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I have a request! Because I just took your petrochemical list into my bathroom and that got me thinking about haircare. Can you talk about, or can you find someone to interview to talk about, haircare and petrochemicals? I try not to use more products on my hair than I do on my face, but THE FRIZZ must be tamed. And even the natural products I've bought have sneaky petrochemicals in them WTH?
I have a request! Because I just took your petrochemical list into my bathroom and that got me thinking about haircare. Can you talk about, or can you find someone to interview to talk about, haircare and petrochemicals? I try not to use more products on my hair than I do on my face, but THE FRIZZ must be tamed. And even the natural products I've bought have sneaky petrochemicals in them WTH?
Hi! Veteran hairstylist/ingredient nerd/educator here. Like with skin care, much of what we have come to think we really need is mostly fixing an issue caused by the product before it. My main advice (especially if you have curls and have internalized the idea that your hair is too frizzy) is to wash your hair less and stop using silicones (which are not petrochemicals, but are often paired with them in products), which create a barrier and build up on the hair, locking out water (true moisture) and causing dryness and more frizz. Notice a theme here? It's all a vicious cycle designed to sell you more products, and "natural" brands typically don't do any better. Try using a natural bristle brush (before bed or before showering if you're looking to preserve curl definition) to work your natural oils down your hair shaft (it also feels so nice on your scalp and is a really nice non-consumerist bedtime ritual--one well-made, wooden-handled brush will last you a lifetime if you keep it clean and take care of it). Also, I don't know you or your hair or your relationship to it, so you should do whatever makes you feel best about it, but it's worth considering that what many people think of as frizz helps create volume, negative space, and accentuates the shape of a haircut, while perfectly smooth hair is often flat and boring. I am always trying to help people to embrace their frizz, because it's never as "bad" as so many people are convinced it is. Just some food for thought.
OMG, I 100 percent agree on the reframing of embracing the frizz. I Brazilian Keratin treatmented my hair for years (yeah, the kind where people's noses were bleeding UGH those mid-2010s) because I needed the frizz to BE GONE and basically would put toxic chemicals on my hair for hours to do so. This year I finally went to a stylist and said, let's go with what my hair naturally wants to do, instead of fighting it - and turns out, it worked! I now no longer see my hair as frizzy, but as part of what my hair wants to do and the cut is designed to capitalize on that texture, rather than fight it. I'm so glad I found JD when I did. I'm 45 and still learning and disentangling so much. Wishing you the best however you get there :)
Thank you, Cathleen! This is all really great advice. I honestly stopped washing my hair years ago. I only use shampoo once every month or two. I mostly just condition it once or twice a week. If a product contains silicones, will that be how they read in an ingredient list, or do they have other sneaky names?
I will think about the hair brush. I honestly haven't brushed my hair in forever other than finger combing, but before showering could work.
Dimethicone is the most common silicone you find in hair care. If you're using a conditioner with it regularly and not washing often, it could be exacerbating frizz or dryness. It builds up easily and requires a harsh cleanser to remove--so not only is is locking out moisture, but you have to really strip your hair and scalp to get rid of it. I like to look for water-based humectants like honey and aloe, and light plant oils in a conditioner. You could go down some real rabbit holes on ingredients, and a lot that get a green light from safety organizations could still have serious environmental impacts. Which is why the general advice that I (and Jessica, which is why I'm here :) ) tend to give is just to simplify routines and buy less crap as much as possible.
Glad to be of use. I love talking smack on hair care. :)
THANK YOU!!
All of the ingredients listed apply to haircare as well!