Read the Ingredients List, Not the Product Claims

If you have read some of my product reviews, you’d have noticed that I do ingredient analysis. That’s because there’s no regulation to what the caption of the bottle says – it can say “natural”, “removes 100% frizz” and blah blah. What really matters is what all has gone into it.

Read the first 5-8 ingredients of the product. Ingredients are mentioned in decreasing order of their percentage.
This is how a typical conditioner would look like –
Water 80%
Surfactants < 5%
Emollients <5%
Humectants <5%
Preservatives <1%
Fragrance <1%

So you can see water is the main component of most hair products. And with 80% of it being water, you can imagine how less the ingredients at the bottom of the list would be! An argan oil conditioner with the “pure goodness of argan oil” having argan oil as the 2nd last product in the list! Add an image of argan nuts on the label and it is instantly appealing to the consumers.

I urge you to read this. Such a brilliant article by The Natural Haven Bloom – The Myth of Natural Hair Products

Read these articles for ingredients to look out for –

• CG Method and CG Friendly Products in India (Intermediate and Advanced Curly Hair Care)
• Ingredients to Look for in a Hair Gel
• Ingredients to Look for in a Conditioner

The only exception to reading beyond the 1st few ingredients is if you are looking to avoid something in specific – for eg: silicones for those who are following the CG method or protein if your hair is protein sensitive. (Read – The first five ingredients Q&A)

And what if the full ingredients list is not mentioned?

Welcome to India.

• There are so many “herbal” brands popping up that don’t even mention the full ingredients list and just label products with whatever they want – a shampoo without the main cleansing ingredient, a conditioner without the main emollient or surfactant. It makes the product look like there are only “leaf and flower extracts” in it. Uff! Herbal, Natural and Organic Products – Are They as Good as They Claim to Be?
• Another cue is, if a product mentions only “Key Ingredients” – that is not the full list.
• If there are words like base excipients, base q.s etc, that is not the full ingredients list again

It is best to stay away from such products. Or you can e-mail the companies for the full list.

Be informed consumers 🙂 ❤