Breaking your old hair product rules? SHARE

[goldensensation]

WHAT OLD HAIR CARE RULES HAVE YOU ABANDONED FOR THE SAKE OF PRACTICALITY?

When I first started caring about my hair (READ: less heat and better products), I banned all products containing SLES, mineral oil, and petrolatum.

The SLES thing was short lived because I realized that some of my favorite shampoos contained it and neither my hair nor scalp were adversely affected.

The next thing to make a comback was mineral oil... an ingredient in my beloved Elasta QP and Humecto.

As of last week, I am now using a product with petrolatum (Keracare jojoba oil moisturizer). Oh my gah! LOL. And my hair is LOVING IT! I feel like such a hair-care sell out , but my hair is thriving. Maybe if I didnt treat my hair as well as I do or I washed infrequently, that wouldnt be the case.

 

[shunta]

Actually, Im really liking the Elasta QP recovery. It leaves my hair really soft and it smells soooo good! But like you mentioned, it has mineral oil But I guess as long as Im not putting it on my scalp I should be fine, right?

 

[determined_to_grow]

Me too - I love Elasta QP reovery and Dr11!!!!!!!!!

Actually, Im really liking the Elasta QP recovery. It leaves my hair really soft and it smells soooo good! But like you mentioned, it has mineral oil But I guess as long as Im not putting it on my scalp I should be fine, right?

 

[so1913]

I TRY to stay away from petroleum and mineral oil, but not totally against ever using products with them. I currently do not use any, with the exception of Miss Jessie's Buttercreme (out of stock, lol)

 

[goldensensation]

Actually, Im really liking the Elasta QP recovery. It leaves my hair really soft and it smells soooo good! But like you mentioned, it has mineral oil But I guess as long as Im not putting it on my scalp I should be fine, right?

That's what I was thinking. Nothing goes on my scalp and if anything ever had to, it would be oil and not petroleum.

Hmmm.

 

[goldensensation]

I TRY to stay away from petroleum and mineral oil, but not totally against ever using products with them. I currently do not use any, with the exception of Miss Jessie's Buttercreme (out of stock, lol)

Hahahaha.

Your hair is looking GORGEOUS! I love that profile shot.

 

[gloomgeisha]

WHAT OLD HAIR CARE RULES HAVE YOU ABANDONED FOR THE SAKE OF PRACTICALITY?

When I first started caring about my hair (READ: less heat and better products), I banned all products containing SLES, mineral oil, and petrolatum.

The SLES thing was short lived because I realized that some of my favorite shampoos contained it and neither my hair nor scalp were adversely affected.

I too broke the SLES rule, especially after realizing that my hair didn't really mind this ingredient as long as there were moisturizing properties along with it.

I also broke my "no-cone" rule since most of my fave conditioners contain cones and that's what gives my hair the most slip. (Dimethicone in particular)

 

[Radianthealth]

I was the same way with Mineral Oil, I still am... I just try to minimize my use of it. I did however find this:

The notion that mineral oil and petrolatum (Vaseline) are bad for skin has been around for some time, with Aveda being the most visible company to mount a crusade deriding these ingredients. According to many companies that produce "natural" cosmetics, mineral oil and petrolatum are terrible ingredients because they come from crude oil (petroleum) and are used in industry as metal-cutting fluid (among other uses) and, therefore, can harm the skin by forming an oil film and suffocating it.

This foolish, recurring misinformation about mineral oil and petrolatum is maddening. After all, crude oil is as natural as any other earth-derived substance. Moreover, lots of ingredients are derived from awful-sounding sources but are nevertheless benign and totally safe. Salt is a perfect example. Common table salt is sodium chloride, composed of sodium and chloride, but salt doesn't have the caustic properties of chloride (a form of chlorine) or the unstable explosiveness of sodium. In fact, it is a completely different compound with the harmful properties of neither of its components.

Cosmetics-grade mineral oil and petrolatum are considered the safest, most nonirritating moisturizing ingredients ever found (Sources: Cosmetics & Toiletries, January 2001, page 79; Cosmetic Dermatology, September 2000, pages 44–46). Yes, they can keep air off the skin to some extent, but that's what a good antioxidant is supposed to do; they don't suffocate skin! Moreover, petrolatum and mineral oil are known for being efficacious in wound healing, and are also considered to be among the most effective moisturizing ingredients available (Source: Cosmetics & Toiletries, February 1998, pages 33–40).

Paula Begoun

 

[goldensensation]

Trimbride, thanks for posting that article!

It brings up some good points. Hmmm.

 

[Tee]

Actually, Im really liking the Elasta QP recovery. It leaves my hair really soft and it smells soooo good! But like you mentioned, it has mineral oil But I guess as long as Im not putting it on my scalp I should be fine, right?

I love the Elasta QP Recovery also. Once I joined here I tried to put away everything containing Mineral oil. But I have found that my hair respond really well to some product that has it. I try not to use a lot of products with mineral oil. (or at least with it far down the ingredient) But my beautician has used Keracare products on me for over 10 years and my hair was always beautiful. So I guess for me moderation is the key.

Shunta I also think that if it's not on my scalp I am fine. Now I would never put it on my scalp.

 

[neonbright]

Hate to show my age, but I was reading this thread and thinking when I was 7 and I couldn't hadle my mom hot combing my hair or trying to comb out my tangles in my natural hair and I beg for a perm (relaxer) but that is what they called them then. There were no pruducts without petroleum or Mineral oil and our hair grew like weeds and the most heat used was the hair dryer with rollers in our head.

So I am guessing a little won't hurt...

 

[B_Phlyy]

I didn't even make any product rules for myself because I knew I would break them. I think that techniques work more than products anyway.

 

[LovelyLionessa]

When I found hair boards I tossed out my products with mineral oil too. I think I had already edited out petroleum products. I have since broken the no mineral oil rule. I love Elasta QP Glaze on damp edges and my Lekair Cholesterol Plus and Proclaim Aloe & Shea Butter Conditioner (which also works well on my hair as a leave-in) both contain mineral oil and they are 2 of my favorite products.

SLS has never bothered my hair, so I don't worry about that too much. Also with all the hype about silicones I have tried to reduce my use of them but have found it impossible to eliminate them completely. So I try to just do what keeps me and my hair happy.

BTW the way, every now and then, I get a real craving to get another slim white tube of Vitapointe with the big ol' fat mineral oil right at the top of the ingriedient list just for the heck of it!

 

[KhandiB]

That is true, I always use Vaseline on my feet with socks to keep my feet soft

I never jumped on that one cuz mineral oil and petroleum never did me wrong, my mom stayed puttin Blue Magic and Dax in my hair growin up andy my hair was down my back til I was 10

I was the same way with Mineral Oil, I still am... I just try to minimize my use of it. I did however find this:

The notion that mineral oil and petrolatum (Vaseline) are bad for skin has been around for some time, with Aveda being the most visible company to mount a crusade deriding these ingredients. According to many companies that produce "natural" cosmetics, mineral oil and petrolatum are terrible ingredients because they come from crude oil (petroleum) and are used in industry as metal-cutting fluid (among other uses) and, therefore, can harm the skin by forming an oil film and suffocating it.

This foolish, recurring misinformation about mineral oil and petrolatum is maddening. After all, crude oil is as natural as any other earth-derived substance. Moreover, lots of ingredients are derived from awful-sounding sources but are nevertheless benign and totally safe. Salt is a perfect example. Common table salt is sodium chloride, composed of sodium and chloride, but salt doesn't have the caustic properties of chloride (a form of chlorine) or the unstable explosiveness of sodium. In fact, it is a completely different compound with the harmful properties of neither of its components.

Cosmetics-grade mineral oil and petrolatum are considered the safest, most nonirritating moisturizing ingredients ever found (Sources: Cosmetics & Toiletries, January 2001, page 79; Cosmetic Dermatology, September 2000, pages 44–46). Yes, they can keep air off the skin to some extent, but that's what a good antioxidant is supposed to do; they don't suffocate skin! Moreover, petrolatum and mineral oil are known for being efficacious in wound healing, and are also considered to be among the most effective moisturizing ingredients available (Source: Cosmetics & Toiletries, February 1998, pages 33–40).

Paula Begoun

 

[Crackers Phinn]

I am all about the baggie method, but it's impossible now that I'm natural. I wear a puff daily and my ends are always exposed. I still try to keep them moisturized as much as possible, but I know that I am going to have more length retention issues as time goes by than if I were able to keep if my ends baggied.

 

[Ebonygurl00]

I broke my no-gel rule. My hair hates mineral oil and cones, so I can't use any products with those ingredients.

 

[gloomgeisha]

I never jumped on that one cuz mineral oil and petroleum never did me wrong, my mom stayed puttin Blue Magic and Dax in my hair growin up andy my hair was down my back til I was 10

That's why I keep my jar of Hollywood Beauty Castor Oil nearby for styling emergencies. That stuff was magical for me while I was transistioning and still does the same for my natural tresses.

I think we get caught up in the hype so quick we forget to think of how individualized our hair care needs actually are.

 

[blackbarbie]

Hate to show my age, but I was reading this thread and thinking when I was 7 and I couldn't hadle my mom hot combing my hair or trying to comb out my tangles in my natural hair and I beg for a perm (relaxer) but that is what they called them then. There were no pruducts without petroleum or Mineral oil and our hair grew like weeds and the most heat used was the hair dryer with rollers in our head.

So I am guessing a little won't hurt...

Ahhh, those were the days!! I got my hair pressed with pure Vaseline up until I was 18 years old and I never had a problem......

 

[caribeandiva]

i never took well to the no heat thing. i use heat at least once a week (twice at the most) and my hair is still fine. just use heat protectants and moisturize.

 

[Vshanell]

I recently broke my no sls/als rule because I wanted the whole Sunsilk line. I wanted everything to have the same scent because it smelled so wonderful, lol. I've been good w/ the mineral oil though.