Using high quality hair products is important to achieve beautiful hair. Many products available on the market that can assist you in achieving the perfect hair you’d like. Unfortunately, the majority of products contain many harmful ingredients that can cause more damage to the hair than you’d expect. Before we discuss different harmful ingredients and products, let’s discuss hair.
Hair types
A hair type describes the way your hair looks and the pattern in which it grows. It can be either silky straight, super wavy or extremely curly. Hair also comes in different textures – this refers to the thickness of the hair strand. It can be fine, medium, thick or coarse. Fine hair is more prone to breakage, especially if it’s on the dry side. Medium or normal hair has more protein structure than fine hair, but it’s still less thick than coarse hair. Coarse hair is thicker strands, holds curls very well, but can be prone to frizz.
Hair porosity is the hair’s ability to absorb moisture and retain it. Hair needs a lot of moisture in general – moisturised hair looks great natural and grows faster.
Straight hair
This hair type is very straight and has a tendency toward becoming greasy and shiny. Straight hair tends to become greasy faster than curly hair because it’s thinner and the oil travels down the shaft more quickly. Here are the three subcategories for straight hair:
- Type 1A – Type 1A hair is very straight and fine
- Type 1B – very straight – this type is thicker with medium texture and more volume
- Type 1C – this type is very thick, coarse and shiny, but it’s still straight
Wavy
Wavy has has a nice wave to it and it tends to be a bit thicker than Type 1 hair. These are the three subcategories:
- Type 2A – very fine hair and thin with S-shaped waves
- Type 2B – this type of hair is wavy and medium-thick, it also tends to be more frizzy
- Type 2C – this type it is prone to frizz and difficult to style, it also tends to be almost curly
Curly
This is the curliest type. It has defined, springy curls and it tends to be easy to style. There are three subcategories for curly hair:
- Type 3A – defined curls with a thick texture but a bit frizzy
- Type 3B – tighter curls and can be a combination of different hair types
- Type 3C – very tight curls or kinks and is generally easy to style
Very Curly or Kinky
This type has very tight and well-defined curls. It’s coarse in texture and also sensitive and prone to heat damage.
- Type 4A – soft, well-defined curls
- Type 4B – very tight curls but less defined and soft
- Type 4C – extremely tight curls
Every hair type requires different hair products and should be taken care of.
Hair care
Straight hair should be washed more often since it has a lot of natural shine and can get oily fairly quickly. Volumising shampoos and conditioners can be helpful and will give your fine, straight hair a little more texture and body. Try not to use products that are heavy or rich in their consistency. When it comes to styling, flip the hair upside down when blow-drying to give it more volume. Dry shampoo is also helpful for adding some volume while also soaking up excess oil. Blunt haircuts leave this type of hair looking thicker. Layers also can give your hair some movement and body.
Wavy Hair tends to be more frizzy. It’s important to control the frizz without weighing down the hair and ruining the waves. Adding volume and moisture gives the hair life and movement. Shampoos and conditioners for this hair type should be hydrating and helpful in reducing frizz. Styling mousse on damp hair will help with frizziness and volume. Using a diffuser will help with keeping your hair tamed – blow-drying dries out the hair and leaves it frizzy. A layered haircut will give you some volume and keep the hair looking thick.
Curly Hair is quite frizzy. The key to controlling frizz is to constantly moisturise the hair and keep it under control. The ideal shampoo and conditioner can keep the hair hydrated, moisturised and add some definition to the curls. For defined curls it’s good to apply a bit of mousse and gently comb the hair. The shorter you cut your hair, the curlier your hair will get.
Ingredients you should avoid
Chemicals are widely found in hair products available on the market. They are very harmful for your hair so it’s important to double check the ingredients to see if your product contains any of these:
-Propylene glycol (PG)- found in many shampoos, conditioners, styling gels and lotions. They break down healthy proteins and cellular structure and cause scalp irritation.
-SLS- sodium lauryl, aka sodium laureth sulphate. This chemical is in a lot of shampoos, so it can be hard to avoid. It dries your hair out and strips it from its natural oils. Sulfates can cause irritation, redness and itching, especially if your scalp is sensitive.
-PEG or polyethylene glycols. These are synthetic petrochemicals found in hair care products, especially hair dyes. They also dry out the hair and leave it brittle.
-Synthetic fragrances- these can cause many bad reactions such as headaches, chest tightness and asthma. Fragrances are often used in hair care products to give a nice scent, but most people don’t know that they don’t serve any functional purpose. They should especially be avoided by those with sensitive skin.
-Triclosan- this antibacterial agent weakens the immune system and creates abnormal levels of hormones and the endocrine system.
Avoiding these chemicals isn’t too hard – there are a lot of professional organic hair products available that you probably haven’t heard of.
When it comes to hair spray, it’s mostly used to keep your hair in place and set it for the whole day. There are different types of hair sprays that work in different ways. You can find plenty of volumizing hair sprays that will give your hair a lot of body and shape, especially if it’s fine and straight. Hair spray works well with keeping your hair in tact all day – this is important for those who style their hair a lot: curling, blow-drying or putting it up. A lot of people use hair spray to tease their hair which is another way to add volume to the hair. Hair spray also allows you to hide fringes that appear oily. You can pull the freshly washed fringes over a round brush to keep the hair away from the skin and apply a small amount of hair spray. If you want to form curls with hair spray, you can spray your hair across the surface and use a curling iron to shape it. After removing the iron spray your hair again and allow the hair to cool. This will help the curls hold their shape.
The best products
Herbal Choice Mari Organic Hair Spray
This amazing hair spray is USDA Certified organic – it’s paraben free and preservative free. It contains zero petroleum based ingredients. It’s also cruelty-free, vegan, vegetarian and free from any gluten, soy, dairy or GMO. This product is also free from PEG, ceteareth, polyethylene, phthalates, synthetic chemicals or dyes. Oils are hexane free, cold pressed, non-refined and non-deodorized. It’s a high quality product that will keep your hair looking great all day.
Honeybee Gardens Hair Spray Alcohol Free
A product that helps keep your hair in place and perfectly styled all day long. It has a strong and natural looking hold that allows your hair to look flawless and amazing. The non-aerosol hair spray is enriched with organic botanical ingredients to nourish hair and increase shine. Most importantly, the formula is alcohol-free so it’s non-drying, soft and leaves the hair feeling healthy.
Organic Aloe Vera Spray for Body & Hair
The biggest advantage of this product is that it can be used on both the body and hair. Thanks to its high quality ingredients, the product is extremely fresh and naturally grown in USDA certified fields. The product absorbs very rapidly and doesn’t leave any layer of thickener or stickiness on your skin – it absorbs rapidly and leaves the skin and hair smooth and silky. The spray is super easy to apply and spreads evenly throughout the hair. Even if you don’t want to style your hair a given day you can still add this spray for some moisture.
Sea Salt Spray for Hair – Texturizing Spray Hair Products
A different option for achieving beautiful, natural waves is using a sea salt spray. It contains organic aloe vera, green tea algae, and raspberry fruit. It nourishes, conditions, and strengthens the hair while improving the way it looks. It’s lightweight, smells incredible, and it will give your the texture you desire with a little lift. If you’re looking for a versatile styling product with multiple benefits, this is a great option. The best thing to do it apply it when your hair is dry, or slightly damp, and your hair will be left feeling thicker and fuller with added volume and texture.
Jack Henry Premium 4-Ingredient Organic Hair Refresh
A product that contains all organic ingredients – no alcohols or chemicals to harm your skin. It hydrates, nourishes and styles while adding thickness, texture and helps control flyaways. Some organic ingredients it contains is artesian spring water, Pacific Ocean sea salt, witch hazel and lemon oil.
Hair is an important element of our appearance and it should help us feel more confident. Styling our hair allows us to achieve a look that we like – this doesn’t need to involve chemicals. Organic hair products are just as good and a lot safer and more beneficial. Try them out and see for yourself!
