Conditioners with denatured alcohol in them!? (e.g. Aubrey Organics)

[YankeeCandle]

If so, what are your results and why do you not get scared of the drying effects of this ingredient (which to my knowledge is alcohol in the medicine cabinet, not fatty/lotion, sense)?

Here's the ingredient list of Aubrey Organics Island Natural Conditioner:

INGREDIENTS INCI: Cetyl alcohol, alcohol denat. (38b, lavender*), triticum vulgare (wheat) germ oil, prunus amygdalus dulcis (almond) oil, glycerin, aloe barbadensis (aloe) leaf juice*, pimenta acris (bay) leaf oil, pimenta dioica fruit extract, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf oil*, citrus grandis (grapefruit) seed extract, jojoba esters (jojoba butter), butyrospermum parkii (shea butter)*, cocos nucifera (coconut) fruit juice*, salvia officinalis (sage) oil*, foeniculum vulgare (fennel) fruit extract, humulus lupulus (hops) extract, melissa officinalis (balm mint) leaf extract, viscum album (mistletoe) fruit extract, chamomilla recutita (matricaria-German camomile) extract, tocopheryl acetate, hamamelis virginiana (witch hazel) water, ascorbic acid, achillea millefolium (yarrow) extract, equisetum hyemale (horsetail) extract, tussilago farfara (coltsfoot) leaf extract, glycine soja (soybean) oil, daucus carota sativa (carrot) root extract, beta-carotene.
*Organic


Someone recommended this line to me as a DC as I am struggling from suspected protein overload and need lower-protein conditioners.

The store was out of all the other conditioners except for this one and the protein balance one, so, despite my concern over the almond protein and its having denatured alcohol listed as the SECOND ingredient (dang), I bought it.

I tried DC'ing it with heat on half of my head (with Neutrogena Triple Moisture mask on the other half), and the AO results while wet were suspiciously detangled, shiny, and easier to comb than usual. Surely this cannot be a result of the alcohol? Someone had even suggested using this one as a leave-in but I'd be wary of doing that because of the large amount of alcohol.

Why is this brand and product so highly recommended if they use denatured alcohol in such high proportions?

Do you think this ingredient is too drying to use repeatedly in a conditioner that is supposed to be deep conditioning no less--if not, why?

Note: I'm disregarding the whole debate over Aubrey Organics' labeling practices. I'm interested only in the ingredient mentioned above. Most old threads I searched did not specifically address the issue of long term effects of alcohol denat. in conditioners.

 

[Mrs. Verde]

I use AO HSR as a DC at least twice a week. I mix the HSR with rice bran oil. I do not find it drying at all. Just the opposite my hair is very moisturized.

 

[nymane]

I created a very similar thread a little while back:

http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=391570&highlight=

AO HSR is one of my staples; I've been using it for a while now and it has always left my hair extremely moisturized. hth

 

[YankeeCandle]

^^OH, this is a wonderful thread nymane! It didn't come up in thei first 9 or 10 pages of of archived threads I searched (I couldn't read any further).

Let me read it now and then post any further questions!

 

[YankeeCandle]

so, it seems from nymane's thread that this line does indeed use drying alcohols in some of its products (definitely Island Naturals).

Can anyone who has used a conditioner (any brand) with denatured alcohol weigh in on its effects on your hair after several uses?

I want to keep using this because the results were so positive and dramatic, but...it seems INSANE to willingly pile denatured alcohol on my hair!

 

[nymane]

bumping for you...but I say if your hair responded so well to AO...Stick with it! Listen to your hair

 

[alexstin]

AO Jojoba aloe conditioner is the absolute best conditioner I have ever tried. Moisture for days. Whatever's in it is doing great things for my hair. I use it 1x/wk and no problems whatsoever.

 

[chasturner84]

so, it seems from nymane's thread that this line does indeed use drying alcohols in some of its products (definitely Island Naturals).

Can anyone who has used a conditioner (any brand) with denatured alcohol weigh in on its effects on your hair after several uses?

I want to keep using this because the results were so positive and dramatic, but...it seems INSANE to willingly pile denatured alcohol on my hair!

I have been using this condish for about 8 months and I it. I have not had any type of drying effects to date. I have no idea why it is so highly recommended due to the alcohol content BUT it is a dream to detangle my hair after using Island Naturals. When I'm stretching, I even use a dime size amount as a leave-in on dry hair and my hair is soooo soft!. I have my shelves stocked with this condish.

 

[Neith]

HSR and most others don't have bad alcohols in them.

Denatured alchol is only listed as an ingredient on the Island naturals and a few others...

I do not believe that denatured alcohol is a component of the "coconut fatty acid base" either.

I've never used Island naturals because of the ingredients, so I wouldn't know how it behaves in my hair.

Try HSR or White Camelia if Island naturals doesn't work out

 

[Tene]

That's the main reason I switched from Island Naturals to Honeysuckle Rose after they changed the ingredients in it and put alcohol denat in it. Everything I've read on alcohol denat says it's not good and very drying to the hair so I quit using it. Also I found a thread on long hair community where they were saying that Aubrey Organics was using it in all of their stuff and they just weren't putting it on the labels. I'm not sure if that is true or not though.


Here is what was said about Aubrey on long hair community


March 17th, 2008, 05:02 PM
I think all AO conditioners contain denatured alcohol. It just doesn't show up in the ingredients list because AO often doesn't list the ingredients by international standards (i.e., INCI listing).

However, I saw the full INCI listing for a few products (the new Chamomile conditioners and the Rosa Mosqueta), and denatured alcohol was the fourth ingredient in the list. The first four ingredients of every conditioner read like this: water, cetyl alcohol, aloe barbadensis (aloe) leaf juice, alcohol denat. I think that in the uncomplete AO listing, the denatured alcohol might likely hides behind the term "coconut fatty acid base" or so. Thus I conclude that the AO HR most likely will also contain it.

I had a negative reaction to the HR, meaning that every time I let it sit for longer on the hair (like, for a DT), it left my hair strangely rough and straw-like. I think the denatured alcohol must have been doing this (I've had similar experiences with German organic conditioners which contained a lot more drying alcohol); the longer the exposure time, the worse. Sad, because I loved the smell and consistency of this one a lot and would have loved to be able to use it :inlove: . Oh well, the search for the HG goes on .

 

[sharifeh]

hmm that's weird, I've heard such good things about island naturals, I've always wanted to try it...I still do, one day
If it concerns you so much, switch to hsr or wc like others have suggested

 

[southerncitygirl]

i love AO poo and condish I switch btw white cam, hsr, and island nat. I pre-poo with heat instead of deep condish and I've never had any issues..find these products to be uber-moisturizing for my hair.

 

[YankeeCandle]

Thanks, everyone, for your replies and testimonials about using conditioners with denatured alcohol in them.

The Island Naturals was a vacation buy I left with my family and when I got back home, I bought the Rosa Mosqueta because it did not seem to have a lot of protein. It does not have the telltale alcohol-y smell and texture that the Island Naturals did, but I acknowledge the educated guesses of the other posters who believe the "coconut fatty acid base" probably still contains the "bad" alcohols.

I DC'd with it (ran a hairdryer over the conditioning cap for heat), added more for a co-wash/detangle, and then used it as a leave-in. My hair is airdrying now.

I will use up this bottle of the Rosa Mosqueta (despite its, for me, wretch-inducing smell evocative of crushed vitamins and carrots) and see whether it has the same stripping effect it had on some here, or whether my hair responds well to it. If the former, I might just have to swear off the whole AO line and any other conditioner that *might* contain this type of alcohol...even if the label doesn't explicitly say so.

 

[sharifeh]

how is your hair feeling yankeecandle?
did the rosa mosqueta give you a lot of slip?

 

[YankeeCandle]

how is your hair feeling yankeecandle?
did the rosa mosqueta give you a lot of slip?

Thanks for asking, sweetie.

I am still experiencing a lot of breakage (suspected from protein overload over the past few months).

The hair is feeling okay with this Rosa M as a leave in. It's hard to judge accurately because I did not do my usual wash-and-go (which is the measure by which I judge my hair status, texture, etc) and simply clipped it up till most of the water dripped out and then put the still-dampish hair (the next day) into a bun under a wig.

Anyway, it seems to have done a serviceable job as a leave-in (no crunchiness, greasiness, waxiness/grayness, etc). It is a pleasant texture to work with--creamy yet loose and moist enough to work easily into hair.

As a detangler/co-wash after DC'ing, no, it did NOT have the same amount of dramatic slip and detangling potential as the Island Naturals did...which is why I wonder whether it was the high amount of denatured alcohol in the IN that made its texture so slippy.

But the smell is really doing a number on my senses. It makes me feel slightly sick. I would never describe this as "herbal"--I love non-sweet, plant 'n' stem-like herbal scents, and this is not one of them in my book. Did you ever smell iron pills or crushed up vitamins? And mixed with my scent-nemesis carrot? Bleh.

 

[sharifeh]

I'm sorry about the breakage! I feel ya!
Are you going to continue using it?

 

[sharifeh]

any updates yc?

 

[Curlykale]

Here in the uk the denat. alcohol is clearly listed and the only 2 AO conditioners that have it are: Blue Chamomile and Island naturals.
In the AO ingredient dictionary somewhere and in some other forums where people wrote to the company, it is also stated that the coconut fatty acid cream base is cetyl alcohol (= fatty alcohol derived from coconut and palm= good for hair). Hope it helps.

I have only tried the ones without it, so I don't know how it works for this brand (seeing as it has something to do with lavender, maybe it's different from the synthetic one?) but I do usually avoid this ingredient.

 

[DiamondDivyne]

Hey ladies. Anyone still using any of these conditioners. I just received my order (Island Naturals and GPB: Rosemary Peppermint) and they both contain alcohol denat. I currently use HSR and the regular GPB. I wanted to switch and play around with different AO conditioners. I'm concerned about the alcohol denat.

Any more recent experiences with either of these conditioners?

Thanx in advance.

 

[Priss Pot]

I've been wondering the same thing about AO conditioners. I'm thinking that the reason why most people don't feel any drying effects from the conditioners is because the alcohol has evaporated?

I've read about people putting alcohol in body lotions/creams/butters to make it less greasy, so maybe that's what AO did? I dunno, just a thought.

 

[Aviah]

I've been wondering the same thing about AO conditioners. I'm thinking that the reason why most people don't feel any drying effects from the conditioners is because the alcohol has evaporated?

I've read about people putting alcohol in body lotions/creams/butters to make it less greasy, so maybe that's what AO did? I dunno, just a thought.

I hope so. Why you would put denatured alcohol into something that is supposed to be *moisturizing* for your hair is beyond me...

 

[Angelicus]

I use GPB daily with no ill effect. In fact... dare I say, when I used this product as my only deep conditioner, my hair grew tremendously!

 

[aa9746]

i checked my ao conditioners and didn't see any alcohol. ao conditioners are my staples and so far i haven't experienced any drying effects.