Hair Care Tips: THESE are the ingredients you should avoid while purchasing hair care products

When it comes to hair care, most of us try to use organic products and stay away from chemical-based products. And with the latest trend of using natural ingredients at home, we rely on homemade hair masks to maintain the shine and bounce of our hair. For a healthy and shiny hair, one needs to follow a certain diet and refrain from consuming a certain set of things. Alternatively, reducing stress and doing breathing exercises can also strengthen the hair. 

Apart from this, one also needs to focus on the products that we buy from stores. Anything that reads organic and natural is not always good for our hair. Hence, reading the labels on the shampoo and conditioner bottle is quite imperative. And if you are someone who has little or no idea about ingredients that are harmful to your hair, then here's a list of ingredients that you should avoid when it comes to hair care. If you find any of these ingredients in your hair care products, then you should stop using it immediately. 

Parabens:

They are xenoestrogens - which include plastics, pesticides and chemicals. Xenoestrogens are included in shampoos as a preservative. They can disrupt hormones and even pose a cancer risk. You'll see them labelled on hair products as propylparaben and benzyl paraben. 

Sulfate:

Sulfates help to displace oil and dirt out of your hair, but they also spend the naturally produced sebum that moisturizes your hair. While sulfates can be beneficial for hair that gets oily quickly but are not good for naturally curly hair since they end up making it more dry and frizzy. 

Mineral oil and petroleum:

Petroleum products found in the hair care section coat your hair and scalp so well, that they suffocate them. These ingredients can not cause acne or skin irritation, but they also imbalance the oil levels in your scalp.

Phthalates:

They are one of the commonly used chemicals in the world. In hair care products specifically, they’re used to help grease and soften other substances, increase spreadability, improve absorption, and make fragrances last longer. The problem with phthalates is that they’re able to enter the body through ingestion, inhalation, and skin absorption, and have been linked to all sorts of health problems including asthma, diabetes and infertility, to name a few. 

Formaldehyde:

This strong-smelling chemical is used in a number of products to help prevent the growth of bacteria, to help smooth and lock the hair into place for months. Research suggests that formaldehyde has been linked to several types of cancers and other health concerns such as allergic reactions, skin sensitization, eye problems, headaches and problems with the immune system. 

Propylene glycol:

This ingredient causes scalp irritation and is found in conditioners, shampoos, hair dyes, styling gels and lotions. It breaks down healthy hair proteins and cellular structure while giving the appearance of shiny, smooth hair. 

Next time when you invest in hair care product, make sure it doesn’t contain these ingredients.