I’m brand new and excited to embark on this natural hair journey. I big chopped 2 months ago and have to admit that I’m overwhelmed and confused. The first product line I tried was Miss Jessies because I received it as a gift. I loved it until one of my girlfriends brought it to my attention that it contained mineral oil and some other junk. In the weeks I used it, it never dried my hair out and it always looked great. I’ve been looking for the next best thing that’s free of the chemicals but I’m having a difficult time. I have a list of ingredients that I was told to avoid that I take with me every time I go shopping but I don’t know. Will my hair fall out or break off if I use products that have these bad ingredients?
That’s a hard one (ha, that’s what she said!) and oftentimes, I’m just as confused as you. But generally I’m in camp ‘do you boo boo’.
I came into this game back in 2005… hadn’t used mineral oil or petroleum laden products since I was a kid, but still avoided them at all cost because of their potential to ‘block out moisture’ and things of that nature. I stopped using silicones around this time too… went 100% CG and my hair went to hell. Over the past 2 years, I’ve been reintroducing the natural hair no-nos with quite a bit of success. If in 2005 you would’ve told me that my favorite leave-in in 2011 would be Lacio Lacio, I would’ve punched you in the throat… the devil is a lie!
Recently I read that Chicoro, a hair idol of mine, uses Vaseline to seal in moisture and we all remember my interview with Corinne Bailey Rae where she too mentions her successful use of Vaseline. And to be quite honest, if Corinne told me she uses poop, I might be looking into that as well.
Anyway, the articles below look at mineral oil, an ingredient in Miss Jessies Curly Pudding, with a critical eye. Read on and hopefully others will chime in!
via the Beauty Brains
We often see the advice that people should avoid mineral oil at all costs. This idea is propagated by numerous “natural” companies. Well, this advice is just bogus. It’s not based on any scientific studies. Mineral oil is a perfectly fine ingredient and has been used in cosmetics for over 100 years.
Here are the top 5 Myths that companies tell people to make them afraid of mineral oil. In part 2 we look at why “natural” companies would be trying to scare you.
Mineral Oil Myths
1. Mineral oil is contaminated with carcinogens. While it’s true that some petroleum derivatives contain carcinogenic materials (like some polycyclic aromatic compounds) the mineral oil that is used in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industry is highly refined and purified. It’s purity is even regulated by the US FDA and other international regulatory agencies. There is absolutely no evidence that cosmetic grade mineral oil causes cancer. And there has been plenty of testing done to ensure that fact. We could find no published reports in any of the dermatological or medical journals indicating a link between mineral oil and any forms of cancer.
2. Mineral oil dries the skin and causes premature aging. Mineral oil works as a barrier between the skin and the air. It acts as an occlusive agent which prevents water from naturally leaving your body through your skin. It will not dry out your skin or cause premature aging. Quite the contrary. It will provide moisturization.
3. Mineral oil robs the skin of vitamins. Since many vitamins are oil based, people assume that mineral oil will pull them out of your skin. There is no legitimate scientific evidence that this is true. Mineral oil has no effect on the vitamin levels in your skin.
4. Mineral oil prevents absorption of collagen from collagen moisturizers. Collagen in your skin lotions and moisturizers is too big to actually penetrate your skin. Therefore, mineral oil will have no effect on whether the collagen gets absorbed or not.
5. Mineral oil causes acne. In some people, mineral oil can exacerbate acne problems. However, most people will not experience any problems.
So, if it is not for safety concerns, why would companies be telling you to avoid mineral oil? We’ll look at that in part 2 of our series.
The Beauty Brains Bottom line. The truth is mineral oil is one of the best functioning skin care ingredients available. Every cosmetic chemist who reads studies published in the Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists knows it. Other oils work too, but not as well as mineral oil.
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by Tonya McKay of NaturalCurly.com
Last month’s article delved into the chemistry and properties of mineral oil, as well as some of its benefits and drawbacks when used as an ingredient in hair products or as a topical treatment. This month, I would love to expand on that topic a bit and dig a little deeper into the similarities and differences of petroleum-derived mineral oil and plant-derived oils, specifically coconut oil. Both types of oils are found in various hair care products, and coconut oil is quite often used in homemade treatments, as well. The superior properties of natural oils are frequently lauded, so it should be interesting to review a few scientific comparisons backed by data.
Water in – water out
Several published studies have summarized experiments done to evaluate and compare the emollient properties of mineral oil, coconut oil, and to a lesser extent, olive oil and safflower oil. In one paper, researchers reported using an analytical technique (dynamic vapor sorption, for those curious) to measure and determine the moisture diffusion coefficient for mineral oil, coconut oil, and other oils when applied to hair. They were interested in finding out was how much water vapor can penetrate into or diffuse out of hair that has been coated with oil.
The data obtained in the experiments revealed that both coconut oil and mineral oil form a protective barrier that effectively prevents the diffusion of moisture out of the hair in low-humidity environments, thereby improving moisture retention and minimizing dry, fly-away hair. All of the oil-treated hair samples showed this effect, whereas the untreated control remained unchanged.
It was noted that for coconut oil, the moisture-retention effects dissipated significantly over time. This is credible evidence that coconut oil absorbs into the hair shaft while mineral oil remains on the exterior surface. (Remember this—it will be important later).
All of the treated hair fibers showed a reduction in absorption of moisture vapor from the atmosphere in damp conditions. This is advantageous in an anti-humectant topical treatment, as it provides some protection from frizz that often occurs in high relative humidity. However, this effect was not total, and each sample was found to absorb significant amounts of water over time. Extremely hydrophobic mineral oil performed the best in terms of its ability to seal water out of hair, while the more polar fatty acids such as coconut oil allowed greater transport of moisture through the cuticle and into the hair shaft. This can certainly be an undesirable attribute if frizz and the tell-tale halo are not qualities you prefer in your hair.
Curl Formation and Clumping
Both coconut oil and mineral oil enhance clumping of adjacent hair strands. This mechanism aids in curl formation, definition of curl pattern, and curl retention. Capillary adhesion, the mechanism by which this is possible, occurs when oils form sufficiently thick films on the surfaces of hair strands and capillary forces between adjacent hairs attract them to one another, effectively binding them into clumps.
Researchers found that capillary adhesion between hair fibers remains constant with mineral oil, but is found to decrease over time with coconut oil, olive oil, and sunflower oil. The reason for this is that the very non-polar mineral oil molecules remain on the surface of the cuticle of the hair. In contrast, the saturated or mono-unsaturated fruit and vegetable oils in this study slowly penetrate into the cell membrane complex (CMC) and are transported into the hair shaft. As this diffusion occurs, the film thickness on the surface of the hair gradually decreases, which diminishes capillary forces. As a result the cuticle scale structure begins to dominate the behavior of the surface of the hair once more, and subsequent tangling and frizz can occur.
A Closer Look at the Penetration Behaviors of Mineral Oil and Coconut Oil
As you have probably ascertained from this article, many of the behaviors and performance of oils and moisturizers on the hair are affected by whether they remain on the surface or are absorbed into the hair. To get a more quantitative understanding of this, scientists performed direct study of the penetration behaviors of coconut oil and mineral oil on hair via spectrometry (secondary ion mass spec (SIMS) plus time-of-flight mass spec (TOF-MS). The results showed definitively that coconut oil does indeed penetrate the hair shaft, while mineral oil remains on the surface of the air.
Both mineral oil and coconut oil have pretty compact structures which should physically permit diffusion through the porous external layer of the hair shaft. So why does coconut oil do so, while mineral oil does not?
The answer lies in the atoms. While the chemical structure of the molecules present in mineral oil is purely carbon and hydrogen, rendering them very non-polar, triglycerides such as those found in plant-derived oils contain carboxylic acid groups, which lend a little polarity to the molecules. This polarity confers an affinity to these oils for other polar molecules, such as the various keratinous proteins of which hair is comprised. Thus, it is this inherent attraction to other polar molecules, coupled with the relatively simple structure of coconut oil that enables it to diffuse through the cell membrane cortex of the hair and penetrate into the central cortex. Mineral oil has no such affinity for proteins, and remains on the more hydrophobic exterior surface of the hair.
Coconut oil and improved resistance to wash-wear
The presence of coconut oil inside the cortex of hair provides multiple benefits. It acts as a plasticizer to soften the hair and provide more flexibility and toughness. Coconut oil also increases retention of keratin molecules within the hair shaft, which reduces protein erosion that normally occurs during wash cycles. Continuous loss of protein over time from routine washing damages hair and can result in color fading, split ends, and breakage, so anything that can moderate this phenomenon is beneficial.
An additional advantage to coconut oil inside the hair shaft is that it decreases the amount of swelling of the hair shaft that normally occurs when immersed in water. Normally, when hair is saturated with water during the washing process, it absorbs up to 30% or more of its weight in water. This causes each strand to swell considerably, which can lead to several undesirable effects. Increasing the diameter of the hair shaft causes the outer covering of cuticle scales to lift and separate, which increases tangling and breakage. But, perhaps more subtle, is the damage done over time from many cycles of expansion and contraction.
Hair is a highly complex biomaterial composed of layers of differing materials, ranging from varying types of keratin structures to pigment molecules to fatty acids. When it is saturated with water and swells and then subsequently dries via natural or thermal means, it undergoes what is known as differential drying and differential deformation (because each separate type of molecule within the overall structure dries and deforms at differing rates). This leads to moisture-induced stress on the hair, which can lead to delamination (cuticle layer stripping off), breakage, fiber fatigue, and rupture (split ends). This whole phenomenon is referred to as hygral fatigue. So, anything that reduces hygral fatigue is great for the health of your hair in the long term.
Which is the winner?
Well, both water insoluble oils have some distinct advantages for curly hair. By improving moisture retention within the hair shaft, they each can minimize drying and frizz which may occur in arid climates. Both enhance curl formation and clumping. However, in both of these things, mineral oil does the job better and for a longer time. On the other hand, coconut oil appears to have some real potential for improving the health and long-term vitality of hair, especially when it comes to wash-wear, whereas mineral oil is more of a topical treatment that is effective until it is washed away. Those with very porous hair may find that coconut oil penetrates too much into the interior of the hair, which can cause its own set of problems such as frizz, greasiness, and limp hair. So, adding either coconut oil or mineral oil to your hair care regimen may prove to be beneficial, but proceed with caution and see what works best for your own locks.
So ummmmm yeah…Blue Magic Argan Oil leave ins are my hair's friend…and it has mineral oil in it *gasp* My mother used Proline Hair Food in my hair and water…for most of my life I was WL (until I put my hands in it but that's a different story) I wash my hair once a week…I don't have a lot of build up from it nor is my hair dry. I tried coconut oil…and while my hair loves most other oils…it hates CO. My hair seems to be thriving with the use of these "horrible" mineral oils, petroleums, and cones…plus I can AFFORD THEM!!! I think, just like with everything else, its a personal choice.
If you can tell me of a all natural product, under $10.00 that will make my hair (twist out) look and feel as good as royal crown, please tell me. Until that time I will have to use the royal crown.
Trust in god people save your money
Seriously, anon! The $60 price tag made me moonwalk away from that product more than any ingredient ever will. Alzheimer's/dementia also has a genetic component. God also has given men knowledge to make things that are beneficial so please stop with all the all man made stuff is bad chant that usually comes out in comment sections on hair forums. I'm with team "do you" for what is best for your hair and your budget.
If the LORD has called you home….there ain't nothing you can do about it. I've never heard of hair grease causing cancer and illnesses. Some of you guys are just dumb…the only reason why all these NATURAL HAIR COMP are pushing there products is bc they wanna make money. Now, women are going natural…so the need for relaxers and perms are becoming extinct!! As you u know we as black women spend alotta money on our hair. Whether its wigs, locs, weaves, braids, etc…
I'm not opposed to using natural ingredient products, however, I find it FUNNY that after all these years….now that we has black women are going back natural all of sudden hair grease is the DEVIL. I will never pay $58 for curly pudding! Were in a recession! Smh…
I use Johnson's baby oil GEL. Gives great shine, seems to hold moisture and lightweight. First ingredient, mineral oil. At night I use the Lacio lacio mixed with Castor Oil (in a small jar) then braid with satin pillow rollers or satin covered foam rollers, satin sleep bonnet. When I wask in the morning smooth, shiny but as the day goes on the shine disappears. If I put some baby oil gel in palms, rub together and rub through or srunch hair, shiny again.
Great post because in my opinion & experience it's really based on each person's needs & reactions to all ingredients that makes the difference. It's not fair to slam an ingredient and say it's true for "us" all.
What Danielle O said is very interesting. For years a lot of our grandmothers and mothers have used petroleum based products in their hair. My mom lived to be 87 years old and she had alzheimer/demential. She as a very healthy woman by most standards. She never drank or smoked, basically lived a really natural life with the exception of those hair greases/hair dyes and other old school beauty products. I have wondered for a long time if those beauty habits had something to do her succumbing to that illness..hmm. Personally I agree with Danielle O. The Fed Gov is not to be trusted when it comes to the almighty dollar and the ways they can get their hands on it. I wouldn't be surprised if they have been throwing us Americans under the bus for years when it came to finding a cure for Cancer, Diabetes, High Blood Pressure and the common cold..why find a cure for Alzheimers/Demential when you can make billions of dollars marketing beauty products that can rake in billions?
I'm studying to be a doctor and a nurtitionist and I have to disagree with this. Two of the most poisonous things we put on our skin and hair is mineral oil and petroleum. They clog pores and are absorbed into the bloodstream causing imbalances in the organs and glands and making hormones imbalanced causing disease and illnes. The number one thing that causes illness and disease is prescription and nonprescription medicines. They are not created to cure your problem, they are created to treat the symptoms. Then causing illness and disease in the future. For example, you take a drug to stop a problem, let's just say acid reflux. Later you feel fine, you think it worked. Later you have a problem with your stomach. You take another medicine for that. Later you develope another problem. This goes on and on. And I would not recommend listening to anything the FDA approves. They always lie. Ever notice that the FDA approves medicines? Then only after the pharmaceutical company has made millions in profits, the drug was shown to cause death, disease, and serious illness, and taken off of the market. For example, remember cigarettes? The FDA said they didn't cause cancer when if fact the FDA and the Cigarette companies new that cigarettes caused cancer. For ten years they lied! The FDA is paid millions by the pharmaceutical company to approve their many different products. Would it surprise you that the pharmaceutical company has family and friends in the FDA and FTC and other government organizations? They give themselves payoffs!!! They don't care about your wellbeing. Why do we think that the cancer, diabetes, and other disease rate has gone up in AMEICA and continues to?? Because of the processed and chemically treated food you are eating, because of the prescription and nonprescription medicines you are taking, the lotions and creams and shampoos you are putting on your skin. Hd tvs, computers, cell phones, microwaves all give off poisonous radiation. Sunscreen and sunblock cause cancer. Scientist tested over 300 different types of sunscreens and sunblocks and only 39 were safe enough to put on your skin. The sunlight is vital for good health. It stimulates metabolism, creates high healthy levels of vitamin D3 and helps prevent cancer. People that live near the equator virtually have no cancer. Scientist have tested mummified corpses from egyt and so on and they did not find traces of cancer. Yes they had differnt diseases but from their habitat and surroundings. They stated that cancer is man made. God did NOT place us on this earth with these man made things we have now. He gave us natural medicines to treat and cure disease, fruits, and veggies, and herbs to cure us and treat us. Also charities are a sham. The Breast Cancer Society for instance. It is a publicly traded company. They have a legal responsibility to make more profits. They are not there to cure you of breast cancer, but to make a profit in the treatment of your disease. Educate yourselves please, because no one has your best interest at heart but you. The United States is the only country that has NOT legalized natural cures and medicine. If the pharmaceutical companies decided to make natural cures and make everyone healthy what do you think would happen to them? They would be bankrupt! Do they care about you? No, they honestly don't. I'm studying the way to true health because I WANT to help people. I WANT people to have a better life. Our government is corrupt. They have gained the love of money and we all know that God said the love of money is the root to all evil. I refuse to feed my baby anything that isn't 100% organic. I'm not saying everyone should do that because I know it's not cheap but I choose to spend my money that way. Eating the way she does will prevent illness and disease. I hope that this inspired some of you to try an educate yourselves on health. Our body is a temply of God and we only live one life so why poison the temple of God? God bless!!
I agree i use Flo-Lox grease on my scalp because it leaves my scalp moist and my roots soft. In between I use Afrcan Pride Herbal oil and touc a bit of that on my roots,demarcartion line, and ends and it works for me great!
I USE ROYAL CROWN GREASE ON MY HAIR!!!!! Yeah I said it…lol! NOT on my scalp, but on my hair and to seal my ends. I use cream of nature shampoo once a week and I have no problems with dryness. I use a cholesterol deep conditioner, a leave in and put my grease on top, protective style, and I'm GOOD for the week. Im just saying the old stuff works for ME.
Thanks for the article CN. We really need to get educated on the things that are important to us and this article is a good example. Personally, I think the mineral oil scare comes from "conservatives" who link mineral oil directly to diesel fuel and just because it can run your car means it can't possibly be good to use on your person. A very big generalization without the proper research. Thanks!
i too use products that have mineral oil in them…but then i also eat bacon…nuff said
People that use Vaseline on their hair never complain of hair breakage or that their hair is dry.
And it's very cheap, not like natural products that are way too expensive.
Been a black woman with natural hair is very expensive nowadays.
White people don't put any product on their hair, they only shampoo and that is all,their hair don't break off.
We don't need too much product on our hair,that is why people that just use grease on their hair have healthy thick long natural hair.
To Jade….baby oil is mostly if not all mineral oil which you can get anywhere (local drug store, walmart etc.) You can get evco there too.
I agree with everyone that says "Do you". If you know your hair and a product works for you then go with it.
I personally do not blow dry or heat style my hair…that being said, I don't use mineral oil or petroleum because of the sulfates needed to remove the buildup. I clarify once a month due to the use of soo many oils and butters on my hair and that's drying enough. I could not imagine that abuse every week would not have serious consequences later on…..just my 2 cents 🙂
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where can we get a small sample of coconut oil and mineral oil to run some tests on our hair?
Always do what works for you. I love hair blogs and use it for additional information that I add to my body of hair knowledge that works for me.
STOP blaming others for your own ACTIONS! Yes read hair blogs, try new things but in the end it is YOUR responsibility to make informed decisions on what works for YOU. Natural hair blogs are just people writing about what works for THEM! Do not blame them because you are a lemming.
I'm starting to believe moisture is moisture, and as long as you don't suffocate your scalp and apply from root to tip you should be good. On the flip side once I stared to read about mineral oil and where it came from, I decided to look for more eco friendly products that did not contain them, the result being, loving the alternatives and what I am finding! I've found non mineral oil products that smell better and preform better. I've found natural food oils from the market more to be a better choice economically. Non mineral oil Products are homemade, more "grassroots" and independently owned, which is nice! Products that are mineral oil free are mostly from black owned companies and I like to support! I also find that products laden with mineral oil are sold at neighborhood beauty supply stores which I rarely shop at anymore. I rather support the independents and black owned. Oh side note I do like miss jessie's silk stretch cream. In moderation, but it's black owned so I'm good with that!
I am glad I don't have this problem. I don't use silicones or mineral oil and my products work very well for me. I actually had not used these consistently for many years before going natural. My stylist used the infusion leave-in with silicones and my hair felt awful the next day so I do not have any plans to include them.
Do whatever works best for you, but if I was going to use mineral oil or a product with mineral oil, it will not cost me $50! I will buy vaseline at the drugstore.
I could be wrong, but I have always understood the stay away from silicones to be linked to the need to use sulfates to wash them away. Sulfates being the bad one here. So people who just co-wash would get build up using products with silicones. Anytime articles like this come up the comments are so predictable. People act like someone came to their homes and forced them to avoid silicones. People are so used to never taking responsibility for whatever they do, they act like they didn't make a choice to follow the advice.
My hair, skin, and body are thriving. I am not on the hunt for anything and I am not changing a thing – no silicones, no mineral oil, no sulfates, no parabens* anywhere near my skin and hair.
* I need to see more test that include significant numbers of women of west African descent before I step near this estrogen mimicker.
While I don't usually hear about this line of products being used within the natural community, Organic Root Stimulator products work WONDERS for me, especially their hair pudding. It contains both mineral *and* coconut oil, and is responsible for the most banging twistouts I've ever seen on my hair. Try it out sometime!
I agree with Nik as well, do whats best for you, I stopped using it because of the blogs but recently reintroduced some to my regimen, My hair looks and feels great, For environmental reasons anti mineralist may have a leg to stand on. If its just about hair care alone, my hair likes it ….so.. its down to an ethical decision really …and that is a personal thing
Mineral oil definitely help with frizz-control, but it is best to put it only on the length of one's hair, rather than placing it anywhere near the scalp. Since I wash my hair every week, I use mineral oil from time to time for shine and to combat frizz. It works! But, I realize that I will really need to wash my hair at the end of the week to avoid any product build-up. That's the key to using mineral oil–washing your hair more frequently to prevent build-up on the hair. Also, I love silicone products because they provide the hair with frizz-control and shine. I'm obsessed with shiny hair and I still have not found a natural product that can give me that intense shine, yet!
I'm with Nikki, every natural should do what is best for her hair. Don't allow others to dictate what is right for your hair. Be your own hair guru!
I like Lacio Lacio wayyyy better… it's lighter, doesn't build up (even when i reapply to dry hair) and leaves my hair feeling soft, but strong, shiny, moisturized and happy!
I love baby oil or mineral oil… Whichever. I live for it! I put it in my hair and have always put it on my skin. The trick is to keep your skin a little damp and then rub the oil on your skin. When I was a teen I use to put it in my hair after the pool since I knew I was going to be back in the water the next day for some more sun fun! My hair stayed healthy all summer. I believe in just doing you when it comes to products. If it works the way you want it without damage then who am I to say don't do it?
I use whatever works for my hair.I am not to particular to stay away from products with sulfates, silicones, etc.I use Miss Jessie products and they work wonders for my hair.I also use other lines like Curls, Organic root stimulator and others, and depending on how my hair likes them depends on if I keep them. Many ladies use oil on their hair and it works for them.When my hair is straight, my scalp and hair love oil.When it's curly, my scalp loves oil and my hair hates it. If products with mineral oil are working wonders on your hair, keep them.
To each their own. I myself don't go for mineral oil because I figure there are so many great plant oils with more nutrients and better results. I prefer castor, olive, and coconut oil. Ironically, I started reading about the evils of mineral oil when I was researching dreadlocks grooming. So many websites said stay away from mineral oil, since it attracts dirt to your hair. So I took the advice, and avoided anything that had mineral oil. Since cutting my locs, I have just continued to avoid mineral oil. After going back and forth between all natural and not so all natural products, I listened to my hair which said to stick to only all natural products. But if you are using mineral oil and other "no-no's" (sulfates, silicones, etc.) and its working for you, do you by all means. I just know that mineral oil will not be on this head of hair.
I haven't used a ton of products – much of what I used has been mineral oil free, but I wasn't consciously trying to stay away from it. I have just been blessed to find products that worked for me when I started paying attention to my curly hair. My mom didn't use grease in my hair growing up – she used coconut oil and left conditioner in my hair to keep it soft. Grease makes my hair flat and gross looking… even a tiny bit leaves it… well, greasy.
There are going to be pros and cons to everything – what do we always say? "Nothing works for everybody!" So, do you!
An ingredient in mineral oil (a petroleum by product) has been linked to the development of lupus so be careful. We all know that lupus is more prevalent among black women and most haircare products marketed to black women contain mineral oil.
Black ppl have been using mineral oil for years on their hair. Now, so many bloggers say dont use it and ppl ran with it, I agree with Nikki and a few others do what works best on your hair, I use products that contain mineral oil and some that dont and still have shoulder length hair.
This is a great post. I started to turn away from petroleum because all the natural blogs I frequented said it was bad for the hair. Yet, everyone I met all my life with long and healthy hair either used vaseline or other petroleum based products. I'm like Curly Nikki at this point. It's all about a "Do You" attitude when it comes to your own hair.
ladies n gentlemen, it's pretty simple. sure u can put petroleum, mineral oil or whatever in your hair and rock it like there is no tomorrow. but tomorrow always comes, n regardless of how the stuff makes u feel for the moment, it still isnt good for u body or the environment. if u are the least conscious abt the environment, recycling or eating organic foods, then it should be natural for u to also lay off mineral oils.
Even on my relaxed hair mineral oil weighed it down and increased breakout on my skin, so i avoid it in hair products and as well as some lotions.I think my hair prefers silicones as its necessary evil lol
I third that emotion about the warnings against using mineral oil. While I don't seek it out, I also don't actively avoid it either. As I sit here reading the label on my new favorie thing — Hawaiian Silky 14-in-1 I see that it contains mineral oil. I love this stuff and it does wonders at keeping my hair moisturized. As always, do you and what works for you.
CN, do you prefer the lacio to the salerm 21? am really digging the salerm.
As a general rule, I don't use products with mineral oil. The times I have used products with mineral oil my hair was very greasy and I felt guilty; I felt like I was doing something bad to my hair. Also, I don't use shampoos/conditioners with sulfate, but everything else is a go. I have not had any real bad experiences with using silicons or proteins (i try to limit how often). Honestly, most of what I use on my hair is based on how my hair responds to the products.
this is why doing your own research is so crucial!!!
Same here anon 11:31. I didn't hear it from the natural hair companies, mostly from the sites I frequented, hair idols and the forums.
Cool article, but it wasn't myths I heard from companies, it was from natural hair blogs and the natural hair community. My mom and grandmother always used mineral oil products. The natural hair community turned me off them.