After a quick walk through the hair care isle at your local store, something caught your eye. In fact, you’re noticing it on more and more bottles of shampoo and conditioner: A sign or sticker on the bottle that says “SULFATE FREE”.
But what is a sulfate? Why is it important that your hair care products are sulfate free?
Sulfates are chemicals used as cleansing agents, and until recently, could be found in quite a lot of bottles of shampoo and conditioner. The two main types of sulfates used in hair care products are Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and Sodium Laureth Sulfate.
Sulfates are what turn your shampoo into a frothy white mass of bubbles, “perfect” for cleaning your hair. This helps lift grime, dirt and oil from the scalp, and easily washes away with water. Unfortunately, sulfates can also strip natural oils from the scalp and hair, leaving you with dry and brittle hair. In reality, sulfates are very harsh cleansers for your hair.
If you can avoid sulfates, it’s much better to do so effective immediately, especially if you have dry or frizzy hair. Sulfate-free shampoos and conditioners will maintain the natural oils on the scalp and hair, leaving you with more moisture and a softer overall feel. You’ll notice an immediate difference when you use a sulfate-free shampoo for the first time, though, as there is significantly less later, meaning you will need to do more of a rigorous massage on the scalp in order to get clean.
Two sulfate-free shampoos you should start using are lavender shampoo and charcoal shampoo.
Charcoal Shampoo
Charcoal shampoos are good for any hair type, as the active charcoal ingredient works at cleaning your hair from the root, lifting any unwanted dirt, chemicals and oil. With all that gunk gone, your pores truly open up and breathe. This will help strengthen and repair damage, leading to long and healthy hair.
Charcoal shampoos are also known for being a natural volumizer, and can make flat, limp hair feel fuller after the first use.
Lavender Shampoo
Whether you have oily, dry or combination hair, lavender shampoo gently cleanses from root to tip, and restores your hairs natural moisture. This sulfate free shampoo has special antimicrobial properties that help to increase blood circulation to the scalp, purify bacteria and control dandruff. Because there are no sulfates in lavender shampoo, it really helps revive dry, damaged and dehydrated hair.
For anyone with dry, fizzy hair, lavender shampoo is highly recommended as your first sulfate-free shampoo. Lavender shampoo is also a keratin shampoo, which binds with the hair to provide protein and help with dead or split ends. It will leave you with soft hair, adding a natural shine to your gorgeous locks.
Ultimately, if you have frizzy prone hair, coloured hair, damaged hair and/or coloured hair, it’s time to say goodbye to sulfate shampoos and conditioners. Most importantly, sulfate-free shampoos are also cruelty free shampoos, both for your hair and the environment. Consider swapping to a charcoal shampoo or lavender shampoo today!
This article is penned by Ally for Aquableu Shampoo and Conditioners. Aquableu has great variants to deal with any hair problems.