The work of an average shampoo and conditioner is to make hair both soft and healthy. Most of the products found on shelves, however, contain hazardous materials in them. These products can harm your hair and skin. Therefore, it is important to ensure you understand what ingredient goes into your beard care products. Manufacturers tend to add hazardous materials to make the products produce the desired amount of foam.
For beard lovers here as some of the ingredients that manufacturers tend to use in producing their products that are harmful to human health:
Sulfates
A sulfate is a chemical detergent that is used by manufacturers to produce the soapy quality found in shampoos. Sulfates, however, are known to irritate the skin and strip the natural oils that are found on the hair strands. Sulfates are normally known to degrease engines. That is why, some manufacturers decide to use this readily available industrial degreaser, in manufacturing their products.
The ability of sulfates to produce a bubbly lather is normally associated with a good deserved clean. However, it is important to note that beard shampoos do not require any foam to cleanse the beard. It is important to look out for any sodium sulfate in the shampoo ingredients and steer away from them.
Phthalates
These chemicals are also referred to as plasticizers. They are commercially used in the softening of plastics. When a plasticizer is used in manufacturing plastic, it renders the end-product more pliable and reduces the chances of it breaking. When a plasticizer is used on the human body, it disrupts the hormone levels causing adverse effects to the body. It may cause men to have a low sperm count, have poor sperm quality, birth defects, and impede the genital development of boys. Due to these negative effects, all phthalates were banned in the manufacturing of toys for children, since 2009.
The next time you shop for your beard products, be on the lookout for the following ingredients on the label; DMP, DBP, DEP, BzBP, and DEHP phthalate or bis.
Formaldehyde
This chemical is mostly used for the preservation of bodies in morgues. This chemical is a known to be a human carcinogen. Since manufacturers are aware of the public knowledge when it comes to this product, they have devised ingenious ways of including it in cosmetic recipes. They do so by using formaldehyde-releasing chemicals in their ingredients. These chemicals are known to release formaldehyde on their own.
Cosmetic companies use formaldehyde to preserve the look of beards. The flip side of this apart from being widely known to cause cancer includes heart palpitations, allergic dermatitis reactions on contact to skin, dizziness, and hair loss.
It is important the next time you shop for your beard care essentials to keep of products with the following ingredients; glyoxal, formaldehyde, DMDM hydantoin, quanternium-15, 2-Bromo-2-nitropropane-1, imidazolidinyl urea, polyoxymethylene urea, diazolidinyl urea, and bronopol or 3-diol.
Paraffin
Paraffin may be labeled as petroleum jelly or mineral oil. When it is introduced to the skin, it acts as a protective layer against moisture loss. The thin oily layer that it produces also minimizes the growth of microorganisms on the body.
Using paraffin based beard products leads to the clogging of pores, gathering of dandruff, and breakage of hair. Paraffin also interferes with the creation of natural oils. Paraffin also causes other products that you may use not to work thanks to the thin oily layer it leaves behind. Some manufacturers may use paraffin that hasn’t been fully refined. This may contain toxins that are known to cause cancer.
It is therefore important to be on the lookout for any petroleum ingredient in you beard care products. It is only white petroleum that has fully been refined and is fit for use.
Continue Maintaining a Healthy Beard
To maintain a healthy beard, it is important to be careful on what products you use. Some of these products may leave you hairless and or even lead to worse conditions.