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What Is Organic Hair Spray?

T. M. Robertson
T. M. Robertson

Organic hair spray is made with only natural and organic ingredients. The most common ingredients used in organic hair spray are oils, extracts, and water. This is in deep contrast to commercial hair sprays that contain numerous different toxic chemicals, including parabens, petrochemicals, and phthalates. It's especially important for individuals with certain medical conditions, such as asthma and allergies, to avoid chemical-based hair sprays because they can trigger or worsen the conditions.

Many people prefer to use natural and organic products on their skin and hair. Primary reasons cited for using organic products include the desire to avoid chemicals, to be ecofriendly, and to only use cruelty-free products. In addition to using safer ingredients, commercial organic hair spray is also usually packaged in non-aerosol bottles that are safer for the environment. For those who don't want to purchase organic hair spray from a store, it can also be made at home using basic ingredients commonly found in the kitchen. Using organic hair spray is also appealing to mothers who want to keep toxic chemicals out of the reach of their children, as it is normally only made with ingredients such as natural oils, fruit extracts, and water.

Organic hair spray.
Organic hair spray.

Regular commercial hairsprays often contain harmful chemicals such as parabens, plastics, petrochemicals, silicones, artificial fragrances, and phthalates. For some, exposure to these chemicals appears harmless, but they can produce bad reactions for those with allergy sensitivities. Contact dermatitis is the name given for painful, itchy, and blistering rashes that appear when particular substances come into contact with the skin. When this condition occurs on the scalp, shampoos, conditioners, and hair spray are often the culprits. The only way to determine which chemical is triggering the rash is to see a doctor and undergo chemical patch testing.

Contact dermatitis can cause redness and itching of the scalp.
Contact dermatitis can cause redness and itching of the scalp.

Another problem with using commercial hairsprays is that they are often bottled in aerosol containers. Aerosol bottles are bad for the environment and for individuals with respiratory conditions such as asthma. Inhalation of chemical-based hairsprays has been known to bring on asthma attacks in certain individuals, and they can be very severe. Asthma sufferers can benefit from using non-aerosol hair sprays with natural organic ingredients that won't trigger an attack. One natural hair spray recipe that can be made at home only calls for boiling two to four lemons for an hour in water and then straining the juice.

Discussion Comments

Ocelot60

@raynbow- I have used organic hair spray, and it definitely has some pros and cons.

This type of hair spray usually has a great smell because of the natural ingredients that it is made with. Using it also gives you the peace of mind in knowing that you aren't putting harmful chemicals on your hair and body.

After using it, I found that the main problem with organic hair spray is that it doesn't hold very well. This is probably because it lacks the chemicals that make hairspray freeze into place. It also gets tacky and sticky in humid weather, which is exactly what you don't want your hairspray to do.

I think that organic hairspray is great for a person with short hair who just wants to add some product to it to help manage it. However, it's probably not the best hairspray for people who style their hair with rollers or curling irons and want to keep the curls in place.

Raynbow

I have never even heard of such a thing as organic hair spray, but I like the idea of it. Has anyone tried it, and how effective is it for keeping your hairdo in place?

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    • Organic hair spray.
      By: Alexandr Makarov
      Organic hair spray.
    • Contact dermatitis can cause redness and itching of the scalp.
      By: Lars Zahner
      Contact dermatitis can cause redness and itching of the scalp.
    • Individuals with chemical allergies may opt to use an organic hair spray.
      By: sytilin
      Individuals with chemical allergies may opt to use an organic hair spray.