Why Is Propane in Hair Products and Is It Safe?

Most people have heard of propane. Those who live in rural areas know it well. It’s kind of strange to talk about propane in an article about hair care products, but you can find it in these products, such as hair spray.

About 6.69 million Americans use hair spray, and that’s one of many hair care products that contain propane.

Some people don’t read the ingredients in their hair care products, so they don’t know what’s in them. Thankfully, you weren’t one of these folks and decided to take a closer look.

Now, why is it used? Is it safe?

What is Propane?

Talking about what propane is can help you understand why this common ingredient causes us to pause a moment. After all, we are putting flammable gas in our hair and on the skin.

What is propane? Well, it’s a byproduct of natural gas. Natural gas is a mixture of several gases, like methane that occurs naturally. Before we can use it, we have to clean it.

When natural gas is cleaned or refined, pentane, ethane, butane, and propane are produced. Propane is also extracted from petroleum in the same way.

Why is Propane Used in Hair Care Products?

The simple answer is that it is used as a propellant. It makes life easier.

Getting a product like a mousse out of a container can be challenging.

The makers of these products figured out that you don’t want to do all that work. If their products are simple to use, you’ll be more inclined to buy them.

That desire to help you made them turn to propane. This fuel helps push out the hair product you purchased.

It feels kind of strange to admit that they are sort of right, but it’s easier to use some of these products with a propellant like propane.

Still, I’m slowly moving away from products that contain ingredients I don’t feel comfortable with. I’m getting used to the fact that I have to put in a little more effort for the sake of my hair.

Is Propane Safe to Use in Hair Products?

Since the ingredient is in the products, it must be safe, right? The folks that make these products must have the safety of their customers in their hearts.

I would love to believe that, but I live in a capitalist society, and people are willing to do all sorts of things to make a buck.

After all, you can find pesticides and growth hormones in some of the foods we buy. I don’t trust companies all that much.

We do have certain protections in place. The Food and Drug Administration or the FDA approved its use. The FDA placed propane in their Generally Recognized As Safe list.

Not only that but propane has also been reviewed as a cosmetic product by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel. This panel is full of experts who use the most recent scientific data to figure out of a product is safe to be used.

The panel performed a review and concluded that this ingredient was safe to use. What these folks were most interested in is if it was toxic when inhaled since that’s how it may be consumed. It seems to be safe, at least they believe it is.

Furthermore, it seems like propane evaporates so quickly that it only lasts about 10 seconds on your skin. Does that make you feel better?

I don’t know. I’m still a little uneasy about it, especially because these folks allow harmful preservatives in the food we eat.

Is it possible that some interest group in Congress strong-armed the FDA into doing their bidding?

I don’t know, but I don’t like that the beauty industry and many others donate money to folks that could influence administrations like the FDA.

Here’s the thing, the skin absorbs about 60 to 70 percent of everything you put on it. This absorption takes place in 26 seconds and propane should have been evaporated by then, right?

It seems to be safe. Everything is pointing towards the fact that it is safe to use.

The bottom line is that this is something I don’t have to do. I don’t have to gamble with my health this way because I don’t need propane in my hair care products.

Are There Hair Care Products Without Propane?

I’m sure this question popped up in your mind after discovering propane in some of the hair care products you use.

The good thing is that there are a lot of products out there for you depending on what you want.

I’m so thankful for the natural movement because this movement granted us access to healthier options or at least options that don’t make you feel uneasy.

I love feeling comfortable with the hair products I use, and if you’re like me, you’ll love some of the following products:

Cake The Rush

This is a dry shampoo. It’s well-reviewed and contains no propane.

This shampoo offers a lot of benefits, like the fact that it’s quite inexpensive compared to others, and it’s 100 percent vegan.

Whenever I see words like “vegan” or “natural” I cringe. Not because I don’t like these products but because I’m scared to find out how much they’ll cost me.

I was happy that this one was cheap.

The dry shampoo is still relatively easy to apply, which is a plus in my book.

Carol’s Daughter

Those hoping to find a hair mousse that doesn’t contain propane are in luck because I’ve got the perfect product.

While there are a few others that don’t contain propane, I like this one.

I’m sure the reason is because of all the other ingredients you find in this hair milk mousse, like honey, agave nectar, and cocoa butter, which are very good for your hair.

The product is quite lightweight and so easy to apply. I hate doing too much work, so I gravitate to products that won’t cause me too much trouble like this one.

Andalou Naturals

At some point, we all need a good hairspray, so I had to find one without propane, or any aerosol for that matter, and that’s what I found.

This hairspray has a lot going for it on top of it being quite cheap, which my wallet appreciates.

I loved a lot about this hairspray, like the fact that it’s vegan and cruelty-free.

The hold is medium, which is okay for me. It leaves hair looking shiny and beautiful. In addition to all that, since the ingredients are natural, they don’t produce that sticky, nasty feeling.

Part of what makes this hair spray great is that it contains aloe vera. This moisturizes and creates a barrier that helps prevent frizzy hair.

Now, you know all there is to know about the propane content in your hair products and how you can avoid it if you want. I know it’s a lot to take in, but that’s what we have to do to consciously take care of our hair.