why you don’t want sulfates and silicones in your hair care products
Silicones and sulfates have been used in hair care products for decades — so much so that you might think these ingredients are just must-haves in the manufacturing process. That is not the case. They’re actually ingredients to avoid. That’s why you won’t find them in pure haven products.
Sulfates are sulfuric acid salts that are used as cleansing agents in shampoos.
- The problem: Sulfates can irritate your skin, eyes, mouth, and lungs. Additionally, in hair products they can strip oils from hair and scalp, causing dryness and irritation. They’re also known to strip away color and can suppress growth.
- What to watch out for: Sulfates will appear on ingredient labels as sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), lauroyl isethionate (ALS), and sodium lauryl ether sulfate (SLES).
Silicones are synthetic polymers that originate from sand. They’re generally found in conditioners and leave-in hair products.
- The problem: Silicones can block pores, causing skin inflammation. In hair products, silicones tend to build up on hair follicles, which can damage natural curl patterns and lead to dullness and greasiness at the crown.
- What to watch out for: There are three types of silicones to avoid: water soluble, non soluble, and evaporating. Ingredients containing the prefix “PEG” are usually water soluble silicones. Most ingredients ending in “-cone” are non soluble silicones. Cyclomethicone, cyclopentasiloxane, and cyclothemicone are common names of evaporating silicones.
What’s in pure haven hair care products?
Because pure haven is committed to developing and providing 100% non toxic products for you and your family, we don’t use potentially harmful ingredients like sulfates and silicones. Unlike other manufacturers that are willing to cut corners, risking your health to improve their bottom dollar, we develop formulas based on only fresh, safe, effective ingredients. Our hair care ingredients are naturally derived and gentle on your hair.
The cleansing agents in our shampoos include:
- Coco-glucoside is a biodegradable ingredient made from 100% natural, renewable, plant-derived feedstocks. It has excellent foaming capacity and gentle, effective cleansing properties.
- Decyl glucoside is environmentally friendly and biodegradable, composed of sugar derived from cornstarch and fatty alcohols derived from coconuts. It has gentle, non irritating foaming capabilities.
The conditioning agents in our conditioners and leave-in hair care products include:
- Organic aloe vera leaf juice promotes healthy hair growth while conditioning skin and scalp and providing strength and luster to hair.
- Brassica alcohol conditions and softens hair and reduces breakage from tangling and combing.
- Brassicyl valinate esylate is derived from the essential amino acid valine, which helps strengthen hair, resist breakage, and create a smooth, defined appearance.
- Broccoli seed oil is a non greasy oil with excellent moisturizing properties that enhance hair’s shine, luster, and smoothness.
- Organic coconut oil provides essential, nourishing proteins to hydrate and protect hair from heat and chemical damage. This ingredient also helps with healthy hair growth and shine.
Ask your pure haven Consultant about our safe, non toxic hair care products, including limited release piña colada shampoo and deep conditioning hair mask*. They’re happy to help you choose the products that are right for you and your family.
* Our limited release piña colada collection is available June 1-July 31, 2022, or while supplies last.
Sources:
Bioaccumulation in aquatic systems: methodological approaches, monitoring and assessment. Sabine Schäfer, Georgia Buchmeier, Evelyn Claus, Lars Duester, Peter Heininger, Andrea Körner, Philipp Mayer, Albrecht Paschke, Caren Rauert, Georg Reifferscheid, Heinz Rüdel, Christian Schlechtriem, Christa Schröter-Kermani, Dieter Schudoma, Foppe Smedes, Dieter Steffen, Friederike Vietoris
Environmental Sciences Europe. 2015; 27(1): 5. Published online 2015 Jan 27. doi: 10.1186/s12302-014-0036-z
Should You Be Going Sulfate-Free? Ginta, D. Healthline.com. Updated 12 August 2019.