Chemicals in Shampoo May Pose Health Risks

Have you ever read the label on your shampoo bottle? You’ll be shocked to learn that the ingredients found in many shampoos may pose a threat to your health.


Research has shown that various chemicals lurking inside shampoo may induce serious health risks, like memory loss, eye and skin irritation, hair follicle damage that can lead to hair loss, and even cancer.

While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration classify personal care products, it does not regulate them. Therefore, there are no legal guidelines or boundaries for shampoo manufacturers to follow.

The descriptive “all-natural” has become a buzzword in the beauty world for environmental friendliness. What some shampoo makers leave out, however, is they still use the lathering agents, emulsifiers and synthetic fragrances that contain hundreds of harmful chemicals.

Additives to avoid:

* Propylene glycol, known as the main ingredient in antifreeze, is also found in makeup, toothpaste and in your shampoo. It can cause allergic reactions.

* Sodium lauryl sulfate and ammonium lauryl sulfate are common causes of eye irritation. They can also damage hair follicles. When absorbed into the body from continuous contact, they can bring on asthma attacks.

* Synthetic fragrances contain hundreds of chemicals, some of which have been known to cause headaches, dizziness, rash, hyper pigmentation, coughing and vomiting.

*The National Toxicology Program found that applying diethanolamine to a mouse’s skin induced liver and kidney cancer. DEA is readily absorbed through the skin and can also be toxic to the brain.

But before you decide to never wash your hair again educate yourself on the ingredients in your favorite shampoo and if necessary look for a safe alternative choice.

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HealthStatus has been operating since 1998 providing the best interactive health tools on the Internet, millions of visitors have used our blood alcohol, body fat and calories burned calculators. The HealthStatus editorial team has continued that commitment to excellence by providing our visitors with easy to understand high quality health content for many years. Our team of health professionals, and researchers use peer reviewed studies as source elements in our articles. Our high quality content has been featured in a number of leading websites, USA Today, the Chicago Tribune, Live Strong, GQ, and many more.

Erika Soraiz
8. August 2020
Erika Soraiz
8. August 2020
Yes a list of safe shampoos would help

rakesh shah
25. April 2019
rakesh shah
25. April 2019
my daughter use shampoo in hair. but after 1 hour it adverse effect in hair . now hair will jam or bunch. so what is solution for go to normal.

Danielle White
8. January 2019
Danielle White
8. January 2019
Here are some links to various research about these questionable ingredients. I hope this helps. https://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/productsingredients/ingredients/ucm109655.htm https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1574370/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18948303

Raven Ross
28. December 2018
Raven Ross
28. December 2018
When was this study done?

Janet
16. February 2018
Janet
16. February 2018
Which ones are safe to use, please?

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Written by HealthStatus Team
Medical Writer & Editor

HealthStatus has been operating since 1998 providing the best interactive health tools on the Internet, millions of visitors have used our blood alcohol, body fat and calories burned calculators. The HealthStatus editorial team has continued that commitment to excellence by providing our visitors with easy to understand high quality health content for many years. Our team of health professionals, and researchers use peer reviewed studies as source elements in our articles. Our high quality content has been featured in a number of leading websites, USA Today, the Chicago Tribune, Live Strong, GQ, and many more.

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