"Natural" isn't a synonym for safer

Botanical ingredients sit at the heart of what we do, so this post might surprise you: the words "natural" and "safe" are not interchangeable, and pretending otherwise can hurt your hair and your scalp. We describe our formulas as natural-first rather than "100% natural" on purpose. Here is why.

What "natural" means on a label

Legally, in the United States, nothing. The FDA states plainly that the term "organic" is not defined in the laws it enforces for cosmetics, and "natural" has no regulatory definition for cosmetics either. A brand can put "natural" on a shampoo that is 95 percent water and synthetic surfactant with a drop of chamomile, and nobody is breaking a labelling rule. The only check is the general ban on claims that are false or misleading, which is enforced after the fact and rarely.

So the word tells you about the brand's positioning. What tells you about the product is the ingredient list, which is regulated: every ingredient, by its INCI name, in descending order of concentration. That list is where this post is going to spend its time.

The naturalistic fallacy

Poison ivy is natural. Lead is natural. Ricin is natural. Plenty of synthetic compounds are gentler, more stable and better characterised than their botanical equivalents, and plenty of botanicals are irritants at cosmetic doses. The interesting question is never whether an ingredient is natural. It is whether the specific molecule, at the specific concentration, in the specific formulation, is right for your specific hair and scalp.

The clearest example is fragrance. Essential oils are entirely botanical and are also the single most common cause of cosmetic contact allergy. Limonene (citrus), linalool (lavender), geraniol, citral and eugenol are all natural constituents of plant oils, and all are recognised contact allergens; limonene and linalool become more allergenic as they oxidise in an opened bottle. The EU takes this seriously enough that a 2023 regulation expanded the list of fragrance allergens that must be named individually on the label from 26 to more than 80, including natural extracts, at concentrations as low as 0.001 percent in leave-on products. A lavender-scented "all natural" leave-in can cause a reaction that an unscented product with a synthetic preservative never would.

Where botanicals genuinely win

None of this is an argument against plants. For a lot of what hair needs, the botanical option is the best one:

• Plant oils and butters. Argan, jojoba, shea and coconut each do a specific, well-understood job on the cuticle, from adding slip and shine to sealing water in. Coconut oil in particular has published evidence for reducing protein loss during washing. See our ingredients guide for what each one does and who it suits.
• Hydrolysed plant proteins. Quinoa, rice and wheat proteins, broken into small peptides, fill gaps in a damaged cuticle and reduce breakage for a few washes.
• Mucilages and juices. Flaxseed gel and aloe juice give curl definition and lightweight moisture with nothing heavier than a polysaccharide.
• Botanical extracts bring antioxidants and phenolics that help protect lipids and colour from oxidation.

Where synthetics earn their place

• Preservatives. Anything with water in it, which includes aloe juice, flaxseed gel and nearly every leave-in, grows bacteria and mould within days unless it is preserved. The alternative to a preservative is not a "cleaner" product; it is a contaminated one. We use phenoxyethanol, which the European Commission's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety reviewed in 2016 and found safe for all consumers, including children, at the EU maximum of 1 percent. We use less than that, and we name it on every label.
• Surfactants. A mild, sulfate-free cleanser such as decyl or lauryl glucoside is made from plant sugar and plant fatty alcohol, joined in a reactor. The feedstock is botanical; the molecule is not found in nature. "Plant-derived" is the honest word, and it is the word we use.
• Conditioning actives. Panthenol (pro-vitamin B5) is one of the most effective humectants for hair and is made by synthesis; there is no practical botanical source. Reviews of hair cosmetics consistently list it among the ingredients with the best evidence for improving flexibility and reducing breakage.
• Stabilisers. Tocopherol (vitamin E) slows the oxidation of the very plant oils we like. Without it, a bottle of rosehip oil goes rancid on the shelf.

How we choose

Every ingredient we offer has to earn its place on three questions. Does the evidence, in peer-reviewed reviews or regulator opinions, say it does the job? Is it safe for the typical user at the dose we use it, and are any allergens declared? Can we trace where it came from? Where a botanical meets that bar, we pick it, which is most of the time. Where a synthetic outperforms, stabilises or preserves the formula, we pick it and explain why on the label and in the app. That is what natural-first means: botanicals by default, not botanicals as a slogan.

How to read an ingredient list

1. Ignore the front of the bottle. "Natural", "clean" and "chemical-free" are marketing. Everything, including water, is a chemical.
2. Look at the first five ingredients. They make up most of the product. Water, a surfactant and a conditioning agent are normal; a botanical listed fifteenth is a garnish.
3. Find the preservative and be glad it is there. Phenoxyethanol, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate and benzyl alcohol are the common ones. A water-based product with none of them should worry you more than one with them.
4. Check the allergen names if you react to fragrance. Limonene, linalool, citral, geraniol, eugenol and the rest are listed separately when present. If you see them and you have reactive skin, choose unscented. Ours is always available.
5. Match ingredients to your hair, not to a trend. Porosity and texture decide whether shea butter is a gift or a greasy film. Our porosity guide explains how to tell.

Every formula we ship has the full INCI ingredient list on the label, in the app and in your order email. If we ever cannot explain why an ingredient is in your bottle, we should not be using it.

Educational only, not medical advice.