How Bad are Parabens for Your Hair?

More people are asking questions about what’s really in the products that we’re using everyday.  One thing that we do know for sure is that parabens are ingredients that we don’t want in our hair products. In this article, I will address the question how bad are parabens for your hair?

What Are Parabens?

Parabens are preservatives mostly found in cosmetics and hair products. There are many different types of parabens, namely, butylparaben, ethylparaben, methylparaben, propylparaben, and isobutylparaben. Why do people use them? In addition, parabens are less costly and they mimic microbial agents in plants. The downside of having parabens in your products is that they can be absorbed through the skin.  Studies have shown that parabens have weak estrogen-like properties. Estrogen is a female hormone known to cause breast cells to grow and divide. Also, estrogen has been proven to cause damage to the hair and scalp– which is a definite NO-NO!

Risks associated with Parabens

The biggest reason why you want to avoid parabens is because they are easily absorbed through your skin and are harmful to your scalp. Recent research found that parabens were often in the urine and blood stream of people using products containing parabens. This just means that what you’re putting on your hair and scalp often gets into your pores and blood. Therefore,  it’s important to be mindful of what you’re using on your body.

Parabens can cause a number of problems for your hair including drying, irritating your scalp, fading your color, and even hair loss. Since they are generally unsafe, it is best to avoid parabens until proven otherwise.

Along with parabens, there are other harmful ingredients you should avoid using. One other ingredient type, benzophenones, are commonly found in hair products can cause scalp irritation, premature scalp aging, and even cancers. I know this may seem scary but just get in the habit of checking the label of your products.

Parabens and Allergic Reactions

Parabens can cause allergic reactions and exacerbate some skin conditions. With all the doubt being cast on the safety of parabens, it is wise to switch to a paraben-free hair products. Paraben-free products will typically indicate that on the label and if they don’t you can read the back label to be sure. One paraben-free product you can definitely try is the PureFix Hair Elixir which is a 6-in-1 hair and scalp treatment. Its all-natural ingredients work together to support longer, stronger hair.

So which ingredients should you definitely avoid?

You can click here to read more on what to look for and what to avoid, but here’s a short list:

1. Sodium laurel / laureth sulfate (SLS), also known as many other names such as sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate. It is also known as ammonium laurel sulfate, sodium dodecyl sulfate, sulfuric acid. Finally, it is known as sodium salt sulfuric acid, A12-00356, Akyposal SDS, Aquarex ME, and Aquarex methyl.  According to Livestrong.com  there’s a laundry list of healthcare issues associated with exposure to this chemical, least of which is the severe damage it does to hair by drying it out.
2. Isopropyl Alcohol is essentially rubbing alcohol.  It’s great for cleaning your skin in preparation for a shot or maybe getting a tattoo but it’s horrible for your hair. It removes all of the good, natural oils in your hair.  Over time, this will make your hair weaker and cause it to break.
3. Propylene glycol (PG) is another common hair ingredient in shampoos, conditioners, and styling products.  However, it’s probably one of the ingredients that will cause irritation to your scalp, in addition to breaking down healthy hair proteins.
   

   Which other ingredients should you definitely avoid?

1. PEG or Polyethylene Glycol is traditionally used in cleaning products intended to remove grease stains (such as oven cleaners). However, it will make your hair brittle over time. This is a safe ingredient but it’s not something you want in your hair.
2. Diethanolamine (DEA) Triethanolamine (TEA) stabilize the pH of hair products, and are common allergens and eye irritants.
3. Formaldehyde is another preservative and extremely irritating to the skin and eyes. It is a known animal carcinogen, and may increase cancer risk for humans as well.

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Brandelyn Green

Brandelyn Green is the Founder of VoiceOfHair, a platform to help women of color find the best hair care products, regimens and hairstyles! Since starting VoiceOfHair in 2014 she has grown the social media platform to over 1MM+ on Instagram and Facebook. As a natural who is also a salon goer, she wanted to create a platform where people could find the best products, hairstylists, advice and trends.

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