Shampoo and Environmental Responsibility

We all intuitively believe, as John Wesley expressed it in a sermon, that “cleanliness is indeed next to godliness.” And so often unthinkingly and with the best of intentions, we wash our dishes, do our laundry, and shower, and shampoo our hair. Most commonly, we focus on the short-term result for ourselves and are unaware of the longer-term result: washing dishes, as Dishwashing and Environmental Responsibility showed, can damage the environment and, in some cases, endanger our long-term health. So too does doing our laundry, as Laundry & Environmental Responsibility showed. This is also true of shampooing our hair. Here too, we often unknowingly impact the environment and possibly endanger our long-term health.

Shampoos aim not so much to “clean” our hair (which they do incidentally in the process of shampooing) as to remove sebum, the oily or waxy secretion from glands in the skin that makes mammals’ skin and hair waterproof. To do this, they typically include chemicals like the following:

• A sulphate compound, such as sodium lauryl sulphate, ammonium lauryl sulphate or ammonium laureth sulphate, the active ingredient of most shampoos. While some sulphate compounds are organic, these sulfate compounds are typically manufactured from petroleum products. There is some concern about whether these compounds are carcinogens, although there is no scientific evidence to support that claim. There is general agreement, though, that they can irritate skin and eyes, clog pores, and worsen acne, and remove the moisture necessary for healthy skin and scalp. When rinsed into the water, their impact on the environment, on the other hand, can be substantial. They can serve as irritants in the eyes and noses of marine life. And in the same way that they remove sebum from our scalp and hair, they can remove sebum from the coats of mammals whose survival depends on its presence.
• A foaming agent, cocamidopropyl betaine. While is environmental impact is unknown, it can cause a skin reaction.
• A preservative, such as phenoxyethanol or potassium sorbate, which similarly can cause skin irritation.
• Triclosan, an antibacterial agent. It is a known endocrine disruptor for both humans and, when it flows into the sewer system and the water supply, for microorganisms and aquatic life.
• Dimethicone, which is used to make your hair feel soft after shampooing. It works by creating a plastic-like layer on your hair, which makes it feel softer at the same time that it strips it of moisture. Because dimethicone is not degradable, it enters the water supply during rinsing and poses a threat to marine life.
• Chemical fragrances. We expect shampoos to smell good, but we don’t consider that their pleasant smell is typically produced in a laboratory with the benefit of natural essences. The chemical fragrances have the same drawbacks for us and for the environment as the chemical fragrances in laundry products.

Fortunately, eco-friendly alternatives to the standard shampoos are available, including the following:

• Ethique, which markets bars shampoos not packaged in plastic.
• etee, which markets plastic-free bar shampoos.
• Reef Repair, a Thailand-based company that focuses on the health of the ocean’s coral reefs.
• The Honest Company, which produces eco-friendly hair care products packaged with traditional (plastic) packaging.
• Plaine Products, which ships shampoo in reusable containers.

A number of other companies produce eco-friendly shampoo. For more information, see Eco Friendly Shampoo & Conditioners: 11 Ethical Brands for Glossy Locks, and 16 Best Eco-friendly Shampoo to Buy if You Want Healthy Hair and Planet.