There are many products available for both curly-haired women and men, but not all of them are of good quality. Checking the ingredients is one way to select which products are suitable for curly hair. The following are steps for choosing the right care products for curly hair.
Step
Step 1. Avoid sulfates in shampoo
Sulfates are detergents that make foamy products that can be found in many shampoos and dish soaps. Choose a sulfate-free shampoo as sulfates make hair frizzy, dry. Materials containing sulfates, usually have the element name " sulfate ". In addition to sulfates, there are also cleaners that are just as harsh but not sulfates. Technically, you need to avoid using shampoo to keep your hair moisturized, but if you want to use shampoo, avoiding sulfates is best.
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Here's a list types of sulfates to avoid.
- Alkylbenzene sulfonates
- Alkyl Benzene Sulfonate
- Ammonium Laureth Sulfate
- Ammonium lauryl sulfate
- Ammonium Xylenesulfonate
- Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
- Sodium cocoyl sarcosinate
- Sodium Laureth Sulfate
- Sodium lauryl sulfate
- Sodium lauryl sulfoacetate
- Sodium myreth sulfate
- Sodium Xylenesulfonate
- TEA-dodecylbenzenesulfonate
- Ethyl PEG-15 cocamine sulfate
- Dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate
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Here's a list gentle cleaning agent you should be looking for.
- Cocamidopropyl betaine
- Coco betaine
- Cocoamphoacetate
- Cocoamphodipropionate
- Disodium cocoamphodiacetate
- Disodium cocoamphodipropionate
- Lauroamphoacetate
- Sodium cocoyl isethionate
- behentrimonium methosulfate
- disodium Lautreth Sulphosuccinate
- babassuamidopropyl betaine
Step 2. Avoid silicones, waxes, non-natural oils, or other types of insoluble ingredients in your conditioner or other styling products
This is key to make sure these ingredients don't build up in your hair. Without shampoo, many of these ingredients will build up in your hair over time. Remember, silicone is any material whose name ends in -one, -conol, or -xane. Candles can be easily identified because the name of the ingredient usually contains the word "wax".
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Here are the types silicone to avoid:
- Dimethicone
- Bis-aminopropyl dimethicone
- Cetearyl methicone
- Cetyl Dimethicone
- Cyclopentasiloxane
- Stearoxy Dimethicone
- Stearyl Dimethicone
- Trimethylsilylamodimethicone
- Amodimethicone
- Dimethicone
- Dimethiconol
- Behenoxy Dimethicone
- Phenyl trimethicone
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Here are the types Non-natural waxes and oils to avoid.
- Mineral oil (paraffinum liquidum)
- Petrolatum
- Candles: bees wax, candelilla wax, etc.
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Here's a list of ingredients that are similar to silicone, or water-soluble silicone. These ingredients safe:
- Lauryl methicone copolyol (water soluble)
- Lauryl PEG/PPG-18/18 Methicone
- Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein Hydroxypropyl Polysiloxane (water soluble)
- Dimethicone Copolyol (water soluble)
- PEG-Dimethicone, or another substance with the name ' -cone and ending in " PEG- " (water soluble)
- Emulsifying wax
- PEG-Hydrogenated Castor Oil
- Natural oils: avocado oil, olive oil, coconut oil, etc.
- Benzophenone-2, (or 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10) - sunscreen
- Methylchloroisothiazolinone - preservative
- Methylisothiazolinone - preservative
Step 3. Avoid drying alcohol in conditioners or styling products if possible
Drying alcohol is commonly found in conditioners, topical conditioners, gels, creams, and hairspray as fillers. The problem will not be too big if the product is used with a rinse after, but for products that stick to the hair all day, or several days, you should use one that does not contain this kind of alcohol. However, there are also types of alcohol that are moisturizing or fatty, which sound similar to their name. So, make sure you don't choose the wrong one.
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The following types drying alcohol to avoid:
- Denatured alcohol
- SD alcohol 40
- witch hazel
- Isopropanol
- Ethanol
- SD alcohol
- Propanol
- Propyl alcohol
- Isopropyl alcohol
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Here's a list moisturizing alcohol to look for:
- Behenyl alcohol
- Cetearyl alcohol
- Cetyl alcohol
- Isocetyl alcohol
- Isostearyl alcohol
- Lauryl alcohol
- Myristyl alcohol
- Stearyl alcohol
- Alcohol C30-50
- Lanolin alcohol
Step 4. Pay attention to the impact the proteins in hair care products have on your hair
Most types of hair need protein as a nutrient, especially damaged hair. However, normal or protein sensitive hair doesn't need a lot of protein all the time. If your hair feels stiff, rough, and dry, your hair is actually getting too much protein.
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Here's a list protein to avoid or need, depending on your hair type.
- Cocodimonium hydroxypropyl hydrolyzed casein
- Cocodimonium hydroxypropyl hydrolyzed collagen
- Cocodimonium hydroxypropyl hydrolyzed hair keratin
- Cocodimonium hydroxypropyl hydrolyzed keratin
- Cocodimonium hydroxypropyl hydrolyzed rice protein
- Cocodimonium hydroxypropyl hydrolyzed silk
- Cocodimonium hydroxypropyl hydrolyzed soy protein
- Cocodimonium hydroxypropyl hydrolyzed wheat protein
- Cocodimonium hydroxypropyl silk amino acids
- Cocoyl hydrolyzed collagen
- Cocoyl hydrolyzed keratin
- Hydrolyzed Keratin
- Hydrolyzed Oat Flour
- Hydrolyzed silk
- Hydrolyzed silk protein
- Hydrolyzed soy protein
- Hydrolyzed wheat protein
- Hydrolyzed wheat protein
- Keratin
- Potassium cocoyl hydrolyzed collagen
- TEA-cocoyl hydrolyzed collagen
- TEA-cocoyl hydrolyzed soy protein
Step 5. Write a guide to choosing hair care products for curly hair on a piece of paper, and take it with you when you shop for hair care products
Remember, sulfates are present in all types of materials that bear the names " sulfate " or " sulfonate "; silicones can be found in materials with names ending in -one, -conol, or -xane, but PEG which is a modified silicone can be used; wax can be found in any material called "wax"; While drying alcohols usually have names containing the words "propyl", "prop", "eth", or "denatured". Happy shopping!
Step 6. Shop around and put this guide into practice
After a few times, you will get used to the same as looking for allergy triggers when buying groceries.
Tips
- Learning all the names of the ingredients above seems difficult. Learn slowly, part by part. You can print the list to check the product content while shopping.
- Switch to natural hair care products! Products like this are healthier, easier, cheaper, and more effective to treat your curly hair. These alternative ingredients include coconut oil, eggs, milk, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, etc., which can be easily found in the kitchen or grocery store. That way, you know exactly what you're applying to your hair.
- Shop at an organic grocery store or local farmer's store for natural ingredients for your hair. You'll notice the difference in the ingredients used in products that are much cheaper than expensive products that may contain harmful ingredients for your curls that cost at least twice as much.
- If you accidentally use a styling product or conditioner that isn't completely water soluble, you don't need to clean it with a shampoo that contains sulfates. Just use a sulfate-free shampoo, and this is enough to remove the silicone in your hair.
