Sunday, July 5, 2009

What I found out about Jamaican Mango & Lime Tingle Shampoo


It has only been two weeks and I still have not shampooed my hair. My hair doesn't feel dirty, itchy, or heavy from product build up; however, mentally I feel like I need to wash my hair, I've been working out and sweating and spritzing maybe once a week. Like I posted earlier I bought the Jamaican Mango & Lime Tingle Shampoo, but i still don't want to use it. A fellow blogger asked me why and something is telling me not to use it, so I decided to look up each ingredient.

Ingredients in order listed:

1. Deionized Water (Aqua)
Purified water that has had ions removed. The deionization process also removes nitrates, calcium, magnesium and heavy metals.

My thoughts - no harm here

2. Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate
Ammonium lauryl sulfate, like any other surfactant, makes a good base for cleansers because of the way it disrupts the hydrogen bonding in water. Hydrogen bonding is the primary contributor to the high surface tension of water. In solution, the lauryl sulfate anions and the ammonium cations separate. The former align themselves into what is known as a micelle, in which the ions form a sphere, with the polar heads (the sulfate) on the surface of the sphere and the nonpolar hydrophobic tails pointing inwards towards the center. The water molecules around the micelle arrange themselves around the polar heads, but this disrupts their hydrogen bonding with the water surrounding them. The overall effect of having these micelles in an aqueous (water) environment is that the water becomes more able to penetrate things like cloth fibers or hair, and also becomes more readily available to solvate anything coming off the aforementioned substance.

My thoughts -- HUH, in English!!! What I took from it is the last sentence, it allows water to penetrate the hair, so sounds like a good thing, at least that's what my initial thought was, then I stumbled onto this...

Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfate

A cheap, harsh detergent used in shampoos for its cleansing and foam-building properties. Often derived from petroleum, it is frequently disguised in pseudo-natural cosmetics with the phrase "comes from coconuts." It causes eye irritation, scalp scurf similar to dandruff, skin rashes and other allergic reactions.

My thoughts - now that foam building and cleansing sounds exactly like what was described. This is the second ingredient which is if not 50%, I was turned off at this point, but I kept going.

3. Coco Betaine
Derived from coconut oil and is used as a foaming agent and adds shine.

My thoughts - yeah sounds good, but I think I'm going to pass. I decided to continue.

4. Camphor
Cinnamomum camphora. Tonic and freshener used in small amounts in lotions and creams for its cooling and soothing effects. Has antiinflammatory and antiseptic properties.

My thoughts - alright this aides in the tingling process i.e tingling shampoo.

5. Menthol
Antiseptic and astringent derived from peppermint, its warming/cooling properties have a soothing effect on the skin.

My thoughts - menthol I'm cool with it.

6. Fragrance
The label of "Fragrances" can mask a multitude of toxic, synthetic chemicals, many of which suppress the immune system, are endocrine disruptors, and cause cancer. When looking for scented products, make sure it's scented by essential oils -- which are expensive; therefore, companies usually list what essential oils are contained in the product without reverting to the generic term "Fragrances".

My thoughts - the product cost $5.00 from the beauty supply store I purchased it from, and online its $6.13, which leads me to believe who knows what makes up the "fragrance". It smells more like menthol than anything else, but disturbing nonetheless.

7. DMD Hydantion
a white, crystalline solid

My thoughts - This was the most difficult ingredient to pinpoint what it is and what it does. What I found is that it is used in shampoos and conditioner's and the EWG rated it as being a safe substance to use. Since it was almost to the bottom of the ingredients listed I'm sure the levels are low.

8. D&C Yellow #10
Used to make cosmetics "pretty," synthetic colors, along with synthetic hair dyes, should be avoided at all costs. They will be labeled as FD&C or D&C, followed by a color and a number. Example: FD&C Red No. 6 / D&C Green No. 6. Many synthetic colors can be carcinogenic. If a cosmetic contains them, don't use it.

My thoughts - look at what we have here some synthetic dye, and it specifically states not to use it if it is in cosmetics. I was done, and didn't even bother to continue.

At this point, I had found out enough to the point that I was 100% certain that I don't' want to use the product, won't be using the product in the future, and I have just wasted $5.00. Even though the lauryl sulfate is in most shampoos I don't feel comfortable using the product.

What I've learned is that because I am now so particular on what products/ingredients I put on my SL's that I can't just waltz into the beauty supply store pick up a product and try it out. I need to read the ingredients thoroughly, google them, and if it passes the test then I can go back and purchase it. On the flip side, I don't think that any beauty supply carries the products with strictly essential oils and natural ingredients that I now prefer. Online shopping here I come....or I will have to start making my own shampoos which sounds like a better idea.

Sidebar - my daughter has slight eczema so I only use Aveeno products on her so that she doesn't break out. After reading about Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfate I checked her body wash, and there it was listed the second ingredient. She hasn't had any bad reactions from the product but I'm now on the market for something else.

16 comments:

PhePhi said...

great post gigglz. i'm w/u. i'm trying to stay away from products i cannot pronounce. i have a list of top 10 products to stay away from & Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfate is one of 'em...along w/petroleum...i've been using dr. bronner's peppermint soap to wash my & my daughter's hair. i like it so far!

Gigglz said...

Its funny you say you have been using Dr. Bronner's. Last week I just ordered my first bottle of Dr. Bronners almond which was discussed by another blogger. The ingredients look good and I can't wait to try it on my hair and body. Is the peppermint smell strong?

Bajan Lily said...

I love this post - we all about to get educated up in here!

I know I asked you why you were concerned about using it because I had a bottle and my locked cousins use it faithfully. I know they don't have SLs but I wanted to see why they liked it so much. Thanks for doing the research.

What I'd like to add is that the product does NOT contain Sodium Lauryl Sulfate or Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLS/SLES)which are usually products that I try to steer clear of not just for my hair but also for skin products (that goes for my children too!). The DMD Hydantoin is a preservative.

However, on this journey I've found out that one man's meat is another man's poison so what works for me may not work for you and vice versa, I have used it a couple of times without issue but I also only use it when I want to clean my scalp of any flaky gunk.
Once again - thanks for the education!

ps - I paid about £2.00 for my bottle!

Gigglz said...

Bajan Lily - you're absolutely correct. The product doesn't contain SLS or SLES but the name is so similiar that I rather just stay away. We all are going to try a new product, either love it, hate it, or be indifferent and the same product can breed different opinions. Since you are using it I would be more than happy to put my bottle in a box for you and ship it to you. If you are interested, please email me offline gigglz665@gmail.com your address I will send it out to you.

YingYangGurl said...

Good post gigglz ... I am fan of Dr. Bonner. The peppermint smell is strong but I love peppermint. My favs from Dr. Bonner include peppermint, lavender, rose, Eucalyptus, and tea tree. If you feel uncomfortable about product move to another product or make your own.

Gigglz said...

YingYang - the peppermint probably does smell pretty good, but if its strong it may hold the smell in your locks which is what I'm looking for. Do you have the white bulbs showing in your locks after using Dr. Bronners?

Bajan Lily said...

lol re: shipping it to me, I'm in London so I bet you that would cost more than you paid for it :) You're really making me curious about that Dr Bronner stuff though... thanks!

Gigglz said...

LOL--good point, I guess I will just put in the product junk cemetery (under my bathroom sink)...hehe!!

Shai said...

I have this shampoo. I want to make my own. It is hard to find all natural shampoos in Jamaica.

even harder to find truthful sisterlock "consultants"

Unknown said...

Thank you for making this blog!! I JUST bought the shampoo today & hated it, my hair was super DRY after using it & after reading your blog I'm NEVER using it again!! I'm giving it to my mom or someone who has a lot of build up.

I also wrote a review on it & Linked your blog in it http://momosmoment.blogspot.com/2012/04/product-review-jamaican-mango-lime.html

Anonymous said...

Try Neals Yard Organic products if you can get them in the US. They use essential oils in their products and don't use any synthetic ingredients (SLS, parabans, mineral oils etc), or the Aubrey Organics range.

Unknown said...

The tingle shampoo I have has all the ingredients you mentioned EXCEPT SLS.

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

Here's a hot tip for those who have dreads/locs and want to speed up the locking process... Instead of just hand twisting or palmrolling your dreads/locs in one direction, BANTU KNOT them. The bantu knots will ensure that the tips of your dreads/locs will lock up and not just stay loose. Follow this up by buying Nudred and rub it in circles on your bantu knots/dreads/locs to ensure that they will lock up even further. Alternatively, if you don't want to purchase Nudred, you can use your hands to rub your dreads/locs in circles instead.

Anonymous said...

Truuuu

Anonymous said...

It smells exactly like Vicks vapo rub....think about how greasy Vicks is and that's pretty much where this particular menthol derives from. I stopped using it because every time I washed my hair with it, my dreadlocks felt looser, looked a heck of a lot messier, and I've been using it for five months. I can't use a product once or twice and decide if I like it or not. I have to use it for a couple of months and take note of every time I wash them what goes on, What was different, etc. And then from then on out, I'll make a decision. After reading the Vicks thing, I stopped immediately and ordered new shampoo. Best of luck!

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