How to identify if a hair care product is suitable for curly-haired individuals

Avoid sulfates in shampoos. Sulfates are foaming agents found in many shampoos and dishwashing liquids. They can dry out curly hair, so if you prefer to use shampoo, opt for sulfate-free versions. Sulfates typically contain the word "sulfate" in the ingredient name. Also, note that some strong shampoos may have similar ingredients to sulfates but are not technically sulfates. In general, you should avoid all shampoos to maintain optimal moisture for your curls. However, if you choose to use shampoo, avoiding sulfates is the best option.

• Here is a list of sulfates to avoid:
  • Alkylbenzene sulfonates
  • Alkyl benzene sulfonate
  • Ammonium laureth sulfate
  • Ammonium lauryl sulfate
  • Ammonium xylenesulfonate
  • Sodium C14-16 olefin sulfonate
  • Sodium cocoyl sarcosinate
  • Sodium laureth sulfate
  • Sodium lauryl sulfate
  • Sodium lauryl sulfoacetate
  • Sodium myreth sulfate
  • Sodium Xyylenesulfonate
  • TEA-dodecylbenzenesulfonate
  • Ethyl PEG-15 cocamine sulfate
  • Dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate
• Here is a list of gentle cleansing ingredients you should look for:
  • Cocamidopropyl betaine
  • Coco betaine
  • Cocoamphoacetate
  • Cocoamphodipropionate
  • Disodium cocoamphodiacetate
  • Disodium cocoamphodipropionate
  • Lauroamphoacetate
  • Sodium cocoyl isethionate
  • Behentrimonium methosulfate
  • Disodium lautreth sulfosuccinate
  • Babassuamidopropyl betaine

Avoid silicones, waxes, non-natural oils, or any other non-soluble ingredients in conditioners and styling products. This is an important step to ensure the product does not build up on your hair. If you don't use shampoo, many of the ingredients listed below will gradually accumulate on your curls. Keep in mind that silicones are any ingredients ending in -one, -conol, or -xane. Waxes can easily be identified as they usually include the word "wax" in the ingredient name.

• Here is a list of silicones to avoid:
  • Dimethicone
  • Bis-aminopropyl dimethicone
  • Cetearyl methicone
  • Cetyl dimethicone
  • Cyclopentasiloxane
  • Stearoxy dimethicone
  • Stearyl dimethicone
  • Trimethylsilylamodimethicone
  • Amodimethicone
  • Dimethicone
  • Dimethiconol
  • Behenoxy dimethicone
  • Phenyl trimethicone
• Here is a list of non-natural waxes and oils to avoid:
  • Mineral oil (paraffinum liquidum)
  • Petrolatum
  • Waxes: beeswax, candelilla wax, etc.
• Here is a list of ingredients similar to silicones or water-soluble silicones that you don’t need to avoid:
  • Lauryl methicone copolyol (water-soluble)
  • Lauryl PEG/PPG-18/18 methicone
  • Hydrolyzed wheat protein hydroxypropyl polysiloxane (water-soluble)
  • Dimethicone copolyol (water-soluble)
  • PEG-Dimethicone or any "cone" with the prefix "PEG-" (water-soluble)
  • Emulsifying wax
  • PEG-hydrogenated castor oil (emulsifying castor oil)
  • Natural oils: avocado oil, olive oil, coconut oil, etc.
  • Benzophenone-2 (or 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10) - sunscreen
  • Methychloroisothiazolinone - preservative
  • Methylisothiazolinone - preservative

If possible, try to avoid dry alcohol in conditioners and styling products. Dry alcohol is often used as a filler in conditioners, dry shampoos, gels, mousse, and hair sprays. For rinse-off products, it typically poses no issue. However, products that stay in your hair all day or for multiple days should avoid dry alcohol. On the other hand, there are moisturizing alcohols or fatty alcohols that sound similar, so make sure you don't confuse them with dry alcohol.

• Here’s a list of dry alcohols to avoid:
  • Denatured alcohol (alcohol denat)
  • SD alcohol 40
  • Witch hazel water
  • Isopropanol
  • Ethanol
  • SD alcohol
  • Propanol
  • Propyl alcohol
  • Isopropyl alcohol
• Here’s a list of moisturizing alcohols you should look for:
  • Behenyl alcohol
  • Cetearyl alcohol
  • Cetyl alcohol
  • Isocetyl alcohol
  • Isostearyl alcohol
  • Lauryl alcohol
  • Myristyl alcohol
  • Stearyl alcohol
  • C30-50 alcohol blend
  • Lanolin alcohol

Consider the impact of protein in hair care products on your hair. Most hair types require a bit of protein from your diet, especially damaged hair. However, sensitive hair often doesn’t need large amounts of protein. Coarse, frizzy, and dry hair may be a sign of excess protein.

• Here’s a list of proteins you might want to avoid or seek out, depending on your hair type:
  • Cocodimonium hydroxypropyl hydrolyzed casein
  • Cocodimonium hydroxypropyl hydrolyzed collagen
  • Cocodimonium hydroxypropyl hydrolyzed hair keratin
  • Cocodimonium hydroxypropyl hydrolyzed keratin
  • Cocodimonium hydroxypropyl hydrolyzed rice protein
  • Cocodimonium hydroxypropyl hydrolyzed silk
  • Cocodimonium hydroxypropyl hydrolyzed soy protein
  • Cocodimonium hydroxypropyl hydrolyzed wheat protein
  • Cocodimonium hydroxypropyl silk amino acids
  • Cocoyl hydrolyzed collagen
  • Cocoyl hydrolyzed keratin
  • Hydrolyzed keratin
  • Hydrolyzed oat flour
  • Hydrolyzed silk
  • Hydrolyzed silk protein
  • Hydrolyzed soy protein
  • Hydrolyzed wheat protein
  • Hydrolyzed wheat protein
  • Keratin
  • Potassium cocoyl hydrolyzed collagen
  • TEA-cocoyl hydrolyzed collagen
  • TEA-cocoyl hydrolyzed soy protein

Go shopping and practice identifying products for curly hair. After a while, this habit will become second nature, just like identifying allergens in food ingredient lists.

• Learning all the ingredient names can feel overwhelming. The key is to take it slow, one step at a time, and feel free to print out a list to check when shopping for hair care products.
• Switch to natural hair care products. This approach is simple, cost-effective, healthy, and more beneficial for curly hair care. Ingredients like coconut oil, eggs, milk, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, etc., are readily available in your kitchen or at the grocery store. This way, you’ll know exactly what’s touching your hair.
• Shop at organic supermarkets or natural product stores to find hair care products. You’ll notice a significant difference in the ingredients of cheaper products compared to "premium" ones, which still contain harmful ingredients and cost at least twice as much.
• If you accidentally use styling products or conditioners that don’t fully rinse out, you don’t need to wash again with sulfate shampoo. A sulfate-free shampoo is sufficient to remove any silicone residue.

• This is not a complete list of all ingredients in hair products. If you’re unsure about an ingredient, simply search for "ingredient name water-soluble" in a search engine. You’ll find pages that help you determine if the ingredient is water-soluble (and suitable for curly hair) or not.