A go-to guide to what’s actually in your shampoo bottle

When it comes to picking out a shampoo, so many of us are drawn in by delicious smells, beautiful branding or a supermarket special offer. This means that rarely do you flip the bottle over and have a read of what’s actually inside. 

We want to change that because there are some seriously frightening ingredients found in everyday shampoos that could be causing you a whole heap of problems.

Here, we run through the good, the bad and the ugly ingredients that are likely lurking in your shampoo bottle right now.

SULPHATES (SLS) || Ugly

This sneaky ingredient is used as a cleansing agent in shampoos to cleanse the hair and scalp and is most commonly recognised for its ability to produce a foamy lather - which, we agree, makes for a pretty luxurious showering experience. However, sulphate-based shampoos have a tendency to strip the hair of essential oils and irritate your scalp. In addition, this detergent can easily be absorbed by the body and builds up in major organs like the heart, liver and brain. Suddenly that soapy, foamy shower sensation seems significantly less worth it…

DIMETHICONE || Good

This is a silicone-based polymer that also exists in beauty products like primers. It gives your hair that super-smooth, velvety coating - working almost like a conditioner before the conditioning!

PARABENS || BAD

This little guy has been spoken about A LOT within beauty and health circles as it’s found in a significant amount of products. Why? Because Parabens are preservatives used to prevent bacteria growing in the bottle of product. But the dark side of Parabens is that they are easily absorbed into the body and have been shown to have estrogen-esque effects - AKA they disrupt the hormonal system and may cause hormone-related diseases.

PANTHENOL || Good

A fairly crucial ingredient in a shampoo, Panthenol is a form of vitamin B5 and works as the moisturiser of your haircare routine.

ZINC PYRITHIONE || Bad

This ingredient works a chief dandruff-destroyer, so it naturally has more association with your scalp than your hair. However, how it stops the ‘druff is by slowing down the production of skin cells, which doesn’t sit super comfortably with us…

COCAMIDPROPYL BETAINE || Bad

As Cocamidpropyl Betaine is derived from coconut oil it may seem like a more ‘natural’ cleansing agent alternative to SLS, but unfortunately it still can cause irritation.

PPD || Ugly

This is a chemical (and possible carcinogen) traditionally used a permanent hair dye, but can be found in colour-enhancing or colour-protecting shampoos. If you have an allergy to PPD (which is pretty common) then your reaction to it in your shampoo can include dermatitis, swelling of your face and scalp and severe allergies can lead to anaphylaxis and hives to a degree that eyelids swell shut.

RESORCINOL || Ugly

Resorcinol is used as a colouring agent in shampoo and is suspected to be a ‘endocrine toxicity hazard’. In non-science talk that essentially means that Resorcinol can attack the immune system. This agent is also highly toxic to the environment, which alone puts it firmly in the ‘ugly’ camp.

AMMONIA || Bad

If you’ve ever had your hair dyed, then you’d probably recognise ammonia because it’s the super smelly chemical that swells the hair cuticle so that dyes can be fully absorbed. It’s something you can become allergic to via overexposure (putting hairdressers directly in the firing line). With a developed allergy you can react to it with an extremely itchy scalp, and red, watering eyes.

If you’re looking to treat your hair better and avoid the nasties listed above then book in an appointment at ENOUGH, who are leaders of holistic, organic haircare and can help you right the wrongs of toxic shampoos.