Sorry if this is a dirty word in Curly World but what about STRAIGHT hair!! This is coming from a curly haired parent.I’m a new member and still trying to get my head around lots of it,until now the only cones I was aware of was ice-cream and traffic!Do you all have Chemistry degrees??!!But in it’s most simple form caring for our curly hair seems to mean using products that are paraben,sulfate and bad cone free because it’s no good for our curls but is this restricted to curly hair or is this stuff just bad? As a mother am I potentially creating future hair trouble for my four straight haired children? I’ve been using Johnson’s baby shampoo on them because I thought that was kind & gentle but I’ve read on a forum that this is banned. So I’m wondering whether I should switch to a more natural product. What does everyone think?

I wouldn’t worry about creating future hair problems too much, as if they are just doing normal shampooing and conditioning and not having drastic chemical treatments then their hair should grow normally and if they have problems and need to grow out hair that isn’t in ideal condition, which shouldn’t even be the case, they can.  My experience is that unless people go through damaging chemical treatments such as dye or relaxer, or mechanical strains like constant backcombing or extensions, then straight hair will feel and look good with reasonable care and not need too much worry about ingredients.  There is always room for improvement but often things have to feel or look less than ideal before someone has the incentive to make the effort.

If you’re looking into it anyway for yourself, more natural products could be a bonus.  Some products for curls might be too heavy for their hair, but using milder detergents (eg not SLS) can’t be a bad thing, and the general debate about parabens safety applies to everyone.  Hairdressers have told me that Johnsons is not gentle really.  Don’t stress, sure it doesn’t harm them, but it is an option to pick something gentler.  If you are shampooing regularly then I don’t think the odd cone is a problem for straight hair so I wouldn’t worry about that, equally you probably would find any cone free products fine for them too.

Don’t know how old they are but they may change with age regarding scalp condition, and even whether their hair turns curly when hit teens as mine did.  Either way, healthy natural hair straight or curly is fab, so not a dirty word at all!  Plus I do think if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, especially for young ones.

Even though I’m CG, I don’t believe that ‘cones are actually ‘bad’ for the hair, it’s just a lot of curlies follow the co-wash method - so silcones don’t actually wash out cleanly, so we avoid them altogether. If you use ‘cones regularly as well as low-poo or do sulphate washes, they don’t cause any build up on the hair.

Again parabens are totally personal preference as to if you want to use them or not - some people see them as potentially having health risks attached, other see them as simply helping to preserve their products. I think the more and more we’re informed of what chemicals are in our food and what we put on our skin and hair, going natural seems to be the sensible way to go.

I would say avoid using Sulphates in your shampoo though (again personal preference!), simple as I find them extremely drying on my hair, and I don’t suffer from the dreaded split ends like I used to, they’ve actually disappeared by about 98% since going CG!
I’ve convinced my straight haired sister-in-law who regularly colours her hair, to ditch the sulphates in her shampoo and she has also noticed her hair is a lot less dryer (she still uses ‘cones).

I think as far as children go, you want to do the best you can for them so choosing products that have natural ingredients are generally going to be beneficial and guilt free!

I’m sure other curlies will chip in, but even though I religiously read all the ingredients on my hair products I still think if a product works for you and you’re getting good results from it, then use it - despite if people deem them as ‘bad’..!

I think it is easy to get too tied up with all this ‘good..not good’ CG friendly shampoo/conditioner/hair products. Since joining the site I have given away lots of my products and wish I hadn’t now….. I should have just stuck with what I knew worked for me. 

Thanks everyone for your opinion. I’ve just found myself wondering about all these chemicals we use everyday without thinking about them and what they are doing to us. I used to have such lovely curly hair, no styling products needed just washed it and it dried into beautiful spirals until I was a teenager when a hairdresser hacked layers into it.I’m not sure if it was the haircut, the use of products then needed to tame it or just teenage hormones but since then I’ve relied on leave in conditioners, Frizz Ease hair serum ,curl spray,shine spray and much crossing of fingers for my hair to look half as good!! As my children are getting towards teenagers I’d hate to think that I had been slowly drying their hair out leaving them reliant on a long list of products as I am now. I’ve also been wondering about skin care. Exactly the same story I was never a spotty teenager but as I’ve got older and everyone goes about skincare regime I’ve started using facial washes, moisturisers, anti- wrinkle serums etc I am now suffering from spots!!!It’s amazing how forums on here make you think!!

Clueless - 20 May 2012 04:52 PM

Sorry if this is a dirty word in Curly World but what about STRAIGHT hair!! This is coming from a curly haired parent.I’m a new member and still trying to get my head around lots of it,until now the only cones I was aware of was ice-cream and traffic!Do you all have Chemistry degrees??!!But in it’s most simple form caring for our curly hair seems to mean using products that are paraben,sulfate and bad cone free because it’s no good for our curls but is this restricted to curly hair or is this stuff just bad? As a mother am I potentially creating future hair trouble for my four straight haired children? I’ve been using Johnson’s baby shampoo on them because I thought that was kind & gentle but I’ve read on a forum that this is banned. So I’m wondering whether I should switch to a more natural product. What does everyone think?

Just a little niggle - the CG routine says nothing about parabens. Some people believe they can be a contributing factor to cancer down the line, but this has never been proven as far as I know. The CG method only involves no longer using sulfate cleansers and silicones in any product. It also involves a considerable physical change in how one takes care of one’s hair (no brushing, gentle manipulation, etc.).

And no, we don’t all have chemistry degrees. There are a few people who get the science behind all of this, and some of us (myself included) have picked up enough to be able to theorize about some of it. But you don’t really need to know how the science works. It’s useful, but not essential.

Keep in mind that the reason curlies are told not to use sulfates in *this* particular regimen (there are a lot of different ways to care for curls) is because they dry curly hair out more than they do other types (curly hair is, by its nature, dryer than straighter hair types). This doesn’t mean sulfates are bad. Sulfates have their place, and for straighties especially they’re not much of an issue. That being said, they do still dry hair out (straight hair can cope, though, because the hair’s natural oil - sebum - finds it easier to run down straight hair shafts than it does curly hair shafts), and everyone can benefit from switching to a low or no sulfate routine (maybe even cowashing for those with especially dry hair).

Sulfates, silicones, quats, mineral oil, etc. - all things usually not part of a CG routine - are not inherently bad. They’re often quite useful, even for curlies. I know that some people have fantastic curls with this stuff. We just choose a different way of caring for hair. And keep in mind, the vast majority of the world uses all of these products daily without nary a problem.

So, no, you’re not creating problems down the line for your kids. J&J is just fine and has that lovely no-tears thing going for it. (have you gotten product in your eye recently? it HURTS! I wanted to scream my head off and I am nearly 30…)

The issue with using natural products on kids is all the essential oils that often get put in - you don’t always know how the children’s skin will react, and some of them can cause problems for young children. Products made for kids tend to be formulated specifically for them. Adults can use them, of course (and as sulfate shampoos go, J&J is not that bad), but younger children especially should not be using adult products (or so I’ve been told).

Hey everyone,it’s me again! Ok I used Aussie shampoo to cleanse my hair then I started using Tresemme naturals because it said the shampoo was low sulphate.But then I read where the sulphate came on the ingredients was indicative of how much was in the product and a sulphate is listed second same as my normal shampoo so how low in sulphates is it? Anyway so I’ve since been just co-washing with the Tresemme conditioner. I must admit I had resisted the idea because I couldn’t see how it would make my hair clean or feel clean especially in this hot weather but actually it’s not been too bad.However while I think my hair might be softer and maybe there is a bit of shine my hair as a whole is a bit of a mess. There are some curls, in fact they might even be curlier but they are hidden in a bit of a birds nest!! There’s just a lot of fluff. Any ideas? Is it the conditioner, needs more moisture etc? Any help,suggestions will be gratefully received!

Hey Emmab,
Thanks for your reply.I’m not sure if my hair needs protein or not! Yes it’s European and coloured but certainly not fine, it’s very thick and quite coarse so it only meets half the criteria. But I figure I’ll give protein a go, what’s the worse that can happen?? My hair can’t look any worse surely??!!!I’ve read on the forums how people’s hair loves protein or hates it but what should I expect, beautiful tame curls,shinier,softer,less tangled,all of the above if it loves it and the opposite if it hates it? If it doesn’t appear to make any difference what would you guys suggest I try next. Does protein take more than 1 treatment to make a difference or should I try deep moisture treatments, change my co wash conditioner or leave in? P.s does olive oil have to be extra virgin?

Ok so I’d decided to do a protein treatment and have been looking up various recipes with avocado,honey,coconut milk and various oils,olive,almond & coconut but when I was discussing this with a friend along with my new regime ie no longer using shampoo she questioned how do you rinse the treatment out? Obviously oil and water don’t mix and if I’m not using shampoo am I just going to be left with a greasy mess? Help wanted please! What is the correct procedure?
One more thing;as my hair is so messy at mo and I have a big night out coming up I’m thinking of getting the Ghd’s out. Is there a high street heat protector out there without cones? As I’m still struggling with the CG routine I don’t want to go backwards and have to start all over again. Thank you

Thank you! Ok I’ll give protein ago! Funny enough I co-washed last night and conditioned but didn’t use a leave in as I need to dye my hair & I’ve never seen my hair so curly especially at the roots. The problem is that surrounding every beautiful spiral is a mass of fluff, frizz , fluff not sure how to describe it really!! But there’s not nearly the colossal volume I usually contend with. So I’m starting to see a glimmer of light! I’ve come so close this week to throwing in the towel and going back to my Frizz ease and curl control products but I’m now thinking I might need a more moisturising leave in as Tresemme Naturals for co and leave in leaves my hair no better than just co- washing. This is certainly a journey!!!