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/