What is Natural Shampoo and Conditioner? Unnatural Vs Natural
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What’s the difference between Natural and Unnatural Shampoo?
Natural shampoo and conditioner don’t use silicones, parabens, sulfates, and any inorganic chemicals that can potentially cause harm to your body’s cells. These ingredients are usually used in cosmetics and hair products for aesthetic or convenience purposes such as preserving a product for longer. However, the use of preservatives and unnatural ingredients come with a cost, and of the above ingredients listed, here is why.
- Silicones - These polymers help lock in moisture and add shine to your hair but at the cost of building up layers and suffocating your hair follicles. This can lead to problems with inflammation of your hair’s roots and that irritation can escalate to bits of your scalp flaking off!
2. Parabens - An antibacterial and preservation compound that kills things like mold and preserves your product for a while. Constant exposure to a killer chemical on your skin and scalp is not exactly the healthiest.
3. Sulfates - Chemicals that strip oil, dirt, and other filth from your hair, but they also remove your natural hair oils. This leads to dry, weakened, or thinning hair that eventually, with excessive use, may turn your hair into a bale of hay.
Ingredients in Natural Shampoo and Conditioner
Natural shampoo and conditioner substitute the above ingredients with natural alternatives. Natural alternatives for chemicals are more difficult to implement and attain for production, therefore a high demand is not sustainable without a higher cost. However, most natural products are well worth it and good for keeping your own body natural and healthy for a longer part of your life.
Here are some natural substitutes that RKT Hair Care uses:
- Coconut Oil - Replaces silicones for shine and retaining natural moisture. Coconut oil works as a natural ingredient in conditioner that does not build up layers in your scalp, leaving your hair feeling much lighter than you would typically feel using silicone-based conditioner.
2. Ginseng - An ingredient used for gentle cleansing and antibacterial qualities. Ginseng as a cleanser does not dry out your hair or damage your scalp with harsh chemicals. It cleans your follicles without removing the natural oils in your hair that keep it shiny and healthy.
3. Shea Butter - A heavier ingredient than coconut oil that retains your hair's moisture and improves your hair texture. Shea butter helps with detangling hair by providing a protective, silky coating to the outer layer of your hair, which helps with smoothing out your strands.
Unnatural Shampoo and Conditioner
Natural Shampoo and Conditioner have one distinct difference from unnatural shampoo and conditioner: they have an expiration date! You'll notice when buying your hair products that some have shorter expiration dates than others, and some have no expiration dates at all. The reason behind this phenom is how much of their ingredients are natural, and natural ingredients tend to expire faster. Natural shampoo and conditioners do not have extra chemical ingredients that act as preservatives or filler, namely parabens and silicones respectively.
Parabens in Hair Products
One ingredient prevalent in hair products is something called Parabens. Parabens are chemicals that act as preservatives for a variety of things, most notably cosmetic and hair care products. It acts as an antibacterial and prevents mold from growing in your bottles, but one thing to note about this type of power is that it can be harmful!
Excessive use of parabens in your hair or skin products can lead to drying, irritating your skin and scalp, fading your hair’s color, and even hair loss after constant exposure to this harsh cleaning agent. Other scarier effects of parabens can be the way it affects hormones, especially estrogen, a hormone that when out of control, can go on to affect the development of breast cancer, female fertility, and menstruation cycles. The use of parabens is prevalent in many of our everyday convenience products, and some forms of parabens are FDA-approved, including the ones in cosmetics and food consumption.
Silicones in Hair Products
The second ingredient prevalent in hair products is silicones for filler and texture. Silicones in hair products are artificially generated polymers that feel like rubbery, slimy liquids that act as a medium for forming the texture of a liquid hair product. Silicones are used for a variety of things, most notably in everyday life utensils and cushions. It is cost-efficient and effective, but when it comes to hair care, it cuts some corners.
Natural Shampoo and Conditioner should not have silicones as a primary ingredient. Alternative ingredients for silicones are different types of natural oils, such as coconut oil, shea butter, and other tree oils that can replace the natural oils in your hair while you are cleaning it. While silicone products can protect your hair and work as a detangler by coating your hair in a silky layer of polymers, excessive buildup of silicone can occur around your hair's roots, leading to irritation of your skin and scalp. This buildup of silicone can lead to greasy hair that is trying desperately to recoat your hair in natural oils. While silicones can make your hair shiny as well, you might not want people to notice your hair is shiny with grease.
Switching to Natural Shampoo and Conditioner
Parabens, silicones, and sulfates are avoidable if one actively seeks natural ingredients and products. Inspired by skincare, RKT uses natural ingredients commonly found in skin care in order to care for scalp health, because ultimately it is your skin that is growing your hair. Causing damage to the skin on your head will not lead to a well-aged mane.
RKT hair care uses natural shampoo and conditioner while avoiding those potentially harmful ingredients with natural, healthy alternatives. Sulfate alternatives like disodium laureth sulfosuccinate for lather and cleansing. Coconut oil and shea butter instead of silicones. And no parabens. You don't need it. Parabens are rubbish, and RKT hair care is “Free of Rubbish”.
