Shampoo Brands to Avoid Today

How do you know if the shampoos, conditioners or other hair care products you are using are right for you?  I used to have to buy a shampoo first before deciding if it was right for me.  Now, just a glance at shampoo ingredients is enough for me to tell how the product will work and whether it is safe in the first place.  The thing is, shampoo ingredients penetrate our blood system, and we cannot know for certain how they act inside our bodies.  In fact, some harmful ingredients in shampoo are associated with endocrine disruption and cancer.   Other shampoo ingredients to avoid may cause immediate hair and scalp effects such as skin irritation and allergic reactions, with some even leading to hair loss. 

In this post, you will learn about popular shampoo brands to avoid, and why I think it’s a good idea to avoid using them in your hair care routine.  Additionally, you will have options of cruelty-free non-toxic shampoos to replace what are, in my opinion, harmful shampoo brands.

I Can Help You Improve The Quality Of Your Health.

Is there an area in your life about which you can say you know it inside out?  For me, it is reading the ingredients of hair care products, particularly shampoo ingredients.  My label-reading literally began with researching shampoos when I was looking for a healthy shampoo for my soon-to-arrive baby in 2011. Since then, I have studied the industry inside out and know a thing or two about shampoos as well as potentially harmful ingredients in them.

My first research back then raised my awareness about various chemicals with which we surround ourselves without even realizing it.  It occurred to me our healing can be within our reach, and we can take charge of our health.  Specifically, I used to have Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis (that’s right, not any longer!) and am recovering from Addison’s autoimmune disease now.  Besides, my father died of cancer, so I know what it is like. 

As a result, helping you reduce exposure to potentially harmful chemicals, including in your hair care routine, and improve the quality of your life and health has become my passion.  In my signature multi-step research approach, I use multiple resources, including comprehensive chemical databases, extensive scientific studies, and detailed laboratory reports.

Now, let me turn your attention to what I consider harmful shampoo brands and shampoo ingredients to avoid.

Shampoo Brands To Avoid Today

In my opinion, the following shampoo brands can pose risks to your hair and scalp as well as to your general health. Hence, I think it’s a good idea to avoid using them in your hair care routine. However, I do encourage you to always check a product’s ingredients on its label because they may change.

Now, let’s discuss their ingredients.

Potentially Harmful Ingredients In Popular Shampoos

To begin with, the list of shampoos above is by no means comprehensive. 

Also, there may be other shampoos within some of the mentioned brands that do not contain toxic ingredients.  Or, vice versa, in addition to the mentioned shampoos, there may be others within the brand with the same potentially harmful ingredients.

Based on my experience, if a company chooses to use harmful chemicals in one product, it will most likely use them in other products, too.  Hence, if I see toxic shampoo ingredients in one product, I avoid the whole brand. 

Importantly, I encourage you to read ingredients by yourself instead of relying on the word of the industry or even on my opinions.  Plus, it is a good idea to contact companies with questions to show interest in what they do.  This will help build bridges between consumers and manufacturers and make change for the better even more feasible.  

In my opinion, the following ingredients in the mentioned shampoo brands to avoid arouse some concerns:

• cocamide DEA
• fragrance
• ethoxylated ingredients
• triethanolamine
• iodopropynyl butylcarbamate
• methylchloroisothiazolinone
• methylisothiazolinone
• formaldehyde releasers (DMDM hydantoin and diazolidinyl urea).

Cocamide DEA

To start with, the full name for cocamide DEA is coconut oil diethanolamine condensate (cocamide diethanolamine).  In 2012, California added it to the list of chemicals known to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity.  The main role of cocamide DEA in a shampoo is to make it foam, which is appealing to many people.

Even though cocamide DEA originates from coconut oil, it is a harsh chemical to avoid.  Because of chemical reactions and toxic chemicals involved in its manufacturing process, it resembles coconut oil in no way.  So, the next time you hear that an ingredient is made or “derived” from coconut oil, do not assume it is safe.  Clearly, cocamide DEA is one of the shampoo ingredients to avoid.

To clarify, it is not illegal to use cocamide DEA in personal care products.  However, companies that use it must also use the California Proposition 65 warning in order to sell it in California.  The Center for Environmental Health (CEH) sues those companies that fail to use the warning on their products.  As a result, several lawsuits forced companies to agree to remove cocamide DEA from their products (source).  Yet, as you can see from the table above, some shampoos still contain potentially carcinogenic cocamide DEA. 

Fragrance

Essentially, fragrance, aka parfum, in what are, in my opinion, harmful shampoo brands is a blend of undisclosed ingredients.  The FDA does not require that companies disclose ingredients added to provide pleasant scents or to mask bad ones (source).  But, according to the European Union Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety, fragrance mixes are associated with various kinds of allergic contact dermatitis.

Thus, “fragrance,” “fragrance oils,” “parfum,” and “aroma” are shampoo ingredients to avoid.  Even so-called “natural fragrance” is not safe. Evidently, there is no legal definition for the word “natural.”  So, there is a chance that what you mean by “natural” differs from what a company means by this word. 

Ethoxylated Ingredients

Have you seen such words as PEG, polysorbate or a stem followed by “eth” (e.g., laureth) among product ingredients?  Most of the shampoo brands to avoid presented in the table above have them.  These are ethoxylated ingredients, or ingredients produced by the process of ethoxylation.  The latter helps make the raw materials less irritating to the skin. 

The problem is, manufacturers use carcinogenic ethylene oxide to carry out this chemical reaction.  Not only is it harmful in and of itself, but also the reaction produces a byproduct, called carcinogenic 1,4-dioxane.  Unless properly removed, it may end up in the final product.

For consumers, there is no way to know whether the manufacturer removed this contaminant from the product.  That is why I call it one of the Hidden Ingredients in Cosmetics and consider ethoxylated ingredients one type of shampoo ingredients to avoid.

Triethanolamine

According to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), triethanolamine is suspected of damaging fertility or the unborn child.  

Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate

Harsh preservatives used in shampoos are another reason I made this list of shampoo brands to avoid.  Although manufacturers are doing the right thing using preservatives to prevent microbial growth, I believe it is possible to use safer preservatives.  Stay with me to find out which brands use non-toxic shampoo ingredients whose products work just fine. 

As for iodopropynyl butylcarbamate, it may cause dermal irritation or contact allergy.  The American Society of Contact Dermatitis lists it as one of the core allergens, even in concentrations as low as 0.1%. 

Methylchloroisothiazolinone And Methylisothiazolinone

These two ingredients – methylchloroisothiazolinone (MCI) and methylisothiazolinone (MI) – are commonly used together as preservatives in cosmetic and other products.

Apparently, the number of allergic reaction cases caused by MCI and MI or MI alone has been increasing.  This study also shows that prolonged exposure to low levels of MI may have damaging consequences to the developing nervous system.  Additionally, the American Contact Dermatitis Society called MI “contact allergen of 2013.” 

Formaldehyde Releasers

Finally, some of the enumerated shampoo brands to avoid use DMDM hydantoin and diazolidinyl urea.  What is wrong with them?  Well, they are formaldehyde-releasing preservatives (formaldehyde releasers). 

Specifically, they work by releasing small amounts of formaldehyde which may have short-term and long-term health effects, ranging from skin irritation to cancer. The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies formaldehyde as a “known human carcinogen” (source).  That is why I consider shampoo brands that use DMDM hydantoin and diazolidinyl urea potentially harmful shampoo brands.

However, the product label will not list formaldehyde among ingredients, which makes it one of the Hidden Ingredients in Cosmetics.  Keep in mind, with long storage periods and high storage temperatures, the amount of released formaldehyde may rise.  As a result, the risk of allergic reaction to formaldehyde or to the preservative itself increases, even leading to hair loss for some people.

In addition to these harsh shampoo ingredients to avoid, most of the listed products contain what I call “middle-of-the-road” preservatives.  You can learn about them and other harmful preservatives in my Savvy Consumer Superpower e-book.  It also has a bonus wallet-size prompt sheet with ingredients to avoid.

Safe Shampoo Options

Which shampoo brands can you use in place of shampoo brands to avoid and enjoy their health benefits?  Well, there are several options you can consider.

My favorite cruelty-free shampoo and conditioner are Supergreens by Pure Haven which definitely have no shampoo ingredients to avoid.  Instead, they make my hair shiny and add much needed volume to my hair. Also, my scalp always feels calm after I use them.  In other words, they make my hair and scalp very happy. In my Pure Haven review, you can learn about this brand as well as other companies such as Arbonne and Melaleuca.

Next, my husband’s favorite hair care products are Beautycounter shampoo and conditioner. Especially, he likes how sudsy the shampoo is. 

Further, take a look at my Innersense Shampoo Ingredients review to decide whether this brand is for you.

Then, there is Hairprint shampoo which, reportedly, works well for naturally coiled and dry hair.  Here is my review of Hairprint – The Non-Toxic Shampoo to Know About.

In addition, I have reviewed Evolvh Hair and Body Care, namely, their sulfate-free color-safe shampoo.  They offer a variety of products including hair care products for curly hair. And you can enjoy a generous discount with them in addition to their inexpensive and well-performing products, too.

Plus, if you are into dry shampoos, check out my Dry Shampoos Guide that, among other brands, includes Primally Pure dry shampoo. 

Summary Of The Shampoo Brands To Avoid Post

It Is A Good Idea To Avoid Popular Shampoos With Harmful Ingredients That Can Pose Risks To Your Health And Lead To Hair Loss.

In sum, for me, harmful shampoo brands are those that contain ingredients of concern.  These include:

• cocamide DEA
• ethoxylated ingredients
• fragrance
• triethanolamine
• methylchloroisothiazolinone
• methylisothiazolinone
• iodopropynyl butylcarbamate
• diazolidinyl urea, and
• DMDM hydantoin. 

All of these are shampoo ingredients to avoid.  While some of them may potentially increase the risk of contact dermatitis, others may have carcinogenic contaminants and even contribute to the risk of reproductive damage.  Personally, I avoid products with these harmful ingredients.

Fortunately, there are safe shampoo options that work well.  Thus, my favorite one is cruelty-free Pure Haven Supergreens shampoo and conditioner that I have been using for years now.  And my husband likes Beautycounter shampoo and conditioner.  

Please, browse the I Read Labels For You blog that contains tons of useful information and visit my shop for other healthy hair, skin, and body care product options. If you need assistance with your journey to health, feel free to book a consultation with me.  You are also welcome to check out our e-books, including Permanent Hair Color Rating List e-book and a popular Savvy Consumer Superpower e-book. The latter will help you gauge the safety of any shampoo, body or makeup product in a matter of seconds.

Download The Free Guide!

5 Powerful Steps To A Non-Toxic Home

Join our informed consumer community and get our free guide the “5 Powerful Steps To A Non-Toxic Home”.

SUBSCRIBE