Plastic in Shampoo and conditioners

[Nelli]

I understand that some hair product manufacturers put some kind of polymer/plastic in shampoo & conditioners etc simply to make the hair shiny. What are these ingredients listed as on the back of the packaging or which brands do not contain them.

[Miss Zippy]

Yes, most brands of shampoo, conditioner and hair styling products contain some sort of plastic, usually PVP or copolymer, which 'coats' the hair to make it feel soft and shiny. Brands such as MOP and Aveda do not contain plastics in their products, nor any other purported 'nasty' ingredients like sodium laureth sulfate.

[Gef]

Sodium lauryl sulphate is a detergent. It is present in shampoo because shampoos rely on detergents for their cleaning power. As long as you use the shampoo for what it is intended, and follow the instructions, then it will not do you any harm. Conditioners contain certain chemicals to make them work. There is no such thing as a natural conditioner. The only 'natural' cleaning products are soaps which work because they can dissolve grease (fats and oils) and so they do extract them from our hair/skin.

[tracymort]

sls is nasty stuff it's even in toothpaste and floor cleaner. when my partner gave up sls toothpaste he stopped getting mouth ulcers. green people do a lovely range of nasty chemical free toiletries.