The sulfate-free shampoo is a shampoo that does not contain sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS). SLS is also called sodium lauryl sulfate or sodium lauryl sulfate (SDS or NaDS0). It is a very popular chemical in commercial hygiene and cleaning products. This chemical is particularly useful in applications that require the removal of oily residues. Although the sulfates used in hygiene products have not been proven to be carcinogenic, these chemicals can irritate the scalp and cause excessive loss of scalp oil, leading to dry hair .
What is sulfate-free shampoo?
People with sensitive skin , or those who are allergic to sulfates, may wish to avoid these chemicals. Shampoos that do not contain sulfate have much less impact on the scalp and will not cause allergic reactions-unless of course the user is not allergic to other ingredients. Many users report that when using sulfate-free shampoo, their hair is softer and less dry.
When using a sulfate-free shampoo for the first time, most people often feel that their hair is dirty, because sulfate does not produce the thick, rich foam that they want when shampooing. This may take some time to get used to because the hair does not feel dry, and some users may associate this feeling with cleanliness. The hair will be clean, but it will be softer and smoother.
The ingredients required for a sulfate-free shampoo are glucoside and cycloalkane. Glycosides are extracted from plants such as sugar cane. Glycerin is also an organic compound, a by-product of animal and vegetable oils, and a colorless, thick liquid. Baby shampoo uses dibasic glucoside because it is very mild. Diyl glucoside is an additive extracted from fructose and coconut oil , and it is also a commonly used glycoside additive in many skin care products.
SLS is a powerful surfactant. The term surfactant is actually an abbreviated form of surfactant-a chemical agent that can reduce the surface tension of a liquid and make the liquid spread more effectively. It basically stabilizes the oil and water mixture by surface tension.
Shampoos that contain sulfates, and even those that do not contain sulfates, are controversial. There are reports that sulfate is dangerous. Others claim that sulfate-free shampoos and conditioners simply replace missing sulfates with additional ingredients and other potentially dangerous chemicals. Consumers are responsible for checking the label of any sulfate-free products and looking for natural ingredients.
Sulfate-free beauty products are usually more expensive and easier to buy. Green beauty and bath products-products that do not contain any unnatural chemicals that may be harmful to the environment-have become very popular. For environmental protection and health reasons, the demand for sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner is increasing.
Why a good shampoo does not contain SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate)
Most people still use low-quality shampoos containing harmful ingredients , which have a negative impact on hair growth and scalp health !
[Picture] Why a good shampoo does not contain SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate)
What exactly is SLS?
When you study the label of a bottle of shampoo, sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) or sodium lauryl sulfate is the second ingredient mentioned in most cases. This means that in addition to water, this substance constitutes the largest volume of shampoo.
SLS and SLES are sulfates with surfactant cleaning effect. They are very suitable for making foam, and mass production is also very cheap. These characteristics have led to the frequent application of SLS and SLES in personal care products such as shampoos, toothpastes and mouthwashes. Because of its powerful functions, it is also often used in detergents and other industrial cleaning products.
Why is SLS bad?
SLS is an aggressive substance that has an irritating effect on the skin at low concentrations . For SLES, this is true, but to a lesser degree, which is why this variant is often used in shampoos. The disadvantage of SLES is that it also contains dioxane as a by-product. There are strong signs that dioxane can cause cancer. It penetrates the skin and is difficult to be broken down by the body. It is considered safe to use low concentrations of SLES, although the health effects of life-long shampooing with SLES are unclear…
The positive effects of SLS and SLES seem to also disrupt the balance between hair and scalp. The skin is cleansed, but dehydrated at the same time. The natural oils in the hair are washed away. In addition, residues formed at the hair follicles can hinder hair growth. There are no additional chemicals in SLS or SLES shampoo, and hair will feel fluffy after use.
Some cosmetics manufacturers claim that the SLS or SLES in their shampoos are “natural” because they are processed with coconut oil . Extracting from coconut oil is indeed feasible, but it must go through a complex process involving many chemicals. Most importantly, there is no reason to believe that SLS manufactured in this way is safer.
What is the other option?
In short, the demand for shampoos without SLS or SLES is increasing. A recommended alternative is sodium lauroyl sulfonate (SLSA). Although this substance sounds similar to SLS and SLES, it is not a sulfate and lacks many of the negative properties discussed earlier.
SLSA is extracted from coconut oil or palm oil, which is more skin-friendly. It is not aggressive and irritating to the skin. Moreover, it does not dehydrate the skin. In contrast to SLS and SLES, SLSA is hydrophilic, that is, soluble in water. Therefore, after the shower, there is no residue on the hair follicles. In addition, SLSA shampoo does not have the hazard of dioxane.
Despite these obvious advantages, SLSA has not been widely used in shampoos. This is just because it has a higher production cost and is only used in high-quality shampoos.
Consumers are increasingly aware of the shortcomings of SLS and SLES. Given the shortcomings and risks involved, these concerns are certainly justified. The cosmetics industry has been using this substance because of its powerful cleaning and foaming capabilities. The most important reason may be low cost.
Fortunately, more and more shampoos do not have SLS or SLES. If you really want to improve the quality and quantity of your hair, then using a bad shampoo is foolish.
How to choose shampoo series two: no sulfate and amino acid shampoo
The last article introduced silicone oil-free shampoo and silicone oil shampoo. Today, I will write about the sulfate-free and amino acid-free shampoos that have been popular in the past two years. This type of shampoo generally has a relatively high price and is positioned at the mid-to-high end. Many friends may wonder, is this type of shampoo really as well advertised? Is it value for money? Or is it the scam of the hype concept? Zhen Yao will talk about this topic today.
What is “Sulphate Shampoo”
In “How to Choose One of the Shampoo Series: Silicone-free and Silicone Oil-Free Shampoo”, Zhen Yao briefly introduced the basic composition of the shampoo product formula. Zhen Yao reposted this picture to help those interested in children’s shoes to deepen their understanding. The formula composition diagram is as follows:
From this picture, it can be clearly seen that the proportion of surfactants with cleansing effect in shampoo is about 10-20%, which is the most added ingredient except water. This point is actually well understood. The core function of shampoo is cleansing, and the amount of surfactants with cleansing effect should be the largest.
According to the types of surfactants in shampoo products, it can be divided into sulfate shampoos, sulfate-free shampoos and amino acid shampoos. For sulfates, most children’s shoes may not know what it is, but for SLE and SLES, those who know about cosmetics should be familiar with the common cleansing ingredients in facial cleansers.
Most of the shampoo products on the market, the core cleansing ingredients are “sulfate”. They are: lauryl alcohol sulfate sodium (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate), laureth sulfate sodium (Sodium Lauryl Ether Sulphonate); commonly known as “SLS” and “SLES”. There are other variations of this kind of ingredients, but these two are mostly used in the field of washing and care.
Characteristics of sulfate shampoo
SLS and SLES have strong cleaning power and can well remove the dirt on the scalp and hair; after washing, they are not as astringent as the soap base, and are relatively smooth; coupled with the low price of raw materials, it is beneficial to control product costs; they are widely used in shampoos In the product, it is not too much to say that it unifies the arena.
However, these two components have strong penetrating power and can enter the skin, combine with skin keratin, cause protein denaturation, peel off skin stratum corneum lipids, and cause the skin’s natural moisturizing factor (NMF) to dissolve. The scalp’s epidermal barrier function is weakened, which makes the scalp dry, sensitive, itchy, and even dandruff.
In addition, in the process of synthesizing these two components, dioxane may remain. Dioxane is irritating to the skin, eyes and respiratory system, and may cause damage to the liver, kidneys and nervous system. It is listed in the United States. Bit carcinogen. However, you don’t have to worry too much, as long as the content of washing products is less than 30ppm, it is still safe and will not affect the human body. Normally, there is no need to worry about dioxane residues for washing and care products from regular manufacturers.
Although both sodium laureth sulfate (SLS) and sodium laureth sulfate (SLES) are sulfates, their properties are different. SLES is already much milder than SLS, and it is not so irritating to the skin. If you are interested, you can take a look at your current shampoo, which is basically SLES. SLS is rarely used alone. It is often used in combination with SLES or other surfactants to reduce irritation.
Although surfactants such as sulfates are irritating to the skin, the irritation and side effects of sulfates can be reduced to a certain extent through compound ingredients and special production processes. After decades of polishing, the formula of sulfate shampoo has been relatively perfect, and the irritation to the skin has been minimal. For normal and healthy skin, don’t worry too much. In actual use, the shortcomings of sulfates are definitely not as exaggerated as advertised. Everyone should treat them rationally.
Sulfate and amino acid-free shampoo
In addition to sulphate, there are many other surfactants as detergent ingredients. Shampoo products that do not contain sulfate are collectively referred to as sulfate-free surfactants. Among them, shampoos with amino acid surfactants as the main cleaning ingredient are called amino acid shampoos.
Sulfate-free and amino acid-free shampoos were available many years ago, but they are generally more expensive, and most consumers’ spending power is not up to the point. They have not really been promoted. Only some international brands are promoting them, which belong to a niche market. In the past two years, with consumption upgrades, consumers have increasingly demanded shampoos, and sulfate- and amino acid-free shampoos have become popular.
Regarding amino acid surfactants, Zhen Yao has written an article about it, so I won’t repeat it here. In shampoo products, commonly used amino acid surfactants are: sodium methyl cocoyl taurate, TEA cocoyl glutamate, sodium lauroyl methyl aminopropionate, sodium cocoyl amphoteric acetate, Sodium lauroyl sarcosinate, sodium cocoyl glycinate, etc.
In addition to amino acid surfactants, there are some amphoteric surfactants and other surfactants, such as: C14-16 olefin sulfonate sodium, lauryl hydroxy sulfobetaine, cocamidopropyl betaine, lauroamide propyl Betaine, coco-based betaine, etc. Amphoteric surfactants are relatively mild, but have weak cleaning power, and are generally combined with other cleaning ingredients to achieve the best results.
Sulfate-free shampoos, especially amino acid shampoos, are mild in nature, less irritating to the skin, and high in safety. If the irritation is expressed by numbers, the irritation of SLS is 6.5, SLES is 3.5, TEA of cocoyl glutamate is 1.5, sodium cocoyl glutamate is 2.8, and methyl cocoyl taurate is 2.5.
Another advantage of amino acid surfactants is that they are easy to rinse, have a low residual amount on the skin surface, and are not easy to denature the protein in the scalp and hair, which is more conducive to maintaining a healthy scalp; it does not damage the structure of the hair and makes the hair healthier.
Of course, this type of shampoo is not all advantages. Compared with sulfate shampoo, the cleaning power is weaker. If you have particularly oily hair, using amino acid shampoo may feel unclean. In addition, amino acid surfactants have poor foaming ability and less foam when used. Consumers who are accustomed to rich foam may not like it.
Amino acid surfactants are generally more expensive, although some cheap cleaning ingredients will be added to reduce costs, but in general, they are still much more expensive than sulfate shampoos, especially for some international brands. The price is sulfate shampoo. Several times or even ten times as much.
Although amino acid surfactants are much milder than sulfates, in addition to surfactants, a shampoo also contains many other ingredients (refer to the formula diagram above). If the other compound ingredients are not well controlled, the skin will be irritated, and adverse reactions such as itching, dandruff, dry hair, and astringency will occur. To judge the characteristics of a product, a comprehensive analysis is still necessary, not just one ingredient.
Generally speaking, sulfate-free and amino acid-free shampoos are milder, less irritating, more friendly to the scalp and hair, and safer. If the hair is not so oily, or the scalp is more sensitive and does not feel expensive, you can try this type of shampoo. If you have particularly oily hair, you may feel that the amino acid shampoo is not clean, and the experience is not good. (Do you want to specifically analyze some amino acid shampoos? Are you interested?)
The 14 best sulfate-free shampoos for every hair type
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, SLS-These are all different ways of referring to sulfates, which are common ingredients in shampoos, toothpastes, laundry detergents and other cleaning products. Adding sulfates to the shampoo can help clean and remove oil from the scalp and hair strands, and provide a satisfactory foaming effect that many of us like.
Los Angeles dneighborhood salon hair stylist Fenorius said: “On the surface, sulfates don’t sound too bad.” After all, cleansing the hair and scalp is the main reason for shampooing, and sulfates also help to do this. So why do so many bottles proudly announce the “sulfate-free” ingredient list?
Basically, some experts say that sulfate cleans our hair too thoroughly. Dr. Debra Jaliman, a certified dermatologist by the New York City Council and assistant professor of dermatology at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, explained that in addition to removing oil and dirt, they “can also remove hair or scalp to help maintain health. Of natural oils and proteins”. The results of it? Norris said that his hair was dry and frizzy, and he compared it to old-fashioned lye soap instead of moisturizing shower gel. On the other hand, sulphate-free shampoos are gentle, but still provide all the cleansing your hair needs.
Dr. Jaliman said, not necessarily. She said that if you have never dyed your hair or have oily hair, then washing your hair with sulfates may not have much adverse effect on your scalp or hair.
Dr. Jaliman warned, however, if you have sensitive skin, you may find that sulfate is irritating. Nashville hair stylist Ashley Valdez said that sulfate should also be a no-no for anyone with dry, brittle, wavy or curly hair. “Sulphates will wash away the good natural oils and make curly hair frizzy and unmanageable. [They] have the same effect on people with very dry, fragile hair,” Valdez said. Norris said that if you dye your hair, sulfate is also problematic, because sulfate will fade the color faster.
If you want to avoid sulfates, you have many options. Here are 14 of the best sulphate-free shampoos for all hair types, from delicate to curly, and various beauty budgets.
splurge: If your hair is normal and you are looking for a daily shampoo, Norris recommends using Moroccan oil moisturizing shampoo. Norris said: “[, it is always delivered to me.” He pointed out that because the shampoo contains argan oil, it provides a lot of moisture.
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save: Looking for a cheaper option every day? Dr. Jaliman likes Aveno Pure Renewing Shampoo. She said that this sulphate-free shampoo will not be excessively peeled when cleaning the hair, and it is rich in vitamins, proteins and minerals, which is beneficial to hair health.
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Splurge: If you have curly or wavy hair, moisture is essential-if moisture is not injected, the curls will become frizzy or rough. Star hair stylist Felix Fisher recommends Briogeo Curl Charm Miamino Avocado Moisturizing Shampoo, saying that it will give you perfect curly and curly hair. It is infused with avocado oil and shea butter at the same time to provide the ultimate moisturizing experience.
save: Another moisturizing option for your curly hair is Garnier Gottes Curly Hair Nourishing Shampoo. Dr. Jaliman said: “It is rich in moisturizing oils such as coconut oil, jojoba oil and macadamia oil.”. She said: “If you continue to use this shampoo, you will find that its hair is stronger and not frizzy.”
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splurge: Avoid using pure moisturizing shampoos rich in antioxidants and sunscreens, as well as rose and green tea plant ingredients to remove color to help keep hair healthy. Dr. Jaliman certainly said: “This formula will not fade the treated hair.”
save: Valdez recommends Redken color extension magnets, which provide a more economical choice for colored hair. Valdez said: “This shampoo makes the color look more vibrant and longer lasting.” It also makes the hair soft and smooth, and amino acids help strengthen each hair.
Splurge: Try Le Labo Hinoki shampoo, New York City hair stylist Netty Jordan said, this is her favorite plant-based vegan, sulfate-free fine hair shampoo. Jordan said that this formula contains macadamia oil and plant ingredients that can moisturize, repair and strengthen the hair. Bonus: “[, highly concentrated, a little bit promising!”
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Rescue: With the help of L’Oreal Paris Hengqiang concentrated shampoo, let the soft hair shine. Rosemary helps plump and strengthen your mane, making it less prone to breakage.
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Splurge: Daily use of hair dryers, curling irons or straighteners can cause hair to become dry and over-processed. Come here to save people for a day? matrix Biolage KeratinDose shampoo happens to be one of Valdez’s favorites. Valdez said that the protein in keratin helps rebuild the protein structure of damaged hair. Over time, it will nourish the hair, make it stronger, and restore its natural luster.
save: Shea butter moisturizing shampoo contains ingredients such as kelp, argan oil and shea butter. These ingredients work together to rejuvenate fried, brittle hair and save money.
Splurge: If you have an inch-deep layer of curls on your head, or thick, coarse hair, then pick up Norris’s preferred hairstyle. Davis likes smooth hair. It provides moisture and nutrition through olive extract.
save: Giovanni’s smooth and silky deep moisturizing shampoo is a blend of kelp, aloe vera and fruit extracts. These extracts inject moisture into hard-to-tame hair.
Splurge: “The scalp that is prone to dandruff, eczema, and psoriasis needs herbal remedies,” said Julian Featherman, a hair stylist, owner of juju salone & organic in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In this work, she recommended John Masters’ Organic Zinc Sage Conditioner Shampoo, which uses two natural ingredients, zinc and sage, to help reduce itching and scales.
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Save: One of the best shampoos for preventing dandruff, Neutrogena T/Sal therapeutic shampoo for scalp accumulation control, and the benefits of being sulfate-free. The formula approved by dermatologists contains salicylic acid, which can exfoliate the scalp, break down excess oil, and help remove flakes from the scalp. One thing to note: Because it is a more demanding formula, it is not recommended for anyone with color-treated hair.
