Bad Hair Days: False Claims for Hair Products
The Truth About The Hair Industry, Hair Care and Your Hair
Oct 21, 2008
Just as the beauty industry tricks us into believing the need for anti-aging skin creams and magical potions by using models that have been airbrushed and altered by the wonders of computer technology, so too does the hair industry.
The latest innovations of hair colour, shampoo and conditioners are sold to us by models with hair that flows like the gentle swell of a wave upon a sea of shimmering shades of reds and golds and blondes. We, the consumer, are captivated; intrigued and then caught in the web of lies spun by the many legs of marketers and advertising guru's fattened up and feeding upon their brainwashed prey.
Due to the many entrapments of modern day society we put our trust into the hands of others while we continue with the hustle and bustle of daily life. How often do we take the time to read the ingredients of the food we are buying, let alone research the truth about the beauty products we are being sold?
The Dead Truth About Hair
The fact is, hair is dead. It is "lifeless" because, well, it is life-less. No amount of product is going to change this fact. Our hair is made up of scales, which when abused by varying means of colours, shampoos, straighteners, dryers and so on, lift and create dry looking; end splitting; brittle hair.
Our scalp generates natural oils which keep our hair looking "healthy", these oils are stripped away by shampoos that consist of detergents. Imagine the amount of detergent required to clean up oil off a stove surface, now imagine using this same detergent on oily hair, scary thought isn't it? If we consider that shampoo is essentially detergent, then the realization of the damage we are ultimately doing to ourselves truly begins to set in.
We then use conditioner, which coats our hair in layers of artificial oils. These oils wear off quickly and so we need to wash our hair more regularly in order to keep it looking at it's best, not necessarily because our hair is actually dirty, and so we inject more and more money into the pockets of the industry.
Money Matters
US statistics show that "$2 billion is spent on shampoo's; $1.4 billion on conditioners; $700 million on hairsprays; $600 million on gels and mousses; $2 billion on hair-coloring products; $150 million on men's hair products; and $400 million on permanents and hair straighteners." It's no wonder that the truth about haircare is kept from the consumer.
Natural Ingredients
Any person with an inkling of knowledge of aromatherapy, essential oils and natural ingredients, will know that these ingredients are delicate. Combining these elements with detergents is guaranteed to kill off any natural goodness of a botanical ingredient, thereby nullifying the marketing ploys of many brands and essentially causing damage to ourselves.
Many people are turning to organic natural products, but these too need be researched. “Organic” is fast becoming the newest marketing tool and many products are not essentially 100 percent organic and natural. The only way to know what ingredients are going into our products is by making them at home. Many recipes are available for making skin care products, natural make up products; natural bath additives and haircare products all from the comfort of our own homes. Ingredients are available in health shops or with a little online research we are able to locate what we require.
Imagine the money saved if we turned our hand to the simple task of making our own shampoo's; conditioners; colours and styling products, as well as the ultimate good it will do for our hair by allowing it the chance to regenerate naturally.
I no more choose to use harmful chemical detergents on my kitchen floor, why on earth would I use them on the delicate skin of my head?
