Acne-myth: You can’t be acne-safe if you need to use products for curly hair.
…Busted!
Hair products for acne prone skin
Having natural curls or wave to your hair can be tricky while trying to manage acne. Your hair needs a certain level of moisture to avoid frizz, but most of the commonly used ingredients that quench your curls can also clog your pores…. your really need non comedogenic hair products. The most frustrating part is that it can take six months of using a product before all that congestion finally shows on the surface. This can make it hard to pinpoint which hair product is causing the problem.
This leaves many people feeling like they have to choose between healthy, beautiful hair or healthy beautiful skin. Not true. You can use acne safe hair care by avoiding pore clogging ingredients. Looking for products with safer oils like sunflower and safflower oil is a great place to start.
Many people think if their shampoo and conditioner only effect their skin when they’re in the shower, but that’s not true. Those pore clogging ingredients leave residue that gets onto your skin in several ways. First it gets all over your pillow and you sleep on your pillow nightly and rubs onto your cheeks and chin. Every time you sweat (even delicately) it loosens those residual cloggers and they travel down onto your forehead and temples.
Facts about clogging hair care
- Problematic oils are: coconut oil, argan oil, palm kernel oil, apricot kernel oil, wheat germ oil, olive oil, or moroccan oil (amongst other pore clogging ingredients)
- Cloggers can break you out even if your hair is always tied back.
- Residual haircare ingredients get all over your pillowcase and transfer to your face when you sleep.
- When you sweat, residual haircare ingredients can travel down to your face and clog pores.
- Neck and back breakouts are regularly caused by pore clogging haircare.
- Even if you use a product on your hair occasionally, if it has pore cloggers, it can make you break out.
- Staying acne-safe and reading all ingredient lists for cloggers will help you balance having fabulous curls and clear, healthy skin.
Acne-safer anti-frizz products (contain acne-safe ingredients, but may be too rich for oilier skin)
it’s a 10 Miracle Leave-In product 10 oz
Kinky Curly Spiral Spritz, 8 oz
DevaCurl MirrorCurls Shine Serum 1.7oz
Acne-safe leave-in conditioners
12 Benefits Instant Healthy Hair Treatment for Unisex, 6 Ounce
Mixed Chicks Curl Defining & Frizz Eliminating Leave-In Conditioner, 10 fl.oz.
Ouidad Moisture Lock Leave-in Conditioner, 8.5 Fl Oz
Acne-safe Hair Masques/Deep Conditioning
Living Proof Restore Mask Treatment, 8.0 Ounce
7/21/18 Update: Aussie 3 Minute Conditioner was removed from the acne-safe list.
Want to learn more?
As a client of Acne Specialists, you will have access to all of our acne-safe lists, including a full list of acne-safe hair products. We can help you find hair products that don’t cause acne.
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Are there any acne safe curl enhancers? Gels or sprays?
Try Kevin Murphy Motion Curl Enhancing Lotion. It’s free of pore-clogging ingredients and I liked it when I came home from the salon.
I found it on Amazon, but may go back to the salon, since the reviews seem to think the online ones are fake.
I have the same question! A curl enhancer is the product I actually need. 🙂
Try Kevin Murphy Motion Curl Enhancing Lotion. It’s free of pore-clogging ingredients and I liked it when I came home from the salon.
I found it on Amazon, but may go back to the salon, since the reviews seem to think the online ones are fake.
What about an acne safe shampoo?
Thank you so much for reaching out. During our consultation process we educate clients of the common pore cloggers that contribute to acne. These are very common in hair care products. As a courtesy to our existing clients we provide a safe hair care list where we have already checked to make sure that there are no pore clogging ingredients. If you would like to proceed with a consultation we offer an in person if you are local, or online if you are long distance. Do you live close by?
Thank you. I would love a consultation. I’m not sure where you are located, but I’m in Atlanta Georgia. I make my own leave-in/detangler because I’m afraid of chemicals. I’m a breast cancer survivor. I’m 48, but I’m still breaking out like a teenager every month.