5 Non-Natural Ingredients That are Still Safe for Your Locs

5 Non-Natural Ingredients That are Still Safe for Your Locs

We strongly believe in the wisdom of learning and understanding how to read labels on the products we are using. 

Some products may sound scary, or chemical, but might not actually be dangerous or harmful for your health or your hair. Even Though we don’t recognize certain ingredients, in many cases, the ingredients are plant derived and will in fact help your hair or skin rather than harm it. Let’s review some ingredients that aren’t exactly natural, but are still safe for hair and overall health. 

Glycerin

Glycerin is a sugar alcohol that is derived from various sources, both natural like plants or animals (eek!), to synthetic sources. Glycerin is a humectant which helps our skin and hair absorb moisture from the air. Glycerin helps boost moisture levels for both the scalp and hair and can help eliminate breakage. It can also help regulate sebum production, strengthens hair, and is antimicrobial, which means it can help treat dandruff. You can read more on glycerin here. 

Germaben ii 

Germaben is used in products to help extend their shelf life so you don’t grow mold or mildew in your products and then have to trash them within the week, or keep your beauty products in the refrigerator. It will also help fight off bacteria and can be used to gently clean hair and scalp. 

Disodium EDTA 

Disodium EDTA falls under a special class of chemicals called the chelators. Chemically it works at preventing other elements from fading the color of hair, and will be found in most products that are designed for color-treated hair. It also helps prevent beauty products from going rancid, changing colors, texture or fragrance. 

Lauryl Betaine 

Lauryl Betaine is a gentle cleanser and is often found in shampoos or soaps. It’s not a dangerous product, or one that needs to be avoided. It’s derived from vegetables, and most typically comes from red beets. It’s a surfactant that helps you wash away dirt, oils, fats and pollution from the hair and is often used in organic products because it is more gentle than other surfactants. 

Behentrimonium Chloride

Behentrimonium Chloride is an antistatic ingredient, will help reduce frizz and is an emulsifying agent. It helps improve the moisture content of hair and is often found in conditioners and moisturizers. It’s derived from the seeds of the Brassica rapa oleifera plant, a part of the mustard plant family.

Takeaway

It’s great that we get into the habit of reading labels without driving ourselves crazy over what’s in what and what means what. It’s a learning process and with slow and careful research we

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Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently asked questions

Yes — locs can be started on virtually any hair texture. The technique that works best and the timeline you can expect will vary depending on your texture. Finer hair typically takes longer to lock and may require more patience in the early stages.

Sisterlocs is a form of interlocking — they use the same foundational technique. The difference is size and a proprietary pattern. Interlocking can be done in a range of sizes and is not limited to the Sisterlocs system.

Loc extensions should be placed as a permanent technique by a qualified loctician. When done correctly, the extension integrates naturally into the hair over time. When done incorrectly, the hair often can't sustain them and the client removes them early.

Yes — comb coils are one of the most common ways to start locs. As the hair grows and matures through the baby and teenage stages, the coil gradually locks into a permanent loc.

Interlocking and loc extensions are generally considered the most durable and fastest-to-progress techniques. If skipping the baby stage entirely is the goal, loc extensions with a qualified loctician may be the right option. However, understand that with all processes, you will go thru a process.