Amanda’s “No” List
Below are the list of ingredients I actively avoid in my hair care. Based on my personal research, they are either dangerous, potentially dangerous, or considered more “filler” than adding any actual value.
Anise Alcohol
It was hard to find definitive or easily understandable research, but it is a 3-4 on EWG. I much prefer to find studies and articles written, but when I can’t find anything definitive, i do fall back on EWG and 3-4 is not a good rating, I don’t like anything above 2. This is used as a fragrance ingredient, but can potentially cause skin irritation, and serious eye damage.
Cetrimonium chrloride
This is excellent for conditioning and for combatting frizz, but is not recommended in products you would leave in your hair (styling creams, gels, butters).
Coumarin
A 4-5 on EWG, and it is banned in some countries because this natural ingredient may aid liver damage and trigger allergies in sensitive individuals. It is lavender scented and is used as a fragrance ingredient. It does occur naturally, and is safe to eat in foods where it naturally occur, but the FDA does not permit coumarin to be added to foods. This restriction is another area the cosmetics industry falls short where concerns health. Synthetically derived coumarin is not recommended both topically and orally. It is added to a lot of cosmetic products, so can add up throughout your skincare routine. If your total daily intake reaches a certain easily attainable level, the risks include liver damage, triggering allergies for sensitive people, triggering issues for with people pre-existing heart conditions, it is cancer-causing, and it has explicitly been listed as an ingredient to avoid in children’s products.
Diazolidinyl Urea
Antimicrobial preservative, but also a formaldehyde-releaser.
Triethanolamine (TEA)
This ingredient has a 1-5 on EWG, and cites moderate non-reproductive organ system and high contamination concerns, noting specifically, nitrosamines, which are impurities that can show up in both DEA and TEA. Nitrosamines will never be on a product label because they are a simply impurities, and a by-product, but there are related cancer, organ, and endocrine concerns. Wether the amounts found in products raise this concern or not, I prefer to error on the side of caution and just avoid.
Germall
Chemical preservative, but there is suspicion it could disrupt hormones in the body and harm both fertility and reproductive organs, and also increase the risk of cancer.
DMDM hydantoin
Formaldehyde-releasing preservative.
Imidazolidinyl urea
Formaldehyde-releasing preservative
Parabens
Chemical preservative, but there is suspicion it could disrupt hormones in the body and harm both fertility and reproductive organs, and also increase the risk of cancer.
Silicones
They artificially coat the hair strands and may cause build-up over time. I am not aware of any benefit that would justify using them.
PEGs
Silicones. They work as surfactants, solubilizers, emulsifiers, emollients, foaming agents, and even for fragrance, but they can be contaminated with the carcinogen 1,4 dioxane.
Stearalkonium Chloride
Antistatic agent, preservative, and surfactant. Derived from stearic acid. It is a cheaper alternative to natural products that could be used for conditioning. Potential to cause skin and eye irritation and if used above the recommended percentage can have nervous system effects.
Germaben ii
This is a preservative that contains various amounts of different parabens.
Hydroquinone
Eye, lung, and nervous system toxin. Suspected to be a liver and stomach carcinogen.
Glutaral
Preservative and immune system toxin, found in many conditioners.
Laureth-7
Surfactant and emulsifier. Petrochemical that may be contaminated with the carcinogen 1,4 dioxane.
Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate
Preservative, but acutely toxic by inhalation, and advised that you not use in products that can be aerosolized or inhaled.
Drying Alcohols
Drying alcohols do just that to the hair. They include: Isopropyl alcohol (also called IPA), Denatured alcohol ( denat ), Ethanol, Isopropanol, Propanol, Propyl alcohol, and SD alcohol 40.
Mineral Oils
Otherwise known as liquid petrolatum. It is linked to blood and skin cancer in animals. It is derived from petroleum, and is an environmental toxin.
Polysorbate-X (20, 40, etc)
Emulsifier, surfactant, and fragrance ingredient. Polysorbates are fine as a standalone, but in hair products they are treated with ethylene oxide (as are PEGs) and 1,4 dioxane, which are potentially carcinogenic. The number following “polysorbate” indicates the number of parts of ethylene oxides the polysorbate is treated with.
DMDM Hydantoin
Formaldehyde-releasing preservative, and environmental toxin.
Benzyl Alcohol
Used as a preservative. Strong neurotoxin, can cause itchiness, burning, scaling, hives, skin blisters.
Benzalkonium Chloride
Used as an antimicrobial, conditioner, and preservative in many hair products. It can, however, affect the immune system, it is a lung and skin irritant, and it has potential to trigger asthma.
Butylene glycol
Solvent and thickener, but can irritate skin, lungs, and eyes. It is also an environmental toxin.
Diethanolamine (dea)
Linked in brain abnormalities in animals, and may be contaminated with the carcinogen, 1, 4 - dioxane.
Phthalates
Phthalates are widely used industrial compounds found in products (shower curtains, rubber duckies, furniture, clothes, fragrance, hair spray, nail polish, etc.). This group of dangerous toxic chemicals is linked to reproductive birth defects and other illnesses, namely hormone related medical conditions such as breast cancer, and studies link it also to early puberty in females. Like so many unsafe chemicals you’ll find in cosmetic products, normally the amount in any one product is extremely low and perfectly safe, but they can accumulate throughout your personal care routine.
Formaldehyde
Known human carcinogen linked to cancers, and it is a strong skin, eye, and lung irritant. It can also irritate the liver, stomach, kidneys, and bladder, and burn the skin (relaxers!). This is also an environmental toxin.