Debunking the Myths of Sulfonated Pine Shale Oil

At Morrocco Method, we care a lot about ingredients; we make sure to select only natural ingredients that benefit hair, leaving out any artificial colors or perfumes. One of our most asked about ingredients is Sodium Shale Oil Sulfonate, or Pine Shale, which is found in our eponymous Pine Shale Shampoo. Pine shale is a unique ingredient because unlike apricots or apples, which take a few weeks to ripen, pine shale takes just a little bit longer to mature.  In fact, pine shale is sourced from surplus reservoirs of rich shale oil underneath the earth's surface that form after the decomposition of large forests of ferns and evergreens millions of years ago. Pine shale is great for the hair and scalp for a number of reasons. In Europe, pine shale has been approved as an effective dandruff treatment. When applied to skin and scalp, it has been shown to be a natural and safe skin care agent, combating both itching and inflammation. In one double-blind study, pine shale was again proven to be an excellent anti-inflammatory agent and helped in the treatment of atopic eczema. However, there's been a lot of mixups between sulfonated shale oil and crude shale oil, a very different ingredient. As an example, the EWG profile of Pine Shale Shampoo actually lists the wrong ingredient! MM Pine Shale actually uses PALE SULFONATED SHALE OIL, which is very, very different from the crude shale oil, a potentially harmful ingredient. We are currently working to have this rectified. There are actually several articles addressing the safeness of sulfonted shale oil, including this one. To quote:

Sulfonated shale oil, pale was found to be very well tolerated whether administered for a short period or over a long time. There were no indications for teratogenic, mutagenic or carcinogenic effects. The therapeutic range (ratio of the toxic dose in animals and the therapeutic human dose) for topical administration is > 30 depending on animal species, frequency of administration, dose-level employed and the toxicological question posed. The results of the toxicological studies coincide with the almost 70 years of experience that the drug is well-tolerated by man.

As our most restorative shampoo, Pine Shale Shampoo is a great option for anyone experiencing dandruff, itchy scalp or inflammation. And at millions of years in age, shale oil is just another example of how turning to the past can help us have a safer, healthier future.