Styling gel is a useful hair product which can be made at home with natural ingredients or store bought. In either case, the typical ingredients for hair gel range from non toxic to highly toxic, according to The Environmental Working Group. Hair gel has been around since at least the Iron Age, according to an article in Targetwoman.com. Irish men found murdered in bogs applied hair gel.
All through history people have used various ingredients as hair gel. Irish men from the Iron Age who were found murdered in bogs had used hair gel. Elizabethan women used lizard fat and swallow droppings as hair gel. Victorian women used a combination of borax, camphor, gum Arabic and hot water to help style and curl hair. Pre-Columbian Mexican women used aloe vera gel in their hair. Ancient Egyptians used citrus juice to keep hair shiny and under control. They also used fir resin to promote hair growth and help style hair.
Compact For Safe Cosmetics
The Environmental Working Group keeps a database of cosmetic ingredients and their health and environmental effects. Hair gels listed include over one thousand brands of gel. Cosmetics companies can sign a Compact for Safe Cosmetics and agree to disclose all their ingredients. Companies do this voluntarily. They do not need to disclose all their ingredients, and so it is impossible to know exactly what is in any cosmetic, including styling gels.
Least Toxic Hair Gels
The least toxic types include ingredients such as grapefruit seed exctract, vitamin A, vitamin E and aloe vera gel. Aubrey Organics is an example of a low toxicity hair gel, although the Environmental Working Group notes that vitamin A and vitamin E have been known to be toxic at high doses. Bumble and Bumble makes a hair gel with cyclomethicone and dimethiconol. Cyclomethicone has shown some toxicity in large amounts. The least toxic styling gel listed in the cosmetic database is Favor Care Organic styling gel. The ingredients listed include grapefruit extract, calendula and water.
Most Toxic Gels
The most toxic styling gels include Clairol Herbal Essences Texturizing Pomade. This gel contains cetereth-25, methylparaben, PEG-8 Methicone, PEG-7 Glyceryl cocoate, and fragrance. Of all the ingredients listed, fragrance is one of the most toxic. According to Environmental Working Group, fragrance has moderate evidence of human neurotoxicity. Other ingredients have evidence of neuroticism, allergies or immunosystem toxicity, organ system toxicity and biochemical or cellular level changes. The most toxic hair styling gel on the database is Pantene Pro-V Frizz Control Treatment. One ingredient listed is DMDM Hydantoin, which, among other known hazards, is a human skin toxicant.
Homemade Hair Gels
Homemade hair gels include everything from aloe vera gel to white glue. Mixing cornstarch with white glue may work for styling Mohawks and other spiky hair styles. Dissolving one teaspoon gelatin in one cup of warm water works as a hair gel. This gel needs to be kept in the refrigerator and will only last one week. Another home made gel uses flax seeds. Boil two tablespoons flax seeds in one cup of water for ten minutes. Strain and use.
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