Hair Care
Organic Hair Care 101
Whatâs the hype about organic haircare? Maybe youâve seen the little âorganicâ stickers on the fruit in the supermarket, but youâre not sure how that relates to your shampoo. Organic basically means the product has been produced without chemical fertilisers, pesticides, or other synthetic materials.
October 3, 2024
Organic vs Traditional Hair Products
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But whatâs wrong with normal shampoo? Why would it need to be organic? Well, many non-organic shampoos are packed with chemical compounds that arenât actually good for your hair or scalp.
These types of ingredients include:
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- Parabens, are normally used as a preservative but are reputed to be carcinogenic.
â - Sulphates, which foam up your shampoo in a lather, but actually strip your hair of important oils.
â - Silicones give hair a (temporary and artificial) silky quality but can create a nasty build-up which then requires removal with sulphates.
â - Alcohol; there are short-chain alcohols, which are often used in hairsprays for a quick-drying effect (which can also dry out your hair), and long-chain alcohols, which are used as thickeners in shampoos and conditioners and can have moisturising qualities.
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These are the main ânastiesâ, and while they tend to leave your hair looking âbetterâ for a little while, they carry heavy risks of irritation and strip the hair of essential properties, like its protective oils. Your skin absorbs a lot of what you put on it, and haircare products can soak in through your scalp, making a negative impact, or a positive one.
There are three big benefits of organic hair care products:
1. Safer for your hair
When we talk about an organic product, it doesnât include any of the ânastiesâ. Instead, it features natural ingredients that are super gentle and nourishing, like coconut oil, shea butter, avocado oil, honey, and more. These ingredients donât cause any irritation and foster hair health for the long term by nurturing the scalp and retaining the hairâs protective layers and oils. Organic products can also undo the damage caused by harsh, synthetic ingredients, leaving you with healthier, more vibrant hair!
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2. Kinder to the environment
All those suds spiralling down the drain have to end up somewhere, right? The truth is, synthetic chemicals commonly used in haircare can be harmful to marine life and other environments. Remember the nasties we talked about earlier? These can negatively impact water and soil, disrupting healthy ecosystems. By going organic, you support a more eco-friendly production process, and you ensure your use of those products isnât causing environmental harm too.
3. Better for coloured hair
Are you worried about your shampoo stripping your (very expensive and expertly applied) colour? You wonât be with an organic product! They donât contain the harsh chemicals that can react with the dye in your hair, leaving the colour untouched.Â
How to tell if a product is organic
So how can you tell if a product is truly organic, or just saying so? The regulation around cosmetic terminology is looser than that of pharmaceuticals or food products. What you want to look for is a certification seal or logo. For example, you can trust that products displaying the ACO (Australian certified organic) seal have passed a thorough assessment by a regulating body.Â
Youâll also want to look for the specific terminology used on the label, as this can indicate the level to which a product is organic. If you see â100% organicâ or âcertified organicâ with a seal from a regulating body, you can be confident this product is made with 95-100% organic ingredients. If you see âmade with organic materialsâ (with a seal/logo), it means only some of the ingredients in the products are organic, usually 70-95%. If you simply see âorganicâ with no certification number or logo, itâs likely the ingredients are <70% organic.Â
Ready to Take The Next Step? Partner with HFM
Health Focus Manufacturers have certifications from Australian Certified Organic (ACO), COSMOS (European organic standards) and Organic Food Chain (OFC). They also implement rigorous quality assurance to comply with their quality certifications, ISO 9001 and ISO 22716. If youâre looking to formulate a line of organic products, whether itâs haircare, skincare or cosmeceutical, Health Focus Manufacturers will proudly partner with you, as they have with many industry-leading brands. Contact them today to learn more and get started.Â
