CG Ingredients: Sulfates and Silicones, etc.

Print this out for when you shop.  Have fun playing with your hair!!

Remember, sulfates are ingredients that contain "sulfate" or "sulfonate"; silicones end in -cone, -conol, -xane or include the word -silane but PEG modified silicones (PEG-,  PG- or PPG-) are acceptable; waxes contain the word "wax"; and drying alcohols often contain propyl, prop, eth, or denatured in the name. 

Modified CG information is included as well. If it’s not on the list assume it is CG friendly.

• Here is a list of sulfates to avoid: (“sulfate" or "sulfonate”)
  • Alkylbenzene sulfonates
  • Alkyl Benzene Sulfonate
  • Ammonium laureth sulfate
  • Ammonium lauryl sulfate
  • Ammonium Xylenesulfonate
  • Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
  • Sodium cocoyl sarcosinate
  • Sodium laureth sulfate
  • Sodium lauryl sulfate
  • Sodium lauryl sulfoacetate
  • Sodium myreth sulfate
  • Sodium Xylenesulfonate
  • TEA-dodecylbenzenesulfonate
  • Ethyl PEG-15 cocamine sulfate
  • Dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate
• Here is a list of gentle cleansers to look for:
  • Cocamidopropyl betaine
  • Coco betaine
  • Cocoamphoacetate
  • Cocoamphodipropionate
  • Disodium cocoamphodiacetate
  • Disodium cocoamphodipropionate
  • Lauroamphoacetate
  • Sodium cocoyl isethionate
  • behentrimonium methosulfate
  • disodium lautreth sulfosuccinate
  • babassuamidopropyl betaine

• Here is a list of silicones to avoid: (end in cone, -conol, –xane or include the word -silane)
• Dimethicone
• Bisaminopropyl dimethicone
• Cetearyl methicone
• Cetyl Dimethicone
• Cyclopentasiloxane
• Stearoxy Dimethicone
• Stearyl Dimethicone
• Trimethylsilylamodimethicone
• Amodimethicone
• Dimethicone
• Dimethiconol
• Behenoxy Dimethicone
• Phenyl trimethicone
• Aminopropyl Triethoxysilane

• Here is a list partially soluble silicones to avoid, but that could possibly be shampooed out with a sulfate free shampoo (use with caution, may build up and need a sulfate to remove)
• Cyclomethicones (cyclo-silicones, evaporating silicones, leave residue that must be shampooed out)
• Cyclopentasiloxane
• Cyclotetrasiloxane
• Cyclohexasiloxane
• Octamethyl cyclotetrasiloxane
• Water Soluble, but not water rinsable (must shampoo out)
• Silicone Quaternium-17 
• Lauryl Methicone Copolyol

• Water soluble silicones. These are exceptions that are OK: (The raw ingredients dissolve in water and rinse off with plain water. Shampoo may or may not be necessary to remove products containing these ingredients).

• Anything with a PEG-,  PG- or PPG- in the name: PEG-Dimethicone, or any other 'cone with "PEG-" suffix (water soluble)
• Dimethicone Copolyol (water soluble)
• Dimethicone-PG Diethylmonium Chloride
• Silicone Quaterniums 1-21 and more: (Quaternium-80, Quaternium 86, PEG-8 Distearmonium Chloride PG-Dimethicone, Silicone Quaternium-1, Silicone Quaternium-2, Silicone Quaternium-2 Panthenol Succinate, Silicone Quaternium-3, Silicone Quaternium-4, Silicone Quaternium-5, Silicone Quaternium-6, Silicone Quaternium-7, Silicone Quaternium-8, Silicone Quaternium-9, Silicone Quaternium-10, Silicone Quaternium-11, Silicone Quaternium-12, Silicone Quaternium-15, Silicone Quaternium-16, Silicone Quaternium-16/Glycidoxy Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Silicone Quaternium-18, Silicone Quaternium-19, Silicone Quaternium-20, Silicone Quaternium-21, Dimethicone Hydroxypropyl Trimonium Chloride, Hydroxyethyl Acetomonium PG-Dimethicone, Stearalkonium Dimethicone PEG-8 Phthalate, Steardimonium Hydroxypropyl Panthenyl PEG-7 Dimethicone Phosphate Chloride, and combinations thereof,
• Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein Hydroxypropyl Polysiloxane (water soluble)
• Hydrolyzed Wheat protein/hydroxypropyl polysiloxane and cystine/silicone co-polymers
• Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein PG-Propyl Silanetriol

Silicone look alikes, but are they not silicones, they are OK: (end in –one)

• Methychloroisothiazolinone - preservative
• Methylisothiazolinone – preservative
• Benzophenone-2, ( or 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10) – sunscreen
• Silicates: Inorganic minerals (Water soluble)

• Here is a list of waxes and non-natural oils to avoid:
  • Castor oil (Not CG friendly, but ok in the modified CG method and can be removed using a stronger low poo or a cleanser with Cocamidopropyl betaine or Coco betaine)
  • Mineral oil (parrifidium liquidium)
  • Petrolatum
  • Waxes: bees wax, candelia wax, etc.

• Waxes/Oils that are OK
  • Emulsifying Wax
  • PEG-Hydrogenated Castor Oil
  • Natural oils: Avocado oil, Olive oil, Coconut oil, etc.

• Here is a list of drying alcohols to avoid: (propyl, prop, eth, or denatured in the name)
  • Denatured alcohol
  • SD alcohol 40
  • Witch hazel
  • Isopropanol
  • Ethanol
  • SD alcohol
  • Propanol
  • Propyl alcohol
  • Isopropyl alcohol
• Here is a list of moisturizing alcohols to look for:
• Behenyl alcohol
• Cetearyl alcohol
• Cetyl alcohol
• Isocetyl alcohol
• Isostearyl alcohol
• Lauryl alcohol
• Myristyl alcohol
• Stearyl alcohol
• C30-50 Alcohols
• Lanolin alcohol
• Here is a list of miscellaneous alcohols:

• Benzyl alcohol (mostly used as preservative & has no effect on how hair looks and feels)
• Propylene Glycol (This type is often used as humectants in products) 

• Here an alcohol look alike, but is not an alcohol:

• phenoxyethanol (preservative)

Proteins (Some is good for the hair diet, especially damaged hair. However, normal hair, or protein sensitive hair could begin feel stiff, frizzy, and dry, then your hair is getting to much protein.)

• Here is a list of proteins that you can avoid or look for, depending on your hair type (anything that says hydrolyzed, silk, protein, collagen, keratin)
  • Cocodimonium hydroxypropyl hydrolyzed casein
  • Cocodimonium hydroxypropyl hydrolyzed collagen
  • Cocodimonium hydroxypropyl hydrolyzed hair keratin
  • Cocodimonium hydroxypropyl hydrolyzed keratin
  • Cocodimonium hydroxypropyl hydrolyzed rice protein
  • Cocodimonium hydroxypropyl hydrolyzed silk
  • Cocodimonium hydroxypropyl hydrolyzed soy protein
  • Cocodimonium hydroxypropyl hydrolyzed wheat protein
  • Cocodimonium hydroxypropyl silk amino acids
  • Cocoyl hydrolyzed collagen
  • Cocoyl hydrolyzed keratin
  • Hydrolyzed keratin
  • Hydrolyzed oat flour
  • Hydrolyzed silk
  • Hydrolyzed silk protein
  • Hydrolyzed soy protein
  • Hydrolyzed wheat protein
  • Hydrolyzed wheat protein
  • Keratin
  • Potassium cocoyl hydrolyzed collagen
  • TEA-cocoyl hydrolyzed collagen
  • TEA-cocoyl hydrolyzed soy protein

Polyquats (Could build up on finer, thin hair)

• Polyquaternium 4
• Other polyquats

Parabens (ok if you want to use them. There is nothing in them that will build up in your hair. Some believe they are a higher cancer risk and choose to avoid them. It's a personal choice)

• Preservatives

Build up

Build up can happen from water soluble cones, cyclmethicones, polyquats, shea butter even oil or hard water. Fine, thin, or low porosity hair is more sensitive to this. So I mostly low poo to prevent this. Some people even need to clarify once a month or so with a sulfate or diluted sulfate.

What does product build up look like? Heavy and coated, less curls and volume, dull, some have frizz. Weighed down, greasy, flat curls, no volume at the roots. I get an itchy scalp and white flakes that look like dandruff at my roots along the hair line. I have had to use a clarifying sulfate on occasion to get the build up out. You can prepoo with coconut oil so it shouldn't affect your curls much. I also use a hard water shampoo.

Check out these sources below, where I got the information from. 

Sources

http://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/products-ingredients/silicate-silicone-hair-products-the-real-dirt/
http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.com/2014/04/silicone-ingredient-solubility-list.html

http://iknowotherstuff.blogspot.com/2012/01/which-ingredients-to-avoid-with-curly.html

http://pedaheh.blogspot.com/2012/04/which-ingredients-to-avoid-in-curly.html

http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.com/2014/04/silicone-ingredient-solubility-list.html

http://www.google.com/patents/US7700530#v=onepage&q&f=false

http://m.wikihow.com/Determine-if-a-Hair-Product-is-Curly-Girl-Approved

http://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/curl-products/curlchemist-cyclomethicones-a-different-category-of-silicones/

http://www.chemcas.com/msds112/cas/4693/919-30-2.asp
http://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/curl-products/all-about-alcohols/

Protein and Getting Your Damaged Curls Back

    Protein can help repair heat or color damaged hair. Hair is protein and water. When you add heat, the first thing to go is water and then the protein. When you bleach or color your hair, the bleach in the dye strips some of the protein, leaving the hair exposed and it loses moisture. Curls need moisture like a plant needs water. Without it, they will be limp and lifeless or frizzing up to the air for moisture. Protein rebuilds the hair that was stripped of its protein. The protein acts as a humectant (water attractant and grabs onto and holds onto water). When you are not using silicone (which acts as glue and holds the hair together and seals it but leaves it weighed down and dry under the glue), you need to supplement with protein because it coats the hair and fills in the broken gaps and adds shine and helps with frizz. When you remove the silicone, you have to supplement the damaged hair with protein. The protein coats the hair instead of silicone, giving it shine.

   Some people may need several protein treatments or daily protein in their conditioner or stylers. If your hair is bleached, you should try a protein treatment (PT). Some people are protein sensitive so their hair may react to a lot of protein. But you can try protein of smaller molecular levels such as hydrolyzed or silk proteins or amino acids. Some hair likes some proteins and hates others or it does nothing for it so experiment. 

   Just like protein makes your muscles strong, it makes you hair strong. Strong hair means stronger, less frizzy curls. But be careful because too much protein can make it dry and brittle and it can break. So deep condition as much as you need to get your hair moisturized because if you add protein first before moisture it can make you dryer and your hair can break. When in doubt, always add moisture first, then protein. Hair is a balance of protein and moisture, so when you add protein it will decrease the moisture in your hair making it dryer. So rotate between DT (deep conditioning treatments) and PT. I would try for at least one a week in the beginning if you can.  Add heat to open up your hair cuticles (exterior) with a shower cap or plastic bag covered by a beanie or towel or sit under a hooded dryer or use a blow dryer. If you deep conditioned a lot and cannot retain moisture for anything and are always dry, you probably need protein.

   Since protein makes hair strong, some finer types especially benefit from protein. It makes their hair stronger so the curl pattern is stronger and it give them shine and body.

Is DIY or store bought protein better? Store bought protein is at a small enough molecular level to absorb into the hair. Yogurt and eggs are larger proteins so they coat the hair, but do not go inside the hair. It is a significant difference if you can get it inside the hair. The only DIYs I know of that go inside the hair are the gelatin treatment and the Cherry Lola treatment (can damage hair over time due to the baking soda, caution.) I do occasional protein treatments, once a month or so and I buy conditioners and stylers with added protein. I am experimenting with adding amino acids from Braggs or soy sauce to my DIY.

How do I know if my hairs likes protein?

Try neutral protein filler from Sally's in the hair dye section for $2 and add it to your conditioner or stylers. If your hair becomes less frizzy and the curls are better shaped or tighter, your hair liked it. You can also make a DIY with Greek yogurt, eggs, bananas, or avocados just be careful not to cook the eggs.

Best protein Treatments:

Aphogee Two Step (has silicones, but there's nothing on the market as good, just low poo them out or use diluted sulfate shampoo if you have none. It stinks, but it is the best treatment I have tried.)

DIY Gelatin Treatment

Cherry Lola treatment (on Youtube or her blog) Be aware this can be abrasive on your hair because the baking soda can increase your hair's porosity and damage the cuticle permanently.

Watch my video on the Aphogee Two Step:

Conditioners with protein:

Yes to carrots blueberries (smaller amount)

Ion Effective Care treatment at Sally's (large amount, you can do a Protein treatment with this, leave it on and add heat)

Generic Value Product (GVP) Color Care Conditioner (moderate amount, water soluble silicones, Sally's)

Quantum Moisturizing Conditioner (large amount, Sally's)

Shea Moisture Tahitian and Noni and Monoi line (the masque has less protein than the conditioner, I like the conditioner better)

Stylers with protein

Ecostyler gel (curl enhancer for type 2-3s, harder hold on 4)

La looks gel (amino acids, sports and extreme spikes have very hard hold, mega and nutracurl is less...better on finer types because they don't have any or as much leave in to softer the crunch, good on type 2-3)