Is Creme of Nature's Straight from Eden line all Natural?

After viewing an advertisement for Creme of Nature's Straight from Eden line in a popular urban magazine, I think it is high time to explore the "jump on the natural bandwagon" craze that many commercial and mass-market companies have been embarking on. The advertisements, commercials, billboards and pr releases concerning products from companies who did not originally begin business for the sole purpose of selling products that are 100 percent natural. This is directly in regards to hair, beauty, food and skin care companies that have been around for decades that have never marketed, created and sold products that are considered to be natural or plant-based.

If you haven't noticed, many companies are now starting to create products for health conscious consumers. However, many health conscious consumers are being duped by mass market, commercial companies that use certain keywords designed to grab these consumers' attention. Don't be fooled by a word on a product. Keywords like "natural" and "plant-derived" are not regulated by an official authoritative body like the FDA. Therefore, many beauty, skin and hair care companies can utilize whatever ingredients they desire and market their product as if it's all natural. A product that has plant derived ingredients does not equate to being natural or toxic-free. Unless the consumer is aware of various types of toxic ingredients, they will be fooled by empty keywords like "plant-derived," leading them to think that the product is natural.

So the Straightening Cream is Actually a Relaxer?

Creme of Nature has been a popular seller of lye based relaxers and products that are laced with chemicals like parabens, petrochemicals and PG (propylene glycol) throughout the years. This particular company has been selling toxic ingredient filled products since the era of the jheri curl. I was really surprised when I saw the advertisement for a "plant derived" straightening system. It's important for women with textured hair to be educated about ingredients in Creme of Nature's Straight from Eden relaxer, especially those who usually purchase toxic free products.

Please note that this product is marketed as a "100 percent plant-derived straightening cream." The word "relaxer" was forthrightly missing in the advert when essentially, this is what the product really is. It is a no-lye relaxer. There is a two step activator process that must be used in conjunction with the straightening cream. While the straightening cream may contain plant derived and natural ingredients like coconut, avocado and argan oils, it is still a chemical relaxer because the straightening cream cannot be used by itself. It must be used with the activator and cream booster. Here are the ingredients of each of the products needed to straighten the hair.

Straightening cream ingredients:

Aqua, Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20, Hydrogenated Cottonseed oil, Cocamidopropyl PG-Dimonium Chloride, Propanediol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Laureth-2, Glyceryl Caprylate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Glyceryl Undecylenate, Citric Acid, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Olea Europaea (olive) Fruit Oil, Argania Spinosa Kernel (Argan) Oil, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Bambusa Vulgaris Extract, Potassium Sorbate

Activator:

Aqua, Guanidine Carbonate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Steareth-21, Laureth-2, Ceteth-10, Cetearyl Glucoside

Cream Booster:

Aqua, Calcium Hydroxide, Propanediol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceteth-10, Steareth-21, Cetearyl Glucoside, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Cl 77288 (Chromium Oxide Greens)

Key Ingredient always in Relaxers

The key ingredient that works to break down the bonds in the hair to allow for straightening is guanidine carbonate and calcium hydroxide. Guanidine hydroxide is a guanidine salt that breaks down the bonds of the hair to allow for a straightened look. Also note that lye based relaxers have a key ingredient called sodium hydroxide. Ladies, the apple really isn't too far from the tree with this new line from Creme of Nature. This relaxer, marketed as 100 percent plant derived, contains the same ingredients that are found in many popular relaxer kits from companies such as ORS, Doo Gro or Soft and Beautiful.

Practically all relaxers will usually contain either sodium hydroxide, calcium hydroxide, guanidine carbonate, guanidine hydroxide or lithium hydroxide. All of these ingredients are toxic and have been known to cause irreversible baldness, dermatitis, scalp irritation, burns, permanent scars and extremely damaged hair just to name a few. These toxic ingredients have very high ph levels which is essentially what causes the hair to become permanently straightened.

This product should NOT be marketed as 100 percent plant derived because quite simply, it is not. Though the Straight from Eden straightening cream may not contain any sulfates, propylene glycol, parabens or formaldehyde, it is still a chemical relaxer. Please do not be fooled by one, two or three ingredients that may be plant derived. The straightening cream may indeed have some natural, plant based oils in it but the cream cannot be used alone. It has to be used in conjunction with the activator and cream booster. To put it simply, the Straight from Eden straightening system is your basic, every day relaxer with a few added plant based oils. Not quite revolutionary now is it? This is simply a case of misleading advertisement at its finest!