Considering sulfate-free shampoo? Explore the benefits and considerations before making the switch. Make an informed choice for your hair care routine.
Any sulfate-free haircare product is undoubtedly popular, and it’s for a reason. Beauty specialists rave about their environmentally friendly and gentle cleansing rewards. Walk down any hairstyling aisle, and you’ll meet dozens of sulfate free shampoo products. All of them claim to be better for your natural hair.
But are they really better for your natural hair and overall well-being, and is a switch to these hair care products worth it? Let’s dive deeper into the world of sulfate-free beauty products to find out more.
Sulfates in Details
Sulfates are simply surfactants. These are components that attract both water and oil. They’re used to quickly create lather, washing away grime and dirt. Sulfates are a common component in copious personal care products, such as:
- Toothpaste
- Facial cleansers
- Shampoos
- Body wash and household cleaning products
Sulfate shampoos are designed to ensure the scalp and hair are clean. They easily eradicate dead skin cells as well as dirt from your scalp and hair when they combine with water. While washing hair, sulfates trigger the “sudsy” consistency most individuals desire.
It is easier to clean your scalp when using sulfate products. This is because you do not need to scrub vigorously, thanks to the suds. Two main sulfate types found in ordinary shampoos include:
- Sodium lauryl sulfate
- Sodium laureth sulfate
Reasons Why People Are Concerned About Sulfates in the Beauty Industry
Many controversies have popped up over sulfate haircare products. Many people are questioning their potential negative effects on the environment and our health.
Sulfates and Your Hair and Skin
Sulfates are known to activate skin irritation. This is a common concern for individuals with sensitive skin. In terms of hair, overexposure to sulfate products results in the deterioration of proteins.
Hair exposed to sulfates loses two times more proteins than hair immersed in water. When you use sulfate shampoos, chances are higher that your hair will lose its natural oil, leaving it brittle and dry. It can also lead to a host of issues, including:
- Weaker hair: Natural oils are miraculous. If you strip your scalp of all of its oils, you’re setting up your hair to be more brittle.
- Not safe for color-treated hair: Hair color and shampoo work in a way that when you introduce sulfates, your locks change tone, or the color starts to fade. Experts recommend that individuals with color-treated locks should use sulfate-free shampoos.
- Excessive oiliness: Individuals with oilier scalps or skins will discover that stripping moisture can easily make their oiliness worse. Depending on the person, sulfates can lead to both oiliness and dandruff. When you strip moisture, oil glands go into overdrive to make up for your stripping habit. Are you feeling as if you want to wash your hair daily? Or do you have an oily scalp but dry hair ends? You are definitely over-stripping moisture.
- Dandruff: People with drier scalps or skins will learn that stripping moisture worsens their dryness. Using a sulfate-free shampoo product for dandruff is a good idea since your built-in lubrication system will perform at its maximum.
The Benefits You’ll Enjoy Once You Make a Switch
Sulfate-free shampoos will always leave you feeling clean. Also, it’ll leave you not stripped of moisture. So what are the results of this?
- A healthier color-treated hair: You’ll not worry about distorting or washing away your color treatment.
- Stronger and shiner hair: When your scalp is well-balanced and happy with the right amount of natural oil, it means your hair is more natural. You’ll see more natural luster and shine. Your hair will be less susceptible to harm from heat and color styling, among others.
- Softer, frizz-free hair that requires less conditioner: When you avoid stripping your scalp’s moisture, your natural hair will get better moisture from the oil glands. What this means is that you mightn’t need to use a huge amount of conditioner.
Best Practices When Using Sulfate-Free Shampoo
It is true that you’ve got every reason to switch from sulfate shampoos to their sulfate-free equivalents. So, what are some of the best practices? Follow these key best practices when using sulfate-free shampoo products. They include:
- Before washing, completely saturate your hair with water: A lot of water is important. It helps distribute your shampoo evenly and ensures easy application.
- Put between two and three pumps of your sulfate-free shampoo into your palms and distribute it evenly: Always apply a thin layer of shampoo to your palms and fingers. This ensures even application across the entire scalp.
- Always massage your sulfate-free shampoo into the scalp for a minimum of one minute: Give yourself an excellent scalp massage! You have enough time to do that. Only apply shampoo to your scalp and roots. These are the only major parts that need cleaning.
- Let it sit for between one and two minutes: This amount of time allows the milder cleaning agents available in your shampoo to perform their task excellently.
- Completely and thoroughly rinse: Give yourself at least one minute to eradicate any traces of your sulfate-free shampoo.
- Always apply your conditioner from mid to the hair ends: Similar to your sulfate-free shampoo, pump enough conditioner into your palms and fingers and distribute it evenly. Also, go for a thin layer of your product on your palms and fingers. Perfectly finger-comb your fingers through the ends of your hair.
- Thoroughly rinse your conditioner: Are you prone to dry hair? Play with leaving some conditioner in it. However, you can wash out the conditioner completely if your locks are easily weighed down.
In Conclusion
Every hair and skin type is unique. That is why you need to find a product that works best for you. You will always find a variety of options to try out from the best providers in the beauty industry. However, a sulfate-free shampoo suits every type of hair, and that is why it’ll always remain a unique and popular hair care product.
