A movement toward more natural and organic products has emerged in recent years. The reliance that Americans once had on chemically-altered beauty products seems to have declined. Unfortunately, just because a product is labeled "natural" doesn't automatically mean that it's the best choice for your hair. Before you invest in expensive natural products, know the disadvantages of using natural hair care products.
Questionable Ingredients
While the use of the term "organic" is regulated by the FDA, the term "natural" is not, so manufacturers can use the term at will to help sell products, notes the Food Marketing Institute. "Natural" usually refers to a product that contains ingredients naturally derived from the earth, but just because the term is used doesn't mean the hair product is made entirely of natural ingredients. It may contain shea butter along with the usual suspects like sodium lauryl sulfate and glycerin. If you plan on using natural products, make sure the ingredients are truly natural.
Less Suds
When you use products with ingredients like sodium lauryl sulfate, alcohol and glycerin, you're going to get suds and other chemical reactions that you typically associate with your hair being clean. According to the Toxicology Data Network, sodium lauryl sulfate is used as a cleansing agent in many products, so if you love to get in the shower and suds up your hair to feel clean, natural products may be a disappointment to you.
Since natural products typically use natural ingredients, you won't get the same chemical reactions, which could cause you to question your effectiveness. What's more, the condition of your hair after using chemical products and the condition of your hair after using natural products may be drastically different and could turn you off of natural hair products.
Higher Price
Natural products are harder to produce, harder to market and sometimes even harder to find over traditionally-manufactured chemical hair products. Each step of the manufacturing process drives the price higher, which can make the cost of natural hair products considerably more than the cost of regular hair products. If you have limited funds for beauty products, you may not have the money to spend on natural products, making them inaccessible.
Limited Shelf Life
Since natural hair products use natural ingredients instead of preservatives and chemicals, they may not last as long after you purchase them. If you don't use the entire product before it expires, you may feel as though you've wasted your money.
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