Hairspray is a product most of us, especially women, use on a daily basis! Unfortunately, there are a lot of chemicals in these products that put our health at risk just to hold our hair in place.

The ingredients in hairspray have been linked to things like skin irritation, respiratory issues, abdominal pain, blurred vision and more.

According to a research study of hair stylists, respiratory issues like coughing, wheezing, breathlessness and sneezing were linked to inhaling theses products. The study also found that, compared to people who didn't work with these products, some of the stylists had decreased lung function as well. It seems that repeated and chronic exposure and inhalation may increase the likelihood of negative health effects.

I hate being the bearer of bad news, but aerosol hairsprays seem to be the worst. I was an aerosol hairspray user for years so this was a hard switch for me too.

Besides being made up of propellants that can mess up our hormones and even cause heart complications, they're also flammable! Most aerosol hairsprays come with a warning label on them because ingredients like alcohol can be easily ignited… so should we really be spraying this on our hair?

Better Hairspray Options

Thankfully there are some better hairsprays being made that have less toxic ingredients and are better alternatives to most mainstream products.

The cleanest one I found is called Mermaid Sea Salt Hairspray. This one is made of ingredients like aloe vera, sea salt and they use essential oils for the scent, which is much better than artificial fragrances.

Giovanni Hairspray is another one that's made without parabens, phthalates, sulfates and other ingredients that can affect our health, especially hormones! It gives your hair a good hold without making it too “hard” like some strong hairsprays can do.

Bounce Curl is a hairspray that gives a medium to strong hold similar to aerosol sprays but it's a spritz and made without alcohol. This is a good option for people who have curly hair to hold those curls in place!

To find more hairsprays made with less toxic ingredients, check out the EWG.org or Think Dirty App.