Is your shampoo sulfate f r e e ?
If you’ve seen the bottles, you know what I’m talking about. Shampoo containers at the front of a store in the salon you regularly attend with big bold letters saying it is “sulfate free”. You are persuaded to purchase it at the advise of your stylist, yet she never quite explains WHY it is better for you.
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) is a grease cutting detergent that acts as a foaming agent when you apply your shampoo. It’s been used in facial cleansers to the heavy de-greasing agents on your local mechanic’s floor.
Even in diluted amounts, SLS is still irritating to your scalp, skin and hair.
Have you ever gotten shampoo in your eyes before? If it burned, sulfates were most likely the culprit.
If you damage your hair enough with these sulfates, your hair will grow very weak and can even diminish hair growth. That’s never a good thing. There is also scary data (but conflicting) that says sulfates can not only cause cancer, but also harm the immune system and damage your skin.
Sulfates can make your hair loose moisture, thus drying out and possibly creating those annoying split ends. Oil is also very important as it protects the hair shaft, and when you use shampoos with sulfates in them, there is likely too much oil being stripped away, thus causing damage.
If you purchase sulfate free versions of shampoo, you will notice that it does not foam up as much compared to prior shampoos you may have used. That’s actually a good thing. But remember, just because you’re not seeing the foam does not mean you need to use more product to achieve that goal. That will just put a dent in your pocketbook. Use the same amount of shampoo and apply sparingly to your hair and shower as usual.
The only difference is that there may not be as many fun bubbles to play with.
If you dye your hair, this is definitely the kind of shampoo you want to be using. One reason most hair colors fade can be attributed to using a sulfate filled shampoo. There are too many chemicals in these kinds of shampoos and that causes the color to fade quickly. Additionally with gravity any residue from these products may travel via the scalp onto the facial skin and cause irritation in sensitive skin types. No Bull!
Your hair and scalp will appreciate you making the switch to a sulfate-free shampoo.
Flush It!
