What Ingredients Should I Avoid for Fine Hair?

If you have fine hair, you know that it demands special care and attention. So, if you want to take adequate care of your wispy strands, you’ve got to become educated on what your hair needs as well as what it doesn’t need. In addition to that, you should know what ingredients you should avoid if you want your hair to thrive. Luckily, you’ve found this article. In it, we’ll introduce you to several ingredients you should avoid at all costs. 
 

Sulfates

Sulfate-containing shampoos have been around for decades, and they are incredibly drying to the hair. So, it’s been widely recommended by hair experts to avoid these shampoo types as much as you can.
 
Though this applies to all hair types, it applies especially to those with fine hair. Being that fine strands are more prone to breakage than coarser hair types, it’s imperative to ensure that you’re being as nice to your strands as possible, and that means staying away from cleansers that can do your strands harm. In lieu of sulfate shampoos, opt for sulfate-free shampoos that can cleanse your hair without robbing it of all moisture. 
 

Castor Oil

Castor oil is a nutrient-dense oil that people with coarse hair absolutely love. The oil can do wonders for those who suffer from chronic hair dryness and crunchiness, but it can be too much for fine strands. It’s just too heavy. Even if you use just a little bit of castor oil on your hair, you can easily end up with dull, lifeless hair that has zero movement or personality. Lighter weight oils like argan oil and jojoba oil are a much better match for fine strands. 
 

Sodium Chloride 

Sodium chloride is another term for salt. Though you can use salt to bring out the best in your food, it should come nowhere near your fine hair. The problem with salt is that it can dry your hair out to the point that it becomes crunchy and breaks off. This is a no-no for most hair types, but especially for fine hair, which is prone to breakage.
 

Mineral Oil

Mineral oil is often used in styling products formulated to make the hair slicker. Though mineral oil can make your hair slick and reflective, it can easily suffocate your strands by making them unable to take in moisture. What’s more is that once mineral oil buildup sets in, it can be very difficult to wash away. You’ll have to use a super strong clarifying shampoo to cut through it. And that can be hard on your fine strands. So, it’s best to avoid products with mineral oil as often as you possibly can. 
 

Alcohols

Alcohols are also very harsh on fine hair. They’re in a lot of your favorite product types, like hair sprays and gels and are used to help products dry quickly after you apply them. But they can also make your hair drier than the Sahara. Since your fine strands are already fragile, you don’ want to make them more vulnerable by subjecting them to dryness from alcohols. 
 
It’s important to stress that not all alcohols are bad for the hair. There are fatty alcohols and then there are drying alcohols. Fatty alcohols are moisturizing and smoothing to the hair. Drying alcohols repel moisture and zap the hair’s moisture. Some of the most commonly used drying alcohols include denat. alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, and ethyl alcohol. 
 
So, there you have it - 5 of the most important ingredients to avoid if you have fine hair. We hope you found this article to be helpful and that you found all the information you were looking for. Good luck with your fine hair! 
 
 
Author: Andrea Reyes

Andrea is a mother, wife, writer, and natural hair enthusiast of 15 years. Currently on her natural hair journey, she’s been trying countless products and techniques to understand and embrace her natural hair. She is the creator of NaturallyTextured.com, a new website featuring informative articles that share tips, tricks, and techniques aimed to help others learn to love their hair through proper hair care. She writes with the hope of making hair care easier to understand and implement.