You’ve lightened up your summer skincare routine to prep yourself for every romper, one-piece and bikini you can fit into your summer calendar, but things just aren’t as clear as you were hoping for. We get it. Have you considered that your daily haircare might be to blame?

According to Hillary Peterson, co-founder of uber-clean skincare brand, True Botanicals, the root cause of summer breakouts might have everything to do with your summer haircare routine. Hillary recently told us, “Harsh surfactants and synthetic fragrance, found in the majority of hair care products can cause redness, itching, and compromise barrier function which can exacerbate conditions such as adult acne.”

“Worse yet, they may contain carcinogens, neurotoxicants and endocrine disruptors, linked to reproductive disorders and cancer, making that rash or acne flair up the least of your problems.  When you consider that sodium laurel sulfate was originally used as an industrial degreasing agent, and that fragrance has been shown to contain carcinogens such as phthalates, it is not at all surprising that these ingredients should be avoided for many reasons.”

Bottom line: conventional shampoos and conditioners can be loaded with ingredients that are allergenic, known to clog pores and induce inflammation in the skin – but they’re also easy to replace!  Here is our short list for strand-saving, chemical-free shampoos and conditioners to try now. Give one a try and let us know how your skin reacts after thirty days…