Is your shampoo causing you further hair loss?

If ever we have heard anything about shampoos, it is that shampoos prevent hair loss. The market is all full of products claiming to stop your hair from falling and making them shine with grace. But counter-claims have also been made alongside that there are shampoos that can cause you further hair loss instead of treating it. So, how to know if the bottle in your bathroom is not harming you? To understand this, we must first understand how shampoos work

How do shampoos work?

The human scalp has hair follicles. These hair follicles are meant to support hair growth. Inside these follicles also lie sebaceous glands. These glands create a nourishing agent called Sebum. Its purpose is to keep our scalp hydrated. However, sometimes the normal working mechanism of our bodies falls apart and certain functions go wrong. This is when these glands start producing excess sebum. This causes an oily scalp that attracts dirt and pollution from its surroundings. This also provides perfect conditions for dandruff-causing yeast. Consequently, diseases start to thrive on the scalp, causing hair thinning and hair fall.

Shampoos work cleaning this sebum off. But this is not the only thing that shampoos do.

Today, there also are shampoos that work on reversing these adverse hair conditions. These shampoos target the root cause of hair fall. For example, if you are suffering from hair thinning, there are shampoos containing minoxidil. Or you might even find a product that works on DHT, the reason behind male pattern baldness. You can easily find these quality products on sites like Shopify. However, you must also know if your product is harming you or not.

How to know if your shampoo is bad?

The only thing that can make a shampoo worsen your hair fall is the chemicals used. Most of the shampoos out there contain buckets full of chemicals that do more harm than good to your hair. These chemicals, although help you get rid of oil in your hair, make your scalp suffer in the long term. So, what are the harmful chemicals in a shampoo that you should be wary of?

• Sulfate

• Paraben

• Phthalate

• Triclosan

• Alcohol

• Polyethylene Glycol

• Fragrance

• Formaldehyde

• Dimethicone

• Retinyl palmitate

• Toluene

• Resorcinol

• Quaternium-15

If you find your shampoo to be having any of these harmful chemicals, throw it away. A shampoo is not a creation of the modern world. We, humans, have been using shampoo for ages to cleanse our hair. The very first instance of shampoos comes from the Indus Valley Civilization. It was made by boiling Sapindus and Indian gooseberry together. But today the face of shampoos has changed. You’ll find millions of products out there trying to capture the market. This can sometimes lead to unhealthy tricks and ingredients used.

If you are looking to buy some shampoo, look for natural products. A good shampoo must have none of the harmful ingredients listed above. Apart from it, it must also use a natural base and other natural ingredients. The lesser chemicals there are, the more helpful the shampoo is. Once selected, you may buy it from health and beauty websites. Also, make sure that other body care products like a conditioner, a moisturizer, etc., in your home are based on natural ingredients too.

The cosmetic market today is huge. Giant neck-to-neck competition pushes companies to adopt cruel practices. Most of the time these companies make their way even through the legal doors. This is because the law around cosmetics is not very strong. To stay healthier, you have to be an aware customer. Always read the labels before you buy any product.