blog | haircare ingredients

You’ve probably seen hair care products that brag about being silicone-free on their packaging. They might as well be saying, This won’t make your hair smooth! Bring on the frizz! Hey, hope you like damage! In other words, skimping on hair silicones isn’t something to necessarily boast about—these ingredients play an important role in hair health and texture. Now that people want hair care ingredients that are as simple, natural, and wholesome as the ingredients in the foods they eat, hair silicones—which are synthetic—aren’t too popular. But while exotic, plant-based ingredients get all the attention and credit, silicones are working hard...

Parabens. Now there’s a word that you don’t want to say too loudly in a crowded room. The music might come to a screeching halt, silence would fill the air, and everyone would look at you in complete horror. Okay, so maybe we’re being a tad dramatic, but parabens do tend to illicit a strong—and usually negative—reaction from people. Why is that? For starters, pick up any random skin or haircare product in your local drugstore, and chances are, you’ll see the words “paraben-free” called out somewhere on the packaging. While parabens are not actually banned in the US (more...

Your best friend swore off of them years ago; your favorite natural health store has straight up banned them; and your colorist speaks of them as if they were spun from the devil himself. We’re talking about sulfates, salt-based molecules that are traditionally found in hair and skincare products such as shampoos, face washes, as well as toothpastes and detergents. As you’ve probably already noticed, these ingredients have garnered quite the bad reputation over the past decade or so. While there’s a strong anti-sulfate movement at the moment, experts say there has also been a lot of confusion and even miscommunication...