Sulfates, as chemicals used as cleansing agents, are found in household cleaners, detergents, and even shampoo. Two main types of sulfates are used in shampoo: sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and sodium laureth sulfate (SLES). The purpose of these sulfates is to create a lathering effect to remove oil and dirt from your hair. If your shampoo easily makes a lather in the shower, there’s a good chance it contains sulfates. Sulfate-free shampoos, on the other hand, make little to no lather.
Compared to other cleansing ingredients in shampoo, sulfates are said to have the deepest cleansing effects. They belong to a class of cleansers called anionic surfactants, which clean away substances. Sulfates are considered shampooing staples. Still, the use of sulfates in shampoo has been controversial in recent decades. Some people believe that sulfates can directly damage your health. Since shampoo is used daily in many cases, the thought is that this much exposure to sulfates can lead to serious risks. Sulfates were once perceived to be cancer-causing agents, but further scientific evidence debunked these claims. However, this doesn’t mean that sulfate-containing shampoo is safe or appropriate for everyone. It can be damaging to certain types of hair, and it may even cause skin irritation in some people.
It’s easy to think that if your facial cleanser, body wash, or shampoo isn’t sudsy, it’s not giving you an effective clean. But that’s far from the truth-and swapping to a shampoo without sulfate might be a good idea if you’re dealing with specific hair concerns. Fortunately, if you do decide to make the switch, you’ll have plenty of options to choose from: There are sulfate-free shampoos for nearly every hair type and texture, from fine, oily hair to dry, textured strands.
Sulfates are a group of cleaning agents commonly found in shampoos and other cleansing products. The two most common are sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and sodium laureth sulfate (SLES). Sulfates in shampoo work by attracting dirt and oil and helping to break down buildup on the scalp and strands, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
No, sulfates aren’t inherently bad. In fact, according to research published in the International Journal of Trichology, anionic surfactants like SLS and SLES are very good at removing oil and buildup from the hair and scalp. Still, swapping to a sulfate-free shampoo might be a good option if your hair is dry, brittle, or prone to breakage. These milder, gentler cleansers can help remove buildup without stripping your strands.
Read also: Comprehensive Guide to Gentle Shampoos
While sulfates aren’t necessarily bad for your scalp or strands, there are a number of reasons you may want to consider using a shampoo without sodium lauryl sulfate or sodium laureth sulfate.
Here are five reasons why you might consider switching to a sulfate-free shampoo:
The most common reason people switch to sulfate-free shampoos is to preserve their salon or DIY color. Sulfates, as mentioned, can be harsh on color and may cause your new hue to fade more quickly than you’d like. One of the favorite shampoos for color-treated hair is the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate-Free Bond Repair Shampoo. It’s formulated with citric acid and gently cleanses the hair while helping to reinforce it from the inside out (a major plus if you’re dealing with bleach damage). If you’re a blonde, swap in a sulfate-free purple shampoo, like the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate-Free Purple Shampoo, once weekly or as needed to help fight off brass. This violet-tinted cleanser instantly neutralizes unwanted warm tones and helps keep your blonde bright and vibrant.
By stripping away your hair’s natural oils, shampoos with sulfate can leave your hair frizzy and lackluster. To help keep frizz at bay, you may want to consider switching to a sulfate-free system. the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Glossing range, which features the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate-Free Glossing Shampoo, L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate-Free Glossing Conditioner, and the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate-Free Glossing 5-Min Lamination Hair Mask is a good option. When used as a system, the trio helps cleanse, moisturize, and smooth the hair while sealing the hair fibers. The result: Up to five days of glass-like shine-and hair that appears up to eight times smoother. It is recommended reaching for the system two to three times per week to keep your hair looking smooth and shiny.
Shampoos with sulfate can be useful if you have an oily scalp, but they might be too drying for those with dry hair. If you find that your mane feels rough and unmanageable after lathering up, you might want to switch to a sulfate-free shampoo and see how you fare. Look for a hydrating formula, such as the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate-Free Moisture Shampoo. The gentle formula cleanses without stripping the hair, leaving your strands soft, shiny, and healthy-looking. Make sure to apply conditioner after lathering up to help lock in moisture-the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate-Free Moisture Conditioner, which helps deeply replenish dry, color-treated hair is a good choice
Read also: Benefits of Innersense Shampoo
Given their ability to remove dirt, oil, and other residue, it’d be easy to assume that clarifying shampoos have to contain sulfates to be effective. That’s not the case-it’s totally possible to get a deep clean with a sulfate-free shampoo, too. One of the top picks to refresh the scalp and strands is the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate-Free Clarifying Shampoo. It’s made with vitamin C and glycine and helps remove product buildup and hard water residue without stripping your strands of essential moisture. One of the biggest perks of this mild formula is that, unlike many clarifying shampoos, this option is totally color-safe-so you don’t have to worry about it affecting your color.
Those with dry or color-treated hair aren’t the only ones who can benefit from adding a sulfate-free shampoo to their routine-as mentioned earlier, there are formulas for virtually every hair type and concern. If you have fine hair and aren’t sure whether a sulfate-free pick will work as well as a shampoo with sulfate, the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Volume Sulfate-Free Shampoo is a good option. It’s formulated with lotus flower root and gently cleanses the hair while instantly helping to add body and fullness (without any unwanted weight).
Walking down the personal care aisle at the supermarket, one might justifiably conclude that sulfates are an ingredient to avoid in shampoos. The sulfate-free shampoo movement has been gaining popularity for at least two decades, and yet sulfates are key for the shampoo’s cleaning ability.
Current scientific consensus says that sulfates aren't inherently bad. A surfactant molecule looks like a tadpole, with a head that is soluble in water and a fatty tail which isn’t. Many of these oily deposits are due to sebum, a natural substance produced by a gland at the root of the hair that keeps it lubricated - but also makes hair look greasy as it builds up. Hotter water reduces the surface tension between the oils and the water, so more will maybe dissolve a bit if you scrub really hard. But, much like with oil on a plate, the result of just hot water is never perfect.
While surfactants are good at removing sebum, they cannot distinguish sebum from the protective lipids in your hair lengths, so they can remove them too. It’s possible that after several weeks of not using shampoo and putting up with greasy-looking hair, sebum would eventually spread through the hair and find its own balance. However, other deposits from styling products or external pollution (which water or vinegar are no better at removing) would still build up and get trapped in the sebum.
Read also: Natural Haircare with Mermaid Dry Shampoo
Still, not all surfactants are sulfate-based, so does it make sense to choose sulfate-free shampoos? Nowadays, shampoo formulations choose the right combination of sulfates with other surfactants to achieve the desired cleaning effect without damaging the skin. You can formulate a sulfate-containing shampoo to actually be gentler than a non-sulfate-containing shampoo. A possible factor behind the movement towards avoiding products in general might come from apps which scan lists of ingredients and highlight supposedly harmful ones. Those apps are very one-dimensional: if it’s in there, it’s bad; if it’s not in there, it’s good.
Next on shampoo makers’ to-do list is to become more environmentally sustainable. Other research showed that a biodegradable ingredient which was previously found not to work well might be effective in a different formulation. That is why fine-grained research is needed in order to understand how best to formulate shampoo to achieve the desired effects at the least environmental and economic cost.
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