Why You Should Make Your Hair Care Routine Eco-Friendly

For most of my life, I have struggled with finding the right products for my hair. Growing up in cities around Asia, most people didn’t have the same type of hair as me and it was difficult to find a consistent routine for my hair. Since there weren’t many available products, I wanted my hair to look like the people around me. So, I would straighten my hair every morning and make sure that I had every frizz control product. It took me many years to realize that this routine was severely damaging my hair and wasn’t eco-friendly. I began to research the effects that my haircare routine had on the environment and started looking for products that could help me on my hair journey.

First, let's take a step back. I think it is important to understand the context behind why the hair business is becoming more unsustainable. In 2018, the global haircare market was estimated to be worth around 87.9 billion dollars. This market includes thousands of products such as shampoo, conditioner, colorants, sprays, serums, all of which include natural or synthetic ingredients to help maintain healthy hair. Understanding the magnitude of the market was the first step, the second step was understanding what environmental threats the hair care industry poses.

The first threat is plastic waste that comes from the products. The amount of plastic packaging on U.S. products has increased by over 120 times since 1960 - with almost 70 percent piling up in landfills. The hair care industry explicitly participates in this growth as so many products are packaged into single-use bottles. This results in thousands of bottles going to waste, taking years to decompose. Further complicating the issue, the plastics break down into toxic chemicals that find their way into the earth’s groundwater.

This plastic waste has direct impacts on our animal ecosystem. For example, the breakdown of plastic into groundwater can lead to microplastics finding their way into fish and invertebrates, continuing to work their way up the food chain. In addition, animal testing has historically been a large part of the hair care and cosmetic industry in general. Essentially, the testing helps to see if the products will have any adverse effects on humans by seeing what the animals’ reactions are. It is a dangerous and cruel process.

There are also multiple harmful ingredients that are in hair products. One example is Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS), a petroleum-based ingredient, which is what makes shampoo foam and often is associated with 'cleaning' your hair. Yet, the product has the potential to dry out our skin and scalp, the adverse effect of promoted benefit.

Learning about the harmful effects on the environment made me want to transition to an eco-friendly routine for hair care. I quickly learned that there are many brands committed to taking this step towards a sustainable industry.

Briogeo, a Black-owned hair-care collection, has been one of the brands that has been a big part of my hair journey. The brand prides itself on being a “6-free hair care; meaning the formulas are free of harsh sulfates (SLS), silicones, parabens, phthalates, DEA, and synthetic color.” I especially appreciate the transparency of the products as I can see the exact percentage of each ingredient on the back of the bottle. Another brand that I have come across is Friendly Soap, a company that specializes in shampoo and conditioner bars. The purpose of the shampoo bars is so they can decrease the amount of packaging and single-use bottles. They also pride themselves on being “cruelty-free, palm oil-free, vegan and 100% natural (free of parabens, sulfates, triclosan, and phthalates), and made with only a handful of ingredients: Castor Oil, Coconut Oil, Olive Oil, Lavender, and Tea Tree essential oils, water.”

I know that it is difficult to transition to a 100% eco-friendly hair care routine. You may have found a product you already enjoy, or the sustainable options are more expensive (which happens quite often). Regardless, there are also small things you can do in your life to help the environment.

I recommend checking the ingredients in the product to see what you are putting onto your hair. In addition, asking for less packaging when buying online or from a store. If you finish your product, wash out the bottle and place it in the bin to be recycled, instead of throwing it away. There are many little steps you can commit to for a better hair routine, and, ultimately, a better future for the earth.