Choosing a shampoo or conditioner is a seemingly simple decision which the average consumer spends approximately ten seconds contemplating at the grocery store. Price and smell are the two most common factors consumers take into consideration when purchasing these products, while the ingredients are usually overlooked. Most consumers are unaware of the fact that their grocery store brand shampoos have potentially negative long-term effects. We actually recommend throwing away your grocery store brand shampoo. Here are our top five reasons.

#5) Cancer – Yes, your grocery store brand shampoo likely contains cancer-causing agents. Chemicals such as acetone, benzaldehyde, benzyl acetate, benzyl alcohol, camphor, ethanol, ethyl acetate, limonene, linalool, methylene chloride, apinene, gterpinene, and a-terpineol are found in scented products and have been linked to cancer. Take a look at the ingredients on your shampoo or conditioner bottle to see if it contains any of these harmful chemicals.

#4) Damage to Nervous System – Researchers at the National Institute of Health have found a correlation between an ingredient found in shampoos and a chemical ingredient called methylisothiazoline, or MIT which causes nervous system damage. MIT causes damage by preventing communication between neurons, which slows the networking of neurons. During their research, scientists discovered that Head and Shoulders, Suave, Clairol and Pantene Hair Conditioner all contain this ingredient.

#3) Potentially Harmful to a Fetus – In a Mount Sinai School of Medicine study, mothers who were exposed to high levels of phthalates from personal care products were more likely to have children with behavioral problems. More studies have linked a mother’s exposure to these chemicals to deformed genitalia in male babies. Perhaps the most startline of all is a recent study which examined umbilical cord blood samples from the American Red Cross and found an average of 287 chemicals pollutants in the newborn infants’ blood streams. A significant amount of these toxins come from personal care products, cosmetics and hair products such as shampoo and conditioner!

#2) Creates Hormone Imbalance – Yes, your shampoo may be responsible for a hormonal imbalance in your body. Endocrine disrupting substances (EDS) such as triclocarban are widely used in shampoos and conditioners and can create a hormone imbalance within the body. A recent study by Rebecca Sutton, took blood and urine samples from 20 teenage girls and found an average of 13 hormone altering cosmetic chemicals.

#1) Hazardous Chemicals, as Determined by OSHA – The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has given strict handling procedures for chemicals such as Propylene Glycol and Sodium Lauryl Sulfate; these chemicals are common ingredients in your grocery store brand shampoo! According to OSHA, when handling Propylene Glycol (which is frequently used anti-freeze!) in chemical laboratories workers are required to wear splash goggles, a laboratory coat, a vapor respirator, gloves and an approved/certified respirator. Companies are fined thousands of dollars if their employees do not wear this protective gear, and yet companies are allowed to use this chemical as the primary ingredient in your shampoos and conditioners.