A comment from Paradise on this post:
Hi and thank you for sharing this valuable information. However, I’m a bit addelpated on one issue…I read in your blog that you use Suave Tropical Coconut Conditioner for co-washes, which contains the ingredient propylene glycol (by-product of petroleum), yet here you’re recommeding that naturals stay away from mineral oil and any petroleum products as it can clog pores, which blocks moisture to the scalp and may interfere with hair growth. Can you please explain the logic in this statement? I’ve been pretty apprehensive about purchasing the Suave conditioner, yet I’ve heard so much about it in a positive light. I would appreciate your response to help me form a better understanding. Thank you!
Paradise, thanks for reading and for the great question!
Yes, propylene glycol is a by product of petroleum. I have several reasons that I still recommend and use the above mentioned product and here they are:
- The ingredient is very low on the ingredient list. It is the next to the last one. Many products contain things that I would not use in larger doses. For instance, Creme of Nature Shampoo and a lot of other products contain sodium hydroxide (also known as lye, sound familiar?). This does not by any means mean that it will relax your hair as lye has long been used for other purposes.
- Just because it’s derived from a certain chemical does not mean it acts like said chemical. Another for instance: Sodium Laureth Sulfate is derived from coconut oil, but certainly does not act like it.
I have never experienced any problems with this conditioner. Just about any product will cause some kind of buildup eventually, no matter what the ingredients, so you may have some buildup. I am still against using petroleum/mineral oil products on my scalp period. For the ends, though I don’t do this, Chicoro uses Vaseline to seal her ends AFTER using a conditioner. So I still stand by those type of products not providing moisture, but they may aid in sealing in moisture.
They also add shine which is what we often equate with healthy hair.
Let’s face it: Something that costs 1 dollar at the drug store is highly unlikely to have a purely “natural” ingredient list that will have no questionable ingredients. We live in a world where a good deal of what is readily available to us is sometimes potentially toxic to us. I would love to use something like Oyin Honey Hemp Conditioner everytime I cowash, but it’s just not feasible, especially if I were cowashing my mane every single day.
I’m not a chemist, I learn what I can about ingredients and try to apply them in my everyday life and also share them with ya’ll here. I know/knew that there are many other ingredients derived from petroluem: parrafin, isopropyl alcohol, mineral oil…all are petroluem derived products. It’s up to you to choose what products/ingredients your hair likes. I only offer suggestions.
You may want to use Blue Magic all day long and grow waist length hair. I can not.
I hope that answers your question, that was a good one!
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very well answered. I know personally coming into this ‘natural’ world i almost became a nazi about certain things which I had used in the past and worked fine but because I was educated I suddenly felt the need to totally remove them from my existence. in a perfect world I guess I can (perfect = money being no object), however I’ve come to prioritize using what “my hair says to me” as a guide. I use a combination of ‘natural’ products and regular products, paying attention to labels and ingredients but not being overly obsessive.