Kayla Young
If you’re a fan of shopping in Target, then you’ve probably come across the Native hair care range, where it was launched exclusively last year by parent company Procter & Gamble. Native shampoo, along with the rest of the brand’s products, claim to include ingredients without dirty secrets.
However, you may have also heard the rumors that Native shampoo is bad for your hair. So, does Native shampoo cause hair loss?
Weirdly, there have been several reports of this. In this article, we’ll dig in deep as to what’s going on with Native Shampoo!
Contents
Going Native
Native began in 2001 when its founder, Moiz Ali, realized his anti-perspirant contained toxic heavy metal aluminum.
This chance happening made him decide to make a clean deodorant with simple ingredients that wouldn’t cause harm to the body.
- Native Eucalyptus & Mint Natural...
- Aluminum Free - Native Deodorant is not...
- Effective Odor Blocking - Put your hands...
- Gentle and Easy - Our solid deodorant...
- Cruelty Free - At Native we never test...
These days, Native also makes a range of daily personal care staples, including body washes, soaps, toothpastes, sunscreens, and shampoos and conditioners. The company states that all of these are only made with clean ingredients that are cruelty-free and safe, as well as effective.
Fantastic, we love it!
Does Native Shampoo Cause Hair Loss?
So, does Native shampoo cause hair loss? On the surface, probably not. Native’s shampoo line doesn’t contain the most harmful chemical ingredients that can cause hair breakage and loss like some other shampoos do.
Native’s shampoo line doesn’t contain the most harmful chemical ingredients that can cause hair breakage and loss like some other shampoos do.
But there have been several reports of people experiencing hair loss and thinness which they associate with switching to Native shampoo.
That said, it’s awfully hard to pinpoint hair loss to any one cause without rigorous scientific study. Many people blame their shampoo, conditioner, hair mousse, etc., but it’s hard to truly pinpoint a single cuase.
What Does Native Shampoo Do?
Completely free of chemical nasties like sulfates, parabens, silicones, and dyes, Native’s cruelty-free range of shampoos (and conditioners) comes in these four different formulations:
- Strengthening Almond and Shea Butter
- Moisturizing Coconut and Vanilla
- Daily Clean Citrus and Herbal Musk
- Volumizing Cucumber and Mint
All of Native’s shampoos have been formulated to work with all hair types. However, the Volumizing Cucumber and Mint are recommended for those with thinner and oily hair, because all the formulations contain oils and salts that can cause hair to become greasy, especially if you live in a hard water area.
Meanwhile, the Moisturizing Coconut and Vanilla, and Strengthening Almond and Shea Butter, are best for thick and curly hair. And the Strengthening Almond & Shea Butter can even be used as a hair mask to offer a more deep conditioning experience for nourishing your locks.
Native’s shampoo range is pretty inexpensive for a decent-quality vegan shampoo. Like the Dove shampoo line, Native is pretty responsible as a large-scale manufacturer.
Reviews by customers on social media say that the Native shampoos make their hair feel softer, and help to counteract the effects that hard water damage can cause. Plus, they love how the ingredients are minimal (there’s only 10), and are generally non-toxic.
Fragrance Frustration
However, there is one thing that some may find concerning, and that’s the added fragrance.
This is because under U.S. law, companies are allowed to include 4,000 chemicals in their parfums, without having to disclose to their customers what they are.
This means if you have an allergy to a particular chemical, it would be impossible to find out whether the fragrance included synthetic chemicals that will not only cause a reaction, but that are also considered to be endocrine disruptors or carcinogens, for example.
The long and short of fragrances is that companies can hide all sorts of questionable ingredients under the label “fragrance”.
The long and short of fragrances is that companies can hide all sorts of questionable ingredients under the label “fragrance”.
What Native Says About Its Fragrance
According to the brand itself, Native says that it only uses essential oils, safe synthetics oils, and natural extracts to create its range of scents. They state that they all comply with the International Fragrance Regulatory Association’s (IFRA) guidelines.
However, even though the IFRA claims certain synthetic oils are safe, there are no restrictions on the use of phthalates, which have been linked to causing asthma, obesity, and fertility issues among other conditions, or synthetic musks, which are hormone disrupting.
Plus, Native doesn’t provide a complete list of the fragrances contained in its ingredients, which is a disappointment for a brand that claims to be so clean and safe.
Shampoo Ingredients That Cause Hair Loss
As mentioned, Nature doesn’t disclose the exact ingredients in its fragrances. It is estimated that most popular shampoo brands can contain up to 30 chemical ingredients, on top of the fragrance itself.
And these potentially harmful ingredients include conditioning and cleansing agents like surfactants, and additives like sulfates and formaldehyde, which have all been linked to causing hair loss with regular use.
For instance, sulfates are strong cleansing agents that include sodium lauryl sulfate, which has been shown to irritate the hair follicles. When a hair follicle is damaged, it will cause the hair to break off, which is a form of hair loss.
For instance, sulfates are strong cleansing agents that include sodium lauryl sulfate, which has been shown to irritate the hair follicles. When a hair follicle is damaged, it will cause the hair to break off, which is a form of hair loss.
Formaldehyde is used in many personal care products to kill bacteria and prolong the product’s shelf life. However, this dangerous chemical is classified as a Group 1 human carcinogen by the International Agency for Cancer Research
This means that formaldehyde is known to cause cancer in some individuals, as well as cause irritation to the mucus membranes and lungs. In addition, it has the potential of causing allergic dermatitis in sensitive individuals, which can result in scalp irritation and later hair loss.
And even if the product states that it is formaldehyde-free or sulfate-free on the label, it’s still wise to read the ingredients list. Sometimes formulations are changed while the labels are not.
Other shampoo chemicals that you should stay well clear of are formalin, methylene glycol, and DMDM hydantoin, which have been linked to hair breakage and loss.
Conclusion
So, does Native shampoo cause hair loss? Some have reported hair loss, but there’s really no proof.
It’s up to you to take the risk in deciding whether or not you want to try Native’s range of shampoos, considering the only partial disclosure of the ingredients in its fragrances.
Although using Native shampoo probably won’t make your hair fall out today, your body may react negatively to unknown fragrance chemicals over the longer run. If you’re concerned, there are other brands now available that are more transparent with their ingredients.
We hope Native releases a full list of fragrance ingredients for clarification and will update if they do. We’re fans of the brand but they could take another step.
