I have long been confused about why some of us think that sulfate shampoo is so bad for our hair, while sulfate-free shampoo is not. Your hair needs a good balance of oil in order to stay healthy and shiny. The natural oil that coats the hair is called sebum. Now think of your hair as a cotton ball. It collects dirt, humidity, minerals, and so on. When your hair gets oily, it is easier for dirt and other nasties to stick to it. That’s when you need to decide whether you should use a sulfate or sulfate-free shampoo to wash your hair.
How To Decide If Your Hair Needs A Sulfate Or Sulfate-Free Shampoo
Shampoo’s primary job is to cleanse the hair. And the main ingredient that makes a shampoo a shampoo is the sulfate. Yes. The thing that some of us have been trying to stay away from. A shampoo without sulfate is like key lime pie without the lime. The good lather that you get when washing your hair comes from the sulfate in your shampoo. In other words, if you get rid of all the sulfates in the shampoo, your hair will not get clean. And if the oils and dirt are not removed from the hair and scalp, you can get too much oil and skin buildup from the natural sebum, which can lead to dandruff, other bacteria, and scalp infection.
Sulfate vs. Sulfate-free shampoo
The beauty industry or the market classifies shampoo into two categories: Sulfate & Sulfate-free. A sulfate shampoo contains stronger sulfates and cleanse the hair thoroughly and lathers well. They also get rid of buildup from styling products usage and the environment. But this kind of shampoo can over cleanse certain hair types when used daily.
The sulfate-free category uses milder sulfates. These shampoos lather well, but gently cleanse the hair and scalp. Also, they don’t always remove buildup caused by styling products that contain heavy silicones and pollutants from the environment. With that said, these shampoos are great for not stripping the hair of its natural oils and drying it out.
Does your hair needs sulfate or sulfate-free shampoo? That is the question!
According to MILADY: book of cosmetology, you should use a sulfate-free shampoo if you shampoo your hair daily. But you should also use a sulfate shampoo at least twice a month to clarify your scalp. If you have fine and oily hair and you wash your hair every few days, you should use a sulfate shampoo. And if you are not sure what your hair type is, you can always ask your stylist.
Reference: Milady: Book of Cosmetology
This post is so helpful Nerline! I typically use Sulfate Free shampoos since my hair can feel dry. I think that it’s good to switch the two up. I’m going to try using a Sulfate shampoo twice a month!
Author
You really should. We do need both.
Great information!!! I guess I should be using a sulfate shampoo primarily. I use both, because I often buy shamoo that on clearance. I don’t have a loyalty to one brand of shampoo. But I’ll keep this info in mind when buying shampoo.
Author
I don’t have loyalty to any shampoo either. Switching back and forth is a good idea.
I think I must go with sulphate shampoo, nice article.
Author
Thank you
Great post and tips here, thanks for sharing.
http://www.thestylegalaxy.com/
Author
Thanks dear. I am glad it was helpful.
Thanks for sharing this Nerline. I cut my hair like two weeks ago so I wash my hair almost everyday now. It is good to know about what shampoo to use if you wash daily.
Author
I cut my hair too. And it’s been softer now that I use less shampoo. Thank hun.
Thank you for the education sis. I wash my hair every weekend and to be honest I haven’t checked my shampoo whether it is sulfate or sulfate free. Definitely checking from now. 🙂
https://www.missymayification.co.uk
Author
You are welcome doll. Muah!
Great info and tips Nerline, thanks for sharing!
Kisses, Paola.
Expressyourself
Author
Thanks doll!
Great Article, I have always heard not washing your hair for a couple days does your hair good. I love the fact that you described both scenarios of shampoos as well as which one to use for the amount of days you go without washing. Thank you for the great information!
This post was so useful to me because I had always seen the word and never even knew what it meant. I guess as I am someone who washes my hair around every 3-4 weeks, sulfrate is key.
Thankyou again & take care
Monique // http://www.moniquejacobs.com
Hi Nerline! I’ve had alopecia for almost 20 years and as a result have tried lots of hair-care products. Some have sulfates, others don’t. Nioxin actually worked quite well for me in the past but I’ve only recently found out that it’s full of both sulfates and parabens! I’d been warned off these but like you say, maybe they’re not such a bad thing?! In any case, I’ve been using an organic, sulfate-free shampoo called JASON (with biotin) for the past 4 months and have had had a noticeable improvement in hair growth. Maybe it’s all about finding what’s right for each individual. And thanks for starting the conversation about this! 🙂