What to expect when you transition to Sulphate and Silicone free products

You may have heard about Sulphates and Silicones but why are experts suggesting that their clients should avoid the ingredients and what should you expect when changing to Sulphate and Silicone free? The first thing to note is that like any new product you introduce to your routine, you need to allow it some time to work. It is not really possible to judge a product based on its first use especially those designed to improve the hairs health as this will take some time for the ingredients to work. 

Sulphates 

 

Sulphates are the chemical cleansing agents found in cleaning products and shampoo. Their purpose is to remove dirt and they also help to create the lather that we are all used to however, the downside is that they are quite harsh and can often strip the hair and scalp of moisture, leaving hair dry and brittle and the scalp irritated over time.

 

What to expect from Sulphate free? 

Like any transitional period, you may need to have a little bit of patience at first but the trade off will be well worth it long term. You may notice at first using Sulphate free shampoo that the lather isn't quite as foamy and you don't get that 'squeaky clean' feeling. The important thing to remember here is that the 'Squeaky clean' feeling is not good for the hair, as this is usually due to the fact that Sulphates remove natural oils from the hair and scalp as well as dirt. Sulphate free alternatives are generally much more gentle and kind to the hair and scalp in the cleansing process. Fortunately we developed our Daily Calma Shampoo to be fully Sulphate free and instead use a coconut derivative as the main cleansing agent which is not only a much more gentle alternative, protecting the hair and scalp's natural oils but has moisturising properties too. The main benefits of using Sulphate free shampoo long term are that the hair will be softer, more moisturised and manageable. Hair colour will last longer and be more radiant and shiny and the scalp will be less irritated with normalised moisture levels and less prone to greasiness.

Silicones

Here's the thing about Silicones, in the short term they have many known immediate cosmetic benefits including making the hair 'feel' soft, appear silky and shiny as well as making the hair look fuller. As a professional hair stylist my honest opinion of conditioning products with Silicones is that they can be useful, particularly for emergencies as they have such cosmetic powers they can be very useful for quickly taming frizz when in a hurry for a date or zoom meeting however I always advise my clients that they be viewed as a kind of band aid, short term solution as using them long term can have very adverse affects, here's why.

Silicones belong to a broad range of ingredients and have a polymer, film kind of effect on hair. The problem with this is that they can really build up on hair strand, especially as so many hair products contain them and over time this build up/coating stops any real nutrients from being absorbed by the hair meaning it becomes dry, damaged and brittle.  

What to expect from Silicone free products

At first you may find that your hair does't have that immediate 'silky' feel as Silicones really help add 'slip' to hair but remember this is only because Silicones are a great masking agent, hiding what is underneath. The long term benefit however is that you can actual begin to improve the health and condition of the hair structure at its inner core and in doing so over time your hair will start to become more naturally shiny and soft due to being well nourished. Because we are a hair health company at CENTRED, we will never use Silicones in our products as our focus is on the hair and scalps quality and integrity.

The take aways

In my honest opinion I would strongly suggest to switch to Sulphate free shampoo. The long term benefits for the hair and scalp health far outweigh the potential experiential differences you may come across however as I said earlier, the lather created by our Daily Calma Shampoo is equal to if not better than any sulphate heavy shampoo's out there. Silicones have their purpose, now and again they can be useful for making hair look glossy however long term they can begin to coat the hair, weighing it down and causing it to suffer internally by starving it of nutrients. I would highly recommend avoiding daily conditioner with Silicones as this will no doubt result in build up long term. Our Daily Calma Conditioner Is completely Silicone free and instead focuses on rebuilding damaged hair from the inside out with Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Jojoba Oil and Squalene. With any transitional period a little patience is needed but keep in mind the long term hair health benefits you will be working towards.

We hope this blog post has been useful. For any questions don't hesitate to get in touch at hello@wearecentred.com