Do organic hair products contain cones?

[Dreams_in_Pink]

Or should i go for "natural" label?
The problem is that ALL conditioners here contain some kind of cones. I have an organic shampoo with no cones in it.

[hennaphile]

There are many natural/organic conditioners without cones :) . I don't consider cones to be unnatural, so you'll find both options.

Try:

Organic Excellence
Morrocco Method
Dr. Hauschka
Trader Joes (not the most natural, but a total bargain)
Sukin if you're in NZ or Australia
Miessence
Real Purity

I think there is a list floating around somewhere

[Meni]

Or should i go for "natural" label?
The problem is that ALL conditioners here contain some kind of cones. I have an organic shampoo with no cones in it.
The problem is that some products state they have a "100% natural" ingredient, but are still packed with chemicals which can include cones.

The only way to be sure is to check the ingredient list of a product which claims to be natural.

[Kris Dove]

Some do- ie Herbal Essences have their "totally organic experience" TV ads but some of their products contain cones.

[Madame J]

What is your reason for choosing "organic" shampoos and conditioners? If you're trying to avoid things like parabens, 'cones, and sulfates, Suave and VO5 conditioners mostly don't contain 'cones, and the ones I looked at at my store don't contain parabens. And they're cheap. Yeah, the shampoos contain sulfates, but there are conventional shampoos without.

The labels "natural" and even "organic" don't really mean a whole lot, since a manufacturer can add a pinch of powdered organic aloe vera to the water component of their product, making "organic aloe vera juice," and suddenly have "70% Organic ingredients!" So if you're worried about specific ingredients, you should read up on those and check labels, regardless of what section the shampoo is in, so you can avoid things you have a problem with.

So, yes, "organic" products can have silicones, because they're only required to have a certain percentage of organic ingredients. Same with "natural."

[Katze]

The labels "natural" and even "organic" don't really mean a whole lot, since a manufacturer can add a pinch of powdered organic aloe vera to the water component of their product, making "organic aloe vera juice," and suddenly have "70% Organic ingredients!" So if you're worried about specific ingredients, you should read up on those and check labels, regardless of what section the shampoo is in, so you can avoid things you have a problem with.

So, yes, "organic" products can have silicones, because they're only required to have a certain percentage of organic ingredients. Same with "natural."

What she said.

We had an interesting discussion on the subject of 'is organic better' with an acquaintance yesterday. My husband, who has his doctorate in chemistry and comes from a (non organic) farm, said that in scientific tests, many organic products were indistinguishable from their nonorganic counterparts. Personally I think that in cases of particular food products (animal products, or veggies or fruits that are heavily sprayed like strawberries), organic is better in terms of food. Coffee and tea too, since organic practices are coupled with things like fair trade (but not always!) and other practices (like shade farming of coffee) that are less environmentally harmful.

In terms of hair and body care, by buying organic, you are presumably supporting more sustainable agricultural practices. At least you can hope so. But there have often been labelling scandals, and, as Madame J said, having one organic ingredient in a shampoo might make it 'X ' percent organic, but what about the rest of the stuff in it?

Good example is the company 'Avalon Organics'. their 'Nourishing' conditioner is full of 'cones. I bought it because my sister said she liked it, didn't read the label (duh!) and found out that it makes my hair waxy and weird. Now, I do use 'cones, but I find (personally) that a company that markets itself as 'organic' should clearly label when there are 'cones in their products. If I am buying a natural or organic product, I want one without 'cones - I use Dove in the blue bottle for my occasional 'cones. Another odd thing about this product is that if you use the matching Lavender shampoo, it has no sulfates, so my hair at least gets waxy and my scalp really unhappy. Again, that is just my take on this particular 'organic', 'cone-containing product.

Now the question is, are there organic silicones? I'm gonna ask DH when he wakes up. :D

[Isa-belle]

No, there are no organic silicones :) Silicones are man-made.

You can find plant extracts though that may mimic the action of silicones (detangling, adding slip). Chondrus crispus extract is marketed as "vegetal silicone" by a French website selling natural ingredients, although it is only a marketing name ;) I use it in my shampoos and conditioners, and it's been pretty fabulous at keeping my hair smooth and tangle-free. NAYY ;)

[hennaphile]

I thought dimethicone could be derived from silica, in sand or qaurtz :confused:

[Isa-belle]

Derived would still mean man-made though, wouldn't it? :hmm:
At any rate, silica couldn't be organic - it is a mineral, and therefore inorganic, right?

[Fractalsofhair]

The word organic really doesn't mean all that much, however, it can mean they're less likely to have cones, but VO5 and other brand that don't advertise themselves as "natural" even don't have cones. Generally, check the cheapest generic brand, it's less likely to have cones.

[Madame J]

No, there are no organic silicones :) Silicones are man-made.

This is technically true, but silicones exist in such small concentrations in personal care products that a product can contain 'cones and still be "95% organic ingredients." I think at least 70% of most products is some form of water (aloe juice, hydrosol, some sort of tea or infusion, etc.). Especially for a consumer in the US, the "USDA Organic" label can only go on ingredients of food-grade, so any non-food ingredients can't really be labeled organic and have it mean anything standardized.

And, yes, hennaphile, silicones can be derived from things that exist in nature, but they still must be synthesized in a lab. Like how SLS can be synthesized from coconut oil -- there are so many chemical processes and reactants and preciptates and stuff (yeah, I never took college-level chemistry, sorry) that it's not really the same thing as coconut oil. Oddly enough, silicones do contain carbon in with the silicon and stuff, so they are technically organic compounds (in the chemical sense). Which brings up a whole new level to the silliness behind the "organic vs. non-organic (which is different from inorganic)" debate.

Honestly, some days I'm tempted to just make all my own personal products, until the General from Monty Python steps in to stop all the silliness. Which is why I love reading Isa-belle's eco-friendly beauty blog :flower: