When it comes to washing your hair, your first instinct may be to reach for a bottle of chemical shampoo. After all, it’s easier, right? Not necessarily. There are some serious drawbacks to using chemical shampoos. Not only do these products contain ingredients that can potentially damage your hair and scalp, but they can also set off a “vicious cycle” of hair problems.

Today, we are going to dive deep into what chemical shampoo is, how it can harm our scalp health, and what we can do instead.

What is Shampoo?

Shampoo is a cleansing product used to wash and clean the hair. It is typically a thick, soapy liquid used in conjunction with a conditioner to maintain healthy hair. Shampoo’s purpose is to remove dirt, oils, and other debris from the hair and scalp.

History of Shampoo

Did you know that modern shampoo, as we know it, is a recent invention? It was only developed in the 1930s. Before that, people relied on natural ingredients such as herbs, leaves, plants, or whatever they could find to clean their hair and scalp. These ingredients were believed to have healing properties in addition to cleansing the hair. Modern shampoo, however, was created using synthetic chemicals and designed to clean the hair more effectively and quickly, leading to the use of harmful chemicals in hair and body care products.

Harmful Chemicals

Shampoo contains a number of harmful chemicals that can have health effects if used regularly. These chemicals are designed to strip away dirt and oils, but they can also remove the natural oils that keep our hair and scalp healthy.

Many of these synthetic chemicals can be harmful to our health. For example, sulfates are a type of chemical found in many shampoos that can be irritating to the eyes, skin, and lungs. Parabens, used as preservatives, have been linked to cancer, hormone disruption, and reproductive issues. Phthalates, which are used to make fragrances last longer, have been linked to endocrine disruption and reproductive issues.

Studies suggest that long-term exposure to these chemicals can also lead to hormone disruption, organ toxicity, and even cancer.

Vicious Cycle of Shampoo Dependency

In addition to the ingredients, using chemical shampoos can also set off a “vicious cycle” of shampoo dependency. As you wash your hair with chemical shampoo, it strips your hair of the natural protective oil, disrupting the natural oil production mechanism of your scalp. This leads to an overproduction of sebum to compensate for the lost protective oil. As a result, it makes you feel like you need to wash off the excess oil as soon as you can. And when you wash your hair with chemical shampoo, the same response is triggered. This vicious cycle would never end. The longer you’re on it, the more disrupted your scalp will become.

Destroying the Acid Mantle and Beneficial Microbes

Our natural skin and scalp are mildly acidic with a pH balance of 5.5. This provides an ideal environment for healthy microbes that act as the first line of natural defense for the skin and scalp to thrive.

Unfortunately, most shampoos have an alkaline pH level, which is too high for the skin and scalp. As a result, it can disrupt the function of beneficial microbes, leaving our skin and scalp more vulnerable to pollutants and infections. Without these beneficial microbes, we lose our first line of defense mechanism and end up with an even worse scalp condition than before.

By now, you may be wondering what the alternative is. The answer is the “no-poo” method. This method involves using natural ingredients to cleanse your hair, as people did in the past. These ingredients are gentler on your hair and scalp, and they won’t disrupt your scalp’s pH balance. Plus, they won’t strip your hair of its natural oils or damage the environment.

Want to learn more about the No-Poo Method? Check out this post for additional resources.

References:

Beyond Soap: The Real Truth About What You Are Doing to Your Skin and How to Fix It for a Beautiful, Healthy Glow by Sandy Skotnicki, Christopher Shulgan https://a.co/ec5olZt
EWG’s Skin Deep® Cosmetics Database page. Environmental Working Group website. http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/.
Guide to Less Toxic Product https://lesstoxicguide.ca/
Love Your Skin, Love Yourself by Rachael Pontillo https://a.co/8vFlza4
The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. http://safecosmetics.org/.