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What is the Best Hair Conditioner for Healthy Hair?And how do hair conditioners affect our environment?What is the best hair conditioner to use? What do they actually do? Are any of them harmful to us or the environment? Do we even really need conditioners?
This article gives you a brief round up of the facts so that you can judge for yourself how green many of these products are. You can also learn what to look out in products for the best results for your hair, your health, and the environment. Best hair conditioner: What is conditioner?Hair conditioners came into vogue as commercial preparations in the 1950s after Jheri Redding introduced the Crème Rinse Conditioner. He realised that hair was largely made of protein and therefore would be benefited by nourishment with proteins and vitamins. Before that people would use a variety of oils and creams after drying to keep their hair under control. Many modern conditioners contain proteins, as well as a huge range of other chemicals. Best hair conditioner:
Modern hair conditionersConditioners are now made from a huge variety of chemicals but they commonly include: Acidifiers - which make the hair more acid and remove grease. These help leave your hair looking shiny and clean. The surface of hair is actually quite scaly when viewed under a microscope. Acidifiers help the surface to be smoother and less scaly so that light reflects better. Citric acid is an acidifier which is often used. Antistatic agents help to reduce static electricity in the hair, making it more manageable. Essential fatty acids (EFAs) found in natural oils can help dry and damaged hair to become more soft and pliable. The scalp's natural oil is called sebum. EFAs are quite like natural sebum (which itself contains EFAs). When you wash your hair you remove a lot of the natural sebum, so it makes sense to replace it. Fragrances are often synthetic. Some are suspected of causing health problems in some individuals. Glossers and light-reflecting chemicals are used to bind to the hair surface. These are usually polymers or silicones such as dimethicone or cyclomethicone. Hydrolised proteins give the hair shaft additional strength. Lubricants such as fatty alcohols, panthenol and dimethicone, help the hair to remain tangle free. Moisturisers As the name suggests, these help keep moisture in just as moisturisers do in skin cream. Humectants perform the same role. Polymers may also be included which bond with hair cells for additional strength. They can have several functions - see below. Preservatives are needed for some of the ingredients, particularly organic ones, which otherwise may degrade on exposure to air. Sequestrants help the conditioner to work well in hard water. Surfactants Hair conditioners usually contain cationic surfactants, which don't wash out completely. They strongly bind to the keratin - the protein from which hair is made. The surfactant molecules act as an artificial surface, repelling moisture from the hair. Thermal protectors such as heat-absorbing polymers, shield the hair against excessive heat from blow-drying or curling irons. Best hair conditioner:
What about the environment?Sewage works are having to change their practices to cope with the many environmental toxins now in use. Recent research has shown that actions taken at sewage facilities to reduce nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, are also removing a good portion of the chemicals used in personal care products (PPCPs). Basically, much longer processes are having to be used to eliminate the biological hazards lurking in our waste water. However, some chemicals can persist and present a threat to the wider environment. Fragrances are a particular concern, especially musk ketone and galaxolide. Best hair conditioner:
What natural alternatives are there?Cider vinegar provides a basis for a natural healthy conditioner which has no bad environmental effects. Put one or two tablspoonfuls into a pint or more of water. This helps the acidity of hair, leaving it shiny and silky. Be aware that this may sting if it gets into your eyes! For this reason, cider vinegar is not one of the best hair conditioners. For my money, tea and neutral henna are better alternatives.
Here are some of the best hair conditioners from the kitchen and garden. Treatment with oils helps the softness and manageability of hair. Olive oil can be rubbed into the scalp before washing. Use a tablespoonful or so of oil well massaged into the scalp. for a better result, wrap your head in a warm towel for 20 minutes before washing the oil out. You may need to use a little more shampoo than normal. This process leaves your hair feeling silky and soft and surprisingly un-greasy. For fuller instructions see Olive Oil Hair Treatment for Softer Hair. Rosemary oil is also useful. Add one or two drops of rosemary oil to your final rinse. Alternatively, infuse rosemary leaves in boiling water for 10 or 15 minutes. Add a little of this to your final rinse. Lemon Balm (Melissa) can also be prepared as an infusion to add to rinse water. Henna powder is also good for the condition of hair. Buy the kind which has had the natural colourant removed if you don't want to end up with red hair! Best hair conditioner:
Best advice for using bought hair conditioner?Buy a simple conditioner with mainly natural and organic ingredients. (Weleda make a good one.)
Avoid products with artificial fragrances and parabens especially as these are some of the more damaging chemicals both for the environment and for your health. Buy products in clear bottles. It's easier to see that your finished bottles are thoroughly empty and clear of product residues before you toss them into the re-cycling bin. Many of the better, "green" brands come in clear bottles, presumably because they've thought of this!
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