With Aboriginal and/or Torres Straight Islander people making up 3.3% of the Australian population, and 380K people of African descent, it might seem like we don’t have a huge call for products used for styling hair that would be described as afro-hair.  Primarily straightening, though other hair uses as well.

As with an earlier beauty article I wrote regarding skin colourants, minorities can be harder hit by using certain products.  Products directly designed to have them questioning their identity.

You might be wondering why, then, I’m writing about these types of products if there isn’t a huge call for them, however, when you think about the people who you know are straightening their hair; the celebrities, the girls at school, the girl next door, the lady you work with, the lady who has gone out of a date, out for the night…  Almost every woman you can possibly think of is using some hair care products or another.

With a massive trend towards super straight hair, one of the most commonly used products is hair relaxers.  Product you put in your hair prior to straightening to make hair more pliable and hold it shape for as long as possible.  You see it being used on hair with a hot straightening iron with all this steam coming off (I always wonder how damaging that is!  Doesn’t it just dry hair out more?  Resulting in more products needed?)

“Studies show relaxers cause life-threatening ailments such as reproductive problems, heart disease, different forms of cancer, early puberty, fibroids, and mental health disorders. Relaxers have been found to disrupt the chemical balance of our bodies by entering our system via cuts and burns.” pulse.ng

Sodium Hydroxide (caustic soda):

Is the main ingredient in hair relaxers.  Knowing what I know about this chemical and how it’s used is scary.  I make soap, primarily Castile pure olive oil soap, so I’ve used sodium hydroxide before.  When using sodium hydroxide safety gear must be worn; mask, safety goggles, gloves and apron.  Sodium hydroxide is added to water to heat it up to burning degrees (fumes should not be breathed in).  This hot water is then added to the base ingredients where the heat helps bind the oils and the water.  A process called saponification.

This ingredient heats up when in contact with water and should not be inhaled is being used on a regular basis.

It’s no surprise, then, that common complains related to hair relaxers are: burns, scabs, dandruff and hair loss.  Are you surprised?

Here is what I have previously shared regarding harmful ingredients (used in other hair care products/treatments):

Ammonium laureth sulphate:

Is found in hair and bubble bath products. Laureth contains ether that is listed as carcinogenic, mutagenic, toxic and causes adverse reactions.

Coal Tar derivatives:

Many kinds of shampoo designed to treat dandruff and flaky scalp contain this.  Disguised with names such as FD, FDC or DF & C colour.  It causes potentially severe allergic reactions, asthma attacks, fatigue, nervousness, headaches, nausea, lack of concentration, cancer, carcinogen, cough, redness of skin, burning sensation, can irritate nose, throat, hoarseness, nosebleeds, coughing, phlegm, changes in skin pigment and a rash.

Is also used in hair dyes.  A 2001 California study published in the International Journal of Cancer found that women who used to permanent hair dyes once a month were twice likely to develop bladder cancer (my step mum being one of them)!  There are many factors involved with hair colouring.  Studies in the U.S. have suggested that the chemical reaction created by hair cololuring products may be having a carcinogenic effect and have also associated hair colourings with an increased risk of Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.  Try to avoid dark hair dyes entirely and choose products made with natural ingredients instead. Banned in EU cosmetics!

Dimethylamine:

Used in de-hairing (hair removal), detergents and pesticides, used in leather tanning and pharmaceutical products.  Known to cause cancer, can irritate and cause severe burns of the skin, irritate and burn the eyes with possible permanent damage, even causing blindness, prolonged exposure may damage the liver, can affect you when breathed in and by passing through the skin, cough, headache, sore throat, shortness of breath, dizziness, nausea, slurred speech, irritable mood.  Banned in EU cosmetics.

Selenium Sulfide:

Used for dandruff and scalp dermatitis, may cause skin irritation, dry skin, hair loss, can irritate eyes on contact with possible eye damage, high exposure may cause headache, nausea, vomiting, garlic odour of breath, metallic taste, and coated tongue, known to cause cancer, may damage the liver and kidneys, prolonged exposure may cause pallor, nervousness and mood changes.  Banned in EU cosmetics!

As well as the usual culprits I’ve spoken about: SLS/SLES, propylene glycol, parabens and phthalates.

As you can see from above, all manner of hair styling products used for a vast many things are known to have some adverse reactions.

Some of us are lucky and go through our whole lives being able to colour our hair, or touch a product/ingredient to our skin and not have much of a reaction.  Yet how many of us can safely say what we’re using isn’t affecting us or building up in our systems.  I’m sure my step mum thought dying her hair for all those years (since her 20s) was doing nothing untoward to her body, yet she died from cancer causes by heavy metals built up in her bladder.

Hair Styling Wax

Can be used to tame frizz and curls, braiding hair, sculpting hair, spiking hair, neatening fly-away hair, moisturise dry hair and even as a bear balm.

I made a video (see our Youtube channel) giving a demo of how Hair Styling Wax can be used to tame frizz and another video showing how to use the wax to give hair volume.

Rich Cream Moisturiser

Can be added to water in  spritz bottle, shaken until fully amalgamated, and sprayed onto hair as a natural condition to moisturise hair, help remove tangles and as a leave in hair conditioner.

Natural Hair Care & Treatments

See this blog post for natural hair care & treatments.

This blog post for natural hair dyes.

This blog post for natural hair spray.

All manner of people with thick hair, frizzy hair, curly hair and kinky hair (even hair that is simply just not perfectly straight) choose to use hair relaxers because it is deemed that the ‘natural’ state of our hare is unacceptable or un-trendy (by current beauty standards).  Thankfully this trend is buckling and more and more people are choosing to love their hair.

All hair is beautiful!