Natural Ingredients do NOTHING for Your Hair

[Cincysweetie]

This expert on 20/20's beauty myth busting episode tonight is saying natural ingredients do little to no good for your hair. She said products such as aloe, chamomille, Vitamin E, and all those flower ingredients, etc. do nothing for your hair and you're just as well off using cheaper, synthetic ingredients. She said that natural ingredients in products come in such small traces and they typically get washed down the drain and not penetrated into the hair shaft. She also suggested that it's much better to eat the ingredients (such as vitamins, etc.) or slather them on your skin. So don't waste your money ladies!!!

However, I know many around here use products that contain natural ingredients, so what do you all think? Did anybody see this?

Here is a small portion of what she said on the show:

Myth No. 7: Natural Ingredients Make Shampoos Better

Do you think botanicals and natural ingredients are better for your hair than chemicals? If you said yes, you'd be wrong, according to Paula Begoun, who has researched more than 4,000 products for her book, "Don't Go Shopping for Hair Care Products Without Me."

"All of those cute little plant extracts they throw in, the teeny amounts of apples or chamomile or whatever sexy-sounding herb or plant that grows, that's not what's cleaning your hair," Begoun told "20/20."

"The unsung heroes of the hair care industry are synthetic ingredients," she added. "But it's hard to sell synthetic ingredients as having any sex appeal."

Ingredients like the laureth sulfates are what's actually cleaning your hair, but nobody's touting chemicals on shampoo bottles.

 

[tropicexotic]

It almost sounds like she's not complaining about natural products, but the one's that claim they're natural but have shea butter or aloe as practically the last ingredient. If that's the gist of it, then I agree with her...cuz those aren't natural products, and the synthetic ingredients higher up on the list are what are affecting and/or treating/cleansing/conditioning your hair. But natural stuff, like pure shea butter, or mixing honey and olive oil--no one can tell me that that stuff doesn't work on it's own.

 

[Peachtree]

I didn't catch the segment on 20/20, but I did read her book. (( it was an eye opener!!))

I found it very interesting when she commented (paraphrasing)... hair is dead, so it can't be nourished. Don't buy into the myth that natural ingredients are in products to nourish the hair... u can't nourish something that's dead.

That really got me to thinking

I still prefer concocting my natural pomades/butters/gels/moisturizers, etc. & putting it on my hair..... & often times, these same concoctions get on my scalp inadvertently (( which is FARRR healthier for my scalp than my chemical based products)).

 

[Isis]

I saw this also and I agree with some things and disagree with other points. I would agree that "natural ingredients in products come in such small traces" but many of us use the natural ingredients directly (like EEOO, coconut oil, jojoba, essential oils) or add them to our products so they will get penetrated into the hair shaft.

I know hair is dead (as they emphasized compared to skin) but I can feel and see the difference using certain products over another, which may or may not have natural ingredients.

The show on 20/20 wasn't taking into account those of us who are really focused on taking care of our hair.

 

[Shatani]

and i also get the feeling they werent talkin to black folks

 

[Cincysweetie]

Peachtree, did you learn anything else from her book? I had never heard of her or her book prior to the show. I'm sure it has a lot of interesting information in there.

 

[pookeylou]

I would have to agree that alot of the products out there mention "natural ingredients" as hype. The amounts they have in them are so small that they really could not benefit your hair.

I have switched to all natural products for my hair care (rosemary hair oil, shealoe butter, shampoo bar made with honey, rosemary oil, coconut milk, aloe, vitamin e, lime oil). That way I know the amount of the natural ingredients I am getting.

 

[tropicexotic]

Oooh, ok, so now it's sounding different than what I originally thought. This sounds really interesting too. Hmm, the pj in me would like some sort of answer but I don't think knowing natural ingredients can't nourish my hair would make me stop buying natural products. :/ Thanks for bringin this up cincysweetie, Lord knows I don't pay attention to news programs at all so I really would have missed this.

 

[Cincysweetie]

Oooh, ok, so now it's sounding different than what I originally thought. This sounds really interesting too. Hmm, the pj in me would like some sort of answer but I don't think knowing natural ingredients can't nourish my hair would make me stop buying natural products. :/ Thanks for bringin this up cincysweetie, Lord knows I don't pay attention to news programs at all so I really would have missed this.

LOL you are welcome!

 

[RushGirl]

I understood what she meant on the show..I did watch it....but they sure didn't talk about how bad SLS, etc was for your hair.. they made it sound as if only ingredients like that can clean your hair..and that's just not true.. but of course they can't say that because of how many products have the "bad stuff" in them..

 

[tryn2growmyhair]

I understood what she meant on the show..I did watch it....but they sure didn't talk about how bad SLS, etc was for your hair.. they made it sound as if only ingredients like that can clean your hair..and that's just not true.. but of course they can't say that because of how many products have the "bad stuff" in them..

This was my concern as well. Paula Begoun's book is helpful but it is not the be all and end all and it is not geared towards blacks. If could turn back time, I might just go to the library and look at the section on black hair.

Also, she was mainly referring to products like some Herbal Essences shampoos, that claim to be natural but really just have trace amounts.

The items that many of use are using the on this board, i.e. making our OWN hair products out of shea butter, using olive oil and essential oils instead of just buying products that say that they contain olive oil, are beneficial, I believe.

I saw the show and did not think that the part on hair really applied to this board in the same way that I thought that the part on fitness would not apply to anyone who was really serious about fitness.

 

[Vintagecoilylocks]

Well to clarify my position I use the actual natural item . I have used suave and noticed considerable difference in a particular "natural " flavor to the other. But true natural items like oils and fruits, and protein items make the ultimate difference in my natural hair. I have finally re-transitioned to using all natural ingredients in homemade recipes and not even the most expensive synthetic works as well for me. Infinity shampoo and conditioner, before they broke down and put laurel sulfate in their items, was the same as using the natural plant or herb. They felt they had to satisfy the people who just have to have suds or go out of buisness. Well that's my experience and I think she is being too generic and a little incorrect to say synthetic is just as good because for many the synthetic is damaging. Most natural items at least won't hurt if not help.

 

[tryn2growmyhair]

Well to clarify my position I use the actual natural item . I have used suave and noticed considerable difference in a particular "natural " flavor to the other. But true natural items like oils and fruits, and protein items make the ultimate difference in my natural hair. I have finally re-transitioned to using all natural ingredients in homemade recipes and not even the most expensive synthetic works as well for me. Infinity shampoo and conditioner, before they broke down and put laurel sulfate in their items, was the same as using the natural plant or herb. They felt they had to satisfy the people who just have to have suds or go out of buisness. Well that's my experience and I think she is being too generic and a little incorrect to say synthetic is just as good because for many the synthetic is damaging. Most natural items at least won't hurt if not help.

I agree with much of what you are saying and find that when I make my own products, my hair often benefits. Some products, like Mane N Tale or Kerastase or Kenra, I love and I cant duplicate at home but natural works well for me. Could you please share your recipes with us? I am always on the lookout for good recipes. Thanks.

 

[Isis]

I understood what she meant on the show..I did watch it....but they sure didn't talk about how bad SLS, etc was for your hair.. they made it sound as if only ingredients like that can clean your hair..and that's just not true.. but of course they can't say that because of how many products have the "bad stuff" in them..

Yeah, 20/20 (ABC) has to be careful about that so they don't lose any sponsers.

 

[Boadicea]

I really don't think they were trying to make it sound as if no natural ingredient would have any positive effect on your hair. The reason why they didn't go into synthetic ingredients was because that was not the subject.

You don't get the same effect using coconut oil straight and using a shampoo or conditioner that contains coconut oil which is, of course, in a small amount contained within the product.
I believe they were speaking more to the people who think if they use products with all natural, or a "higher" consentration of natural ingredients that their hair is somehow more healthy than when using synthetic products.

The truth is that in most cases, your hair is reacting to a synthetic material in the products so while you think it's the jojoba, it's the methyclorylisthiozolinone (which is a chemical found in many hair products).

 

[MeechUK]

I believe that natural ingredients do help my hair! Some shampoos and conditioners do have small traces of natural ingredients, but arguably why do some shampoos and conditioners work better than others? Different textures have different needs and drug store brands with their natural ingredients may work better for some, but on the whole I believe you get what you pay for. I have switched to my own homemade pomades using natural ingredients and the difference in my hair texture has improved considerably!

 

[tryn2growmyhair]

I have switched to my own homemade pomades using natural ingredients and the difference in my hair texture has improved considerably!

I agree with this.

 

[hOnii]

hm... because of my own experiences with natural ingredients, i disagree. i mean, for my hair it strengthens my hair, or adds extreme moisture. so how can it do nothing for my hair?

they also make my hair grow faster.

 

[CLASSYEBONYGIRL]

Well I don't really care about what Paula has to say about natural ingredients not doing anything for your hair because ever since I started buying essential oils and organic shampoos and conditioners my hair has loved me so much for doing this switch. I have seen drastic changes from making a switch and I won't be looking back to products with synthetic ingredients that makes my hair dry and brittle. Sorry!! My hair is now growing, it's very soft, shiny, moisturized and my hair strands have strengthened incredibly .