You would be surprised to know how much you are actually damaging your hair in the attempt to make it look beautiful using certain shampoos. Shampoo, which is a concoction of various ingredients that artificially clean your hair and make it look shinier and more voluminous, can do more damage than you can imagine. With increasing competition to introduce shampoos that can make the hair look more beautiful, many shampoo companies have launched various shampoos with ingredients that provide temporary beauty but may be a major cause of concern in the future.
Here are five trade secrets that shampoo companies won’t tell you about, but which you should be aware of:
- Organic Shampoos: In a bid to stay away from artificial and unnatural beauty products, many women have suddenly begun to use products companies claim are healthy and natural. These “organic”-labeled shampoos have seen tremendous increase in sales as most women consider them safer than other shampoos. However, what these shampoo companies hide is that there is no clear-cut distinction between a “natural” and an “organic” beauty product. Organic is generally a term used to refer to any ingredient containing carbon. And most things on the planet, including our bodies, are made of carbon. So, things you consider unhealthy might sneek into this category.
- Methylisothiazolinone or MIT: This compound is a natural ingredient in many shampoos, and is probably shampoo companies’ best-kept secret. Studies by the National Institute of Health show that a high risk of neurological damage like Alzheimer’s disease is related to the use of this compound. There is concern over the possibility that MIT may be cytotoxic and allergenic. A 2004 WNYT Albany-NY news broadcast reported that scientific studies had linked methylisothiazolinone to nerve cell death. Most big shampoo brands use this compound, although these shampoo companies won’t tell you that.
- Hype and the trade: There are basically only four types of shampoos — deep cleansing, conditioning, baby, and antidandruff. But these are actually being packaged, branded, and sold under a thousand different names. This is one of the shampoo industry’s best-kept secrets.
- Dimethicone Copolyol: This is one of the most prominent ingredients in conditioners. Although it effectively smooths the hair, what the shampoo companies won’t tell you is that dimethicone, if not removed properly, can make your hair limp. There are serious, though yet-unproven, doubts that this ingredient clogs pores and causes acne.
- Sodium lauryl sulfate: This is an active ingredient in shampoos. Although most cancer institutes like OSHA, NTP, and IARC consider this compound noncarcinogenic, it is still known to be residually deposited in areas such as the lungs, liver, and brain and may have potentially harmful effects. If there is prolonged exposure of over an hour, in young adults, sodium lauryl sulfate may irritate facial skin.
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