Herbal Essences: Avoid This Essence of Harsh Chemicals + Neurotoxins
Written by Ajay Chohan, Founder
Herbal Essences Rose Hips Smooth Shampoo - Procter & Gamble
Why Avoid Herbal Essences Shampoo : Harsh chemicals tied to neurotoxicity and allergic reactions compose the majority of ingredients in Herbal Essences. And the red hue of this shampoo actually comes from the synthetic Red 33 colorant - not rose hips!
Harmful Ingredients in Herbal Essences to Avoid: Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Fragrance, Sodium Benzoate, Tetrasodium EDTA, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Red 33, Yellow 5, Blue 1
Where do I start with this “rose hips smooth shampoo”? The marketing text states this shampoo is “formulated with an infused blend of rose hips, vitamin E, and jojoba extracts,” which technically is correct, sure, as the shampoo does contains these three ingredients. But the first five key ingredients in this shampoo — and many more in the rest of the ingredients list — tell a different story. This is primarily a synthetic shampoo with minuscule amounts of natural extracts added for marketing purposes.
Let’s dive right into the specific ingredients of concern in Herbal Essences. At the end I also give my thoughts on what makes a better (+ actually natural) shampoo, along with recommendations.
Herbal Essences is full of harsh chemicals linked to allergic reactions such as skin & eye irritation, blistering of the skin, as well as carcinogens linked to cancer.
After water, the first ingredient (and thus forming the highest percentage after water in this ‘herbal essences’ shampoo) is Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES). SLES is added to shampoos to give it the foam and bubbles, and is a known skin & eye irritant (1). SLES may also be “contaminated with measurable amounts of ethylene oxide and 1,4-dioxane,” which the International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies as human carcinogens (1). The California Environment Protection Agency also says ethylene oxide is a toxicant which may interfere with human development (1). Yikes.
After SLES, the next major ingredient in ‘herbal essences’ shampoo is Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS). A less risky cousin of SLES that nonetheless is a known skin irritant (2), and while safe if only in contact with skin for a short duration, is a completely non-nourishing ingredient. The synthetic detergent Cocamidopropyl Betaine comes right after SLS on the ingredients list, and has been linked with skin & eye irritation as well as blistering in more sensitive skin (3,4). This skin irritant was even named Allergen of the Year in 2004 by the American Contact Dermatitis Society (3).
Herbal Essences shampoo uses synthetic fragrance and neurotoxins as preservatives.
The fragrance in this shampoo could denote any number of over 2000 chemicals used in the cosmetics industry with varying safety records. Cosmetic companies are not required to disclose exactly which chemical compound(s) their fragrance is comprised of, leaving the fun to us. Synthetic fragrances are often responsible for triggering allergic reactions in consumers.
Herbal Essences shampoo also has Methylchloroisothiazolinone and Methylisothiazolinone; preservatives meant to inhibit the growth of bacteria which have been tied to lung toxicity and neurotoxicity (5). For context, methylchloroisothiazolinone also has industrial uses in paper coatings, paints and glue. Yuck. Perhaps this harsh additive is what gives people the illusion of sleek shiny hair after using the Herbal Essences shampoo (or shampoos like Pantene Pro-V for that matter)?
Herbal Essences shampoo contains toxic petroleum based synthetic colors Red 33, Yellow 5 and Blue 1 linked to cancer, asthma and skin irritation.
Lastly we get into the artificial colors. Red 33, which gives this shampoo its red hue, is known to contain up to 8% impurities (6). The contents of these impurities are unknown (6). This additive is misleading because consumers read “rose hips” shampoo and see the roses drawn everywhere, and naturally think it must be the roses that impart the shampoo its color, and not Red 33. Unfortunately though, Red 33 is not the worst of the synthetic colors this Herbal Essences shampoo contains. It also has Yellow 5, which is made from coal tar, a petroleum product (7). In 1985, the American Academy of Pediatrics linked Yellow 5 with "allergies, thyroid tumors, lymphomas (cancer), chromosomal damage, asthma, and urticaria (hives) (8).” Lastly, Blue 1 is also made from coal tar, and has been linked with skin irritation and cancer (7).
Please Note: Here is my article on the best 100% natural shampoos for strong hair sprouting from a healthy scalp.
Also: Here is my complete guide to all the 16 harmful chemicals commonly found across shampoos + a list of the worst shampoo brands to avoid
Herbal Essences has faced lawsuits around its claims of using real botanicals, its payments to and “endorsement” by Royal Botanic Gardens as well as its “wild naturals” product line:
In February 2021 Melissa Dolson brought forward a class action lawsuit against Procter & Gamble’s Herbal Essences Bio:Renew Vanilla Honey & Vitamin B shampoo, claiming that the shampoo engages in misleading marketing. The argument centers around the shampoo claiming to having “real botanicals” as well as an endorsement by “Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, the world’s leading expert on plants.”
The lawsuit argues that botanicals come from plants and thus a reasonable consumer would anticipate the real botanical ingredients in Herbal Essences’ shampoo to similarly be derived from plants. A fairly reasonable assumption, something that we would agree with. As the case text on ClassAction.org further states, the ‘botanicals’ in this shampoo (and other bio:renew shampoos) have undergone “chemical transformations” making these botanicals “substantially distinct from their starting material, which was previously part of a plant.”
The assertion is that consumers would not expect real botanicals to be chemically processed. The lawsuit further states that Procter & Gamble has paid Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and thus there are conflicts of interest. Furthermore, even after Procter & Gamble’s payments to Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew - the organization has only approved of the one plant derived ingredient in the shampoo, and has not even endorsed the overall shampoo! Herbal Essences pasting this stamp on its packaging is certainly misleading.
Let’s do a little herbal analysis on Herbal Essences’ “wild naturals” shampoo.
Similar to the Bio:Renew product line, Herbal Essences has also come under fire for its “wild naturals” shampoo products. In 2018 Tom Takano and Tracy McCarthy brought forward a lawsuit against Procter & Gamble’s "“wild” product line. As this summary on Casetext states, “plaintiffs contend at least nine different Herbal Essences Products labeled "Wild Naturals" contain "synthetic, unnatural, and dangerous ingredients," which in their view renders the "Wild Naturals" label "false, misleading, and designed to deceive consumers into paying a price premium," since the products are not entirely natural. Takano is 100% right in that these “wild naturals” shampoos actually contain synthetic, unnatural and unnourishing ingredients.
Literally the first ingredient in these “wild naturals” shampoos is Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES), which as we have covered above is a skin & eye irritant, as well as a possible cancer causing carcinogen. You can zoom in on the fifth picture of this Amazon listing here to look at the ingredients. Right after SLES is the synthetic detergent Cocamidopropyl Betaine, a known skin irritant.
Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate and Cocamidopropyl Betaine are thus the first three ingredients on these “wild naturals” shampoos, thus forming the majority of the concoction! The extract from Cassia, which is promoted on the front and back of the packaging, is actually the 10th ingredient! Indeed, very tiny amount of “herbal essences” in this “wildly natural” shampoo. Luckily for consumers, Herbal Essences no longer seems to be actively marketing its “wild naturals” line after the scandal.
Herbal Essences is bad for our hair and overall health.
Any nourishing effects of the minuscule amounts of jojoba oil and rose extracts in the shampoo pictured above are likely lost amongst all the toxins and preservatives. This is a familiar trend for Herbal Essences — whether it is their Bio:Renew, wild naturals or other product lines. A concoction largely made of synthetic & toxic detergents and additives is marketed to make it seem like a natural and herbal product. What a disappointment for this “mindfully created” shampoo. We recommend you throw away your Herbal Essences bottle and find a milder, actually natural alternative.
What makes a better shampoo?
Wholesome and actually natural shampoos are safe yet effective. Such shampoos gently cleanse our scalp and hair, as well as nourish with ingredients that are whole + alive. Meaning — the ingredients are extracts from a whole herb, leaf, flower etc. from living breathing plants — not dead chemical compounds from a lab. Such shampoos are naturally rich in vitamins, antioxidants and have anti-inflammatory properties — giving us vibrant hair sprouting from a healthy scalp. My article here further goes over the attributes of such shampoos. I also give my best natural shampoo recommendations here.
And that’s a wrap. Have you used Herbal Essences? Do share your thoughts below.
Sources - Research for Yourself!
1. https://davidsuzuki.org/queen-of-green/dirty-dozen-sodium-laureth-sulfate/
2. https://medicine.uq.edu.au/article/2019/12/what-sodium-lauryl-sulfate-and-it-safe-use
3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18627690/
4. https://rollingreens.com/blogs/news/the-truth-about-what-s-in-your-beauty-products
5. https://www.forceofnatureclean.com/chemical-free-living-methylisothiazolinone/
6. https://ec.europa.eu/health/ph_risk/committees/04_sccp/docs/sccp_o_120.pdf
7. https://lesstoxicguide.ca/index.asp?fetch=personal
8. https://theorganicdiabetic.org/2014/12/the-dangers-of-yellow-5-dye/