Sarahb asks…Is there a place that i can view a list of ingredients in hair products that could dry out the hair?
The Left Brain replies:
I’ve never seen a comprehensive list of which ingredients could dry out hair. It would be very difficult to create an accurate list because the effect of ingredients on hair partially depends on the formulas the ingredients are delivered from.
Ingredient effect depends on context
For example, in the Forum we recently discussed a hair conditioning mask that contains a relatively high level of Lauramide MEA, a surfactant. Lauramide MEA would typically not dry out hair because it’s most commonly used in lower amounts in shampoos to boost foam and viscosity. But if left on the hair in mask form it could cause drying.
Similarly a little alcohol is fine on your hair from an aerosolized product like a hairspray because the droplets are very small and will evaporate quickly. But you wouldn’t want alcohol in a leave-in conditioner where it could saturate your hair and scalp and potentially cause dryness. (I’m talking about ethanol, not cetyl or stearyl alcohol)
The Beauty Brains bottom line
You have to look at each ingredient in the context of the formula it is in to understand what the ingredient function it serves and whether or not it will dry out your hair.
Image credit: Thespokesman.com
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It depends on the type of hair too. People who have drier hair will say that such-and-such dried my hair out. I think that’s a bit unfair. The hair is naturally going to dry out and having products that help keep hair moisturized is what’s key. It’s not accurate to blame a product for drying hair out, when the product is designed for oilier hair. They just need to find one that is more moisturizing for them.