Petrolatum, Sulfate, Silicone and Mineral Oil

Ok...... I have read Countless blogs, watched Youtube vids, and read many product reviews on why using petrolatum, sulfate, mineral oil and silicone are all bad for your hair. But I would have to disagree. I used silicone (cones) in my hair all the time and it doesn't seem to bother my hair at all. Same for petrolatum, sulfate and mineral oil. I see many women who read blogs and forums and watch youtube videos all on the damage that these products cause to THOSE WOMENS hair, and many take that and run with it. I was one of those impressionable women who thought that "oh if she says its bad then it must be bad!" and I would avoid all products with those ingredients in it, not knowing if those products could work for my hair.

Mineral Oil

Mineral oil acts as a barrier to moisture. So it holds in all the moisture your hair has, but at the same time it blocks out moisture from coming into contact with your hair, so whatever moisture you DO have will stay in your hair and not escape... which is good, but that's all the moisture your hair will have, until you wash it out. It can help prevent breakage and frizz, and help to keep your curls. Read LexiWithTheCurls article on mineral oil.

Petrolatum

Here is an excerpt from ehow.com on petrolatum:

Petroleum is an excellent lubricant and sealant for moisture within the hair shaft. It adds immediate softness and shine to the hair. When applied to hair strands, petroleum forms an impenetrable barrier that traps moisture in the hair. It is excellent at keeping moisture inside of porous, dry hair that would otherwise not be able to retain much moisture on its own. Petroleum forms such a strong barrier to water and other hair products that it is often applied directly to the scalp to protect and prepare clients for the use of harsh, lye-based chemical relaxers on the hair.

The Bad
Petroleum works against effective hair growth in two ways. First, when applied to the scalp, petroleum-based products can clog the hair follicles. This clogging can lead to scalp problems like dandruff or sluggish hair growth over time. The scalp's natural oil, or sebum, also has follicle clogging potential, but petroleum exacerbates the problem. Most people apply petroleum to combat scalp dryness and flaking, but flaking and dryness result because there is a lack of moisture reaching the scalp. Deep conditioning products, not petroleum-based greases, are a better remedy for this problem. (I deep condition sometimes)
Second, the barrier petroleum creates upon the hair shaft keeps additional, needed moisture from entering the shaft. Petroleum-based products will cause the hair to shine, but will not allow the hair to be effectively moisturized ( if this happens to you then you should pre-poo often and dont use too much petroleum based products,also use a clarifying shampoo, its the best at removing petroleum.) Many people mistake the artificial shine petroleum imparts for healthy moisture. As users add more and more petroleum-based grease or pomade to the hair for "moisturization," the drier the hair will begin to feel. True moisture--water--simply cannot get into the shaft when layers of petroleum based products have built up on the strands. Because they repel moisture, overuse of petroleum-based products can lead to dryness and breakage which stunts hair growth

Silicone


Silicone helps to detangle, add shine, and tame frizzy hair Silicone  protects hair  from heat at temperatures exceeding 400°F. It has the ability to form a watertight seal around the hair shaft, resistance to sunlight, and flexibility. When applied to the hair, silicone wraps around the hair shaft preventing what’s inside from going out and what’s outside from going in (kinda like mineral oil huh?)Silicone molecules are too large to be absorbed into the hair shaft, so they act as a protective coating.  For this reason, silicone hair products are great for retaining moisture in hair and for making hair resistant to outside influences such as heat and UV sun rays.

I don't get that "build up" that many naturals, like my sister say they get when using silicone. I find that it works just fine in my hair. 

Silicone Hair Products Guide

Sulfate

Sodium Laureth Sulphate , Sodium Lauryl Sulphate, Ammonium Lareth Sulphate and Myreth Sulphate. Sulfate. Sulfate is a cleansing agent found in most shampoos. It cleanses the hair of dust, dirt and oils. Many naturals dont like using sulfate shampoos because they believe that it strips TOO MUCH of the natural oils in your hair , and it irritates their scalp. It does not bother me at all because even though I do not shampoo all the time, when I, do I use a shampoo with sulfate in it to properly cleanse my hair because my hair gets really dirty. And it does not irritate my scalp at all. Besides, I like the "clean" feel shampoo gives me.

An excerpt from thebeautybrains.com:

Sulfates are used in many personal care products and are some of the most effective ingredients you can use for cleaning. They often get bad press and the Natural crowd hates them, but they are perfectly fine ingredients. They’re what all of the Beauty Brains use.




What we must remember is that not all hair is the same. What works for you might not work for me, even if we have the same hair type or not. Hair is just different.