Gaining stronger, visibly thicker hair is possible in most situations. There are several ways you can support the health of your hair from your roots to the tip of each strand, and that’s where your shampoo comes into play. Along with proper hydration and nutrition and a host of other key factors, the shampoo you're using plays a significant role in the visible health of your hair. It’s hard to believe that our trusted daily shampoo, which we regularly use to keep our hair healthy and clean, can surprisingly lead to hair problems.

When shampoo is the culprit

It’s all about ingredients. Some of the most common ingredients used in shampoos, often associated with producing that soapy lather, can strip your hair of its natural oils.

Sulfates

Have you heard about the use of sulfates in shampoo? We're here to tell you that they can be overpowering for many common hair types. But why? Sulfates are strong detergents that use a chemical reaction to bind to your hair’s natural sebum. When you rinse, the sebum, dirt, and debris are washed away. It sounds like a great way to get clean, but your hair needs that sebum to look shiny, hold nutrition and moisture, and prevent breakage and frizz.

Parabens

The paraben controversy is a pretty hot topic right now. This artificial preservative is widely used in shampoos and conditioners and can be absorbed through the skin. While there is much debate about the effects of this additive, why not play it safe and skip paraben products altogether. They're an unnecessary preservative, and Hair La Vie Shampoo is always paraben-free.

Diethanolamine (DEA) and triethanolamine (TEA)

These are the foaming agents in shampoo. If you’re used to them, we admit going without the foam takes some getting used to. But we recommend you try it! There are concerns about DEA and TEA, enough so that the European Commission has banned DEA in cosmetics, including shampoo.

Formaldehyde

Gasp! This one is set to be banned by the state of California by 2025 due to its risk of causing cancer. Formaldehyde is sometimes directly added to a product as a preservative, but it’s more often found in preservatives like quaternium-15, imidazolidinyl urea, and DMDM hydantoin, among others. These ingredients are often added to lotions, sunscreens, and beauty and haircare products. These preservatives release small amounts of formaldehyde over time, so it’s best to avoid these ingredients.

When shampoo is your best friend

Understanding which ingredients to avoid is a huge step in getting your shampoo game on point. Knowing the right ingredients to look for is also super important. Let's focus on some wonderful ingredients you can find in shampoo that will perk up your hair, nourish the scalp, follicle, root, and strand. These are ingredients that will help you on your healthy hair journey.

Marula oil

This oil is rich in vitamins C, E, and essential fatty acids, which help nourish and hydrate hair. But what makes it particularly good for hair is that it does this without feeling greasy or clogging pores.

Saw palmetto

There’s a little research on saw palmetto and how it can benefit hair but nothing definitive. But here is what we do know. It has calming effects that can benefit your scalp and help relieve itching due to dry skin. It can inhibit an enzyme called 5-alpha reductase, which can be very useful as a way to promote hair health. 

Vitamin B5

If your hair concerns are related to your scalp, then vitamin B5 might be your best bet when it comes to promoting visible hair health. It acts as both a purifying and nourishing agent that can soothe dryness of the scalp. In addition, it promotes shine, hydration, and softness of your hair. As a side note, hydrated hair is “plumper,” which can give your hair the appearance of fuller, thicker hair.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is great at giving the immune system support, and it can also improve the look and feel of your hair when applied topically. It’s not the holy grail of hair health, but it certainly does help, and it’s good for the rest of you. That means that if you’re healthier, your body uses nutrition correctly, which supports hair health and a thriving appearance.

Coconut oil

You’ve probably heard of all of the health benefits of coconut oil. It’s no surprise that it should also be included as part of any healthy scalp, hair, skin, and nails regimen too. A fun fact about coconut oil is that the vitamins and essential fatty acids naturally found in the oil can help nourish the scalp. It helps strands feel stronger in damaged and undamaged hair.

Final thoughts

If your hair health and having a full, luscious head of hair is important to you, then the products you put on your hair have to rise in importance. The best thing you can do for your hair health is to give it the ingredients it needs to thrive and stay away from the ingredients that can defeat all of your efforts.

Luckily, Hair La Vie Shampoo and Conditioner are designed to give your hair rejuvenating approach to the healthiest ingredients in the world when it comes to hair. That, and we include only the best ingredients to give your hair the health and support it needs. 

Sticking to a hair-positive approach to hair growth, nutrition, and hydration is a great start. Using the best ingredients helps round out your plan and gives you incredible results.