21 Facts You Did Not Know About Your Hair Care Products

1. Washing every day makes your scalp produce more oil, not less. The body makes up for the removal of oil by rushing to replace it, so you may feel greasy only a few hours later.

2. Many hair cleansers are too harsh. That squeaky clean, fluffy feeling is the feeling of hair that's been stripped of all its natural protections. It's a lot more fragile than you think.

3. Regulations on hair care products and cosmetics aren't very stringent at all, allowing many poorly tested and unsafe substances to be used and outrageous claims to be made.

4. The same detergent in most shampoos - sodium lauryl sulfate - is also what takes grime off your dishes and is even an industrial degreaser.

5. Most products that claim to smooth or mend hair contain silicone derivatives, which coat your hair in a layer of silicone, rather than actually repairing it.

6. Silicones cannot keep your hair from being damaged by heat, though some products may appear to mitigate the damage.

7. Most gels and products that promise to hold your hair in place contain alcohol, which dries hair out further.

8. Deep conditioners are an excellent choice for people who wash regularly and use alcohol containing products, but may contain ingredients that aren't good for some people's hair, like mineral oil and silicones.

9. Propylene glycol is an emulsifying agent in many products, but it can actually speed up skin aging and cause contact dermatitis.

10. Parabens, used as a preservative in many products, are blamed for skin problems and irritation in some people.

11. What you think is dandruff may actually be caused by overzealous shampooing - dry skin and irritation can look like dandruff, but don't have the same causes.

12. Natural oils are often an excellent choice for moisturizing. There are products on the market that do their job using jojoba oil, coconut oil, olive oil and similar ingredients.

13. However, what looks natural isn't always. Many products advertise an ingredient on their packaging that is present in only tiny amounts.

14. Hair care products can cause or worsen acne by blocking pores. Look for products with noncomedogenic or nonacnegenic labeling if you think you have this problem.

15. Changing shampoos regularly doesn't help your hair, unless you're using a product that leaves deposits on your hair, like a silicone containing conditioner or a restoring serum.

16. Volumizing products mostly work by coating your hair in plastic derivatives, and may leave it looking dull on the inexpensive end of the spectrum.

17. You can't fix split ends - the only cure is prevention or removal. Products that say they repair your ends only make it look like they do.

18. Bleaching damages hair, and will cause breakage and dryness. Bleach every six weeks or less often.

19. All permanent hair dyes contain bleach, including blonde dyes, red, and even black!

20. Many hair care products are the same underneath. Read the backs of the bottle for cheap and expensive brands and you'll discover that many use the same ingredients in similar concentrations.

21. Labels often lie, or at least mislead. Pay attention to what's in the bottle and what you know it does, not what it's advertised to do.