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From organic produce lining the shelves at the grocery store to organic skin care, you’re likely seeing a lot of opportunities to buy organic these days. If you’re making more of an effort to buy organic when possible, you might be interested in the growing popularity of organic hair care products. However, before you jump into investing in organic shampoo, conditioner and more, it’s important to understand the basics. Let’s dig into some important questions about organic hair care, including:
Organic refers to ingredients or products that are grown without the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. Compared with conventional farming, organic farming tends to be a more sustainable practice because it cuts down on water pollution from pesticide run-off and improves soil quality.
Body and hair care products made of agricultural ingredients—that is, plant-based ingredients grown on farms—can be certified organic by the USDA. The USDA’s organic seal (that green and white circular icon that you see on food packaging at the grocery store) can be used on hair care products that have either 100% organic ingredients or at least 95% organic ingredients.
The USDA allows products to be labeled “made with organic ingredients” if at least 70% of the ingredients are organic. Products that have less than 70% organic ingredients cannot be labeled organic as a whole. However, ingredient lists and product labeling can describe what specific ingredients in the formula are organic, such as a particular oil or extract. On LovelySkin.com, you can browse hair care products that contain at least one organic ingredient by using the “filter by” feature and clicking the checkbox for “Organic” under “Preferences.”
Natural and organic hair care products are not necessarily the same. While there are USDA guidelines regarding how the word “organic” can be used on personal care products, there are no guidelines to define the word “natural.”
“To most people, a natural ingredient is derived from nature—a plant, animal or geological source—as opposed to being created synthetically in a lab,” says LovelySkin Medical Director Dr. Daniel Schlessinger, a board-certified dermatologist, Mohs surgeon and cosmetic surgeon. “With that being said,” he continues, “a product or ingredient being ‘natural’ doesn’t mean that it’s better for your body, or even safe to use at all. Poison ivy, oak and sumac, for example, are all natural. and we don’t want them to be anywhere near our skin or hair.”
“While ‘organic' can mean quite a few things in the beauty world and in general, I am a fan of organic ingredients if they are sourced appropriately by companies that we carefully evaluate,” says LovelySkin CEO Dr. Joel Schlessinger, a board-certified dermatologist, Mohs surgeon and cosmetic surgeon.
He adds that “one company’s ‘organic’ can be another company’s clean beauty and another company’s standard product, which is sad, but true. It all comes down to the ingredients, the manufacturing process and the level of rigor in product development. As board-certified dermatologists, we have the training to evaluate the scientific merit of the brands that we work with, such as the ones in this article, and, as a result, we trust them implicitly.”
If the environmental impact of the personal care products you purchase is important to you, choosing hair care products made with organic ingredients is a great way to support that ethos. A few of the hair care brands vetted by LovelySkin that often incorporate one or more organic ingredients in their formulas include ColorProof, COOLA, Dr. Hauschka, Jack Black, Klorane, L’ANZA, Leonor Greyl, PHYTO, Rene Furterer and Surface.
Are you interested in trying out hair care products featuring organic ingredients? Here are a few of our favorites to consider for washing, conditioning, heat styling, sun protection and more.
German hair and skin care brand Dr. Hauschka prioritizes using organic ingredients when possible for its hair care formulas.
This shampoo and conditioner both feature protein-packed chickpea extract and antioxidant-rich neem extract to nourish hair without weighing it down. The shampoo also features moisturizing apricot kernel oil and features an essential oil-derived scent of lemon, bergamot and spearmint. The conditioner also contains shine-enhancing coconut oil and shea butter. Both products are packaged in tubes made with recycled plastic.
Have you been wanting to try going plastic-free with a bar-based shampoo? This shampoo bar is the equivalent of a 13.5-fluid ounce liquid shampoo and lasts for up to 32 washes. It’s made using organically farmed oats from Klorane’s own farmland in southwestern France and is wrapped in recyclable paper. In a consumer study, 88% of users reported that their hair felt softer after using this shampoo bar for 21 days.
If you’d like to try a shampoo with organic ingredients but also want to safeguard your colored hair, consider this option from plant-based hair and scalp care brand PHYTO. This formula contains a rice peptide complex that helps limit pigment bleeding for up to twelve shampoos. It also features organic white mallow extract to enhance shine and sunflower sprout extract to protect hair from environmental damage.
This hair care brand sources its ingredients with sustainability in mind, selecting organic botanical ingredients when possible. This volumizing shampoo and conditioner are formulated to give thin, fine hair a boost of body and fullness. They also both contain organic bamboo extract to help hydrate strands, leaving them feeling soft and smooth. The best organic shampoo for curly hair
Canadian hair care brand Surface relies on botanical extracts, oils and proteins to fuel its formulas, and organic babassu oil is a signature ingredient. Derived from the seeds of the South American babassu palm tree, babassu oil is featured in both this shampoo and conditioner to help improve moisture and elasticity for curly hair. The shampoo also features flaxseed, amaranth protein and soy to help reduce frizz while the conditioner helps fortify and detangle with omega fatty acid-rich cocoa butter.
Looking for a multitasking product for dandruff-prone hair? This combination shampoo-conditioner will simplify your shower routine and help reduce product buildup, soothe the scalp and leave your hair feeling soft. It’s made with a number of certified organic ingredients, including grapefruit peel oil, kelp extract and green tea extract.
This hair care kit includes a shampoo, conditioner and scalp serum featuring ingredients that help nourish the hair and scalp to help facilitate healthy hair growth, including phytonutrients such as organic pea sprout as well as ginkgo biloba and biotin. Alpha hydroxy acids help exfoliate away follicle-blocking dead skin cells and product build-up to encourage new hair growth, while a Phyto-CP Complex™ featuring grape stem cells helps promote scalp health.
Leonor Greyl research and development director David Thomas Brooks created this formula in 2010 specifically to help detangle thick and frizzy hair. Certified organic mongongo oil and karanja oil help to hydrate hair and provide sun protection while soy proteins help boost shine and keep frizz in check. You can apply it before blow-drying to protect hair from heat damage or even spritz it on before swimming to protect hair from chlorine.
If you prefer to heat style your hair, you’ll want to add a heat protectant to your organic hair care routine. This gel-in-oil formula contains organic camelina oil to help nourish and protect your hair when exposed to heat styling up to 428 degrees Fahrenheit. It also contains plant-based keratin to help hair appear thicker and smoother.
Whether you’re attempting a Hollywood bombshell blowout or a bouncy Barbie-inspired ponytail, this gel-mousse hybrid can help provide the volume and hold you’ll need to achieve a special-occasion hairstyle. It contains organic babassu oil, a signature ingredient in Surface formulas, for soft and touchable hair that never feels crunchy or stiff.
Pack this sun-protection mist in your beach bag for your next vacation to keep your strands and tender scalp protected with SPF 30. This water-resistant sunscreen mist contains 70% certified organic ingredients, including organic glycerin and bergamot fruit oil, and provides sun protection with a blend of chemical sunscreens, including avobenzone, homosalate, octisalate and octocrylene. It has a summery, sea-salted sage scent and a non-greasy texture that works well no matter how you’re styling your hair, from loose, beachy waves to a slicked-back bun.
Are you interested in vegan hair care products? Check out our list of the 7 best vegan products for curly hair and explore the world of hair even more with expert-recommended tips on the LovelySkin Hair Care Blog.
Aaron serves as Editor at LovelySkin. Since graduating from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 2016 with degrees in Creative Writing and English, he has immersed himself in the beauty industry. When he’s not writing about the latest beauty trends, he spends time cuddling his dogs, scouring antique stores, playing tennis and hiking.
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