13 Unsafe Hair Care Ingredients to Avoid

Ever looked at the ingredients list of a shampoo bottle and give yourself a headache? With all sorts of chemical names, they can be difficult to decode. While not all chemicals are bad for you, there are certainly a number to look out for. Unfortunately, there are still many hair products on the market that contain chemicals that may be harmful to our overall body health. With class action lawsuits currently filed against companies like Unilever (owner of Tresemmé) and DevaCurl for using ingredients that damaged their customers' hair and scalps, the concern over vetting hair care products is warranted. To help you navigate the seemingly intricate world of product label reading, L’OFFICIEL shares a list of 13 hair care ingredients to steer away from in your next purchase.

Also called sulfates, these ingredients are very aggressive detergents and should be avoided as much as possible. They strip oil and dirt out of your hair so well that they deplete the naturally produced sebum that moisturizes your scalp. They can cause dandruff, flaking, itching, excessive dryness, or the rapid tendency of some hair to get dirty quickly. They are found in shampoos, shower gels, and pretty much any product that foams. They can also cause dermatitis and eye irritation.

A common preservative in hair products, it is linked to lung toxicity, allergic reactions, and possible neurotoxicity.

This is another preservative which can cause eye, nasal, and throat irritation. It is a known animal carcinogen and may increase cancer risk in humans as well. It can be found in nail hardeners and nail polishes and also in hair straightening products. There is currently a class action lawsuit filed against Tresemmé's manufacturer Unilever for using DMDM hydantoin in the brand's Keratin Hair Smoothing Shampoo and Conditioner. DMDM hydantoin is a preservative "known to release formaldehyde.

These were banned from use in toy manufacturing in California in 2009, because of links between Phthalates and cancer. Nonetheless, they are still often used in hair products, such as hairspray, to give a flexible hold. 

If the manufacturer puts this on the label, it means they don’t want to tell you what else is in the product—and fragrance is often a term used to hide Phthalates as an ingredient. You can find it in most perfumes, colognes, and personal care products. Fragrance can create allergic reactions.

You’ll see them labeled on hair products as terms ending in -paraben, for example propylparaben and benzylparaben. Parabens are included in shampoos as a preservative to deter mold. While the FDA has not found any alarming information about parabens and health, they can dehydrate the hair.

These cleaning agents are potentially carcinogenic and therefore should be avoided. They stabilize the pH of hair products, and are common allergens and eye irritants.

This does its job of stripping away oils from your scalp a little too well, leaving your hair dry and brittle. Ethanol Alcohol, Ethyl Alcohol, Isopropanol Alcohol, Propyl Alcohol, and SD Alcohol are also known to do this.

It can be found in hair dyes, anti-dandruff shampoos, and anti-itch creams, and it can cause irritation, skin rashes, photosensitivity, and folliculitis.

It is found in skin lightening products and hair dyes. It can have irritating and harmful effects on the skin and can cause photosensitivity.