More and more products on the market today are labeled “sulfate free”. What does this means? Should you be worried that the shampoo you’re using isn’t sulfate free?
“Sulfates are detergents and they’re extremely good at what they do, cleansing your hair and scalp by cutting through dirt and grime”, explains Ni’Kita Wilson, a cosmetic chemist. Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and ammonium lauryl sulfate (ASL) are the most known and common sulfates found in many products.
Sulfate Free Shampoo
A sulfate free shampoo is a product that doesn’t completely wash away hair moisture. The difference between sulfate shampoos and sulfate free shampoos is that sulfate free shampoos don’t foam.
“Sulfate-free systems are more difficult to thicken, which means that chemists have to add more ingredients to make a nice product. Otherwise your shampoo would flow like water,” says Ni’Kita.
Who should use sulfate free shampoos?
It’s true that sulfate shampoos clean the dirt and oils from your hair but they can also make your hair drier and it can even cause split ends. If your hair tends to be dry, you have fragile or curly hair then you should start using sulfate free shampoo.
If your scalp is sensitive to sulfates or if you regularly dye your hair, the best choice for you is a sulfate free shampoo.
On the other hands, if your hair tends to get really oily stick to your ordinary shampoo because sulfate free shampoos won’t thoroughly clean your hair.