We all buy products for our hair with the hopes that each one will be that great, miracle product that will change your hair for the better, forever. While this does happen sometimes, you’ve also got to be really careful with what you use because the wrong product can break or damage your hair. Here are a few of the reasons your products can be bad for your hair.

The Ingredients are a Bad Fit

If you use products that are full of low-quality ingredients like sulfates, alcohols and synthetic fragrances, your might be doing more harm than good. Before buying any product, take a careful look at the ingredients. If you can easily pronounce each ingredient or you have some idea where each ingredient came from, you’re on the right track.

Bleaches, permenant or semi-permenant hair dyes and highlights can wreak havoc on your tresses, so proceed with caution if you choose to use them. The damage these products can do is irreparable for some naturals.

Incorrect Use of the Product

Products like deep conditioner, protein treatments, hair sprays and even moisturizers need to be used properly. If not, they can lead to stiff, dry, brittle, hair. Moisturizers, as crucial as they are to natural hair care, can lead to hydral fatigue if overused, which can make your hair pasty, limp and prone to breakage. Sometimes less is more, so make sure that you read the instructions that come with your products and experiment to see what works well in your hair.

Also important is making sure that your product hasn’t expired. Old oils oxidize and other ingredients go bad, as well. If it’s been sitting around in your cabinet for too long, best to just get rid of it.

Sensitivity or Allergy to Ingredients

Ingredients like shea butter or almond oil work wonders for many naturals, but if you have an allergy or sensitivity to either one, they may spell doom to your scalp and eventually, your hair. Both shea butter and almond oil come from nuts, so if nuts are a problem for you, pay close attention to the ingredient list on any products you use. There are many great hypoallergenic products that are free from tree nuts, silicones, gluten and coconuts.

The Product Simply isn’t for You

You may feel like you found your hair twin and have decided to follow in all of her hair product-ways. But we all do really have different scalps and heads of hair and what works for someone, as similar as she may seem to you, just may not be for you. It really does take a lot of experimentation to find the perfect products for most of us. When you find the right products for your hair, you’ll definitely know.