At any given store, you have more than enough shampoo products to choose from. However, you may not have ever heard about sulfate-free shampoo. Many consumers have seen this type of shampoo but don’t understand how it works or why they might need it.
Regular vs. Sulfate-Free
The biggest difference between sulfate-free shampoo and regular shampoo is a lack of a chemical called sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS). Some other common names for this chemical are NaDSO and SDS. You can find this chemical in a wide range of commercial cleaning and hygiene products. It’s especially useful in situations that require the removal of oily residue. No studies show this chemical to be carcinogenic, but it can certainly cause problems for some people.
Sulfate is actually a cheap chemical, and cleaning companies add it to shampoo to give consumers the bubbly lather that is associated with being clean. SLS provides plenty of bubbles while cutting through grease, but it can cause severe skin irritations and strip beneficial oils from hair. Some newer research provides a link between SLS and hair loss. While it’s certainly an effective cleaning chemical, your scalp probably doesn’t like it as much as you do.
When you first begin using a sulfate-free shampoo, you’ll probably feel like your hair isn’t getting clean. People feel like this because sulfates are what create the rich lather that regular shampoo produces. It can take some time to get used to this fact. Most people associate clean hair with the stripped feeling that regular shampoo provides. Your hair will still get clean with sulfate-free shampoo, and it will be much silkier and softer in the long run.
Benefits of Sulfate-Free Shampoo
If you have sensitive skin or have allergies to sulfates, then you need to consider buying this shampoo. Shampoo that doesn’t contain sulfates is much gentler on your scalp and won’t cause allergic reactions. Many consumers who use sulfate-free shampoo say their hair doesn’t feel like it is being stripped of moisture and softness, as can happen with other shampoos.
Buying Sulfate-free Shampoo
There is a general but very effective method that you can use when looking for sulfate-free shampoo. Unless the shampoo explicitly says it’s sulfate-free, then there is a good chance that it isn’t. Even if you have no problem using regular shampoo, you should still consider trying some sulfate-free shampoo.
You should always read the labeling and check to see exactly what is in your shampoo. You want the shampoo to have various gylcerine or glucosides, because these ingredients come from natural plants. Glycerine is actually an organic ingredient. You want to aim for ingredients that are derived from vegetable and animal oils. When you’re looking for sulfate-free shampoo, you want to make sure it doesn’t contain ammonia laureth sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate, TEA laureth sulfate or sodium myreth sulfate.
