Natural vs Conventional

[TeaAndSketches]

Do you have a preference over natural or conventional products? If you prefer one or the other, what is your reason?

[LittleHealthy]

I use a bit of both...

[Messyhair]

I like a natural product if it's readily purchased. I'm too lazy to make my own from natural ingredients.

[JennGalt]

Natural seems to work a lot better for me. Sulfates = breakage for me and my hair has never survived past CBL while using them. Even before my flatiron addiction days. I hate the gummy buildup I get from ‘cones. My hair loves oils commonly found in the kitchen, and coconut milk is a HG for me. I still buy some conditioners, but I am very picky about ingredients and won’t buy anything that isn’t cruelty free. If pressed to choose between conventional products and never using store bought products again, I’d pick the option that doesn’t involve all my hair breaking off.

[Sarahlabyrinth]

I just use conventional products. I'm too lazy to bother with much else and my hair likes it well enough.

[illicitlizard]

Both! I'm not motivated enough to try and make my own haircare recipes but I still use oils and relatively 'natural' (what does that even mean) commercially produced haircare (no SLS, no silicones). Whatever works for what I'm going for is what I'm gonna use, no real preference one way or the other.

[pailin]

Yes, 'natural' tends to be relative.
I use sulfates and cones and mineral oil, because my hair likes them. I also use some oils. But pretty much anything that comes in a shampoo or conditioner bottle is going to be basically factory - processed stuff, whether we want to call those things natural or not.

[TatsuOni]

As natural as possible.

[nycelle]

I just prefer whatever works with a few exceptions. No sulfates for me (scalp irritation), and no protein, or specific proteins low on the ingredient list. I'll do a protein treatment when I think my hair needs it, I don't want it in my products.
Other than that, I have no preference.

[MusicalSpoons]

Whatever works best within my budget! At the moment I'm using a naturally-inspired(!) shampoo, conventional conditioner, and a natural oil in my hair routine.

I'd really love to go no-poo or WO but I don't have the time, energy, or financial resources to attempt no-poo; and my hair and water will not let me go WO. I guess I would count myself as preferring 'as natural as possible' but in my current circumstances, that's not very natural at all! :laugh:

[lapushka]

No natural stuff for me. If you mean DIY with natural, then for sure not!

I have had more natural shampoo, brand Lavera, go bad on me well before its expiry date. That was not on!

I just stick to regular, conventional products! I love my sulfates & silicones and mineral oil as well. pailin is not alone!

[Kat]

Unfortunately, often conventional. For me, "natural" products, whether it's deodorant, laundry soap, toothpaste, shampoo, etc., just don't seem to work as well as their conventional counterparts. I need my cleaning products to actually clean, all the way and not just a little bit, because I can't go around smelling bad/unwashed.

Some natural things work for me-- crystal deodorant and coconut-oil-plus-baking-soda work better for me than commercial deodorants-- but for the most part, they just don't get the job done to the extent I need them to in order to not offend others.

[nycelle]

I just want to clarify something, what does "natural" mean to the OP? Is it products you make yourself using organic ingredients? Or is it the commercially available products that are derived from mostly natural ingredients?
The line I use now is mostly natural. They consider their products to be between 95 and 98% naturally derived. But to me, that's not "natural" because I can't make some of the ingredients in my own kitchen..

[ravenskey]

If you mean DIY stuff then no, if you mean natural brands then yes.
Not because I think sulfate, silicones etc. are evil and do terrible things to hair but rather because my whole family is vegetarian/vegan and the only brands where I am that actually say they're cruelty free and don't have a load of animal products in them are the "natural" ones.

[spidermom]

No preference really. My reasoning is "Is it on sale?" and "What does it smell like?" I won't buy it if I don't like the scent or the price, although I do make an exception when I see my hair stylist. She has her own small shop, and I know selling products helps her, so I usually buy something at the exorbitant price salons charge.

[Purpleaggie05]

Over the past 10 months, I've been using no sulfate, no silicone. Can't say I'm completely happy about it, to be honest. My hair has become rougher to the touch and frizzier. My hair doesn't like coconut oil or most "moisture", "super hydrating" products. their too heavy for my hair. I haven't decided yet if my hair is anti-protein yet, I'm still trying that out. I want to try the Calia brand before I go back to sulfates & silicones. However, I still have some stock to use up before I buy Calia. The journey is struggling sometimes; finding the right balance, and knowing you've found it!

[lapushka]

No preference really. My reasoning is "Is it on sale?" and "What does it smell like?" I won't buy it if I don't like the scent or the price, although I do make an exception when I see my hair stylist. She has her own small shop, and I know selling products helps her, so I usually buy something at the exorbitant price salons charge.

Mine too. ;) I have a budget, so I go by price (and I don't mind sulfates, in fact the harsher the better, bar the Lush products (too harsh)).

[Vanillame]

Natural products because they're natural 😃

[samanthaa]

I use a combination of natural store-bought products and natural "homemade" (if you will) products. I believe that chemicals affect both us and our offspring more than we think, not to mention the huge environmental issues they pose. A lot of my life choices are motivated by the effects they have on the planet, since I feel that it is something that is bigger than me and the illusion of personal choice.

[Joules]

It depends on what you mean by "natural". I've had my fair share of disastrous experiments with food (eggs, fermented milk, honey, onion juice, etc,) on my head, never doing it again :bluebiggr plus some of in can be straight up harmful like baking soda

Some "foods" are an exception though: oils, coconut milk, gelatin.

When it comes to products, I don't care. I have a budget and a list of ingredients I avoid, and whatever meets my criteria is ok. If I see two conditioners that fit my requirements with the same price tag, but one of them has more natural ingredients, I'll take it. But in general, it doesn't matter.

[Inching Along]

I use mostly natural products because my scalp and hands don't like SLS and other harsh things, and my hair doesn't like buildup or anything that strips it. I think my scalp and hair have been happier since I've been using the more natural products. I do on occasion use a commercial product or two that are not touted as "natural." I'm thinking of adding some other products to my regimen, but anything I use needs to be removable from my hair so I can color it (the color needs to penetrate the hair shaft, and many things in hair care products can build up and not allow the color to get through).

At one point, I was using only very natural products, like shampoo bars and such, but my hair always looked odd to me. I'm happier with the shampoo and conditioner I'm using now.

[MoonRabbit]

I use what my hair likes, because in the end that is all that really matters. The closest I get to natural is Shea Moisture but I still believe they are not as natural as they claim to be.

The only thing that really annoys me is companies that just jump on the natural wagon, put Natural or Organic in large print, knowing most people won't look at the ingredients. OGX comes to mind, don't make false claims just to reach another audience.

[harpyangel]

I've only really been using conventional hair products but would be interested to try coconut oil.

I'd also like to try lush products as I like their moisturisers and bath bombs, sad to hear others find them too harsh?

[lapushka]

I've only really been using conventional hair products but would be interested to try coconut oil.

I'd also like to try lush products as I like their moisturisers and bath bombs, sad to hear others find them too harsh?

Lush is known for having very harsh sulfates in their shampoos (even the bars), and even their conditioners (which you hardly find in a drugstore even). But if you are that eager to try them out, don't let us stop you. :flower:

[Joules]

I've only really been using conventional hair products but would be interested to try coconut oil.

I'd also like to try lush products as I like their moisturisers and bath bombs, sad to hear others find them too harsh?

I use their shampoo bar once every 3 weeks for clarifying. It is extremely harsh. Their conditioners and hair masks all contain SLS for some reason, I tried them once and regretted it immediately. The only hair product from Lush I can really recommend is their hair moisturizer called R&B, it's been my holy grail for almost 8 years.

[Hairkay]

"Natural" hair products don't mean anything for me. However if you are talking about DIY natural hair stuff then that's what I use. It's not so much about preference but about what I am able to use. I have a lot of allergies which mean that conventional products and manufactured products with the "natural" label cause me harm so I must avoid those. I do enjoy using my DIY stuff.

[Kat-Rinnè Naido]

Natural! But I am not fussy about products. It's just coconut milk, egg washes and food grade oils seem to work so much better.

[Simsy]

I tend to veiw anything descibing itself as “natural” or organic as a complete scam; mainly because I am very cynical about marketing. But I don’t judge other people’s preference.

[squirrrel]

I go through phases. I sometimes like the more natural of conventional shampoo/conditioner. I have had a time of using shampoo bars with an acidic rinse. I recently tried WO, for a few months, but I am still getting the resultant split ends (lots of tangles created) out. Just now I’m loving playing, and am using a mix of herbal and clay washes. I have also tried infusing oils and ACV with dried herbs (originally purchased for making tea with). For me, this is a good way to play with my hair, without thinking about cutting lots off, which I would later regret.

[Platzhalter]

It depends on the exact product. I prefer to go as natural/organic as possible and try to make a lot of things myself, but there are some products where I really rely on conventional products. The thing with organic is that there are certain rules and standards (at least within the EU) a product must adhere to before they can put the seal on it. So while those rules are pretty lax, some individual countries also have additional rules/standards and related seals which tend to be much stricter and it's definitely not purely marketing without any meaning.
I wouldn't expect anyone to care, though. Or to not criticise the rather lax standards (or maybe lack of standards in some places). It's just that "it's meaningless" bothers me, because calling stuff organic would be fraud.

[Natalia_A00]

I use both. My shampoo and conditioner are not natural. They have sulfates and silicones. I like silicones and how the leave my hair so I don't plan cutting them off. Some people have trouble with sulfates but it's not my case.
But I use natural masks for my hair (fermented rice water, and other natural ingredients) and oils. But I also use artificial masks

[lapushka]

I tend to veiw anything descibing itself as “natural” or organic as a complete scam; mainly because I am very cynical about marketing. But I don’t judge other people’s preference.

You're not alone. I also feel the same about foods labeled as "organic" that cost about 1/3 more than regular foods. ;) But maybe I am alone in that. :)

[MusicalSpoons]

I tend to veiw anything descibing itself as “natural” or organic as a complete scam; mainly because I am very cynical about marketing. But I don’t judge other people’s preference.


It depends on the exact product. I prefer to go as natural/organic as possible and try to make a lot of things myself, but there are some products where I really rely on conventional products. The thing with organic is that there are certain rules and standards (at least within the EU) a product must adhere to before they can put the seal on it. So while those rules are pretty lax, some individual countries also have additional rules/standards and related seals which tend to be much stricter and it's definitely not purely marketing without any meaning.
I wouldn't expect anyone to care, though. Or to not criticise the rather lax standards (or maybe lack of standards in some places). It's just that "it's meaningless" bothers me, because calling stuff organic would be fraud.


You're not alone. I also feel the same about foods labeled as "organic" that cost about 1/3 more than regular foods. ;) But maybe I am alone in that. :)

There are definitely strict criteria in various countries to be able to legally label anything organic, e.g. organic eggs in the UK have to come from chickens feed with organic food, live on land that has been free of any chemical pesticides for x number of years, etc. - so I generally believe products that claim to be of organic origin. However, I don't necessarily believe that they are automatically, inherently better than products not labelled organic ;)

[Katia_k]

As natural as I can; I do herbal washes on my hair most of the time. But I do keep a deep conditioner and shampoo, sulfate and cone-free, on hand to use once a week to keep my scalp happy.

[lapushka]

There are definitely strict criteria in various countries to be able to legally label anything organic, e.g. organic eggs in the UK have to come from chickens feed with organic food, live on land that has been free of any chemical pesticides for x number of years, etc. - so I generally believe products that claim to be of organic origin. However, I don't necessarily believe that they are automatically, inherently better than products not labelled organic ;)

Yes, this! ^^ My mom tends to avoid all things organic, and the annoying thing is our Aldi & even Lidl have been dragging more and more "organic" things into their ranges. My mom for instance can't stomach the organic bananas, she gets stomach pains, back when it wasn't fair trade / organic she didn't have trouble whatsoever.

[Ylva]

I prefer my hair care as natural as possible, but I do own some less natural products like a deep cleansing shampoo. I prefer hair specific products over homemade masks and stuff like that, I'm not so handy with those. Masks consisting of yoghurt, honey and the such never seem to do that much for me, but actual hair products do work.

[olivetime]

I went back and forth for a long time, now I find stretching washes, sometimes using water only, sometimes using baking soda (don't plan on doing that anymore) & sometimes using a plant based shampoo and conditioner works well for me. It took a long time for my scalp to adjust to not using head and shoulders.

The plant based product is Live Clean.

[Crna Kosa]

I use natural oils but ordinary shampoo and conditioner

[lapushka]

Get this. I used an Urtekram conditioner today (no perfume one), it said to use by 08/2009. We're 2018! How natural can it really be? ;) I'm *glad*, at least I can use it up!

[nycelle]

Get this. I used an Urtekram conditioner today (no perfume one), it said to use by 08/2009. We're 2018! How natural can it really be? ;) I'm *glad*, at least I can use it up!

But how you do know it's not doing anything bad to your body? You really can't say for certain. Plenty of things cause long term damage and we can't pinpoint the cause.

I know you think it's alright to use products that are 8,9 years old if they don't smell, and I'm sure some are OK, but I think people need to be more leery of this practice, and understand that just because a product doesn't have an odor, doesn't mean the composition over the years hasn't changed enough to cause health concerns, that may not even be seen for years.

My mom is an engineer (well she recently retired.) Her masters is in Organic Chemistry and she worked for a large pharma company here for 30 years. I spoke with her about using expired products. Her take on it is, some are OK, others are not. But even for someone very familiar with the composition, it becomes difficult to say what would be safe to use. So for lay people, it's not a good practice.

[Xlena]

My hair likes natural shampoos, but seems to hate natural conditioners xd So I use both

[lapushka]

But how you do know it's not doing anything bad to your body? You really can't say for certain. Plenty of things cause long term damage and we can't pinpoint the cause.

I know you think it's alright to use products that are 8,9 years old if they don't smell, and I'm sure some are OK, but I think people need to be more leery of this practice, and understand that just because a product doesn't have an odor, doesn't mean the composition over the years hasn't changed enough to cause health concerns, that may not even be seen for years.

My mom is an engineer (well she recently retired.) Her masters is in Organic Chemistry and she worked for a large pharma company here for 30 years. I spoke with her about using expired products. Her take on it is, some are OK, others are not. But even for someone very familiar with the composition, it becomes difficult to say what would be safe to use. So for lay people, it's not a good practice.

I'm still using it up. My risk to take, right? :) It's good though that you're trying to warn us, but... honestly, it's fine. I've been using "expired" products for years. ;) Or I wouldn't even have a product-use-it-up project. Yeah, that's where that comes from. LOL!

Thanks, though! :thumbsup:

[MusicalSpoons]

I'm still using it up. My risk to take, right? :) It's good though that you're trying to warn us, but... honestly, it's fine. I've been using "expired" products for years. ;) Or I wouldn't even have a product-use-it-up project. Yeah, that's where that comes from. LOL!

Thanks, though! :thumbsup:

I think old/'expired' hair products are probably safer to use up than, for example, body products, as they're (usually) washed off - particularly if they don't touch your scalp, and even more so if one washes upside down as I believe you do, so it presumably doesn't even affect any of your skin (other than your hands). But it is good to be aware of the potential risk and able to make one's own, informed decision about these things :)

I've always been in the habit of saving more luxury products for special use, but recently found that the more natural ones really do go off, and even the conventional ones eventually go off - usually once they're opened, but sometimes even unopened stuff. My skin has become a lot more sensitive in recent years so I have to be more careful than when I was younger, and after finding beloved products gone off I try to no longer stash things :lol:

[KJones2017]

Get this. I used an Urtekram conditioner today (no perfume one), it said to use by 08/2009. We're 2018! How natural can it really be? ;) I'm *glad*, at least I can use it up!

If I’m being honest, I’ll admit I had no idea conditioner would expire, yikes! Excuse me while I go check every single item in my stash! Although, that might be an pretty good indicator that I use a lot more conventional products than I use natural ones....

[Kelikea]

I use suave shampoo and conditioner a lot and don't usually have any problems with it. I've tried some more natural brands, but they just don't seem to work well for me. I do like the "Not Your Mother's" brand, both their regular and naturals line, but I use other products, like cream and foam or dry shampoo. I've never tried their shampoo and conditioner.

[lapushka]

I think old/'expired' hair products are probably safer to use up than, for example, body products, as they're (usually) washed off - particularly if they don't touch your scalp, and even more so if one washes upside down as I believe you do, so it presumably doesn't even affect any of your skin (other than your hands). But it is good to be aware of the potential risk and able to make one's own, informed decision about these things :)

Yep upside down, and ears down, and my hands are fine. I smelled it, looked at the bottle all sides and the bottom, then shook it up, smelled it again, poured some out and looked at it carefully - seemed fine. Then I used it.


If I’m being honest, I’ll admit I had no idea conditioner would expire, yikes! Excuse me while I go check every single item in my stash! Although, that might be an pretty good indicator that I use a lot more conventional products than I use natural ones....

OMG; didn't mean to alarm you!

[illicitlizard]

If I’m being honest, I’ll admit I had no idea conditioner would expire, yikes! Excuse me while I go check every single item in my stash! Although, that might be an pretty good indicator that I use a lot more conventional products than I use natural ones....

With nearly all expiration dates I must admit, if they don't show any obvious signs of stench or mould I'm 100% still gonna use them. But I even do that with mascara so not exactly a model citizen. Though re: the natural/conventional divide, the less 'chemical' (everything is chemicals what a terrible descriptor) a product is the more apprehensive I am about using it post expiration, even if it doesn't 'seem' expired...

[harpyangel]

I use their shampoo bar once every 3 weeks for clarifying. It is extremely harsh. Their conditioners and hair masks all contain SLS for some reason, I tried them once and regretted it immediately. The only hair product from Lush I can really recommend is their hair moisturizer called R&B, it's been my holy grail for almost 8 years.

I have R&B and love it as well. It smells so good!

[TwilightMermaid]

I like both but natural I like just slightly more because what comes to mind is how silky Shea Moisture's conditioner made my hair feel

[EssleyBlue]

I prefer as natural as possible i.e. low or no-poo, ACVs and oils. My hair is pretty shiny and glossy and I credit that to doing as little to it as possible. But that's just my own experience.