Check out different articles on how to get healthy hair and you will read some tips on keeping your hair trimmed, being careful of sun damage, and more helpful pointers. However, did you realize that the products you are putting on your hair could be damaging to your overall health? Or did you ever stop to think that the statement "you are what you eat" could be extrapolated to include "you are what you put on your skin and hair, too"?
It is true that your skin absorbs the products that you put on it. Think of estrogen patches to be applied to the skin or nicotine patches to help you stop smoking. These products are living proof that you absorb chemicals through your skin. You think that your skin is a barrier to toxins, but it is rather a carrier. In fact, toxins which enter your body through your mouth (on the food you eat) are subjected to the enzymes in your saliva and stomach which can break them down and reduce their harm to your body. They are also passed through the liver and the kidneys and are detoxified a bit more.
But toxins that enter your body through your skin bypass the liver and the stomach enzymes and go directly into the bloodstream and tissues with no other protection to reduce their harm. In fact, the carcinogen called nitrosodiethanolamine (NDELA), an ingredient often found in shampoos, was shown to have 100 times higher absorption rate through the skin than through the mouth at a report given to a congressional hearing in 1978.
Be selective in the products you choose to put on your hair because you want to get healthy hair while achieving beautiful hair you feel good about. Shampoos and conditioners are full of petrochemicals, many of which are known to cause skin and eye irritation and allergic reactions. Watch out for dioxane, anything with paraben as part of the word, propylene glycol, MSG. Some dandruff shampoos contain coal tar which is a known human carcinogen. Sodium laureth sulfate (SLES) and sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) are surfactants (sudsing agents). They have been found in lab studies to cause severe epidermal changes in the skin of mice. Formaldehyde has been shown to potentially cause cancer. Avoid hair care products with these & other harmful chemicals.
Use natural, organic hair care products for healthy hair and a healthy body. A high-quality, organic hair care product should contain a blend of ten vitamins, minerals, and herbs that provides the optimal environment for healthy, thick, and vibrant hair. But the best part is that there are no harsh chemicals that can enter your scalp and compromise your health.
Your hair is an outward indication of your health. It's amazing how the way your hair looks affects how you feel about yourself. Ensuring it looks good goes much deeper than a trip to the salon. Invest in healthy hair care choices, and you will have more than a good hair day - you'll get healthy hair along with a healthy body. And, as you and I both believe, your health is your wealth!