Shampoo Memory Loss and Cancer-Causing Products Right Out of Your Hair

Throw Out Grooming Products that Contain DEA or Diethanolamine

Tonight I received an unsolicited e-mail that asked me to click on a link that promised to tell me which shampoos caused memory loss. I get a lot of these perhaps because of my age (65), but also because for several years I had regularly published a health blog that’s has been inactive since February 2016 since I largely offered self-help advice for preventing Alzheimer’s, and I hadn’t seen anything lately that wasn’t the same old same old: following a Mediterranean diet, staying involved with other people, and performing aerobic exercises like walking or running for thirty minutes daily.  Moreover, by this time, I had started teaching more or less full time after Mother died in 2014.  Well, after 30 minutes, the audio still had not told me which shampoos to avoid, so I started googling.

Bottom line: Avoid shampoos with DEA or Diethanolamine because they might result in memory loss since DEA blocks the absorption of choline, which is vital to brain development--a process that starts in infancy and continues throughout life.  Studies also link DEA to cancer.   Look at the labels on all shampoo, toothpaste, and soap products as well as deodorants and don’t assume they are safe just because the  United States Food and Drug Administration has approved them, and/or they are labeled “organic”.  Do some Online research because studies often appear Online before stores take these products off their shelves.  BTW, if you are wondering, yes, I immediately checked the shampoo bottle on the side of my tub, although I haven’t checked the ingredients in my bar of Ivory soap quite yet.

See the following links:

Radcliffe, Shawn. (2013, August 29).  Cancer-causing chemical found in 98 shampoos and soaps.  Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health-news/cancer-dangerous-chemical-found-in-shampoos-and-soaps-082913#1

Provides a lay person's view of the topic.

Toxicity Effects. CAS Registry Number: 111-42-2. Names. (n. d.).  National Toxicology Program.  U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIEHS.NIH.gov.  https://tools.niehs.nih.gov/cebs3/ntpviews/index.cfm?action=testarticle.toxicity&cas_number=111-42-2

Summarizes peer-reviewed alternative and in vitro tests results, case reports, human and animal exposure studies.

Zelsel, Steven H. (n. d. ).  Diethanolamine, brand development and adult memory.  Granttome.  National Institutes of Health.   http://grantome.com/grant/NIH/R21-ES012997-03

Contains abstract and bibliography.

When to Shampoo Bibliography

Birch, Jenna. (2018).  How often do I need to shampoo? WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/beauty/features/how-often-wash-hair#1

Non-athletic adults may need to shampoo less often than they think.  However, how often adults need to wash their hair depends upon various factors:  Age (the hair’s texture changes in women changes after menopause, so they need to shampoo their hair less often), [original] gender, ethnicity, and how intensely and how often they exercise strenuously. 

Ferguson, Kate. (2013, January 16).  Black hair:  How often to wash?  Real Health. https://www.realhealthmag.com/article/AfricanAmerican-hair-washing-23376-1172

Since sub-Saharan African hair is often very dry and fragile, it ordinarily only needs shampooing once per week.

How frequently should I shampoo my infant’s hair? (2018).  Parenting Healthy Babies. https://parentinghealthybabies.com/how-frequently-should-i-shampoo-my-infants-hair/

Gently does it—Some babies may need their hair washed more than others, depending on how old and active they are.  Babies’ scalp will also need oiling. Toddlers’ hair will need more washing than infants, but how often a parent washes it depends upon whether it is straight or curly.  However, toddlers and preschoolers’ hair ordinarily doesn’t need shampooing more than twice a week, but parents also need to consider their activity level, hair type (straight or curly; European/Asian or sub-Saharan African, and whether the hair is oily or dry.

 

How often do children need to wash their hair? (2018). American Academy of Dermatology.  https://www.aad.org/public/skin-hair-nails/hair-care/washing-child-s-hair

A chart provides easy to follow guidelines, but generally, elementary-school age children only need to wash their hair once or twice a week while teens (after puberty) need to wash their hair every day or every other day, depending upon if they have oily or dry hair or curly or straight hair.  Curly Sub-Saharan African hair also needs shampooing less than European and Asian hair does.  Of course, student athletes need to wash their hair more often than sedentary teens.

How often should you shampoo to reduce dandruff? (2017).  Clear. Unilever Asia. http://www.clearparis.com/article/detail/1058512/how-often-should-you-shampoo-to-reduce-dandruff-

That depends upon whether one’s hair is curly (wait up to five days), fine (every two days), or thick (shampooing can wait a few days). 

These guidelines, of course, might not work for everyone, so please consult a dermatologist, pediatrician, or family doctor or nurse practitioner if in doubt.  A hair dresser or barber will also probably offer some sage advice. 

How Often Should I Shampoo?
Age/ Ethnicity/ Type/ /Exceptions	Daily	2-3 Times Per Week	Weekly
Infants older than a month*(Oil daily)		X*	X
Toddlers			X
Preschoolers			X
Elementary School Kids		X
Teens	X
Adult Men			X
Adult Women Under 50		X
Menopausal & Older Women			X
Oily Hair, hair with dandruff	X
Dry Hair		X
Curly Hair		X	Women >50
Europeans/Asians	X	Women > 50
Sub-Saharan African	X	X	X
Athletes	X