The Paul Mitchell line of beauty products is extensive; it includes more than 70 hair care items ranging from those promoting extra body to smoothing and strengthening components, to name a few. One of its list of salon products is a series of shampoos featuring tea tree oil, an increasingly popular ingredient in hair and skin care. The three shampoos are named tea tree special, tea tree lavender mint and tea tree lemon sage. A look at the ingredients reveals that some are plant-based and provide natural benefits to hair, while others contain potentially harmful toxins.
Tea Tree Oil
The coveted component in Mitchell's line of shampoos is tea tree oil. Tea tree oil is an essential oil--a concentrated liquid--derived from the leaves of the Melaleuca plant, which is native to the northeast coast of New South Wales, Australia. Among its many healing properties, tea tree oil helps unblock clogged hair follicles and moisturizes hair. Its anti-inflammatory properties are helpful for treating dandruff and cradle cap. Its natural antifungal and antiseptic properties can remove harmful bacteria and fight effects of grease and pollution in the hair. Because this oil is concentrated, it can cause skin irritation or an allergic reaction.
DMDM Hydantoin
Another ingredient in the Mitchell tea tree shampoos is DMDM Hydantoin. This ominous preservative releases formaldehyde, a toxic compound that prevents the growth of bacteria and other microorganisms that could cause the shampoo to spoil. While formaldehyde serves its useful purpose as a preservative, its proven toxicity is known to be harmful to the skin and the environment, according to the National Institutes of Health. In addition, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) gave this ingredient a 7 out of 10 hazard rating score--making it highly hazardous, according to the EWG.
Benign Ingredients
Among the benign ingredients in these shampoos include several plant extracts such as white ginger, which has antibacterial abilities; aloe vera, a natural moisturizer; rosemary, with deodorizing and conditioning abilities; wheat germ oil, which has conditioning properties; algae, a natural conditioner; and jojoba, a natural moisturizer. These organic additives share on thing in common: they are 100 percent plant-based and contain no preservatives or known toxins.
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