaine is more common in women, and has a diagnosis rate of 6% in an Australian population of individuals suspected to have allergic contact dermatitis. People who are sensitised will develop contact dermatitis ( eczema). The features of contact dermatitis are: Red rash. Itching. https://dermnetnz.org/topics/contact-allergy-to-cocamidopropyl-betaine


Caffeine – questionably helps reduces puffiness. Why do you need it in a shampoo? May dry your skin.


Carbomers – they suspend, emulsify and thicken. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/carbomer


Citric acid – used to exfoliate – present in citric fruits such a lemons and limes.


Dimethiconol – a synthetic silicone oil that is a non-greasy lubricant.


Disodium EDTA - a synthetic ingredient from ethylenediamine, formaldehyde, and sodium cyanide. While disodium EDTA is approved for commercial use for the public, several countries, including Australia and parts of Europe, have banned the ingredient because of potential health problems from overexposure, and it is seen as a persistent pollutant that takes too long to degrade and causes multiple environmental issues. https://www.metapora.com/blogs/skin-care-ingredients/disodium-edta-harmful-chemical-to-avoid-in-skin-car


DMDM hydantoin is an antimicrobial formaldehyde releaser preservative. DMDM hydantoin slowly releases formaldehyde and works as a preservative by making the environment less favourable to microorganisms. The use of DMDM hydantoin in cosmetic products increases the risk of cosmetic dermatitis in users allergic to formaldehyde. Yes, formaldehyde is the same stuff used by Damien Hirst to preserve his dead animal art, and formaldehyde gas is potentially carcinogenic.


Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride is a quaternary ammonium derivative of guar gum used for tangled hair.


Menthol is either manmade or made from the extracts of mint oil. Menthol provides a cooling sensation when applied to the skin, which helps relieve pain in the tissues underneath the skin.


Parfum is a generic term for synthetic fragrances.


Exposure to phenoxyethanol has been linked to reactions ranging from eczema to severe, life-threatening allergic reactions. https://www.safecosmetics.org/chemicals/phenoxyethanol/


There is a possible link between sodium benzoate and ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder). The Mayo Clinic notes that the preservative (as well as several food dyes) may enhance or trigger hyperactivity in children. 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. https://naturallysavvy.com/eat/what-is-sodium-benzoate-and-why-its-so-scary/


Sodium chloride is simply salt.


Sodium hydroxide is a highly corrosive base and alkali that decomposes proteins at ordinary ambient temperatures but in this product should be present at very low concentrations.


TEA-Dodecylbenzenesulfonate and TEA-Sulfate are kinds of sulphate which are highly irritating which is why your eyes sting is you get shampoo in them, and are harmful to the environment. https://www.thehairroutine.com/blogs/journal/the-one-ingredient


Butylphenyl Methylpropional is banned in Europe as a chemical that adversely affects fertility and foetal development. https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news-release/2022/03/lilial-and-fertility-eu-bans-toxic-fragrance-ingredient-personal


Limonene - every two molecules of limonene could produce one molecule of another chemical, formaldehyde. Since the 1980s, links have been established between formaldehyde and cancer, and since 2011 it's been listed as a known human carcinogen. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-35281338


Limonene and linalool are fragrance chemicals extracted from the peel of citrus fruits (limonene) and herbs, flowers, and woods (linalool). Limonene and linalool are themselves occasional contact sensitisers. However, on exposure to oxygen in the air, both substances oxidise into hydroperoxides which are much more potent sensitisers. https://dermnetnz.org/topics/contact-allergy-to-limonene-and-linalool


A last comment on hair products which claim to be “natural” or “naturally derived”. Almost always they are chemically transformed so perhaps you should investigate carefully what the ingredients are in the products you use.


Why not stay healthy and avoid chemicals. Love your skin (and hair) with Wild4Men vegan and organic skin care!



Comments


bottom of page