About Adam Hurly
Adam Hurly is a legend in grooming, a 10 year veteran editor and writer for magazines like GQ, Men's Journal, Forbes, and more.
A very important note about Adam as it relates to this article, is that he is not a loyalist to any one type of product; he recognizes benefits of synthetic products as well as natural, and that’s precisely why we wanted his take on why you should consider switching to natural hair products.
When we reached out to Adam about writing this article, he said, “Hair care is one area where I particularly love to use natural ingredients, because things like oils, extracts, and butters are extremely conditioning for the strands and scalp alike.”
Written by Adam Hurly, these are the five reasons he says you should consider the switch to natural hair products:
1. There are fewer questions when it comes to ingredients
Understanding cosmetic ingredient labels is impossible for 99.9% of consumers. And half the time, when you google some of those questionable synthetic ingredients, your jaw will drop when you learn about potential side effects or scary case studies, even if such things are rare.
While many reputable brands use synthetic ingredients smartly and safely, it's not something you can inherently trust. Natural ingredient lists are a lot easier to make sense of, and the purpose of each ingredient is much clearer, too. Even if it's an unfamiliar stabilizing ingredient like xanthan gum or cellulose, it's reassuring to know it's sourced from mother nature.
But remember, natural-only formulas aren't inherently safe, either. Don't go buying the first brand you see on etsy, because it takes a lot of practice and know-how to formulate safe products. Especially with things like essential oils; it's really easy to overdo it, so make sure you're also buying natural products from reputable brands, like Church California.
2. The worst offenders are off the table, too
To the same tune, you can rest assured that the worst ingredients in grooming products—potential hormone disruptors like parabens, or hair-damaging sulfates—are completely out of the picture. These are the things that every dermatologist, trichologist, barber, and stylist will tell you to avoid, so by choosing a natural product you basically ensure as much. The same goes for artificial fragrances and perfumes; natural ingredients will only use natural scents, so anyone with skin sensitivities can avoid contact dermatitis from that, too.
3. Natural ingredients are conditioning for the hair and scalp
Natural ingredients like olive oil and cocoa butter are extremely nourishing for your hair and scalp alike, and can prevent everything from split ends to breakage, and from frizz to dandruff. Choosing a shampoo and conditioner that uses these ingredients as their base, for example, ensures that your hair care regimen maximizes moisture and minimizes bad hair days.
4. Natural products suit your ethos
The majority of brands making natural products also do so with some kind of ethos. Most do so to ensure healthier, safer products for human use—that's a baseline. But others will ensure that their products are cruelty free, or vegan, or plastic-negative, or fully organic, or even sourced locally. It's hard to check all of these boxes, but brands who lead with 100% natural formulas are the ones promoting industry-wide change (which hopefully crosses over to other industries too). So you can feel good about getting behind them. Chances are their aim isn't purely for profit, but to benefit humans and the earth we inhabit.
5. Naturals support a minimalist approach to hair care
Since many natural products have naturally nourishing ingredients, it could save you money in the big picture. For example, if your hair product also conditions as it locks in your style for the day—and if your shampoo also has nourishing properties—then there is little in your regimen that is detracting from your hair's health.
While I'd still urge you to use a conditioner (particularly after shampooing), there's a good chance you won't need things like hair masks, scalp masks, dandruff shampoos, and the likes. A good natural shampoo and conditioner will also help with beard cleansing and moisturizing, too. So you can save on beard products as well! Many natural products will also be suitable for facial use in addition to body use and/or head hair use. If you want a minimalist regimen, then a natural one is usually the approach to take.
In Summary: You should choose natural hair products, because:
- The ingredients are straight forward.
- No risk of major offenders that could harm your health and well-being.
- They're better for your hair and scalp.
- By supporting companies that make natural products, you're voting for more transparency in product manufacturing at large.
- They support a more minimalist lifestyle, and could even save you money in the long run.
