By Lisa Petty
W
e all want to look our best. But what if your cosmetics and beauty care products are making you sick? Enjoy this blog by nutrition and natural beauty expert Lisa Petty.
Non-scary hair care
Avoiding toxins in the products you use on your hair is important but you don’t have to sacrifice your good looks in the process. Try hair care products with natural ingredients to help you stay healthy and look fabulous.
Shampoo
Quillaja, or soap bark, is a great natural foaming agent used in shampoos in place of the irritant sodium lauryl sulfate. For oily hair, look for products containing rosemary extract; dry hair will love rosehip oil. To banish flakes, opt for a natural shampoo containing tea tree oil. New studies also show that green tea might calm scalp flakes caused by psoriasis.
Conditioner
Calendula, lavender, and wheat proteins combined with shea butter or jojoba oil will restore brilliance to your mane.
Set your style
Try petroleum-free candelilla wax or beeswax in your pomade, and use a spray containing polysaccharides (sugars) for a natural hold.
Flirt with Color
Rosemary extract is a perfect rinse for auburn hair, while calendula helps to reignite blonde locks.
Top 10 ingredients to avoid in hair products
• coal tar or azo dyes
• EDTA (ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid)
• ethanolamines, including DEA and TEA
• imidazolidinyl urea
• parabens, including butylparaben, propylparaben, methylparaben, and ethylparaben
• PEG compounds (synthetic chemicals)
• phthalates
• copolymer
• sodium lauryl sulfate
• triclosan
For a great conditioning oil treatment, add two tablespoons of organic olive oil or coconut oil to hair. Cover head with shower cap. Leave on for 15 minutes, then shampoo and condition hair.
About This Guest Blogger
Excerpted from Living Beauty: Feel Great, Look Fabulous & Live Well (©2006 Fitzhenry & Whiteside) by Lisa Petty. www.LiveVibrantly.ca
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