Your shampoo product may sport images of natural products like herbs, flowers or fruit, or it may boast of its healthy effects on your hair. A quick review of its ingredient list may reveal a list of chemicals that are anything but natural, some of which may have side effects that are unhealthy for you. Read the shampoo label before buying it, and switch to a safer product if the one you have holds a potentially toxic chemical.
Stearalkonium Chloride
You may not intend to wash your hair in toxic fabric softener, but you may be doing that if you use a shampoo formulated with the conditioning agent known as stearalkonium chloride. First created as a softener for laundry, the Organic Consumers Association warns that it may cause toxic allergic reactions, such as rashes, on your skin. The Environmental Working Group also notes broad skin irritation, and potential negative effects on the nervous system of animals, though such results have not been tested on humans.
Salicylic Acid
Salicylic acid is commonly added to anti-dandruff shampoo products. The National Institutes of Health warns of potentially dangerous, albeit rare, side effects that may include difficulty breathing and dizziness. More mild side effects, like a stinging feeling on your scalp, are more common and less dangerous.
Methylparaben
Methylparaben may help preserve your shampoo's quality to keep it lasting longer on the shelf, but its side effects may be anything but preservative to your health. It may be toxic to your skin, as it acts as an endocrine disruptor and may negatively affect your nervous system, warns the Environmental Working Group. A 2002 study published in the "Food and Chemical Toxicology" medical journal noted that this chemical is easily absorbed through the skin and can cause various skin sensitivity problems, especially when used on broken skin, as well as allergic reactions that may include rashes.
Coal Tar
There's a reason why countries like Canada have restricted or banned the use of coal tar in over-the-counter shampoo products. Though it's widely used in anti-dandruff shampoos in the United States as an effective treatment for dandruff, the Environmental Working Group calls it "hazardous" because it is a known carcinogenic.
Synthetic Fragrances
That pleasant smell emanating from your shampoo bottle is likely not natural. The shampoo company probably added a wide array of synthetic fragrances to your shampoo to hide its original chemical smell and lend it a more attractive scent. Various synthetic fragrances can cause side effects ranging from vomiting to rashes, says the Organic Consumers Association. For this reason, the Environmental Working Group gives fragrances an 8 on its scale of 0 to 10, with 10 being the most hazardous and 0 being safe.
Octinoxate
Shampoo manufacturers may add octinoxate to shampoos to help protect your hair from the damaging effects of ultraviolet rays. Unfortunately, it may accumulate in your skin over time, acting as an endocrine disruptor, according to the Environmental Working Group.
References
- Organic Consumers Association: Ten Synthetic Cosmetic Ingredients to Avoid
- National Institutes of Health: Salicylic Acid
- Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database: Methylparaben
- Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database: Coal Tar
- Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database: Fragrances
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