My Thoughts on Ingredients in Curly Hair Products

[@SwavyCurlyCourtney]

P S. As a general rule, my hair does not have a reaction to aloe. I used it as an example in the video of an ingredient that people can point to as being problematic for their hair. Hope that makes sense!

[@amandawilson890]

Mine doesnt mind aloe either but it does not like ciconut oil!

[@sterneprinzessin]

@@amandawilson890 same!

[@paperdaisy213]

I have two ideas about what happened with that Uncle Funky's product. 1. They realized they were causing problems with allergic consumers by not disclosing wheat. 2. They did some market research and found that certain ingredients were popular at the time, so they highlighted them on the label. Maybe both!

[@angelag669]

After 6+ years with my curly hair, I have come to some conclusions. One: I don't necessarily need to use shampoo and conditioner for curly hair. Regular shampoo/conditioners work just as well in my hair if it is a good product for my hair. Two: I no longer vilify certain ingredients like sulfates and silicones. I have found that silicones especially work well in my hair. Third: I don't pay attention to the increasing number of lawsuits against companies b/c a certain few claim they are bad. There could be multiple factors that lead to bad results that could have nothing whatsoever to do with any wrongdoing by the manufacturer.

[@cleocatra9324]

Totally agree and trial and error is really the only way to figure it all put

[@cleocatra9324]

Some curly/ ethnic products are too heavy for some wavy hair and some products for normal/ straight hair work great🤷‍♀️.

[@jamie1018_]

Omg yes! I’m so sick of this argument of salon shampoos/conditioners vs. drugstore shampoos/conditioners. The only person who is going to know what is best for your hair is yourself. You have to do what’s best for your hair and yourself.

[@michellesanderson4028]

All comes down to making a living,every hair type is different? I'm in my early 60's & have alway's had wavy/curly hair,some of these paid promotions just aren't fair on people that can't afford especially the high end range?most wavy's only need conditioner or a holding product?

[@LarinaValarin]

I stopped caring about ingredients when I started following some cosmetic chemists online and learning from them about just how little the label tells you. since I don't have known allergies so I mostly stopped even looking. occasionally I do check, but mostly if I notice that my hair didn't do well with it and sometime sit can help me think about other ways to use it.

[@meike6999]

As a fellow ingredient list junkie (for everything from food to skin care...) I'd like to add though that a general understanding of ingredients still helps me prioritizing products I like to try out... (since I cannot try them all even if I would admittedly like to... even with unlimited funds I guess one livetime is just too short). As in I know my hair likes PVP based gels and VA/VP Copolymer based ones generally leaves it falling flat and dried out quickly. It also helps finding less expensive dupes or to lesser extend deciding which expensive product might be worth its money...

[@graveart1105]

I feel like I’ve taken a Master’s class from you. I had no idea about different shampoos, conditioners, lo poo, no poo, leave in, styling products. I never really liked my hair before but I love it now. I’ve spent loads of time and money trying to figure it all out. Now I use moisturizing shampoo and conditioner, leave in, co wash, no gel and my hair looks great. I have baby ringlets! When the humidity gets high in summer I’ll have lots of curls. Thank you so much, Courtney. Watching your videos has been life changing.

[@Nemisha17]

Hey Courtney! I love this video so much cause I am one of these people who LOVE to read and analyse ingredients list. I think we as "novice researchers" of ingredients can go down a rabbit hole and get overwhelmed with this because, as you said, we are not cosmetic scientists. I've used products with "heavy" ingredients and noticed buildup but that happened only through trying products with those specific ingredients in them. The truth is you can read all the labels you want but you'll only know if a product is good for you if you TRY IT! That's it. I'm still in that stage where I diss products with sulphates, silicones, drying alcohols and "heavy" ingredients (butters and heavy oils in the first 5 ingredients list) but I'm getting less and less rigid. I think in the end we need to go to brands that are trustworthy and take a leap of faith.

[@caitlinjoy2828]

as someone with food allergies the world of oingredient labeling is very scary... learning which brands i can trust has helped a lot!

[@ioanaschifirnet3814]

I know this is one those videos I’ll come back to time and time again! I think this is the mindset reset that many of us needed!

[@saris_2194]

The cg method brought my hair to life. After years of straightening and hating how puffy my hair was, I learned that I had waves and curls. I completely stopped using silicone and alcohols and all those products. And now after almost 3 years, my hair is super different. I did about 3 big chops and I learned to take care of my hair. But now, after watching manes by mell and other hair dressers talk about silicones and their benefits as well as the different ingredients, I want to give them a try. I live in florida and recently my hair has been so dry and my waves are stringy when they used to be super plump and bouncy, and I think it's because the heat and humidity are taking a toll on my hair. And I want to try to use silicone to protect my hair and bring back its shine, but I'm unsure of which products to use :( it would be very helpful if you, Courtney made a video about silicone and their different uses. And if anyone has any drugstore moisturizing leave in s with silicones please let me know :)

[@ruthbaxter160]

I’d love to see you attempt a “one brand washday” using homemade formulas instead of bought products.

[@derrickjenniferwatkins1394]

Love this video. Basically, hair care (like everything else) requires we use our brains and exercise common sense in what we use and how we react to it. If my shampoo makes my scalp itch, I stop using it BEFORE my hair starts falling out. If a cream or gel is too drying even if paired with a moisture product, I stop using BEFORE my hair dries out to the point of breaking off. Instant contact allergies do occur, but rarely is hair extremely damaged by one or two uses of a styling product ( not talking about bleach or chemical treatments here.) Thank you for addressing this, Courtney, and reminding us to think for ourselves and use common sense 💕

[@Aivlyss]

The more you know the more you think you don't know. That is such a true statement that someone actually DOES know! Great video!

[@May-qb3vx]

I don’t hate silicones. I don’t like using them in my conditioners if I’m following my shower up with more moisturizing leave-in products. Silicones seal the cuticle so I don’t like using it earlier in my routine. Near the end, though, I’m just fine with silicones (especially in the middle of summer)

[@karissathatcher9206]

I think balance is a good word. We want to achieve perfection, but we can't I this world. I also wish more companies would priorities honesty and healthy ingredients for the safety of their customers. I personally want products with clean, natural ingredients so that I can have my best hair naturally. However, I, too, have been learning that I need to hold this loosely because I can't always achieve this. So along with balance, I aim for simplicity! :)

[@harmonious.balance]

I so appreciate this video. It shows great humility. What you said about having this sense of power and control...it really only feeds the ego and creates a placebo effect alot of the time. From a manufacturing standpoint, going from concept to mass production for affordability requires streamlining, finding affordable alternative ingredients...we know very little about the process. And Often we know very little about how to use products. So many possible applications for one product. Truth of the matter is there is no such thing as a curly hair product. There are products that may support curl enhancement and hold, but those same products can be used for straight hair and vice versa and produce the desired results.

[@bethanyrose3273]

I used to be one of those people that stayed away from silicones and sulfates!!!! But I love using silicones in my curl creams because they give great slip and seal the hair .Silicones are not bad for your hair! They actually help protect your hair. And most of the time silicones can even be removed with a sulfate free shampoo or clarifying shampoo. So you don’t even have to worry about them building up anymore. Love your videos!

[@RociBran]

😅 I never read the ingredients label until I started noticing that certain shampoos and conditioners would badly dry out my hair and I never understood why. I would see KZbin videos where products would give such amazing results and I'd try them and nope. It's when I started paying attention to ingredients that I learned that my hair is protein sensitive. The only product I use that has protein in it is a color conditioner, and I can't use it more than once a month or it will dry out my hair. 🧐 Now I pay attention to the labels but not overly so.

[@thousandfootdeepend1278]

9:49 I remember that video. It was the Aussie instant freeze gel. I dont care what the company said, something about the gel formula WAS DIFFERENT. I know from my own experience, from 1 tube of pre-updated ingredients label to post-updated, it stopped working anywhere close to as well as when I first started using it.

[@CJbrieflittlecandle]

I think she was referring to Uncle Funky’s

[@thousandfootdeepend1278]

You could be right. I guess I never saw her video on that. It's just that there are a lot of parallels between what she was recounting here and how I remember the Aussie gel thing playing out.

[@christiemese]

It wasn't the Aussie one. It was Uncle Funky's. The Aussie change was more recent than she is referring to.

[@whitneylong3220]

Thank you for the reminder to hold things loosely! Something I've definitely been learning in this season!❤

[@aradbarzilay]

I hate silicones couse it make me use almost every wash day sulfate shampoos and i don't wanted use a lot of sulfate and drying my hair and my scalp. I have oily itchy scalp and the water in Israel is so hard and the hard water make a build-up, and i remember that silicone can make me biuld-up if i don't wash it well.

[@littlepixels1]

Does this mean you won’t necessarily be sticking with CG-friendly products from now on? If not, please let us know if something has silicones, sulfates, etc. I usually assume anything you use is free of these and something I don’t need to scrutinize as closely as any random store product. I guess what I’m saying is that you’re smarter than me when it comes to chemistry, and I’m lazy. 😂

[@allikat1352]

I made my own conditioner and solid conditioner bars for years. I also love Olaplex and they are all over the news.

[@free2bkittenforever]

FYI I have Celiac disease and topical wheat doesn't interact with the body in the same way as it does ingested. I can't speak for everyone, but there are plenty of people who cannot ingest wheat but can put it in our hair

[@purplepianoist88]

The ingredient concentration thing is tricky too because once you hit a certain concentration companies aren't required to list them. Edit: In the US at least. If anyone is concerned about ingredients, Campaign for Safe Cosmetics is a good research backed place to reference.

[@kristensaenz6421]

My stylist used a conditioner on me that had amazing slip but that came at the price of my curls not clumping up as usual. I checked and it had silicone. It is easy for me to avoid silicone in my hair products and my hair turns out and feels so much better.

[@sterneprinzessin]

Same my hair hates silicone. I do too. And the environment also. 😉 I do not fully agree with Courtney here, I do not find it arrogant to single out an ingredient that our hair hates. I have had the same experience and I trust myself on that.

[@RaDazzle1]

It may have been the amount of silicone in the product. Some have a lot, some a little. That's partly what Courtney was saying.

[@simplycurlyde]

I never really paid much attention to the ingredient labels. As you said, I would just try it & see what it does for my hair. I hate waste, but there's one curl cream from Shea Moisture that my hair hated. That's when I saw what angry frizz meant. The was no smoothing it. So I just rinsed it out & applied a moisture leave-in from Shea Moisture & it was happy & seaweed like. So, I will be throwing that one out.

[@cleocatra9324]

I can’t use shea butter products my hair hates them not just frizz but also my strands feel oddly coated in a bad way.

[@Lu.G.]

I'm less of a _read the ingredients_ and more of a _well, try it out and see how your hair does_ kinda gal! 😂 There are things I use now that I never would have used a couple years ago - I'm looking at you, curl creams! 😉 I *very* much appreciate all the wonderful and thorough videos that you provide for us, they are immensely helpful! It's a constant learning experience for me, even after a few years. 🤷🏼‍♀ I'm OK with that because _that_ makes it kinda fun. 🤓 Have a great weekend! ❤

[@terrasmiley7076]

Such an enlightening and interesting video! Please keep talking about these ingredients and companies...it is good for more people to hear and start thinking more about! 🥰❤️😘

[@SwavyCurlyCourtney]

Thank you! I really appreciate this!

[@HM-bv7mc]

Very helpful! Good perspective! I too find myself refusing or using products that have certain ingredients without even giving the product a try! Happy I'm not alone and will try to be more open minded😊

[@leemarie6955]

p.s. you're not alone on reading labels. lol. I used to do it as a child and i still do it now. I wont throw away packaging if I haven't fully read the ingredients, directions, etc.

[@mendocinogirl]

I’ve always found your videos helpful and informative for my own curly hair journey. I agree completely with your moderate approach. I’m disabled on a fixed income. There are some wonderful products out there, but at prices out of reach. It’s useful for me to see how products work for you, learn techniques and tips. Thank you for your honesty! There are other channels where I feel that the products are being marketed more than honestly reviewed. I don’t feel that way about your channel. My primary goal is healthy, strong hair that I can grow really long. And you are helping me find the products that will help me achieve my goals. Thank you!

[@jellojuggler]

You should make your own product line based on explained chemistry.

[@xrenik]

I was using non toxic cosmetics. Now doing CGM I need to let it go a little. But can you imagine the dilemma how can I buy Curlsmith with so bad toxic ingredients? And now it is in my bathroom😂

[@ChristlMarie]

I tend to avoid aloe in my styling products because it seems to cause flash drying when it's higher in the ingredients list

[@jodywagner7760]

Thank you!!! I had been wondering why I saw chelating ingredients in so many of my styling products. Mystery solved. 😃

[@bluefroggy99]

I had a lightbulb moment when you were talking about trusting a company and their products. I’ve been using a brand for years now and my scalp is always itchy. I’m thinking I need to try another brand ASAP to see if that solves my issue

[@SwavyCurlyCourtney]

Hope it helps! No fun!

[@bluefroggy99]

@@SwavyCurlyCourtney thank you☺️ I think I’m going to get a few things from Curl Smith to try based on your reviews☺️

[@lorijean1487]

Yep, I'm one of those who see aloe on the label and turn my nose up at it now. I've tried lots of product lines that have aloe (ie Inahsi, Treluxe to name 2) and just can't use them. My hair can be soaking wet and no matter what I use, flash drying happens. I've found I can MAYBE use a product that has it if it is below 10 on the ingredient list. It's not always the case.

[@blacklabgoldens8197]

it’s so amazing how different everybody’s hair is because I’m someone who see aloe and goes ok my hair is gonna love that and clump super nice! 😂

[@xrenik]

I find out I have the issue with aloe too. Jessicurl, Giovanni or I+M terrible flash drying happens.

[@lorijean1487]

@@blacklabgoldens8197 you are very lucky because so many products have aloe.

[@lorijean1487]

@@xrenik yes, I forgot about Jessicurl!

[@lisamackenzie8504]

No aloe in spiralicious

[@sterneprinzessin]

I love your channel Courtney, we have very similar hair and I have been following you for about 2 years now and am a regular watcher. One thing I find slightly frustrating in the curly community though and since you are talking about ingredients, I want to address it here: Nearly nobody talks about microplastics (silicones, polymers, polyquats etc) and neither do you - why is that? These ingredients might make our hair look shiny but they harm us and the environment. They go back into the soil, fish etc and if did not go into our body directly we eat it in the end. What is your point of view on that? We use so many products, why don't we talk about the environment and health too?

[@karatalksaboutstuff7333]

That is an insanely complicated topic that even scientists have differing opinions on. (My husband's dissertation was on the analysis of specific emerging contaminants in the environment, and we've looked into and discussed microplastics together.) I really don't think your run-of-the-mill content creator is going to be able to sift through the MASSIVE amount of misinformation that exists on that topic. You may already be aware, but the ingredients classes you listed in parentheses aren't necessarily microplastics.

[@sterneprinzessin]

@@karatalksaboutstuff7333 Yes it is true, it is a complex topic and information varies. Some sources claim e.g. that polys are not necessarily solid particles. To be honest, I find it odd to distinguish microplastics by looking at if they are solid particles or not. I am not an expert by any means, but the sources I looked up classified the above mentioned curly product ingredients / ingredient classes clearly as microplastics and said that their liquid or waxy form is even worse in nature. My opinion is: Better safe than sorry. If these ingredients cause build up in my hair - imagine what they do in nature? What we use in our bathrooms comes back to our food and tables. For me the case is clear.

[@sterneprinzessin]

Pity that Courtney did not react to this. If you read this Courtney, maybe a topic for another video? Cheers

[@antisocialist2244]

I find myself reading ingredient labels while sitting on the 🚽 lol

[@aradbarzilay]

I have issue for frizz and silicone may be help to reduce the frizz but it can make me get a lot of biuld-up.

[@charlyjgm]

3:42 1% rule

[@KathleenKC1]

Something I have wondered about with ingredient concentrations, is it by weight or volume? Since different ingredients have different densities it could make a difference.

[@amandawilson890]

Im not 100% but generally production companies just use weight for everything since they can just pre-set scales and let it do its thing. Thats also why potato chips are always only half full lol.

[@melinakoufalis281]

Hi.. i have hair that is very dry and then damaged in parts.. how do i know if i have hygral fatigue or need to use a repair shampoo and conditioner...?

[@aradbarzilay]

I don't have issues about aloe ingredients.

[@QuickSilverHair]

Hear! Hear! This demonization of perfectly wonderful and nourishing ingredients must stop. I liken it to if you take the egg out of the cake it’s not going to be that great, and then if you take the flour out you don’t even have cake anymore. Chemistry and formulation for haircare is incredibly complicated. Some of these ingredients have been around in haircare for 100 years or more and some are used globally across many cultures… Knowing what works for you is one thing but canceling oils or silicones or glycerin means you could be missing out on some amazing formulas. I will say strong synthetic fragrance is 100% unnecessary in haircare…that I could do without…and often I can’t even try a product because of fragrance allergies. I know we talked about the labeling issue and that must stop. Too many companies are getting away with partial disclosure and for those of us with allergies the FDA needs to get a grip on full disclosure of ingredients in food, drug, and cosmetics. But a company that knowingly had a label disclosing the wrong ingredients actually goes against FDA guidelines. Nice work Courtney. 🌟

[@sighingzephyr]

I disagree. I know from multiple experiences with multiple products that my hair hates glycerin so why should I continue to spend money on them? It makes no sense to say that we may be missing out on a “wonderful product” if we already know that product won’t be wonderful for us. Myself and many others don’t have the privilege of buckets of disposable income to be able to experiment so freely.

[@QuickSilverHair]

@@sighingzephyr that is not at all what I meant. If you absolutely know an ingredient doesn’t work for your hair then, yes, by all means don’t use it. I do the same, my hair doesn’t do well with too much protein, but I don’t avoid all products with all protein. What I am talking about, is the bigger picture. Ingredients get canceled for no real and evidence based reason, that makes it harder to formulate products and some of it has also become a sales tactic, the thinking is that if the list of free-of is long enough you might be more inclined to buy it. There is always a balance of personal need that comes into play. But social media and some of the harder rule restrictive curl groups have rules that just complicate things and make everything more expensive. When it isn’t necessary at all for achieving healthy hair. Which is exactly what I talk about on my own channel, if you know something doesn’t work for you then it doesn’t, and vice versa if something does work for you like silicones, go for it. You don’t have to avoid all things just because someone says you should.

[@tartgreenapple1]

Courtney, I love your videos but this is another one I can not get through because of the competing background ho-down. Im sure it's good information but it's inaccesible to this Autistic girl.

[@sunflowerbaby1853]

I agree. Background music is distracting and unnecessary.

[@aradbarzilay]

I can tell that glycerin work bad/horrible in the Israeli summer especially in Tel Aviv area.

[@aradbarzilay]

Especially if the hair has static.

[@erinlikesacornishpasty4703]

I live in an area people typically don't think is very humid, because it's not usually very warm, but glycerin doesn't work with my hair where I live either. I live in the Pacific Northwest of the USA and it's pretty wet here, and depending on the day, humid. I switched to more glycerin free products about a year ago and it's so much better.

[@aradbarzilay]

@@erinlikesacornishpasty4703 it's hard to use some leave in conditioner or curl cream with a lot of glycerin if the dew point is high.

[@aradbarzilay]

@@erinlikesacornishpasty4703 you can tell me about cream/leave in conditioner that you think can work with coarse hair and it's glycerin free? And i don't like the Israeli company that don't get that glycerin work bad in areas like Middle East, if in the area the dew point is low so the hair can be looks dry, if the dew point is high the hair can get more frizz then usuall.

[@sighingzephyr]

I agree with you and have to disagree with Courtney here. I know from experience my hair hates glycerin as well as propylene glycol so if it’s in a product then I walk away. My hair has demonstrated over and over again that it hates them both and so I’m not going to waste my money experimenting further with them.