Shampoo is just one of those things that is kind of a necessity that most people probably don’t think a whole lot about. If it smells good and does pretty much what it says, then most people are happy. What gives me pause is that shampoo can have some of the most toxic ingredients in it. Fortunately, there are a ton of great all natural and organic shampoos on the market today that make me feel a lot better about what I am putting on my head on a daily basis. Below is a little background and my top picks for the best all natural shampoo.
Disclaimer: Please note that some of the links in this post are affiliate links and I will earn a commission if you purchase through those links. I recommend these products because they are products that I personally use or companies that I have found trustworthy.
Toxic Shampoo?
Yep, your shampoo can be toxic. Really toxic, actually. The main offending ingredient in most commercial shampoos is sodium laurel sulphate or SLS. SLS creates dioxins, which are potentially very dangerous carcinogens. Think, the stuff that was in agent orange. So, why would shampoo manufacturers use SLS? Because it’s cheap. It’s cheap and it helps the shampoo foam up, which makes you as the consumer feel cleaner. SLS does get rid of grease, but it also irritates all of your mucous membranes that it comes in contact with in the process. Think about all of the times you got shampoo in your eyes and how painful that was. SLS can also be absorbed through the skin, causing all sorts of health issues, ranging from a suppressed immune system to corroding your hair follicles (potentially causing you to lose hair or the ability to grow hair). This is the main reason you see more and more commercials touting sulfate free shampoo.
Natural and Organic Shampoo
The natural and organic shampoo market has really taken off in recent years. Along with avoiding sodium laurel sulphate, you will also want to look out for the usual offenders like phthalates (fragrance), parabens (carcinogens, PEGs, other sulfates, butylene and propylene glycol, mineral oil, paraffins, steareth-n, DEA/MEA/TEA, or any other synthetic fragrances or colorings/dyes. (Check out my post Toxic Chemical Spotlight: What Are Phthalates? for more info.)
I know, long list. To simplify matters, I came up with my own list of safe, chemical free shampoos to choose from. All of these have low toxicity ratings from the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep website.
Top 5 Best All Natural Shampoo Picks
Honest Company – The Honest Company has really great products for babies, but their shampoo + body wash (and conditioner) are wonderful for adults too. The scents are fabulous as well.
California Baby – I know, another baby company, but I think California Baby has some of the safest products in the world right now. Calming and energizing scents and extremely safe for you and your baby.
John Master’s Organics – This one can be on the pricier side, but they smell great and have some celebrity following. Worth checking out for sure.
Dr. Bronner’s Castile Soap – As previously mentioned in my post 10 Best Uses for Castile Soap, I routinely use Dr. Bronner’s castile soap as a shampoo (and face wash, and, and, and…).
Shea Moisture – Great scents, all natural ingredients and you can easily find them. I like the Manuka Honey Mafura Oil and Raw Shea Butter scents.
If you are looking for the best all natural shampoo, then the five above are great options. They have low toxicity levels, wonderful scents and do a great job of making hair feel clean and healthy.
See, easy peasy. Now there is no excuse to not suds up chemical free.
