Body care products for children Part 2: Hair care

Finding a gentle, non-reactive shampoo and conditioner suitable for children (as well as people with sensitive skin), that is also eco-friendly and health-friendly, presents quite a few challenges. Traditionally, hair care products have always contained quite a few ingredients that are potentially irritating. The vast majority of hair care products contain powerful detergents that can strip delicate skin, and synthetic dyes and fragrances, both of which can be allergenic.

However, with the increasing trendiness of "green" products, there are better options now that are more readily available. In this part of the series, I review hair care products suitable for children, as well as adults with sensitive scalps and skin.

(In case you missed Part 1: Simple Lotion, find it here. In that post, I also included a number of back links to other articles about skin care for children. And, it is worth noting that any of the recommendations in these posts apply to adults with sensitive skin issues, not just children!)

I got started on this topic a while ago when a mother asked about the safety of Johnson & Johnson's No More Tears Shampoo for Baby. No More Tears shampoo is the old standard for baby shampoo and I remember my mother using it on us when I was little.

However, No More Tears shampoo has come in for much criticism from environmental groups as being a prime example of a body care product that is marketed as completely safe for children, yet contains a number of suspect ingredients as well as being potentially contaminated with 1,4-dioxane, a compound classified as a possible carcinogen (see below for the current ingredient list; read more about 1,4 dioxane in my earlier review here). Then, there was an internet rumour that the shampoo contained a numbing ingredient, a rumour which is completely false. After much pressure, Johnson & Johnson announced that they would be overhauling the formulation of the No More Tears shampoo and it is supposed to be released within the next few years (see news story here).

Besides containing synthetic fragrance and synthetic dyes Yellow 10 and Orange 4, it contains the preservative quaternium-15, which acts by degrading and releasing small amounts of formaldehyde into solution; formaldehyde is responsible for the biocidal effect. Quaternium-15 is a known allergen, and formaldehyde is both toxic and allergenic.

Quaternium-15

Examples of common formaldehyde-releasing preservatives in hair care products include: quaternium-15, diazolidinyl urea, imidazolidinyl urea, and DMDM hydantoin.

An effective preservative system is a necessity in water-based formulations that are going to be exposed to warm, humid conditions, perfect for microbial growth. In shampoos and conditioners, the most commonly used preservatives are the formaldehyde-releasing preservatives and isothiazolinone and its derivatives. They are highly effective at inhibiting microbial growth and easy to incorporate into water-based emulsions.

Methylisothiazolinone,
a common preservative in hair care products

The isothiazolinones contain an active sulfur group which can react with and oxidize other sulfur-containing compounds, and is toxic to most bacteria, fungi and other microorganisms (sulfur = S in the above structure). All of these compounds, and particularly the isothiazolinones, are known to be common allergens. In addition, the isothiazolinones are known to be highly toxic to aquatic life, and there is evidence that they are neurotoxic (He et al., J. Pharmacol. Expt. Ther. (2006) 317: 1320-1329, full article here; also, an earlier discussion referring to isothiazolinones here).

Children's hair is significantly finer than adult hair. Given that their sebaceous glands are not fully developed, their hair does not accumulate oil as quickly as adult hair and thus does not need to be washed as frequently. At the same time, children's skin is thinner and also more delicate. As alluded to in Part 1 of this series, as well as my previous posts on sensitive skin care, I go by the precautionary principle and when it comes to finding products for children, the best route to take is to avoid any suspect ingredients.

Given all these constraints, it is extremely difficult to find a shampoo and conditioner that is safe for both children and the environment. Here is a shampoo and a conditioner from Canadian company Nature Clean which fit the bill. Both of these products are affordable and easy to find.

Nature Clean Pure-Sensitive Shampoo (around $8; available at Loblaws and Real Canadian Superstore)
Ingredients: Water/Eau/Aqua, Cocoglucoside, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Glycerin, Xanthan Gum, Sapindus Mukurossi Peel Extract, Chondrus Chrispus (Carageenan), Citric Acid, Beta-Glucan, Bisabolol, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate.

As mentioned in this earlier post, my shampoo of choice for both myself and my children is actually Neal's Yard Remedies Create Your Own Hair & Body Wash, but it is very expensive (approximately $20 CAD/bottle) and outside of the U.K., very hard to source. My next pick after the Neal's Yard shampoo is Nature Clean's Pure-Sensitive Shampoo. The main cleansing agents are cocoglucoside, disodium cocoamphodiacetate and caprylyl/capryl glucoside, all of which are relatively gentle surfactants. This is free of fragrance and synthetic dye. The preservative system is a combination of phenoxyethanol and food grade preservatives potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate. It does not contain any of the formaldehyde-releasing preservatives or isothiazolinones.

This gives a nice foam and a very good cleaning effect.  Relative to the Neal's Yard shampoo, it is definitely stronger so I wouldn't recommend this for daily use. For young children, a dime sized amount is sufficient for a shampoo once a week.

Nature Clean Pure-Sensitive Conditioner (around $8; available at Loblaws and Real Canadian Superstore)
Ingredients: Water/Eau/Aqua, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearalkonium Chloride, Helianthus Annus (Sunflower/Tournesol) Seeds Oil, Hydroxyethyl Cellulose, Panthenol, Sorbitol, Bisabolol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ethyhexyglycerin, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol.

Nearly all conventional conditioners are silicone-based, as silicones coat the hair shaft and provide a very smooth feel to the hair. However, silicones can also build up on the hair shaft, and be difficult to remove without the use of a strong detergent. Thus, silicones can be problematic for those with sensitive skin issues. At the same time, some silicones have been identified as being potentially harmful to the environment (see earlier review here). Also, nearly all conditioners are heavily fragranced.

This conditioner is an anomaly in its category - it is a simple conditioner that is not silicone-based, and it is free of fragrance, synthetic dye as well as being free of the formaldehyde-releasing preservatives and isothiazolinones. On top of that, there is only one plant extract, bisabolol. You would be extremely hard pressed to find a conventional hair conditioner that does not contain one or more of the above ingredients, particularly silicones and fragrance. In the green/eco category, it is virtually impossible to find a conditioner that does not contain huge list of plant extracts even if it is free of silicones, synthetic dyes, fragrance and potentially harmful preservatives.

I have heard many parents complaining about the nightmare of what to do about detangling their kids' hair and avoiding the tears and wailing at bathtime. Besides cutting off all the hair (just kidding), a conditioner makes a huge difference. My daughter's hair has long, wavy curls. Without conditioner, her hair would turn into a crow's nest of tangles upon washing but the Nature Clean Pure-Sensitive conditioner has been excellent for detangling and giving a beautiful shine and softness. She still hates getting her hair washed, but this conditioner makes it so much easier to comb out her hair afterwards. We have been using it for over a year now, and no sign of any irritation or reaction. I highly recommend this conditioner, not just for children, but for anyone with sensitive skin.

Nature Clean produces a line of products specifically designed for children under the Treehouse brand, including a 2-in-1 conditioning shampoo for children, called Treehouse by Nature Clean 2-in-1 shampoo and Treehouse by Nature Clean Leave-In Detangler (both around $7; available at Loblaws and Real Canadian Superstore). The 2-in-1 conditioning shampoo and the Leave-in Detangler have very similar formulations to the Pure-Sensitive shampoo and conditioner, respectively, the main difference being that the Treehouse products are scented with either strawberry or melon scents. I went with the Pure-Sensitive shampoo and conditioner as I happen to prefer fragrance-free products. If you or your children prefer a scented product, the Treehouse products are worth checking out because the scents are actually naturally derived food flavours.

Coming up in Part 3: Toothpastes for children.

*Current ingredient list of Johnson & Johnson No More Tears - formulation to be amended later this year or next: Water, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, PEG-80 Sorbitan Laurate, Sodium Trideceth Sulfate, PEG-150 Distearate, Fragrance, Polyquaternium-10, Tetrasodium EDTA, Quaternium-15, Citric Acid, Yellow 10 and Orange 4. May also contain: Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide.