The Long Hair Community

Kris · February 9th, 2006, 04:13 AM

I was looking through the mark down isle at WM the other day and came across a deal I couldn't pass up. Got it home and a BIG warning is on the bottle.

Warnings
As with all similar products, keep away from sparks and open flames at all times. Keep out of reach of children. Avoid contact with eyes.

Ingredients are as follows.

Water Aqua , Stearyl Alcohol , Cetyl Alcohol , Stearalkonium Chloride , PEG-100 Stearate , Dicaprylyl Maleate , Glyceryl Stearate , Polyquaternium-22 , Dimethicone , Fragrance Parfum , Hydroxyethylcellulose , Methylparaben , Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice , Lysine Hydrochloride , Panthenol , Propylparaben , Chlorhexidine Dihydrochloride , Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein

Is this bad for my hair?

I clarified with a baking soda and Aussie Mega poo and conditioned with this stuff. My curls are well.... curly! And it feels good today.

Any thoughts?

moonbeam · February 9th, 2006, 04:15 AM

I don't know if it is good or bad, but the thought of my tresses going up in flames is enough to give me nightmares for a week!

Kris · February 9th, 2006, 04:17 AM

I was thinking the same thing.

BTW the product is Soft Sheen Carson Optimum care stay strong conditioner.

SmallVoice · February 9th, 2006, 04:47 AM

I've noticed this on my hair products that are targeted at African-Americans. It was on a couple of my oil blends.

I suspect the company is simply covering their liability bases. It's the same as "The safety of this product has not been laboratory tested." which appears on homemade lotions.

tangal · February 9th, 2006, 05:03 AM

They can actually be flamable, especially when applyed very thickly as many Africian Americians sometimes do, with certain styles.

Then the wet product on the hair, if exposed to a lit match, either when held close to the hair, or lit in the room while product is in the air after just being sprayed, can cause flames.

I saw a deal on Judge Judy once, where a girl was sueing a hairdresser, who applyed a hair treatment to enhance curls. (an oil conditioner) then when she lit a cigerette at home her hair caught fire, and burned half her scalp quite badly. ( I think a hair starnd fell into the flame, but with her hair treatment it was very difficult to put out the fire)

Is the product you are useing in an aerosal can? or a pump spray? Many times the actual aerosol propellants are flamable. But they will evaporate after a few minutes and all is good then.

Other wise, simply keep treated hair away from immediate contact with an open flame (candle or cigerette) because the oils and fats in the product can make a flame harder to put out then normal.

You won't burst into flame simply by being in the vacinity of a lit cigarette or flame.

But a flame or spark that comes in contact with your hair, will burn easier then normal.

cichlid · February 9th, 2006, 05:08 AM

Hair is flammable too. So I do not think using a conditioner that is flammable will matter. You'd have shove your head into flames before it will catch on fire when it is dry.

Kris · February 9th, 2006, 05:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tangal

Is the product you are useing in an aerosal can? or a pump spray? Many times the actual aerosol propellants are flamable. But they will evaporate after a few minutes and all is good then.

No it is a bottle of conditioner.

On the deep conditioner I got also in the soft sheen carson brand it doesnt have the warning on it.

tangal · February 9th, 2006, 05:16 AM

but a conditioner that is more flamable then your hair will cause it to burn easier, and be harder to put out, then untreated hair.
Thats what the warning is for.

So a consumer can be a bit more carefull.

Much like putting Flame resistive fabrics on an infant as sleepware. Flame resistant garmants also can burn. Infant skin can burn, and normal sleepware can burn.

But some sleep fabrics burn faster then others - giving less time to put it out before severe damage occurs.

Normal fabrics can burn very quickly and easy, some even melt creating a hard to put out ball of synthetic flaming goo. Even when removed from the flame source they continue to burn hotly and spread - so having them on human skin, on a child is a risk - because the garment can easily engulf the child in flames, if it gets a smaller flame against it. Even when child is pulled from the flame, they continue to burn.

This type of conditioner is the same. Normally hair needs to be in flame a bit to burn strongly - with this type of conditioner, that is no longer the case.

When normally a hair passing through a candle flame would simply burn briefly, then go out. With this type of treatment it will incinerate quicker, burn faster and hotter, and spread much more easily then normal to other hair on the head.

I think you can still use it, simply be careful. Use common sense. I have some silicon serum hair treatments that are the same type of thing. I use them as needed, its not a problem.

Kris · February 9th, 2006, 05:32 AM

So far I think I like it. Thanks Tangal.

And no flames near my hair.... EVER!

Gnarly Cranium · February 9th, 2006, 10:06 AM

Keep in mind the main ingredients are alcohols. Alcohol burns quite nicely, with a pretty blue-green flame.

Clare-Dragonfly · February 9th, 2006, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gnarly Cranium

Keep in mind the main ingredients are alcohols. Alcohol burns quite nicely, with a pretty blue-green flame.

Thank you for that visual Gnarly

I was going to point out that alcohols are flammable, but your post is much more descriptive!

nessthing · February 9th, 2006, 11:18 AM

I have an anti-frizz serum with similar alcohols as the main ingrediants and it only says "product is flammable until dry, keep away from all heat sources (except styling)". Could this be a similar thing?

cichlid · February 9th, 2006, 11:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gnarly Cranium

Keep in mind the main ingredients are alcohols. Alcohol burns quite nicely, with a pretty blue-green flame.

Hehe...pretty blue fire!