For many years I have had long straight hair that doesn't require a lot of effort to maintain. Upon my return to the U.S. I decided it was time to update my hair sytle. This was a mistake. The new haircut now requires me to put hair styling products on it to keep it in proper place. For this reason, this hairstyle isn't going to last, but for the meantime I have to deal with it the best I can.
I stopped using hair spray several years ago when I noticed the large list of chemicals that existed in the product. I decided that I didn't need to add these chemicals to my body burden. As a result all of my senses have become more sensitive and aware of exposure to environmental toxins.
When I first got the new cut I went to the beauty products store and purchased the most organic looking option I could find. The title of the product includes the word organic in the label, but there are no organic ingredients listed on the label which includes:
Product Number 1 Ingredients: Alcohol Denatured, Aqua Octylacrylamide/Acrylates/Butylaminoethyl Meth, Aminomethyl Propanol, Hydroloyzed Quinoa, Medicavo Sativa (Alfalfa) Extract, Acacia Senegal Extract, IPU Fruit Extract, Crataegus Monogina Extracxt, Tataxacum Officinale (Dendelion) Extract, Camomila Recuitita Flower Extract, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Panthenol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Retinyl Palmitate, Trethyl Citrate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, PEG/PPG-18/18, Dimethicone, Benzophenone -3, Propylene Glycol, Benzyl Benzoate, Butylphenol Methyl Proponal, Limonene, Parfume/Fragrance, Blue 1.
I could feel the product sitting on my head after spraying it on. I had a headache at the top of the head in the place where I sprayed the product most days when I wore the product. There was also an unpleasant taste which remained in my mouth all day. After a month of "dealing" with this unpleasant experience, I decided to read the labels on the styling products available at Whole Foods to see if I could come up with a better option. The second product I tried is enriched with certified organic botanicals, contains no animal byproducts and is cruelty free.
Product Number 2 Ingredients: Aqua (Purified Water) with *Rosemary (Rosemarinus Officinalis) Oil, *Nettle (Uritica Dioica) Oil, *Thyme (Thymus Vulgaris) Oil, Bircxh Leaf (Butela Alba) Oil, *Chamomile (Anthemis Nobilis Flower) Oil, *Clary (Salvia Sclarea), *Lavender (Lavendula Agustifolia), *Coltsfoot Leaf (Tussilago Farfara), *Yarrow (Achillea Millefolium) Oil, *Mallow (Malva Sylvestris), *Horsetail (Equestetum Arvense) Oil, PVP/VA, Copolymer, *Soybean Protein (Glycine Soja), Alcohol Denatured (plant derived), Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Trace Minerals, Citric Acid (corn), Grapefruit Seed (citrus derived). *Certified Organic Ingredient
I have not gotten the headaches using this product. I can still taste it in my mouth when I am wearing it, however I don't feel as bad about the taste knowing that the majority of the ingredients are organic. My overall recommendation when reading product labels is to stay away from products that don't include ingredients on their labels at all. Look for the products that have the least number of chemical ingredients that do not come from natural sources. The more organic ingredients the better.
A final reminder that our skin is very pourous and is an effective delivery system to the other vital organs. That is why drug companies often use patches as delivery systems for their drugs. The skin products company Burt's Bees has their vendors taste all their skin products for purity. If skin products aren't safe to put in your mouth, why would you want to put them on your skin?
For more information on the safety of popular health and beauty brands see Skin Deep.
Comments