What to Avoid (& What to Look For) When Buying Hair Loss Prevention Shampoo

While you might consider yourself to be fine with whatever shampoo you can find in the grocery store, there’s something you need to know. Countless shampoo brands, even some of the most popular ones out there, load their products with certain ingredients that not only do nothing to keep your hair healthy, but actually make it worse in the long run.

There are loads of ingredients in many different shampoo brands, and it can be hard to navigate without learning about them in advance. To help you out, we’ve drawn up a brief list of the shampoo ingredients you should avoid at all costs.

What to Avoid

    • Sulfates
      • Many of the most popular shampoos people use today contain sulfates, to the point where natural alternatives feel they have to shout from the mountaintops that they don’t have it. Essentially, it’s purpose in shampoo is to clean away dirt & grime, and it does well in that regard, but it’s so harsh that it damages your hair & scalp in the process. When you’re trying to fight back hair loss, that’s the last thing you want anywhere near your hair, so it’s best to steer clear of any bottle that lists it as an ingredient.
    • Fragrance
      • When the manufacturer only describes their shampoo as having a “fragrance,” offering no other details on the source, the real concern is the ingredients they’re not telling you about. Since the FDA doesn’t regulate anything falling under that term, manufacturers are willing to utilize all sorts of chemical combinations that could leave your hair in a rough position.
    • Polyethylene Glycol
      • Often shortened to the acronym PEG, this chemical is less commonly discussed, but dangerous nonetheless. According to the Environmental Working Group’s cosmetics database, while PEG in and of itself isn’t too harmful, there’s a real risk of it being contaminated with either dioxane or ethylene oxide, both of which are highly dangerous carcinogens.
    • Parabens
      • Parabens pose a slightly different threat to us than the other chemicals here. To be specific, parabens are what’re known as a xenoestrogen. Looking at the composition alone, you would think it was just like any other hormone in your body. However, once it’s introduced to you, they work to stop certain hormones in your body, with isobutylparaben (a common shampoo ingredient) even interfering with gene expression & disrupting endocrines.
    • Triclosan
      • Yet another endocrine disruptor, triclosan is thankfully not as common as the other ingredients on this list, but it’s still out there & worth keeping an eye out for. It’s known to be a toxic substance, and it can cause adverse immune system reactions as well, along with being an allergen.

Knowing what to skip is essential, but if you’re trying to keep back hair loss it’s simply not enough. To pursue that goal, you’ll need to start looking for ingredients that you actually want in your shampoo. They’ll serve different purposes, but all are key in helping you keep your hair.

What to Look For
  • Saw Palmetto
    • A small palm plant native to the southeastern region of the US, saw palmetto has been scientifically proven to decrease the amount of DHT present in your body. For those who are unfamiliar, the DHT hormone is one of the primary causes of hair loss, and stopping it in its tracks is one of the most effective ways one can prevent your follicles from shrinking.  
  • Caffeine
    • Moving in step with saw palmetto, caffeine is known to get the metabolism of our hair cells functioning at the highest possible capacity. This effect serves to counter the aforementioned follicle-shrinking properties of DHT as well.
  • Argan Oil
    • Perhaps one of the more popular ingredients in natural hair products today, argan oil is widely praised for its ability to keep hair hydrated & nourished, allowing for healthier growth in the long run.
  • Pumpkin Seed Extract
    • As found in a randomized & controlled study of men with androgenetic alopecia, pumpkin seed extract works to stop the proliferation of DHT before it even becomes DHT, specifically working to block testosterone from converting into the harmful hormone.
  • Stinging Nettle
    • Targeting another key factor in the battle against hair loss, the addition of stinging nettle, contrary to what you might expect from the name, serves to stop scalp inflammation. As found in a study from the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, especially in the case of male-pattern hair loss, this is one of the main culprits, and stinging nettle is one of the best ways to stop it.
  • Niacinamide
    • Another key part of the hair loss prevention process, niacinamide serves to get hair growth stimulated & deliver all the key nutrients your hair needs to thrive.
  • Planoxia
    • Planoxia is also known as Korean Red Ginseng, and its properties can awaken your hair from the telegen phase, which is rest, and kick them into the growth phase known as anagen. To complement this growth, it also makes the follicles larger & deeper.
  • Hairgenyl®
    • A yeast extract that comes from azalea flowers, Hairgenyl is rich in peptide & activates what are known as dermal papilla cells, which are nothing short of vital in the hair growth process. Furthermore, it stimulates the hair follicles strengthened by the planoxia & makes them even stronger in the process.
  • Capixyl™
    • One of the main blockers of DHT formation, this combination of biomimetic peptide & red clover extract works to increase ECM collagen to complement the DHT decrease, along with preventing scalp inflammation. As a result, the natural cycle of your hair’s growth is restored, it stays anchored in place, and the follicles won’t get any smaller.
  • Redensyl
    • Lastly, this blend of dihydroquercetin-glucoside, EGCG glucoside, glycine & zinc works to reactivate the hair growth cycle, along with keeping more of your hair in a state of growth.

If you’re keen to start improving your hair care routine, we’re proud to mention that groMD’s Shampoo & Conditioner combines all of these ingredients to fight back hair loss harder than anything else on the market. Used in combination with the Follicle Activator Spray, hair loss doesn’t even begin to stand a chance. If you’re ready to start seriously putting a stop to your hair loss, visit the groMD website, learn more about the products we offer, and order some for yourself.