Your shampoo helps keep your hair looking glossy and feeling clean, but it may accomplish this by using a wide range of potentially hazardous chemicals. Keep your hair truly healthy by reading your shampoo's ingredient list and avoiding any of the various harmful products sometimes found in commercially prepared shampoos.
Butylated Hydroxytoluene
Shampoo manufacturers use butylated hydroxytoluene as a preservative, according to the Northwestern Health Sciences University. It keeps your shampoo from spoiling and changing its color, but it can irritate both your skin and eyes.
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
Sodium lauryl sulfate functions as a foaming agent to give your shampoo the rich lather you like. It has several potential negative side effects, according to the International Aromatherapy and Herb Association. The IAHA claims that 90 percent of shampoos can contain up to 15 percent SLS because because it is only in contact with the skin for a short amount of time and it is diluted with water. However, if it is absorbed by your skin, it may potentially act as a carcinogenic. It can irritate your scalp and dehydrate your hair, and it may also prompt hair loss and dandruff-like flaking, warns the Organic Consumers Association.
Stearalkonium Chloride
Your shampoo manufacturer may add stearalkonium chloride as a conditioning agent. The chemical, which was originally designed to be a clothes fabric softener, may cause a toxic allergic reaction when in contact with your skin, according to the Organic Consumers Association.
Coal Tar
If you use a medicated shampoo for treating problems like dandruff, it may contain coal tar as its active ingredient. Though evidence is conflicting, the Northwestern Health Sciences University warns that it may increase your risks of cancer, which is why the European Union has restricted its use in over-the-counter shampoo products since 2004.
Diethanolamine
Diethanolamine may also appear as DEA on your shampoo product's ingredient label. It may be potentially carcinogenic, reports the International Aromatherapy and Herb Association and adds that the European governments and industries phased out its use in the 1980s.
Artificial Fragrances
Many shampoos contain synthetic fragrances. Manufacturers aren't required to state exactly what chemicals are used for such fragrances, but they may cause nausea, skin rashes, vomiting and other problems, according to the Organic Consumers Association.
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