Organic and Natural Hair Care Products: Brands and Buying Tips

A billion-dollar hair care industry has been built on the simple fact that we all have bad hair days. After all, there are few things more frustrating than trying to tame your poof (or bring it back to life) while you are running out the door. Sometimes you just feel like giving up. (Hair scarves and up-'dos anyone?) Bottom line: A great hair care product is worth its weight in gold. But if you've used conventional products for years, what you probably don't realize is that along with holding your 'do and taming your tresses, you are inhaling phthalates, artificial fragrances, aerosols and other possibly harmful chemicals. (Brazilian blowouts have made news of late for potentially hazardous levels of formaldehyde.) Especially if you use hair care products every day, getting those chemicals out of your life is a good precaution. (Bonus: it keeps them out of the environment, too.) Think about switching those that you use more commonly out first. If you've never used natural hair care products before, don't be afraid of the ingredients lists in these concoctions; just because they contain oils and natural butters doesn't mean that they will make your hair oily or weigh it down; in fact natural oils can be good for the health of the scalp, and actually prevent dry or oily scalps and fend off dandruff. Jessa Blades, a natural beauty artist, has styled all kinds of hair and tested out tons of natural products. "Keep in mind that when using natural products, they, like food, don't have as long a shelf life as conventional products. Using them within 12 months is usually recommended to make sure the product is fresh and effective," Blades said. She recommends looking for products with natural oils (coconut, carrot seed, etc.), natural butters (shea, cocoa, etc.), food-derived proteins and essential oils (lemon, orange, geranium, lavendar, etc.). She recommends avoiding: > Parabens (methyl-, propyl-, butyl-paraben, etc.) > Sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate (SLS or SLES) > Petrolatum (Petroleum Jelly) > Propylene glycol > Diethanolamine (DEA) and Triethalnolamine (TEA) > Imidazoldinyl, urea and diazolidinyl urea > Silicone > Ethoxylated ingredients (those starting with PEG- or ending with –ETH) If you have products in your cabinet and you're wondering about the safety of their ingredients, check out the Skin Deep Cosmetics Safety Database, which allows you to search for many products, as well as specific ingredients to learn about scientific test results, and how safe the Environmental Working Group considers them; while the beauty industry uses chemicals according to federal guidelines and laws, watchdogs believe those laws are outdated and inadequate. Related: How to Make Your Own Natural Shampoo

Safe for 'babies and up' since it's simply a mix of edible and whole ingredients, Beautiful Curls' activating cream is made with coconut oil, aloe vera, shea butter, mango and vanilla extracts. Ideal for those with naturally curly hair, it helps define curls without weighing down your hair or greasing it up. ($14 at beautifulcurls.net)

This Kiss My Face mousse will do whatever your regular mousse does – add volume at the roots, or hold runaway hair in place – but do it without the propellants and fillers in conventional brands. Wheat and rice proteins are used instead. Instead of chemicals, it's scented with lavender and lime oils. ($9 at beauty.com, kissmyfacewebstore.com or thenaturalstore.com; $9.70 at amazon.com)

The NuStyle hairspray comes in both regular and soft hold, so if you have some crazy-punk hairdo's to create, or if you just want to keep your hair out of your face, you have options. Aubrey uses organic quinoa protein as one of the bases for this spray, which is especially good for controlling fly-aways, and for smoothness and shine. Organic rice syrup helps with volume. ($10 at Aubrey-organics.com or $12.60 at amazon.com)

Giovanni Straight Fast is a naturally-based alternative to other straightening concoctions that coat the hair shaft with microplastics (silicone). Used prior to blow drying, it not only smoothes and straightens the hair shaft somewhat, but the organic botanicals also protect the hair from heat styling. ($8.25 at amazon.com or $11 at giovannicosmetics.net)

John Masters Organics Shine On is a natural alternative to silicone-based sheen enhancers that can really stick to the hair and build up, even after shampooing. This product uses organic sea kelp to impart shine instead of the petroleum typically used. Carrot seed oil and phytoplankton condition hair. ($26.40 at amazon.com or $30 at beautorium.com or johnmasters.com)

This product from The Nature of Beauty is ideal for travel or the gym, as it's spill-proof. The solid bar, made from a mix of beeswax, cocoa butter and macadamia nut oil, is ideal for perfecting the tousled, beach-hair look. Scented with bergamot, lemon, orange and vetiver essential oils, your hair will smell great too. ($24 at amazon.com, thenaturalstore.com or natureofbeauty.com)