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Hairspray

What Should You Avoid?

Did you know the average woman uses about 12 different cosmetic products every day?? What a great opportunity for toxins to enter the body! One of the most dangerous products is hair spray. Not only does it contain a number of known toxins, but it is almost always in an aerosol can (which is not only harmful to the environment, but to us as well!).

Some of the most toxic chemicals in hairspray include silicone, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) plastic, artificial fragrances, propylene glycol, hydroflurocarbon, volatile organic compounds, phthalates, formaldehyde, caroxylmethylcellulose and polyvinyl alcohol (don’t lie, you didn’t actually read half of those, did you?). These chemicals can cause a variety of health issues such as organ system toxicity, cell mutation, skin and lung irritation, damage to the eyes, developmental problems, and cancer.

As you probably already know, aerosol sprays are a major source of pollution. You tend to spray much more from an aerosol can and the tiny spray particles cause more chemicals to be inhaled, allowing chemicals to enter the lungs and making it difficult to breathe (especially in confined spaces such as the bathroom).

What Do We Recommend?

As we’ve mentioned before, you should visit the Environmental Working Group’s cosmetic database to check the safety of your favourite products (http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/). Look for products with a rating of 0-2. Always read labels before buying and look for any of the above-mentioned ingredients. If you don’t want to spend all that money on a product you’re not sure will work for you, ask someone at the store to give you a small sample (bring a mini spray bottle with you from Dollarama for them to fill). Also, buy hairspray in fine-mist spray bottles instead of aerosol!

If you’re feeling ambitious, why not try making your own? (See below for a recipe). Not only will you save tons of money, but you’ll also know exactly what is in it!

 

Which Products Have We Found?

I can’t lie, I don’t use hairspray… So I can’t personally swear by any of these… But I have done some research, and here is a list of some non-toxic products that others have loved:

  • Morocco Method Agave Mist Styling Spritz
  • Intelligent Nutrients Certified Organic Perfect Hold Hairspray
  • Aubrey Organics Natural Mist Herbal Hairspray (This one I can vouch for – my mom uses it and it works! You should see her luscious, long-lasting curls)

Homemade:

  • 4 teaspoons of sugar, 1 cup of hot water, 1 tablespoon vodka, 5 drops essential oil – dissolve the sugar in boiling water, add the vodka and let cool before adding essential oils. Pour into a fine-mist spray bottle and enjoy! Don’t fret; apparently this doesn’t attract bugs, especially if you use citrus oil.
  • Additionally, you can add a few slices of lemon and orange to the boiling water and strain when cool

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