Ever looked at the fine print of your shampoo or conditioner? There are so many ingredients! But what exactly is that stuff?
“Formaldehyde… and the sodium laurel sulfates can cause things like contact allergic dermatitis,” said Dr. Corinne Erickson, Board Certified Dermatologist with North Dallas Dermatology Associates.
Wait what?! That doesn’t sound good.
Dr. Erickson, who is also on staff at Texas Health Dallas, said some of those releasing agents do keep bacteria away, but what if we want to wash without chemicals?
One of the latest hair washing trends is called New Wash, which fashions itself as a non-detergent cleanser.
“It'll clean hair just as well,” said hairdresser Beau Bollinger. “We use essential oils and aloe vera that grab onto the oil and remove it."
Bollinger said detergents in regular shampoos create the lather but the bubbles are the problem.
“It tends to strip all of the natural oils that are supposed to be on your scalp and dries it out, and it's why you need a conditioner," he explained.
With New Wash, Bollinger said, no conditioner is needed. The wash does feel thicker -- more like a mask -- so rinsing out extra well is recommended. Also, he added, it’s advised to thoroughly massage the New Wash into your scalp.
“People are becoming more conscious of what they're putting in their body [and] on their body,” said the hairdresser from LARC Salon in Dallas.
Dr. Erickson said studies haven’t yet been conducted analyzing whether or not washing with essential oils is better than shampoo for the scalp and hair, but did acknowledge some potential key benefits.
“They may feel a little bit less drying and more nourishing,” she said.
Before using any product, Dr. Erickson urges you to know your skin type. If you have allergies, she said, even the most natural and organic product could have a fragrance that sets you off.
Bollinger added that New Wash can be used by men or women with any type of hair – fine, course, ethnic, etc. But if you’re new to New Wash, it’s best to commit to it exclusively and not go back and forth with shampoo and conditioners because the scalp needs time to adjust, depending on how dry or oily you are.
For more information on New Wash, go here.