What do the ingredients mean to you as you shampoo your hair?

You may see the letters USP (United States Pharmacopeia.) This means that the ingredient is rated to be of the highest grade. Not all ingredients are rated.

• Algae Extract is derived from the sea and is moisture-rich.
   
• Aloe Barbadensis Gel (Aloe Vera Gel) provides emollient and moisturizing properties. It helps promote healing of dry, damaged skin and hair.
   
• Ammonium lauryl sulfate and Ammonium laureth sulfate are detergents.
   
• Ammonium xylenesulfonate is a thickener.
   
• Amyris Balsamiferia Oil (West Indian Sandlewood) produces a woodsy aroma
   
• Angelica (Angelica Archangelica) is stimulating to the skin.
   
• Apricot Oil is a moisturizing agent for hair and skin.
   
• Beeswax acts as a creamy, moisture-rich base for other ingredients.
   
• Benzophenone-4 is an ultraviolet light absorber. It helps to protect hair from UV Rays and also helps to prevent discoloration of the product
   
• Bergamot Oil produces a sweet, citrus, floral aroma.
   
• Beta-Carotene is natural colorant for the product and is derived from vegetable sources.
   
• Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride is a mixture of natural emollients that condition without the softening effect of other conditioning compounds. It is readily absorbed and reduces dryness.
   
• Carbomer is a thickener used to create a thicker, richer appearing product.
   
• Cedarwood Oil creates a sweet, woodsy aroma.
   
• Cetearyl (or Cetyl) Alcohol is an emulsifier.
   
• Cetyl alcohol and Stearyl alcohol are thickeners and fatty acids.
   
• Chamomile Blue Oil is a natural oil derived from chamomile flowers and is used for sheen
   
• Chamomile Extract has soothing properties for the scalp.
   
• Citric acid makes shampoo acidic and is used to adjust the PH.
   
• Cocamide mea is a lather builder. It is hydrolyzed collagen.
   
• Collagen is a fibrous protein that is beneficial for strengthening hair.
   
• Diazolidinyl Urea is used as a preservative.
   
• Dimethicone is a conditioning ingredients.
   
• Disodiumedta is used as a preservative.
   
• DMDM Hydantoin is a preservative.
   
• Glycol distearate gives shampoo a pearlescent appearance.
   
• Hydrolized is anything that is in a form that allows water to carry it into the hair shaft.
   
• Methylchloroisothiazolinone is a fragrance.
   
• Methylisothiazolinone is a preservative.
   
• Methylparben is a preservative.
   
• Octyl salicylate is a sunscreen.
   
• Passionflower Extract is an emollient and helps to preserve the hair’s moisture balance.
   
• PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil is a protective emollient.
   
• Propylparaben is a preservative.
   
• Rosemary Extract has reviving, blood vessel widening and invigorating properties.
   
• Sodium chloride is a thickener that gives the shampoo a thicker, richer consistency.
   
• Sodium citrate is also a thickener. See above.
   
• Stearlonium Chloride is a conditioning agent.
   
• Tricetylmonium chloride has conditioning properties.
   
• Water is a solvent used in keeping the other ingredients in solution.
   
• Wheat protein is a non-animal source of protein used in shampoos and conditioners.
   
• Xanthan gum is a product thickener.

Water

Lets start at the beginning. Proper washing is the first step to great hair and the process begins with the water you use. What comes out of your tap isn't always the best. I recommend using only naturally soft or softened water on your hair. Water that is hard will leave mineral deposits behind that will coat each hair and dull its appearance. Hair needs to be clean and free of these deposits to be shiny.

Oil

Each hair follicle has its own oil gland that keeps it lubricated and healthy. Unfortunately, this natural oil can cause dirt to stick to your hair. It will take some type of soap or detergent product to wash away this oil and dirt build-up.

Cleansing                

Not very long ago, everyone always used soap. A drawback to soap is that it may leave behind calcium and magnesium residue. We often call that soap scum. Besides the left over residue, soap solutions are alkaline in ph, which cause the outer layer of the hair to swell, lift, feel rough and appear dull. This is why Grandma always followed her hair washing with an acidic lemon or vinegar rinse. The acid in the rinse dissolved and removed the soap scum. It also caused the structure of the hair to lie flat making her hair shiny and smooth.

(The outer layer of the hair is called the cuticle. It serves to protect the inside of the hair. It is made up of tiny scales that are similar to the shingles on a roof with each shingle overlapping the next. Those scales should lie flat so that they offer protection and reflect the light.)

Ingredients

The first ingredient in almost any shampoo is now detergent. Using detergent may sound like harsh treatment for your delicate hair, but it tends to be a good choice for cleansing. 

Ingredients that increase lather are often included in new shampoos. These are for appearance rather than effectiveness. Sudsing isn’t necessary for cleansing but it does make us feel better about the cleansing ability of the shampoo. 

There may be many other ingredients in your bottle of shampoo. You may find vitamins or herbs or other additives with long strange sounding names.

Read the ingredient list on your bottle of shampoo. While a long list of ingredients does not always create product of higher (or lesser) quality, there are some interesting ingredients such as herbal extracts that you may want to try. I have included a list of common and not so common ingredients along with their purpose to help you make an informed shampoo choice. You will find a link to this list at the bottom of the page. Take the list along with you on your next trip to shop for a new shampoo.


Claims

You will find shampoos that make claims to cause your hair to be fuller, thicker, smoother or straighter. Each claim requires its own special ingredient list in order to accomplish the purpose.

Shampoo for fuller hair contains ingredients that will plump up the hair shaft slightly and will increase the volume.

Thickening shampoo usually coats the hair shaft to cause each hair to feel thicker making you feel like you have more hair.

Smoothing shampoo contains moisturizers and emollients that keep it from frizzing and cause the hair to relax and appear smoother. 

Clarifying shampoos remove build up, such as from styling products. They include special cleansing agents and can be used about once a week to remove any build-up that dulls and weighs your hair down. They should not be used at every shampoo.

You may find shampoos that claim to shorten drying time. These are great for those of us who have thick hair or hair that retains water. The rapid dry shampoo sometimes coats the hair with polymers that cause the water to drip off and evaporate faster than with other products. Or - they may contain ingredients that cause the hair’s outer layer to lock down flat, minimizing water absorption. Using these shampoos can cause the hair to dry up to twice as fast as with other shampoo.

If you have healthy hair, you have shiny, strong and bouncy hair. That is how healthy hair looks and behaves. However many people live with dry, brittle and lifeless hair. Many times this poor condition stems from over use of chemical treatments. I’ll talk about that in another Hub. If you don’t abuse your hair with chemistry the lack of shine and body stems from poor overall health. Lack of the proper nutrients results in lack luster hair and dry flaky scalp. This is an easy problem to remedy but it takes time. Begin too improve your hair’s condition as well as your general health by paying attention to what you are eating.

Beautiful hair starts there – with good nutrition. Your hair follicles are fed through your blood supply. Blood carries oxygen and nutrients to the hair and takes away waste products. Feed your blood supply and you will feed your hair. Good nutrition supplies the building blocks for strong, lustrous hair. The more important nutrients for hair are protein, iron, selenium, zinc, folic acid, beta carotene, Vitamins C, E, K, Biotin, B6 and B12.

Biotin – another B vitamin – is said to thicken the hair follicle, reduce hair loss and encourage hair growth. Biotin is found in vegetables (especially cauliflower,) nuts, egg yolk, milk, beef liver, raw oysters, soy flour and brewers yeast.

Selenium is found in button and shiitake mushrooms, Brazil nuts, barley, shrimp, cod, snapper, tuna, halibut, salmon and calf’s liver.

Vitamin K is found in spinach, cabbage, turnip greens, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts, green tea, soybeans, cheddar cheese and oats.

Zinc is found in beef, pork, turkey, chicken, crab meat, lobster and salmon. It is also found in milk, cheese, yogurt, peanuts, beans and whole grains.

Folic acid is found in leafy vegetables, citrus fruits, whole grains and beans.

B6 is found in many foods. Some of the highest content is found in ready to eat cereal, baked potato, banana, garbanzo beans and chicken breast.

B12 is found in liver, caviar, fish, crab, lobster, beef, lamb eggs and cheese.

Beta carotene is found in sweet potatoes, carrots, spinach, turnip greens, kale, winter squash, cilantro and thyme.

Most of the important ‘hair’ nutrients can be obtained by simply paying attention to what is included in your meals every day. If you can’t include most of the nutrients, look into vitamin supplements.

Plan your daily meals with good health and great hair in mind.

Breakfast might include

• Whole grain cereal with fruit.
• Add yogurt or milk

Lunch might include

• A salad including spinach leaves, lentils and tomatoes
• An orange or an apple
• A sandwich made with 100% whole grain bread and roast beef or chicken
• Green tea

Supper might include

• Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower or peas
• Fruit
• Whole grain bread
• Meat or fish

Add into these meals eggs, beans, almonds, and walnuts.