Don’t be a captive of the shampoo culture. The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics has warned consumers that many shampoos on the market today contain harmful chemicals. Research shows that parabens, sodium laurel sulfate, and many coloring agents should be avoided. Recently, MSNBC took a closer look at the best and worst shampoos and shampoo alternatives in Ditching Shampoo.
One hotly debated trend is no shampoo at all, the “no-poo” movement. Maybe the environmentalists helped to move it to the forefront. Not only can consumers forgo those plastic bottles littering the landfills, but they can also possibly do themselves a favor by not washing every drop of oil off their scalp daily. Now that we’re in a recession, this movement might soon find followers among the millions of consumers who are motivated to save money. Why Daily Shampooing?
No one is sure when the daily shampoo trend started in America (Europeans don’t have the habit quite as badly as we do). Most believe though, that’s only been in the last 30 to 40 years. Perhaps the health and beauty industry has helped to fuel our passion for a daily dose of squeaky-clean hair. One thing is certain, before Indoor Plumbing, nobody except those born to the manor washed their hair more than once a week. Of course, bathing was only a once a week pleasure too, until the early part of the 20th century, as well.
The “no-poo” advocates cite not only history, but also modern science to defend their views. There is no scientific evidence that supports daily shampooing. The alternatives, which have been used for centuries (before Indoor Plumbing) clearly not only have a following, but they also worked well enough for the majority of people.
It’s too late to tell if people had less hair loss before they starting shampooing daily. But if you are concerned about hair loss, you should be concerned about shampooing your hair daily too. Make your own decision. You know you will at least get back the time you spend shampooing daily. You’ll also reduce your exposure to the chemicals in shampoos. Who knows, you might also save a few hairs on your head from early extinction.