Ever run into a product where the label was placed ever-so nicely, but once you took a look at the ingredients you could barely pronounce them?  More than likely those ingredients ended in the word paraben.  You’ll often catch ingredients like methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, isobutylparaben in products designed for natural hair and natural hairstyles.  At first glance, your attention may be cast upon the nice label which reads ”Now with Coconut Oil!”, but take a second look. Oftentimes products for natural hairstyles save all of the healthy, nourishing ingredients for last, adding them to the product in small amounts.  So really, what you’ve got is a concoction of methylethylpropylbenzylisobutyl-parabens (Try saying that 3 times fast), with little to no health benefit at all.

So what is the big idea here?  What exactly are parabens and why the rambling on about them?  Simply put, parabens are some of the most effective preservatives out there.  They are used in hair and skin products, as well as cosmetics.  They prevent the buildup of mold, fungus and bacteria, helping to extend the shelf life of the product.  Sounds like there is no problem with that, right?  Well, the problem with these preservatives is that like most topical ingredients, they can penetrate the skin.  Studies have also proven that traces of parabens can be found in the blood only minutes after application.  In addition to this, parabens also have a tendency to break down into formaldehyde.  Yes, that’s right! formaldehyde.  You know, that substance that is used in embalming.  I am certain you and the rest of the world, would rather not be prematurely and slowly embalmed if we can help it.  It’s easy to forget that as humans we have pores, and what goes into the body is equally as important as what goes on it.

Considering various challenges that are potentially harmful, here is the health natural hair challenge.  Challenge yourself to personally pledge to read the labels. Become one of those women standing in the beauty isle taking your time to read the ingredients as if you were reading a novel.  Don’t be be captivated by those marketing gimmicks that say ”softer, silkier” hair. But rather inspect these claims thoroughly.  Simply put, if it’s promises hair and skin health yet contains harsh dyes and ingredients like Red 40 and methylparaben, then there is an opportunity that the long term effects may offset the natural hairstyles and long hair you were hoping to obtain.

  

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