We see it in advertisements around us every day: the coveted, sleek, shiny hair everyone wants. Stores are chock full of products that claim to unlock a lifetime of good hair days. Unfortunately, the dirty truth about clean hair is that so many hair care lines have been busted for containing harmful chemicals. These include carcinogens, which are chemicals that cause cancer. You definitely do not want to be rubbing these all over your scalp.Â
Ever since the 2022 Olaplex scandal, I’ve been extremely, if not phobically, concerned with what’s in my products. If you’re not familiar with this lawsuit, Olaplex was sued for containing lilial as well as benzene, or ingredients that can combine or degrade to become benzene. Both lilial and benzene are known carcinogens and were banned from cosmetic products made in the EU.Â
At the time, I was using Olaplex’s No 5 Bond Maintenance Conditioner and had my eyes set on other products in their lineup. While browsing the small Olaplex section at Sephora, my sister piped up, saying she read online that the brand was getting sued. Thus started my tumble down the rabbit hole of hair care safety. Since then, Olaplex has claimed to recall lilial from its products, but you can never be too sure what chemical cocktail you’re dealing with.
A deep dive into the safety of shampoo reveals that potentially harmful chemicals are in over 40% of shampoos on the market. Popular brands like Maui, L’Oreal, and Redken have been exposed for using these chemicals, which are often incorporated as scents. These chemicals can also be used in shampoos as preservatives, such as formaldehyde, to prolong shelf-life. In 2015, OGX was forced to remove DMDM from their shampoos since it discharges formaldehyde, which is carcinogenic. However, the brand replaced it with sodium benzoate, which can react to form carcinogenic benzene. Both inhaling benzene and absorbing it through the skin has been linked with cancers like leukemia.
Sadly, not even dry shampoos are safe. Brands like Dove, Nexxus, and TRESemmĂ© have had to recall dry shampoos containing benzene. One Redken dry shampoo was shown to have “dangerously high levels of benzene” despite not even listing it in the product’s ingredients.Â
As such, I like to take some time to learn what’s in the products I use. And this doesn’t mean going through each ingredient and googling whether it’s safe. Nobody has that sort of time. Luckily, several apps and websites have been designed to list out the chemicals in products and indicate how safe they are.Â
My personal favourite is the Environmental Working Group (EWG) Skin Deep website, which is a database of cosmetic products. It takes just about 30 seconds to search up your favourite product and find its rating on the website, 1 for safest and 10 for most dangerous.
Overall, it’s important to be cautious, but not intimidated, with the news of dangers in our products. When taking the time to research my favourite cosmetics, I feel far more at ease. This way, I can keep my hair clean and body healthy, without incessant worrying.