Suave Essentials: 6 reasons to dump this train wreck of a shampoo damaging your hair
Written by Ajay Chohan, Founder @ Small Batch Goodness
Suave Essentials Ocean Breeze Shampoo – Unilever
Why this Suave Shampoo’s product labeling is misleading: This Suave shampoo is actually infused with harsh chemicals and neurotoxins tied to allergic reactions, scalp irritation and hair loss. And the shampoo contains only a negligible amount of algae extract
Potentially Harmful Ingredients in Suave Essentials Shampoos to Avoid: Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Fragrance, Tetrasodium EDTA, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Blue 1, Yellow 5, DMDM Hydantoin
LET’S START THINGS OFF with this blue ‘beauty’ and the 6 reasons your hair will thank you after you dump your Suave shampoo. While the focus of this research piece is on Suave Essentials Ocean Breeze shampoo, the article also covers other Suave shampoos & conditioners with similarly toxic ingredients. At the end of the article, I also give my thoughts on what makes a truly better natural shampoo.
Please Note: Here is our complete guide to all the 16 harmful chemicals commonly found across shampoos + our list of the worst shampoo brands to avoid.
REASON # 1: Sulfate that strips hair of its essential oils making it brittle is the first key ingredient in this Suave shampoo.
After water, the first key ingredient (and thus forming the highest percentage of this concoction after water) is Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES). SLES is added to shampoos to give it the foam and bubbles, and is a known skin & eye irritant (1). SLES is a harsh detergent that can also strip the hair and scalp of their protective oils.
SLES may also be “contaminated with measurable amounts of ethylene oxide and 1,4-dioxane,” which the International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies as human carcinogens (1). The California Environment Protection Agency also says ethylene oxide is a toxicant which may interfere with human development (1). Yikes. The fact that this is the first ingredient after water only makes things worse.
Reason #2: Misleading marketing hides potentially toxic fragrance in Suave Shampoos often tied to allergic reactions.
Sauve’s marketing team has the audacity to write, “enjoy the refreshing scent of clean ocean air” on the copy. Ok, I am not going to blame the copywriters here. They are the creative types simply doing their job, and I have a soft spot for my creative types. But Sauve should know better. This ‘clean ocean air scent’ comes from synthetic fragrance, which could denote any number of hundreds of chemicals used with various safety records. Cosmetic companies are not required to disclose exactly which chemical(s) their fragrance is comprised of, leaving the fun to us. Fragrances are often responsible for the allergic reactions consumers have to cosmetics (2).
Reason #3: Getting into the neurotoxins and cytotoxins in Suave shampoos:
Next up is Tetrasodium EDTA, a sodium salt which the National Library of Medicine says is 'cytotoxic' (3). While Tetrasodium EDTA itself luckily does not pass through the skin, it does make the absorption of other chemicals (you know, like the ones in this Suave shampoo) easier, which does pose a risk (3). Then come Methylchloroisothiazolinone and Methylisothiazolinone, which are preservatives meant to inhibit the growth of bacteria, and have been tied to lung toxicity and neurotoxicity (4)!
Please Note: Here is my research article on what constitutes a truly better natural shampoo for roots down healthy hair. I go over they 4 key attributes of such a shampoo + give my best natural shampoo recommendations.
Reason #4: The ocean color of this Suave shampoo comes from artificial colors linked to skin irritation and cancer:
We round things off with the artificial synthetic colors. Blue 1, which gives this shampoo its ‘ocean color,’ is made from coal tar, and has been linked with skin irritation and cancer (5). It shares this toxic artificial color with shampoos like Selsun Blue, which we have also written about and recommend you avoid. Yellow 5 is also made from coal tar, a petroleum product (5). In 1985, the American Academy of Pediatrics linked Yellow 5 with "allergies, thyroid tumors, lymphomas (cancer), chromosomal damage, asthma, and urticaria / hives (6).”
Reason #5: “Infused with sea algae extract”
Algae is the third to last ingredient - only coming before the two synthetic colors - implying it is added in a minuscule amount in this Suave shampoo purely for marketing purposes. Sodium laureth sulfate, fragrance and other toxic chemicals actually compose the majority of this concoction.
Reason #6: Suave & Unilever have faced a long history of lawsuits and recalls over their shampoos containing harsh ingredients linked with scalp irritation, dermatitis and hair loss.
Back in 2012, Sauve had introduced its Suave Professionals Keratin Infusion 30 Day Smoothing Kit. The company was soon faced with a flood of complaints with consumers alleging hair loss after using the product. Lawsuits followed shortly thereafter. Sauve’s parent company Unilever had to create a $10 Million settlement fund to resolve the suits. The damage had been done though.
As this FindLaw article here states whilst quoting the court, “Unfortunately, for some consumers, the Smoothing Kit was a disaster. Its active ingredient, thioglycolic acid, is extremely corrosive, and if left on long enough, can dissolve the hair and burn the scalp.” Yep, you read that right, the active ingredient in the “smoothing kit” can dissolve hair and burn your scalp! After settling the case, Unilever discontinued and took this disastrous product off the shelves.
Suave shampoos also have the concerning formaldehyde-releasing ingredient DMDM hydantoin. Recently in June 2021, a proposed class action lawsuit has been brought forward against the company’s “Suave Professionals shampoos and conditioners” product line. The suit focuses on DMDM hydantoin, an ingredient repeatedly tied with scalp irritation, hair loss and containing a cancer causing carcinogen.
As this SafeCosmetics.org research page explains, DMDM hydantoin is a “formaldehyde-releasing preservative…which helps prevent microbes from growing in water-based products, can be absorbed through the skin and have been linked to cancer and allergic skin reactions.”
≈ ≈ ≈ ≈ ≈ ≈ ≈ ≈ ≈ ≈ ≈ ≈ ≈ ≈ ≈ ≈ ≈ ≈
Babo Botanicals: The Best Natural Shampoo for Families
Babo’s Swim & Sport family shampoo is truly plant-based and safe for the most sensitive of scalps. Their concoction starts with mild yet effective coconut based surfactants for cleaning all buildup. What comes after is a treat for our hair.
The nourishment starts with their sustainably sourced maracuja seed oil from the passionflower plant, which has a powerful antioxidant & vitamin profile. Maracuja seed oil also does wonders for our scalp! This shampoo also has what Babo calls its nutri-soothe blend - a blend of calendula, chamomile, watercress and meadowsweet flower extracts - known for their antioxidant & soothing properties.
Kate Solomon founded Babo after her first born, leveraging her passion and knowledge for beekeeping & sustainable agriculture. You can find this Babo shampoo here and pair it with their Swim & Sport Citrus Mint Conditioner. I also love Babo’s baby focused line including their Sensitive Baby Shampoo & Wash and Baby Face Mineral Sunscreen. SHOP Babo Shampoo.
Please note: These are affiliate links from our vetted brand Babo Botanicals, meaning MisleadingBrands will receive a small commission should you purchase at no cost to you. Thank YOU for supporting our site!
≈ ≈ ≈ ≈ ≈ ≈ ≈ ≈ ≈ ≈ ≈ ≈ ≈ ≈ ≈ ≈ ≈ ≈
Concerns around DMDM hydantoin are well known
The article further states that “Formaldehyde is considered a known human carcinogen by many expert and government bodies, including the United States National Toxicology Program and the International Agency for Research on Cancer.” Furthermore, as the case text on Classaction.org states, “DMDM hydantoin contained enough free formaldehyde to cause dermatitis, or skin irritation.” Dermatitis has been linked with brittleness and hair loss. Sadly, the formaldehyde-releasing preservative DMDM hydantoin can be found in many shampoos, including Selsun Blue which we have written about here. Suave’s product page claims “the formula smooths the overall texture of the hair, transforming dry, frizzy strands into a healthy-looking, salon-straight hairstyle.” Well, the toxic ingredients list begs to differ. No thanks, I will take a bad hair day over a no hair day, any day.
Suave is bad for your hair and the entire body:
Suave Ocean Breeze is actually a breeze of carcinogens & allergens, and one of the worst shampoos to subject your hair with. It’s no wonder Suave has been subjected to class action lawsuits and constant consumer complaints around hair loss, skin burns and other unwanted reactions. Check out some of the consumer complaints here. This is simply unacceptable. We encourage consumers to ditch this potentially toxic shampoo and save their hair.
What makes a better shampoo?
The best natural shampoos are safe yet effective. Such shampoos gently cleanse with ingredients that are whole + alive + naturally nourishing. Meaning — the ingredients come from whole botanical and flower extracts from living & breathing plants — not dead chemical compounds from a lab.
The quality and aliveness of the ingredients is thus the biggest factor that makes a truly better natural shampoo. You can read my article here where I cover the 4 key attributes of the best natural shampoos and give my natural shampoo recommendations. In brief:
The shampoo needs to have safe yet effective cleansing agents — such as castile soap
The best natural shampoos are actually nourishing for our hair:
This should primarily happen via whole and alive plant extracts
The best natural shampoos do not have toxic ingredients:
No harsh chemicals that can trigger allergies, cause scalp irritation & hair loss, disrupt our hormones etc. The shampoo should be safe for even the most sensitive of scalps
Who is making the shampoo?
Who is the founder of a given natural shampoo brand? Why do they make shampoos — are they passionate about understanding and unearthing the healing power of whole plants?
Again my What Makes a Truly Better Shampoo article goes deeper into my above criteria. Here I also give my best natural shampoo recommendations by category, so make sure to check it out.
And that’s all folks. Are (or were) you using a Suave shampoo? Share your experiences below! Lastly, here are other Suave shampoo & conditioner varieties with similarly troubling ingredients that I encourage you to ditch:
Suave Professionals Shampoo, Deep Moisture
Suave Naturals Daily Clarifying Shampoo
Suave Sleek & Smooth Shampoo for Frizzy Hair | Suave Professionals
Suave Professionals Moroccan Infusion SHINE
Suave Kids 3 n 1 Body Wash & Shampoo Paw Patrol (yes, sadly even their kids’ shampoos also have all the toxic ingredients like Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Fragrance, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone and artificial synthetic colors like Blue 1 & Red 33)
Suave Shampoo Kids Coconut Smoothers 2-in-1 Shampoo & Conditioner
Suave Men Shampoo Ocean Charge
Sources - Research for Yourself!
1. https://davidsuzuki.org/queen-of-green/dirty-dozen-sodium-laureth-sulfate/
3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12396676/
4. https://www.forceofnatureclean.com/chemical-free-living-methylisothiazolinone/
5. https://lesstoxicguide.ca/index.asp?fetch=personal
6. https://theorganicdiabetic.org/2014/12/the-dangers-of-yellow-5-dye/
Think a loved one can benefit from this important research on Suave shampoo ingredients? Do not forget to share!