What's the best shampoo to use for healthy hair growth?
And are there any types of shampoo you should avoid?
Well, first of all, if you read the last newsletter, you'll understand why I believe that anyone who suffers hair loss should shampoo quite frequently, perhaps even every day.
Obviously this means using a frequent use shampoo since these are less likely to contain the harsh chemicals that might strip the cuticle (outer layer of your hair) or slowly accumulate within your scalp.
So, what are the "harsh chemicals" that you should avoid?
The following list of ingredients can commonly be found in any type of shampoo.
All these ingredients are potentially harmful to the health of your hair!
Also included are the possible side effects associated with each ingredient, so you might want to check your own shampoo with this list - even those products the manufacturer's claim will promote hair growth might still contain some of these substances.
- Benzophenone-3 - protects shampoo from sun exposure.
Contact dermatitis, photosensitivity (lack of tolerance to the sun). - Benzyl alcohol - a preservative.
Skin irritant (contact dermatitis). Harmful if swallowed. - Cocamidopropyl betaine - a foaming agent.
Skin irritant (contact dermatitis and contact allergies). May form carcinogenic nitrosamines. - Cocamide mea - an emulsifier.
Skin irritant (contact dermatitis and contact allergies). May form carcinogenic nitrosamines. - Dmdm hydantoin - a preservative.
Skin irritant (contact dermatitis and contact allergies). May form carcinogenic formaldehyde. - Etidronic acid - a stabilizer.
Reduces fertility in women. Causes problems during pregnancy. - Linalool - a scent.
Facial psoriasis. Respiratory problems. - Parabens - a preservative.
estrogenic activity (possible hormone disruption). - Propylene glycol - prevents shampoo from drying out.
Carries chemicals deep into the skin. Alters skin structure/inhibits cell growth. - Sodium benzoate - a preservative.
Asthma, skin allergies and affects those with aspirin sensitivities. - Sodium laureth sulfate (SLES) - a foaming agent.
Removes the skins natural oils causing severe dryness. Eye irritant. Inhibits hair growth. - Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) - removes oils.
Allows chemicals to pass deep into the skin. Corrodes hair follicles. Inhibits hair growth.
And you might also want to consider using different types of organic shampoo on alternate wash days. This will give your body a short break from specific ingredients and so prevent your body desensitizing to any beneficial effects they have.
It should be noted that those who keep their hair throughout life and never suffer permanent hair loss, will probably do so regardless of what shampoo they use or how frequently they use it. The chemicals in normal shampoos might not help their hair grow, but it's the strong scalp circulation that keeps it growing - and nothing to do with the type of shampoo they use.
However, given the potential these chemicals have to harm us in other ways, maybe this should encourage everyone to play it safe and stop using these products. And, if everyone did this, perhaps the major manufacturers might eventually listen and start using organic ingredients instead.
Whilst I believe everyone should use an organic shampoo, I don't think there's any particular type that's better than any other. However, greasy hair will require a more acidic shampoo, so if this applies to you, a citrus-based product might be worth trying (and it may also help reduce DHT levels).
I'm sure there's no shampoo that can grow back lost hair all on its own, but I do believe that any organic shampoo might help hair grow to some extent by removing contact with these potentially dangerous chemicals.
Whatever you choose to use, I hope it helps.