Written By: Upneet Pansare | Updated : September 20, 2018 8:54 AM IST
You must try using these natural DIY shampoos © Shutterstock
Shampoos promise a number of things: softness and smoothness, moisturisation, dandruff cleansing, frizz removal, excess oil cleansing and others. While shampoo ads, bottle packaging and brand ambassadors seem attractive and the shampoos look like they are the ultimate solution to all your hair problems, the fact is that store-bought chemical shampoos are full of harmful ingredients that can worsen or give rise to hair problems. Usually, there are 10-30 ingredients in shampoos: (1) Cleansing agents; (2) additives; (3) conditioning agents, intended to impart softness and gloss, to reduce flyaway and to enhance disentangling, and (4) special care ingredients, designated to treat specific problems, such as dandruff and greasy hair.
The surfactants and other ingredients in the shampoo can make your hair frizzier, weaker and make your scalp itchy and irritated. Shampoos can also cause contact dermatitis. Some of the most common allergens in shampoos are: cocamidopropyl betaine, methylchloroisothiazolinone, formaldehyde-releasing preservatives, propylene glycol, Vitamin E (tocopherol), parabens and benzophenones. Using shampoos belonging to popular brands is convenient, fast and will probably leave your hair smelling good, but, in the long run, these can have massively dangerous effects on your hair leading to problems like hair loss, alopecia, balding etc.
Natural ingredients have no side effects, are easily available and, more importantly, impart even better effects than your shampoos. Try these natural shampoos for gorgeous, healthy and strong hair:
1) Add 1 tbsp baking soda to 1 cup water. Shake well. Apply to your scalp and let it gently cleanse your scalp. Massage your scalp lightly.
2) Add raw honey to a cup of hot water. Allow it to cool and then rinse your hair with it.
3) Take 10-15 soap nuts or reetha and grind them. Boil this reetha mixture in water for 15 minutes. Take off from heat and let it remain soaked in water overnight. In the morning, strain the reetha and add some amla powder to it.
Reference:
Draelos ZD. Hair Care-an Illustrated Dermatologic Hand Book.1st ed. United Kingdom: Taylor and Francis; 2005
