Unmasking luxe beauty
We know: it looks so good, the packaging is gorgeous, and it’s in Selfridges, so that new curly hair product ticks every.single.box. But do you know what’s inside? Often we’ve been lured in with terms like ‘rich in baobab oil’ and other ancestral plants that remind us of our heritage. But those products are a cocktail of chemicals typically masquerading as natural. Well, we have unmasked them.
This dissonance lies within the ingredients themselves. Many luxury lines harbor unexpected guests – chemicals with potentially detrimental properties.
- Phthalates, notorious for disrupting hormonal balance, can pose a particular threat to developing children and pregnant women.
- DMDM Hydantoin and its insidious byproduct.
- Formaldehyde (a known carcinogen), raise concerns about scalp irritation and potential respiratory complications.
- Diketene, masquerading as a conditioning agent, can form a harmful derivative upon contact with hair proteins, further jeopardising scalp health. It’s a lot to take in, we know.
“As a former journalist it is in my nature to seek out the small nuggets of information often absent from product descriptions. As soon as I see a chemical I haven’t heard of, or I don’t know the origin I start researching and I sift through papers, trials as well as anecdotal evidence from real people via social media.”
Fortunately, nature offers a path towards a healthier reality for our beloved curls. Natural oils, such as safflower, castor and olive oil provide superior detangling abilities thanks to their slip - without the harsh chemical burden. Plant-derived emollients and humectants are the original glow-givers, shine enhancers and detanglers, which is why we have used natural ingredients for curly and Afro hair in our range since inception.
Nature provides
Empowerment lies in knowledge. Whilst we know chemicals are ‘bad’ and nature is ‘good’, these binary definitions fail to explain specifically how cineol for example present in rosemary exerts anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anticancer activities. This plant largely protects our curls.
It is Shea butter, water and emulsifier that provides malleability and shine.
Nature is so rich in medicinal and healing properties.
By delving into the science behind ingredients, we are in a position of knowledge so that our curls can flourish. By making informed choices, we can all embrace a future where our coils and waves not only look good, but genuinely thrives under a regimen that prioritises overall health too.