Written by Lindiwe Van Staden 

When I started my natural hair journey I was beyond frustrated.

I’d buy a product based on what it said on the front label, and it would do literally nothing for my hair. When I say nothing, I mean that my hair was still just as short and dry as it was before I’d used the product.

Or worse…

It was damaged even more. My natural hair just wasn’t working out. It DID NOT look good. And you know how it is with spending money on hair products, right? My beauty supply bill was getting out of control!

I soon learned that natural hair is expensive especially if you don’t know what to buy.

So instead of chopping my hair off all over again, I opted to take a more proactive stance on my product selection by learning about some of the ingredients that are in hair care products it blew my mind. Here are a few ingredients to stay away from and why: 

Silicones: (Cyclomethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Trimethylsilylamodimethicone, Amodimethicone) This product provides great slip to a natural’s hair and is water soluble but, it creates a lot of buildup on the hair and prevents oils and creams to penetrate the hair shaft.

Phthalates: This gelling agent is most commonly found in shampoos and conditioners, it helps to lubricate and soften the substances it comes in contact with. This is used widely in hair care products even though there are strict regulations on the use of this ingredient since it’s been linked to disrupting hormones.

Parabens: Are used to prevent bacteria and mold from growing within the product. However, this ingredient puts you at risk for cancer. So it’s best to stay away from it to be on the safe side.

DEA Aka (Diethanolamine): This ingredient is used as a thickening agent to form a creamy consistency. It is has been linked to bladder, stomach, and intestinal cancers.

Artificial Dyes: These are dyes that change the color of products however, they are made up of many different chemicals, so it may be hard to pin point what your exactly being exposed to at a given time. Since this is placed on your hair and scalp your body can easily absorb these dyes causing you to have blocked pores, and skin irritations. Certain dyes have been linked to kidney tumors, and thyroid tumors.

As you can see there are plenty of reasons why you need to stay away from hair products that are loaded with chemicals that aren’t only bad for your hair, they are bad for your body too. 

I’ve opted to use products that are beneficial to my hair and wellbeing and the ones that are on my radar at the moment is the Grill Boss range made from mango and Marula oil. 

These oils are great because they absorb into my hair quickly and don’t leave an oily residue on all my freshly washed satin pillow cases. 

Girl Boss Box is on sale for a limited number and contains the entire range, plus the luxurious Hairpy headband with shipping included for R320. 

Now that’s a bargain! 

Take this list of harsh chemicals with you the next time you go shopping and see which brands you need to stay away from. 

Happy learning 

Lindi