What's all the hype about Sulfate Free Shampoo?

There is a lot of discussion around Sulfate Free shampoos.  Are they for you?  First we need a little history.

What are sulfates?

Sulfates are a surfactant that is added to your cleaning products. That is what causes the foaming action usually associated with soaps. You can find them in tooth past and body washes as well as shampoo's. Today we'll be focusing only on the shampoos.

Sulfates are added to your shampoo as a detergent to help release dirt and grime, but are they bad for your hair? That may depend on the condition of your hair, your hair type, and your life style. If your hair has a tendency to be dry naturally, then a sulfate shampoo my remove too much moisture from your hair. Also if your hair is chemically altered or fragile, then you might find that a sulfate shampoo is too drying for you.

When it comes to color treated hair, there is no data (that I'm aware of) that proves sulfates remove hair color, but they are added to your shampoo's to lather, remove dirt, grime, and products, so it makes sense to me, that too a sulfate, a dye molecule would be a foreign substance that needs to be removed. My recommendation to my color treated clients is to use a sulfate free shampoo. However there is a lot more when dealing with color fading, than just a sulfate free shampoo (that's a whole different blog). Always be sure and discuss the color fading issues with your colorist.

When trading a sulfate shampoo for a sulfate free shampoo there are some differences you should be aware of. A Sulfate free shampoo has a very mild detergent that doesn't remove as much moisture from the hair. What that means is if your going to the gym and having a hard workout then sulfate free may not give you the cleaning that your hair needs.   It also has little to no lather.  For some people that is an issue.  They don't feel clean. It really depends on your personal preference!

  

Should you use a sulfate free shampoo?

Is your hair dry or damaged? Yes

Is your hair color treated? Yes

Is your hair texture dry? Yes

Does your hair need moisture? Yes

Is your hair fragile? Yes

If you answered yes to any of those questions then Sulfate free shampoo may be for you!  Try it and see what you think!

Joico has some great sulfate free shampoo's for Color Treated Hair.  The Color Endure is sulfate free and protects color from fading.  It has a starting price of $15.00

Another alternative is to use Kevin Murphy brand. This is an all natural line with all natural ingredients and of course my favorite part, Peta has awarded them the bunny ear symbol, none of the ingredients have been tested on animals.

If you do decide to use a sulfate free shampoo just note that you will not get the lather and foam that you are used to and some people feel as if they're hair doesn't get clean enough. It's all about personal preference and the health of your hair.

If you have any questions or comments leave them below.