Hair Shampoos in VKI Test: Four Out of 13 Shampoos Contain Environmentally Harmful Substances

The VKI test shows that price, as so often, is not an indicator of quality: even the inexpensive shampoos achieved good results in terms of cleaning.

Eight out of 13 Hair Shampoos Received "Good" in VKI Test

Overall, eight products received the rating "good" and five were classified as "average." However, four products contained environmentally harmful chemicals such as poorly biodegradable surfactants, silicones, or hormone-like ingredients. This led to a downgrade to "average." Deductions in environmental properties were made for the use of a silicone that is poorly biodegradable, surfactants that are toxic to aquatic life, and substances like dimethicones, which are classified as microplastics by environmental organizations. All four shampoos downgraded for ecological reasons also contained salicylic acid, which is said to have hormone-like effects.

Foaming of Shampoos Irrelevant for Cleaning

At the same time, the experts dispelled a persistent myth: "Whether a shampoo foams or not is completely irrelevant for cleaning," explained VKI project manager Birgit Schiller. "A good product should make hair easy to comb after washing, give it shine, and not cause static electricity. Additionally, it should not contain substances that are problematic for health and the environment."

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.