What's Causing That Dry, Itchy Scalp?

All commercially manufactured hair products contain preservatives to prevent the growth of bacteria and fungi, as well as to lengthen their shelf life. Many of these preservatives can also be the cause of dry, itchy scalp and skin. Look out for some of the following preservatives that are known to cause skin irritation:

• Benzyl alcohol 
• Imidazolidinyl urea 
• Diazolidinyl urea 
• Sodium hydroxylmethylgycinate 
• Methyl, Propyl, Butyl and Ethyl parabens 
• Phenoxyethanol 
• DMDM hydantoin 
• Quaternium-15 
• Methylisothiazolinone 

Some common detergents in shampoos that are known to cause dry, itchy scalp:

• Sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate 
• Cocoamide DEA, TEA or MEA 
• Cocamidopropyl betaine 

Aside from preservatives and detergents, there are many other ingredients in hair products that can cause skin problems for some of us--even natural, edible ingredients can be irritating. This is a short list of common irritants:

• Fragrances/perfumes 
• Propylene glycol (PG) 
• Polyethylene glycol (PEG) 
• Polyquaternium(s) 
• Artificial colorings 
• Hair dyes 
• Herbal extracts 
• Essential Oils 
• Henna 
• Acids (ie. Salicylic acid, acetic acid) 
• Proteins, hydrolyzed proteins, amino acids, peptides & plant starch

Have you experienced dry or itchy scalp with any of the detergents listed above? 


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