5 Non toxic Hair Spray Brands
Why You Should Use Chemical Free Hairspray
You may have heard the buzz about avoiding synthetic aerosol hairspray. Is it really that bad? Oh yes it is. You may have heard about aerosol hairspray being bad for the ozone. But it’s more than that. Chemical hairspray is bad for you too and we will look into non-toxic alternatives.
First let’s look at the aerosol itself. Aerosol works because of chemicals called propellants. Propellants act as pressurized gas to make liquid move through the air. It’s like a mini chemical explosion that causes the actual hairspray to fly onto your hair. So what does the actual exploding? The answer is isobutane and propane. Butane is the active ingredient that makes gasoline move your car. And propane is a chemical used in jet fuel. That’s right, your chemical hairspray contains the same chemicals as gasoline and jet fuel.
The propellants aren’t the only part of chemical hairspray that comes from fossil fuels. Polymers, which are common in beauty products, are made from petroleum. There are naturally occurring polymers. But since synthetic polymers are much cheaper than natural polymers, there’s a good chance your hairspray contains the petroleum polymers.
PEGs are common in coloring products. PEG stands for polyethylene glycols. Polyethylene glycols are petroleum distillates made as a byproduct of petroleum. So far that’s three different hairspray ingredients that come from fossil fuels. You know a fourth hairspray ingredient that’s made from petroleum? Synthetic aroma compounds.
The hairspray ingredient parabens has been scientifically proven to have weak estrogenic properties. This means products containing parabens may artificially introduce estrogen into your body. This effects hormone levels, and can cause premature puberty in girls. Do you want that kind of chemical all over your head?
Then there’s silicon, which doesn’t even do anything to make your hair healthier. It just coats your hair with film to make it look artificially shiny. How about alcohol, which can break down your hair and make it frizzier? This is what you put into your head when you choose chemical hairspray.
So how can you find non-toxic hairsprays?
Luckily there are lots of organic options.
Herbal Choice Mari
Herbal Choice Mari is a certified organic non-toxic hair spray. It is 100% natural, chemical free, preservative free and paraben free; and suitable for all hair types. USDA certified.
Andalou Naturals
Andalou Naturals also has their own line of organic and vegan hair care products.
Ingredients:
Aloe Barbadensis Juice*, Ethyl Alcohol*, Cyamopsis Tetragonolobus (Guar) Gum*, Sodium Alginate (Algin), Glycine Soja (Soy) Protein, Sodium PCA, Chamomilla Recutita (Chamomile) Extract*, Pyrus Cydonia (Quince) Extract, Fruit Stem Cells (Malus Domestica, Solar Vitis) and BioActive 8 Berry Complex*, Camellia Sinensis (White Tea) and Hibiscus Sabdariffa Extract*, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Panthenol (Pro-Vitamin B5), Biotin (Vitamin B7), Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) and Citrus Tangerina
Lily of the Desert
Lily of the Desert specializes in natural aloe products. They sell everything from skin lotions to aloe infused drinking water. Of course their hairspray is also based on aloe vera.
Ingredients:
Certified Organic Aloe Vera Gel, PVP Certified Organic Aloesorb, Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate, DL Panthenol (Vitamin B5), Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Biotin, L-Lysine HCL
Honeybee Gardens
Honeybee Gardens is a truly homegrown line of products using all natural ingredients for men and women. Their Honeybee Gardens Hair Spray is alcohol free.
Ingredients:
aqua (deionized water), octylacrylamide acrylates, butylaminoethyl methacrylate copolymer, *organic ethyl palmitate, *organic vegetable glycerin, *organic castanea sativa (chestnut) extract, panthenol, chamomila recutita (chamomile) flower extract, helianthus annus (sunflower) seed oil, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) oil, vitis vinifera (grape) seed extract, lavandula officinalis (lavender) oil, mentha piperita (peppermint) oil, sodium phenoxyethanol, ethylhexylglycerin.,*indicat
Shear Miracle Organics
Shear Miracle Organics also sports a wide selection of organic and vegan products, including non-toxic hair spray. It does not contain aerosol, is vegan as well as alcohol free and gluten free.
Ingredients
Structured Vitamin Water Concentrate; organic non-GMO corn or rice extract; vegetable glycerin; plant sourced kosher vegan xanthan gum & potassium sorbate; natural plant sourced vitamins A, C & E; organic essential oils of: rosemary & Litsea Cubeba Always all Organic, Vegan, Gluten-Free, Non-GMO & Leaping Bunny & Peta Certified Cruelty-Free!
So why spray your head with petroleum and chemicals? There are all natural organic options right around the corner. There’s more to being green than buying a hybrid. Helping both the environment and your health, while still looking beautiful, is easier than ever before. You just have to know where to look, and what to look for.
Picture Credits: CC0 Public Domain @pixabay
