What is a natural hair shampoo product? Which hair cosmetics are considered natural?

More people than ever before, especially millennials and especially for their hair, prefer natural products. They pay attention to plant botanicals as the main ingredient and almost no synthetic chemicals. Likewise, other consumers are attracted to label terms such as green, organic and sustainable. But do you know what it means for hair beauty products to be considered truly natural?

Let’s take a look at some research…

Recently, a research firm published interesting findings regarding age-demographic preferences for natural beauty products. Responses to various statements about hair and skin products were compared across generations of Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and Generation Z.

While 80% of millennials believe that the products they use on their skin affect their health, 66% of Boomers, 77% of Generation X and 78% of Generation Z respondents approve of this.

80% of millennials agree that it is important to understand the ingredients in skincare products. Likewise, 80% of Baby Boomers agree with this statement, 81% of Generation X and 81% of Generation Z.

68% of millennials say that the products they use on their hair can affect their hair. 60% of Boomers agree with this statement, 57% of Gen Xs share this belief, and 52% of Generation Z likewise…

Finally, 71% of millennials think it’s important to be aware of the ingredients in hair care products, compared to 67% of millennials, 69% of millennials, and 58% of millennials.

The research also reports that in 2020, 40% of millennials increased their purchases of natural skin and hair products in the previous year and are choosing to switch to retailers that offer natural beauty products.

Now, let’s gather all of them and examine how the products applied from the outside can really benefit our hair. According to real scientific research, the skin absorbs 60-70% of the topicals put on it. Perhaps not everyone knows this exact statistic, but there is a strong awareness that what we put on our bodies is important to our health. As such, at this point, we are concerned about giving natural ones, not chemicals, under the skin. We can say that our desire to prefer natural hair products starts at this point. Consumers who do their best to avoid artificial chemicals may only buy products that seem like a healthier choice because of the way they’re labeled.

What does it mean for a hair product to be natural?

Currently, the FDA and USDA or EU do not apply specific definitions of what it really means for a product to be considered natural or organic. In fact, adding just one or two plant-derived ingredients among countless synthetic ingredients and using the word natural in a product is utterly ridiculous. Using the loosely defined term natural can mislead consumers into buying products that are actually not that natural.

Despite the lack of strict regulations by the European Union, there is an organization called the Natural Products Association (NPA) that issues a standard certificate accompanied by an official seal. Natural personal and home care products that meet these criteria must consist of 95% natural or derived ingredients from natural sources. Certified products should also avoid ingredients that have been tested on animals and are associated with health risks. In addition, fragrances and colorants must be 100% natural. NPA specifies that certain joins cannot be used. In addition, the organization has put a list of certain ingredients on the prohibition list according to the certification standards.

What to Look for in Really Natural Skin and Hair Beauty Products

While the official seal issued by the NPA is a good indicator of how natural a product really is, there are other useful indicators as well. Descriptive tagging terms to look for:

• vegan
• Not tested on animals
• non-GMO
• environmentally friendly
• Contains no harmful chemicals, preservatives or irritants

Another thing to consider is that natural products are only as good as the quality of their final packaged ingredients. It is necessary to use bioactive components, not biologically dead components. It is actually quite common practice to use heat to kill bacteria and mix and emulsify the liquid ingredients evenly, preventing them from delamination. At the same time, heat denatures, oxidizes, or destroys important bioactive components. So, in addition to looking at the ingredient list on a package, also look at how the ingredients are handled. It’s a good idea to choose natural hair and skin products that have been cold-processed, which is an emerging development in the manufacture of natural beauty products. Any heat available during the production phase should not exceed room temperature.

There is something inherently satisfying about the idea of using consciously prepared care products in harmony with nature. But without specific definitions of what it means to be natural, we are dealing with only one concept. Transitioning to a lifestyle that is more in tune with the world and our health only requires clarity to distinguish between what seems natural and what actually happens. I mean, actually, you cannot challenge this situation by smoking 1 pack of cigarettes a day, using excessive alcohol, and eating unhealthy junk food. What good is it if you use natural hair shampoo while putting all these bad ingredients inside your body?