Never before has getting clean dirtied the planet so much. We can no longer count the brands that have made a fortune selling conventional and, let's say it, industrial liquid shampoos. This is not surprising since we have all already put this type of product in the shopping cart in the supermarket. Have you ever looked at the list of ingredients ? Names of active ingredients unknown to the battalion, a growing list , surfactants galore,... And yet the quantities of shampoo purchased per year are as frightening as the quantities of plastic waste generated. Being aware is the best way to take action, learn more in this article.
I. The industrial shampoo market: dizzying figures
They walk the shelves of supermarkets by the hundreds and meet with incredible success: industrial shampoos . Nearly 5 shampoos are sold every second in France, or nearly 476,000 bottles per day and 174 million per year !
The market turnover amounts to more than half a billion euros.
With an average price of €3.10/bottle and an average consumption of 6 bottles per year , the average annual budget incurred by each French person is €18.60 .
These astronomical quantities and sums are simply mind-blowing and are not without impact on the environment...and health.
II. Industrial shampoos a weapon of mass destruction attacking the environment and your wallet
Industrial shampoos are mostly in disposable plastic bottles and the quantities purchased per year also correspond to the quantities thrown away . So of course, some bottles are recyclable , but how many are actually recycled ?
Have you taken a look at the first component of a shampoo mentioned in the list of ingredients ? This is probably the only one for which the name speaks to you: water. In fact, shampoo is made up of 70%-90% water . So when you pay on average €3.10 for a bottle , you are largely buying... water. What's the point of putting water in a product that you use in the shower? It will automatically go into the siphon. Saving water resources is a major environmental issue that must be taken into account during product development.
III. Industrial shampoos are the enemies of your health
Sulfates , parabens , silicone , and so on! The list of ingredients making up industrial shampoos is constantly growing and deciphering it has almost become mission impossible for novices.
Sulfates
“This shampoo is not effective , it doesn’t lather ”, think again! Foam is no guarantee of quality and effectiveness . On the contrary, when your shampoo turns into whipped cream on your scalp , it means that it is full of surfactants . These molecules are very appreciated by manufacturers because they make their hair cleansing routine more pleasant for the hand by offering a unique airy texture . Sulfates are the most popular surfactants because they are the least expensive. It is also found in household products such as dishwashing liquid. You can therefore imagine that this chemical ingredient is not very beneficial for the hair because it is far too aggressive . Prolonged use over time weakens your hair . They should be banned from your hair routine.
Parabens
If the shelf life of shampoos is so high, it is thanks to parabens : excellent preservatives with antimicrobial and antifungal actions. But these additives are suspected as endocrine disruptors. Indeed, they excel at mimicking the properties of certain hormones, which suggests that they could have an impact on fertility and hormone-dependent cancers (breast cancer). In addition, prenatal exposure to parabens results in a higher probability of being overweight as an adult.
However, epidemiological studies remain limited to date to conclusively conclude on the increased risks of cancer and obesity caused by parabens . But it is important to limit the risks as much as possible by reducing exposure to products containing them.
Silicones
Does your shampoo make your hair smooth and silky ? Be careful, it may contain silicones ! In fact, these molecules envelop the hair in a protective sheath, hence the silky appearance but in no way have a restorative action. On the contrary, they suffocate the hair and the latter, feeling attacked, will produce a significant quantity of sebum at its base. You can say hello to oily hair. In other words, these chemical compounds camouflage the problem but do not solve it and will even tend to make it worse. Finally, to make matters worse, silicones take 400 to 500 years to degrade in nature , another inconvenience that should push you to ban them from your hair care products .
pH
Did you know that there is a significant difference between the pH of your hair and that of industrial shampoos ?
The acidity of the scalp is in fact 5 (close to neutral) while the pH of hair products is 10 (basic). This significantly attacks the hair fiber by destroying the hydrolipidic film which plays a protective role against external aggression . If you persist in buying your shampoos in supermarkets, choose those with a neutral pH.
Industrial shampoos have nothing going for them: they are neither good for the environment, nor for your wallet, nor for your health. Reducing the consumption of such products by moving towards solid shampoos or even better towards home-made shampoos seems to be a preferred solution. At Reborn , we attach great importance to ensuring that our products respect the environment but also your health. We therefore wanted to raise awareness on this subject so that everyone can act in full conscience for a better world.