'All Natural' Doesn't Always Mean 'No Chemicals'

It started off harmlessly enough. Staying over at my boyfriend's apartment and making due with his standard dandruff shampoo. When my scalp began to feel slightly itchy, I chalked it up to the change in the weather. It happened so gradually, I didn't make the connection. But when the itching worsened, I finally decided to investigate. It turns out, one of the key ingredients found in my boyfriend's shampoo, designed for healthy looking scalps, is Sodium Laureth Sulfate, a common skin irritant pervasive in most personal care products.

I immediately high-tailed it to the drugstore to seek out a healthier alternative. I opted for a paraben-free shampoo that contained some recognizable, natural ingredients. The condition worsened. My scalp felt like it was on fire, and I began to experience severe hair loss. Kicking into guerilla mode, I vowed to find a product containing only natural ingredients I was able to pronounce. I was shocked to find that within the dizzying array of shampoos offered at a large health food store, most contained SLS. Even though the majority of labels used words such as natural,' organic,' and pure.' I couldn't find any shampoo which met my criteria, save one: A line called Terressentials.

It came as no surprise to Terressentials co-founder Diana Kaye that her company was the only winner in my organic search. If you see the word 'natural' you should run the other way and clutch your wallet, because it's a con game. Kaye wasn't surprised to hear about my scalp problems either. The hair care industry is locked into using the cheapest chemicals because the distribution chain is so lengthy. Everyone gets paid. Companies only care about one thing: profit, profit and more profit. The same applies for products professing to be all natural.' Companies swap parabens for other types of chemicals. It's a shell game. When your body reaches the point where it can't process chemicals, it will send you physical symptoms such as skin issues and pulmonary breathing problems.

Her recommendation? Minimize or eliminate the chemicals in your life and give your body a chance to heal. Try a pure castile soap along with organic apple cider vinegar, which acts as a natural conditioner. I bypassed the castile and opted for the Terressentials shampoo which bears the impressive USDA organic green seal, the highest stamp given to certified organic products. (Shockingly, there has been no enforcement of organic regulations in the U.S. that define the words organic' and natural in the body care industry, which is why it's so easy to be misled when searching for a truly natural product.) After trying the Cool Mint Pure Earth Hair Wash along with the recommended organic apple cider, I experienced immediate relief. The product itself, derived from natural clay, takes some getting used to, as it isn't your traditional bubbly shampoo, since there aren't any detergents to create that lathering effect. While many would find it difficult to use this line as an everyday product, it's the perfect, go-to hair detoxifier.

After my initial detox period, I tried the Green Rootine line by JONATHAN, which also doesn't bubble, but foams. A satisfying trade off for suds. I'm happy to say the itching and frightening hair loss has finally ceased. But it's scary to think of how uninformed I was. Even scarier? In Canada, companies are allowed to call detergents soap. That's a real problem, says Kaye, because soap occurs in nature. Detergents do not. There doesn't seem to be any ethics involved. If we want companies to change their behaviour, we have to do something. If people had the information, they would think twice about what they are buying. Until consumers say they want different products and better ingredients, that will drive change. But that won't happen until we educate the public.

Terressentials available at: www.terressentials.com.

Green Rootine by JONATHAN available at: www.sephora.com.

By Lara Landa

Lara Landa, Shopjunkie
		About the author:
		Lara is a television producer and has worked on shows like Fashion File, Fashion Television and The A List. Currently, Lara is working on HGTV shows such as Sarah's House and Dirty Business. As a freelance writer she has interviewed everyone from Steve Coogan to Tommy Lee and Alanis Morissette to The Prodigy. Her writing has been published in Elle, Chatelaine and The Toronto Star.
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