Hair-thinning Culprits In Your Shampoo Label
Have you noticed lately that your hair is now thinner than it used to be? Do you look in the mirror and see scalp where you used to see only hair?
You may be battling hair thinning issues and hair fall out. Losing anywhere from 50 to 150 hairs per day is considered normal, but when you start losing more than that it becomes problematic, not to mention visibly noticeable.
According to the American Hair Loss Association, women actually make up 40 percent of North American hair loss sufferers, 80% of them will experience it by the age of 60.
By the age of 35, two-thirds of North American men will experience some degree of appreciable hair loss, approximately 85% of them have significantly thinning hair by the age of 50.
Often, we blame it on aging, styling products or genes, but really, the problem may actually be right under your nose.
Your shampoo.
Over-the-counter shampoos are designed to address the daily and occasional stresses of hair: dirt and oil, thinning, flaking, dryness, loss of bounce and form and a lot more.
What we don’t know is that our conventional shampoo may be the one causing these stresses.
How? With a hodgepodge of chemically altered substances that work their way down to the roots – often with a negative effect on your tresses.
A lot of the common ingredients found in shampoos are too harsh that the FDA has banned their use.
For example, Quaternium-15, a formaldehyde-releasing shelf life extender that causes hair loss and cancer, was found in Johnson & Johnson’s baby shampoos that boasted a “No More Tears” formula. It was finally removed from J&J products in 2011.
But Quaternium-15 isn’t the only scary ingredient in shampoos.
New York City hair specialist and restoration surgeon Dr. Robert Dorin has identified a number of ingredients that may be at the root of the problem.
See if you can spot these other hair-thinning culprits in your shampoo label.
Foaming agents
Used to make bath and body substances foamy and bubbly, foamers like sodium laureth sulfates (SLS) are highly irritating and drying to the scalp and hair. They tend to scrape off essential proteins and oil from the hair that are necessary for healthy hair growth. And get this: they are used for petroleum!
Milder alternatives to these sulfates are ammonium laureth sulfate (ALS) and Cocamidopropyl betaine, both coconut-based thickening detergents. These ingredients act as the muscle in your shampoo: they cleanse, make bubbly suds, and moisturize. In terms of safety, cocoa-based wetting agents like these two rank highest, while SLS and SLES are the lowest.
Thickening agents
Thickeners like sodium chloride and polyethylene glycol (PEG or polyethylene) strip the hair’s natural moisture, which in turn, causes itchiness, flaking and thinning.
Synthetic preservatives
Another controversial ingredient is man-made parabens, which have been associated with cancer. Along with formaldehyde, these cheap preservatives can cause hormonal imbalance, hair thinning and stripping.
Man-made moisturizers
Synthetic oils like petroleum, mineral oil and lanolin are often added to shampoos to attract moisture to the strands. Conversely though, because such oils are dense and accumulate on your locks, they tend to occlude the roots. So not only do they cause dirt and oil buildup, they also prevent deep penetration of hair vitamins and oils that keep the hair healthy and tough.
Natural moisturizing ingredients like tea tree oil, coconut oil, and panthenol – a vitamin B derivative – provide greater moisture absorption without accumulating on the hair and causing residue and buildup.
Alcohols
Nearly every hair shampoo on the market, including organic ones, contain some form of alcohol – usually for fragrance and lubrication. If you must, choose products with good alcohols like lauryl alcohol, cetyl alcohol, myristyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol, cetearyl alcohol and behenyl alcohol.
Also, make sure that those alcohols are listed lower down on the label. General label rule has it that ingredients listed on the first few lines of the labels have the highest concentrations, and high alcohol concentrations cause excessive drying and stripping.
Artificial fragrances and dyes
Artificial fragrances and dyes (usually listed as FD&C or D&C, followed by a number) peel away keratin from your hair, a natural protein that keeps it smooth, strong and frizz-free. Loss of keratin doesn’t only make the scalp and hair irritated, but it also makes it dry, brittle and prone to thinning.
So given that most, if not all shampoos on the grocery shelf have at least one or two of these scary ingredients, should you stop shampooing and conditioning altogether?
So given that most, if not all shampoos on the grocery shelf have at least one or two of these scary ingredients, should you stop shampooing and conditioning altogether?
The bottom line is, if you want hair that doesn’t flake out on you, you need a healthier option. However, it’s unlikely you’ll find one shampoo that singles out all of these undesirable ingredients in grocery shelves.
Luckily there is a product that offers a complete solution.
Shaklee ProSante Revitalizing Shampoo has a patented organic cleansing system that effectively rids and protects against hair stressors without thinning, breakage and hair loss.
In fact, clinical trials reveal that one month of ProSante shampoo increases hair volume to 46 percent, and three-month use reduces hair loss up to a staggering 61 percent!
What’s the secret?
Unlike regular shampoos that have synthetic fillers and ingredients, ProSante Shampoos utilize an exclusively organic roster of ingredients called the Scalp Health Complex. This shampoo performs better moisturizing, deep cleansing and protective action on your hair and scalp than your normal store-bought shampoo. Minus the toxic ingredients that tend to dry out the scalp and deplete it of nutrients and oxygen that leads to thinning.
This naturally derived complex contains nutrient-rich natural moisturizers, cleansers and free radical zappers (like corn and coconut) that maintain the scalp and hair’s natural pH, oil, moisture, and strength – all while effectively removing impurities and buildup like excess oil and styling products!
ProSante Replenishing Conditioner
Concentrated moisturizing ingredients provide hair with intense shine and softness. It also repairs surface damage and mends split ends for a silky smooth effect. Using nature-based protein and humectants, it further strengthens so it maintains its good health longer.
ProSante Lightweight Conditioner
Pure plant-derived ingredients help volumize and strengthen hair. Enriched with panthenol (pro-vitamin B5) and wheat amino acids to moisturize hair thoroughly and rebuild the hair cuticle. Immediately, your hair looks and feels weightless, manageable, and volumized. Paraben-free.
ProSante Scalp Treatment:
ProSanté® Nourishing Scalp Treatment includes 10 powerful vitamins, minerals, and herbs uniquely formulated to create an environment for optimal hair growth and health. Its residue-free formula is clinically proven to strengthen hair and thicken by reducing hair loss during combing. Soothes scalp irritation and protects scalp’s natural, healthful oil/moisture balance for healthier hair growth. Nourishing Scalp Treatment can be used daily on wet or dry hair.
ProSante Finishing Spray
For all hair types. Offering medium hold for a natural and lasting style. Long-Lasting Finishing Spray also boosts shine and luster and strengthens hair.
The ProSante system goes beyond the traditional cleansing and conditioning to provide an optimal environment for healthy hair. An all-natural alternative like ProSante equips your hair with all the necessary nutrients, oils and cleansers to help you win the battle against everyday hair stressors that lead to weakening, thinning and hair loss – safely and naturally!
The ProSante system can take your hair to a new level of health, thickness, shine, and strength. Try the complete ProSante System for healthier, more gorgeous hair.
