Picture this: you’re walking down the street in your favorite fall jacket with your hair loose and natural, lightly blowing in the breeze. Your hair is shiny and soft as the sun glints off your strands.
If this vision makes you think about your hair and realize it notably lacks in shine and softness these days, and maybe you never wear it loose and natural because of frizziness, dryness, or split ends, then it may be time for you to switch up your hair care routine.
While most of us turn to various hair care products when we have concerns about our locks, products don’t always do what they say they will.
Once we’re aware of the pressing issues-- such as dryness, damage, split ends, and frizz--we can treat them with hair products specifically designed to fix these problems. Theoretically, we should be able to go to a beauty store and pick any product that promises to deliver focused results.
Our hair is transformed within a few months, and our worries are just memories from the past. This is the scenario hair products promise to provide for us. However, the beauty industry is more complex than this. Hair and beauty products may offer us pretty illusions of fixes, but there is more to consider than merely what a bottle says on the front.
The Misconceptions About Hair Products
Perhaps it’s because of the general misconceptions about hair products that don’t do what they say they will--such as not being able to turn your hair from a frizzy ball of dryness to a shiny waterfall of health--that has led people to question whether hair products are even helpful at all.
Over the years, we have seen many influencers and social personalities lead others in boycotting certain beauty products. In fact, there have been various movements to ditch hair products floating around online and on social media.
The “No Poo” Method
The “no poo” method was extremely popular a few years ago with those who wanted to radically transform their hair and cleanse from the chemicals found in shampoo.
Instead, natural homemade solutions were adopted.
When people realized that the purpose of shampoo is to deep clean your scalp from any unwanted buildup--like dirt, dust, dead skin cells, oils, and product buildup--they started considering how much shampoo strips your hair to perform a solid clean.
The lather is a result of sulfates and surfactants that cause a foaming effect. Although the luxurious lather is arguably the best part about washing your hair, people became concerned with the chemicals and unnatural ingredients in shampoo that was stripping their hair of its natural oils and nutrients.
The “no poo” method replaced store-bought shampoo with homemade baking soda or apple cider vinegar washes, or sometimes just avoided shampoo altogether. While natural ingredients and homemade hair masks can offer many benefits, avoiding shampoo entirely may not be the best option for your hair in the long run.
Is Shampoo Bad?
We’re going to let you in on a little secret: shampoo is not the problem. Conditioner isn’t the problem. Hair serums and hair care products, and heat protectants aren’t either. What is actually causing damage to your hair are chemicals and synthetic ingredients.
Every person who has ditched hair products over the years for the sake of saving their hair hasn’t actually taken the right step, because although hair can be left completely natural (surely there was not an abundance of hair care products in the ancient times, and yet everyone still had hair…) the right hair products will make your hair healthier.
But it’s true that most hair products are made with artificial ingredients and synthetics such as chemicals that can further damage your hair, or at least not provide the results they promise. How do you use hair products without harming your hair?
The answer lies in vegan, natural hair products. It is not the hair care itself that causes issues but rather some of the ingredients found inside.
What Ingredients Are Toxic?
Non-natural hair products, or the majority of the hair products in beauty stores, are formulated with ingredients we have only recently stopped to consider in-depth.
Many hair products are packed with sulfates, parabens, dyes, and much more. These ingredients can actually be considered toxic. It’s time to stop and say “no way” to putting known toxins on our bodies. Here are three of the most prevalent chemicals in hair care.
Sulfates
You can thank sulfates for the way your shampoo lathers when you massage it into your roots, but sulfates are also responsible for stripping the hair of natural oils and aiding in dryness. Anyone with sensitive skin can also find their skin irritated by sulfates.
What we do know is that your hair and skin will thank you for ditching this unnatural ingredient.
Parabens
Parabens’ main purpose is to lengthen the lifespan of hair products in order to prevent mold or bacteria growth; they are why your hair product shows an expiration date far in the future. However, parabens are chemical preservatives that can disrupt your hormones since they mimic estrogen. We’re gonna say “no thank you” to anything that affects our hormones.
Silicones
Silicones help keep your hair frizz-free and silky, so they’re usually present in hair serums or spray-on products. They’re known to build upon your hair after continual use and leave your strands looking flat and dull--exactly the opposite of their intention.
Clearly, the benefits don’t last long, and we don’t like how they’re packed with chemicals either.
Benefits of Vegan Hair Products
A huge benefit of switching to vegan products is the lack of toxic chemicals that damage your hair over time; instead, vegan products soothe your hair naturally. What else makes them amazing?
Environmentally Friendly
Vegan products aren’t only good for your hair, they’re also better for the planet. Vegan-made means the packaging is usually more environmentally aware and eco-friendly. The whole situation is a win!
Cruelty Free
Vegan products never harm animals in any capacity, so you can rest assured your hair care products were never tested on our furry friends.
No Harsh Chemicals
We mentioned above that vegan hair products use natural, non-toxic materials that offer the same results while actually working to keep your hair and body healthy. Usually, they’re packed with good vitamins and proteins too.
Once you ditch the chemicals, you won’t need to worry about irritants or synthetics that could be wreaking havoc on your hormones.
Takeaway
It’s time to say goodbye to nasty chemicals and synthetic materials and go natural instead.
Don’t stop at removing the toxins from your hair products--you can also go vegan in your beauty products for major health benefits. Our lash and brow products are completely vegan and cruelty-free as well because we always want to support wellness on the inside and outside. If you want to switch your makeup to vegan alternatives, we know you’ll love our natural mascara.
At ForChics, we’re all about going vegan. Let us know what your favorite vegan hair products are!
Sources:
These Are the Chemicals That Should Not Be in Your Hair Products | Vice
