Best Hair Spray

You put a lot of stuff in your hair—shampoo, conditioner, gel, and maybe some added color. The good news is that hair care products are made mostly of water, about which we have nothing bad to say. The bad news is that the chemical ingredients that actually do the work—chemical detergents, dyes, fragrances, and conditioners—aren’t always safe for you or good for the environment. Dyes and colors often come with ingredient lists that are 60 or 70 chemicals long and can include toxics like P-Phenylenediamine, resorcinol, eugenol, and ethanolamine. (more)

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Highest-Rated Hair Spray

Aubrey Organics Natural Mist Herbal Hairspray, Regular Hold
Aubrey Organics Natural Mist Herbal Hairspray, Regul...
  • $9.98
  • User Rating:
    Star_full_small Star_full_small Star_full_small Star_full_small Star_full_small
8.3
Lavera Volume and Shine Hair Spray
Lavera Volume and Shine Hair Spray
  • $16.00
7.8
Alba Medium Hold Hair Spray
Alba Medium Hold Hair Spray
  • $8.95
7.7
Condition 3 In 1 Hair Spray With Sunscreen, Maximum Hold
Condition 3 In 1 Hair Spray With Sunscreen, Maximum ...
  • $3.74
7.6
Dove Hairspray, Flexible Hold
Dove Hairspray, Flexible Hold
  • $4.99
  • User Rating:
    Star_full_small Star_full_small Star_full_small Star_full_small Star_full_small
7.1
Suave Hairspray Non-Aerosol Extra Hold
Suave Hairspray Non-Aerosol Extra Hold
  • $4.99
7.1
ThermaSilk Heat Activated Firm Hold Hairspray, Non-Aerosol
ThermaSilk Heat Activated Firm Hold Hairspray, Non-A...
7.1
Salon Selectives Sit Still Medium Hold Finishing Spray
Salon Selectives Sit Still Medium Hold Finishing Spray
  • $3.95
7.1
Garnier Fructis Body & Volume Root Lifting Treatment Spray
Garnier Fructis Body & Volume Root Lifting Treatment...
  • $7.24
6.9
Loreal Paris EverPure UV Protect Spray
Loreal Paris EverPure UV Protect Spray
6.9
Optimum Care Soft Holding Spritz With Panthenol
Optimum Care Soft Holding Spritz With Panthenol
6.9
Dark & Lovely Moisture Seal Leave-In Styling Mist
Dark & Lovely Moisture Seal Leave-In Styling Mist
  • $3.88
6.9
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You can also find DMDM hydantoin, a form of formaldehyde that's a potential skin irritant and immune system toxicant.

A few shampoos and some conditioners use cleaners such as sodium laureth sulfate or octoxynol-40 that, depending on the way they are made, can introduce contamination into the product, with the impurities taking the form of irritant, carcinogenic chemicals like ethylene oxide and 1,4-dioxane. Sodium lauryl sulfate, a close relative of sodium laureth sulfate, is a strong skin irritant, and there is considerable controversy over its other potential health effects.

That’s not all: Most shampoos and conditioners incorporate a combination of chemicals labeled only as the ingredient “fragrance”. The exact mixture is considered a trade secret, so companies don’t have to say what’s in their fragrances. But, fragrances can often be allergy concerns or contain toxic chemicals like phthalates.

Common cleaning and foaming agents in shampoos are ammonium lauryl sulfate and ammonium laureth sulfate, which are eco-toxic ingredients. In shampoos, ammonium derivatives are the most energy-intensive ingredients to make, and since the manufacturing of ingredients has the greatest environmental impact (about 60 percent of the overall impact, compared to only about 15 percent in making the plastic bottle), it’s more environmentally friendly to look for shampoos without ammonium ingredients.

You can use GoodGuide hair care ratings to find safe, healthy products without toxic ingredients, or browse our reviews for products with high health and environment ratings. You can also look through our social data for no-animal-testing seals of approval from PETA and Leaping Bunny.

Highest-Rated hair spray, buy green hair spray, buy safe hair spray

Highest-Rated Hair Spray | Reviews and Ingredients

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This page includes products for which GoodGuide has health, environmental, and social data. You can also view all hair spray, including those with limited data.
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