Your Ultimate Guide to What All Those Ingredients on Your Shampoo Bottle Mean

Considering it’s something we use every single day (or every eight days, depending on how serious your dry shampoo habit is), it’s kind of crazy that we don’t really know what’s in the shampoo we’re pouring all over our hair. Sure, it smells good, and there’s a kind that works best for every hair texture and need, but what’s actually doing the work? We did a little investigating. Consider this your glossary to all the weird and impossible-to-pronounce words commonly found on the back of your shampoo bottle.

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate:

This molecule, which often goes by SLS, is a surfactant, a.k.a. a cleansing agent. Its most important use is to cleanse the hair and scalp—and, as a bonus, it produces that foamy lather that makes a good hair-washing seem so luxurious. However, this family of sulfates has also been the topic of controversy. “Though sulfate-based shampoos do effectively clean the hair, they can also strip the hair of essential oils as well as irritate the skin,” explains Ron Robinson, cosmetic chemist and founder of BeautyStat. Think of how a too-strong face cleanser can strip skin and thus irritate it—same thing happens with sulfates. They can be harsh enough to fade hair color, so go for a sulfate-free formula to keep your color fresh and vibrant.

Sodium Laureth Sulfate:

Nope, not a typo. While sodium laureth sulfate (SLES, for short) is in the sulfate family, it’s not the same thing as SLS. “SLES has molecular attachments that make it bigger than SLS,” explains cosmetic chemist Ni’Kita Wilson. Because of that, SLES tends to cause less scalp irritation than its smaller sibling.

Dimethicone:

This silicone-based polymer is also common in complexion products like primers, since it gives skin that velvety slip. It serves pretty much the same purpose in your shampoo. “Dimethicone both conditions the hair and makes it feel smoother even before you add conditioner,” explains Robinson.

Panthenol:

Probably one of the better-known—and more crucial—shampoo ingredients, panthenol is a form of vitamin B5. It’s basically the moisturizer of your hair care regimen, says Robinson, and is used to hydrate and condition hair.

Citric Acid:

“Citric acid is an inexpensive yet highly effective ingredient to adjust the pH of the shampoo,” says Wilson. A low pH matters for skin, but what’s the big deal with your hair? Actually, the conditioning agents in both shampoos and conditioners work better under acidic conditions—so, in a low-pH environment.

Parabens (Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, Butylparaben):

You’ve probably heard of parabens already, because, like sulfates, they’re a serious point of contention in beauty products. “Parabens are preservatives used to prevent bacteria from growing in the product,” says Wilson. And while that sounds like a good thing—because who wants moldy shampoo?—parabens aren’t exactly innocent. “Certain forms have been shown to have the estrogen-like effects,” explains Wilson. This is definitely an issue, since high estrogen levels have been linked to multiple forms of cancer. However, Wilson says that it’s still much weaker than the phyto-estrogen effect of soy—so if you’re comfortable ordering edamame, you’re probably fine using parabens.

Zinc Pyrithione:

The #1 dandruff destroyer, this additive is more about your scalp than hair. Since it slows the production of skin cells, explains Wilson, it also puts a stop to flakes (which are essentially clumps of those skin cells). A few hair care brands use it in their non-dandruff formulas just to ensure scalp health, but there’s really no need for it unless you actually have flakes.

Cocamidopropyl Betaine:

This molecule, derived from crowd-favorite coconut oil, is kind of like a gentler version of SLS and SLES. “It’s a mild cleansing agent with conditioning properties,” says Wilson. The benefit is that it cleanses and softens hair, but it can still cause slight irritation.

 
This article first appeared on Glamour

Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the U.S. if all types are combined. Melanoma specifically is among the top 10 cancers in both men and women, totaling more than 87,000 cases this year.

The best way to catch melanoma early is to have any new moles or patches of skin discoloration checked out—but only if you know it’s there in the first place. Half of melanomas go unnoticed by the person who has it, often when abnormality is on the scalp or neck. You can’t have a dermatologist examine the strange new mole on the base of your neck or behind your ear if you don’t even know it exists. And even if you’re looking, you usually can’t see enough of the back of your head and neck to notice anything unusual.

But your hairdresser can — as long as they know what they’re looking for. And it only seems to take 5 minutes of watching a video for hair dressers to become significantly more confident and knowledgeable about finding potentially cancerous skin lesions, according to a new study published in JAMA Dermatology.

“Hairdressers have the ability to monitor a large extent of the general public’s scalp and neck, highlighting their usefulness for the detection of scalp and neck melanomas via population-based screening and dermatologic referral,” wrote Neda R. Black, MD, from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, and her coauthors.

“Findings from this study suggest that a brief educational video can be beneficial for educating hairdressers about melanoma risk and the criteria for melanoma detection while also building on self-efficacy skills in skin lesion detection that might carry over to improved screening of those individuals at risk for melanoma,” they wrote.

This same group of researchers had previously surveyed more than 100 hair dressers from 45 hair salons to find out what they already knew about melanoma, especially regarding what to look for. The acronym ABCDE is a helpful way to remember key features of a suspicious lesion on the skin: Asymmetrical, Borders are irregular, more than one Color, a Diameter greater than 6mm and Elevated (raised bump).

“Results uncovered room for improvement in knowledge regarding signs and symptoms of melanoma,” the authors wrote, but they also learned in other research that most hair dressers want to learn more about detecting melanoma. So the researchers tested how well a 5-minute informational video might improve hair dressers’ knowledge and self-confidence in identifying suspicious skin lesions.

The authors emailed out the study link with the video to 20 Los Angeles County beauty schools and 100 participants watched the video and filled out questionnaires beforehand and afterward.

Comparison of the pre-test and post-test revealed improved knowledge on all the questions about melanoma knowledge, the authors reported. Before viewing the video, 59% of the hair dressers accurately identified suspicious lesions using the ABCDE criteria, compared to 71% of hair dressers after watching the training video.

Only one in five hair dressers (19%) said they felt “very confident” about identifying a possibly cancerous skin abnormality before watching the video, but after seeing the video, the percentage of hair dressers feeling very confident doubled to 41%.

Of course, 100 hair dressers isn’t a very large group to test a training intervention, and all of the participants volunteered for the study. These results, therefore, don’t necessarily mean that showing the video to all beauty school students is going to double detection of melanoma. In fact, it’s always possible that it could lead to false alarms and over-diagnosis, at least until researchers do more work to learn how accurately large numbers of hair dressers actually detect possible melanomas.

Another caution in this study is that 79% of the participants said they had previously gotten some training on skin cancer, pointing to what researchers need to learn from future studies.

“It will be important to know if our educational video functioned to reinforce existing knowledge or to provide new knowledge about melanoma detection, or both,” the authors wrote. They also need to find out whether hair dressers’ knowledge and skills remain strong over longer periods of time, and they need to compare knowledge improvements among hair dressers who watch the video to a different group the doesn’t view it.

But the good news is that this study lays the foundation for what might become an additional set of eyes keeping a lookout for an extremely common cancer.

“Based on our initial testing of an educational video intervention, training hairdressers in melanoma screening and referral seems to be a promising avenue for future research,” the authors concluded.
 
This article first appeared on Forbes

The idea of training your hair to be less greasy may seem like a bit of a farce, for obvious reasons. Namely, the fact that your hair is not alive and the amount of sebum that is created at your scalp can be heavily reliant upon your diet, genes, and various other factors. But there is a reason why this topic is oft-discussed — it's because there's actually some truth to it.

No surprise here: Having to lather up every day is not ideal for many of us, especially when lived-in texture and easy-to-copy updos are so en vogue. (And yes, the majority of us want extra sleep and an "I just woke up like this" moment every so often.)

While you cannot train your hair to do much of anything in the traditional sense of the word, you can train yourself to adopt a few key modifications. That is, things that can help reduce the buildup of oil, distribute the oil that you are creating, and avoid the products that are doing more harm than good in this universal quest for fewer wash days. Spoiler alert: You're using that dry shampoo completely wrong.

For pro guidance, we consulted a few Hollywood red-carpet hairstylists for exactly what they tell their celebs clients. (Celebs like Jaime King, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Jenny Slate, to be exact.) Ahead, a five-step pro-approved technique that can help you squeeze more days between washes — without having to look like you dunked your head in a deep fryer.

Step 1: Distribute Oil Like A Pro

Step 2: Pick The Right Shampoos (& Use 'Em Correctly!)

Step 3: Go Easy On The Conditioner

Step 4: Apply Dry Shampoo Early... Or Not At All!

Step 5: Try A Treatment

Does caffeine shampoo really work? Or is it just another marketing ploy – targeting men who are balding or have thinning hair?

Will a caffeine shampoo restore your head of hair to its former glory?

There is sublime genius in finding ways to use inferior grades of coffee that can’t be sold for human consumption. A good marketing campaign featuring a so-called expert wearing a white coat can sell anything to a man whose self-esteem is going down the plug hole… along with his hair.

There’s a German product called Alpecin, an ‘After Shampoo Liquid’. Alpecin claims to grow hair back as a result of its caffeine content.

Its manufacturers have commissioned research and – unsurprisingly – found it to produce positive results for hair growth. Unfortunately, these results came about by detaching hair follicles from balding men and growing them artificially in a laboratory.

The follicles were exposed to a dose of testosterone and some were exposed to caffeine. There was reduced growth in the testosterone-dosed follicles, which is what happens in male pattern baldness. Meanwhile, in the ones that were exposed to testosterone and caffeine, some new growth was stimulated.

It should, however, be noted that growing hair follicles in a test tube or petrie dish is not a reliable indicator of how well this can work on a man’s head.

Does caffeine help or hinder hair health?

Interestingly, the caffeine we consume orally could have a role to play in hair growth. As a chemical, caffeine targets the hormone DHT (dihydrotestosterone) which is the culprit in hair loss.  DHT clings on to hair follicles and stops them from absorbing the important proteins, minerals and vitamins that perpetuate the hair’s growth cycle. Caffeine can keep DHT from attaching itself, thereby allowing the growth cycle to continue.

You probably consume caffeine in a myriad of ways; through chocolate, energy drinks, colas and of course, coffee and tea. Several studies have been carried out on the effects of caffeine and hair loss and they’ve unanimously shown that caffeine doesn’t contribute to baldness or hair loss. If anything, caffeine can be a friend to the balding man. Just don’t count on it to perform miracles!

The reviews: What do users of caffeine shampoos have to say?

Look around on the internet and you’ll be sure to find plenty of men singing the praises of caffeine shampoo, insisting it’s been the magical cure to their male pattern baldness.

The thing about reviews sites is that they don’t come with proof of veracity. Many times, they’re fake; fabricated reviews posted by representatives of the manufacturers to promote their products, and no one is keeping watch on who’s telling lies or the truth. Others aren’t true representations of factual outcomes. If a man looks in the mirror and sees a miserable hairline one day and after using a caffeine shampoo for a month or so, looks in the mirror again and sees thicker hair, would you call that scientific proof?

More often, perceived results are the result of the placebo effect. People often feel better because they’re doing something … anything. And if the outcome is that they feel better, then that must be a good thing in itself. That said, if they want 100 per cent, irrefutable facts such as a hair count per square inch, then they may just be disappointed.

Consider also that if the guy is experiencing intermittent hair loss, and not classic male pattern baldness, then his use of a caffeine shampoo could actually coincide with his hair growth cycle  rather than the shampoo being a miracle cure.

On the other hand, when people are moved to post a negative review, you can pretty much count on the graphic detail being a result of personal experience. Reports of burning scalps, skin redness, pain and discomfort can likely be counted on as truth because the men who post them usually don’t have a vested interest in the product’s success or failure. If anything, they’ll want to warn other consumers away from them.

Caffeine shampoo: The bitter aftertaste

No clinically viable evidence currently exists to prove that caffeine shampoos work. In the UK, only two treatments have been clinically proven to grow hair back. They are Finasteride (a prescription pill) and Minoxidil (available as a lotion or foam that you apply to your scalp).
​
Don’t go investing in coffee stocks… counting on a caffeinated miracle cure for your baldness! Save your pennies and buy your daily cappuccino so you can enjoy drinking your caffeine the way nature intended. You never know, that coffee could actually go to your head.
 
This article appeared on Man for Himself

Hair problems happen, you know it’s true, and you’re here looking into some of the most common solutions. We can’t say we know what you’re going through exactly, but we can say that we’ve seen almost all of the possible problems, and we’re well equipped to handle them. There are as many problems as there are people in the world, and they don’t all call for the ionic ceramic flat iron. Some of them are simply going to call for you to break out a few of the solutions that we’re going to list for you below. Let’s start with some of the most obvious.

Limp Hair
The Ceramic Flat Iron Won’t Help with This One
This is something that will happen if a person has thin hair and they’re using too much product. This, unfortunately, adds weight to the hair, so pay attention to what you’re using, and use a clarifying shampoo at least once per week to get rid of the product buildup. In addition to that, you need to make sure that you’re reducing oil on the scalp. One of the other tricks that you can use, is to apply conditioner to the roots of your hair rather than the scalp.

Fix the Frizzy Hair
If you have a problem with frizzy hair, there are a few different items that could have led to it. For example, they might bovver-styling (Cockney slang for bother. I would interpret as rough-drying) and drying their hair using a higher heat setting. You will need to figure out how to use a blow dryer properly, which means pointing it down at the hair shaft. At the end, use the cool air setting to close the cuticle and lock in the shine. It’s an extra step, but it’s well worth it to get the hair you want – without the frizz.

Clear out that Greasy Hair
This is probably one of the biggest hair problems that people will face, and it can definitely become more than a bit frustrating. The first thing that you need to know, is that greasy hair is most often caused when the scalp overproduces a natural oil by the name of sebum. This is where it gets a little tricky because you would think that washing your hair would get rid of the grease. Actually, you want to skip a few washes as this will help to slow down oil production. In between washes, you can keep your hair in good shape by using a dry shampoo or conditioner. You can also use powder products that will soak up excess oil, and when you’re ready to wash, use a light weight shampoo.

Those Pesky Split Ends
If you’re a regular user of ceramic irons, then there is a good chance that you’ve been warned about split ends. Well, yours might not actually be caused by your flat iron. In fact, they can be caused by over-processing and even over-styling. Your dead hair cannot repair itself, so if you have a split end, it’s just going to travel further up the shaft, and if you’re dealing with split ends on a regular basis, then you should consider getting a regular trim. In fact, you should do it every six to eight weeks, combining that with a deep conditioner at least once per week. You may need to do a bit more upkeep, but it’s well worth it. As you can see, there are quite a few hair problems to consider, and if you’re dealing with any of these, then it would be within your best interest to figure out how to solve it and most importantly, how to do it right.
 
This article first appeared on HSI Professional