Everything you need to know about sulphates, here's your scoop on sulphate-free shampoo.
As consumers are becoming more and more aware of the kinds of ingredients in beauty products and what they actually do, our goal is, and always will be, to educate and empower our customers so they can make more informed choices.
In this article, we discuss all there is to know about sulphates, why they are in everyday shampoos, and why you might want to avoid them.
What are sulphates?
Sulphates (referred to as SLS) are commonly used in shampoos as the chemical detergent agent, two main types are Sodium Lauryl Sulphate and Sodium Laureth Sulphate.
Sulphates are very good at getting rid of dirt and breaking down oil in hair and are responsible for the foamy lather that we expect in our shampoos.
Why are sulphates bad?
The downside is that Sulphates can also strip the hair of its own moisture and natural oils, over time making hair dry, damaged and brittle.
This can also lead to the scalp over producing oil in an effort to re moisturise the scalp layer. This means hair becomes more oily/greasy quicker and means we need to wash our hair more often and so the cycle goes. Removing more and more natural moisture from the hair and scalp.
Some people may prefer shampoos containing sulphates if they wish to have very clean hair, however I advise my clients that this is more of a marketing idea that we as consumers have developed, the idea that hair needs to be "squeaky clean" for example is not entirely correct. That squeaky feeling is as a result of the Lipid layer (the hairs natural oils and protective barrier) being removed.
Sulphate free shampoos have to use alternative cleansing agents. In the last few years since the shift to sulphate free alternatives had begun, brands have struggled to create sulphate free versions of their shampoos that live up to expectation with people complaining about the performance and the lather not being 'foamy' enough. One important thing to remember is that the nature of the lather doesn't necessarily result in more or less clean hair, however it has a big part to play in our perceived experience of a shampoos quality.
If you colour your hair, you have good reason to throw out your shampoo if it contains sulphates as they are proven to strip colour out of hair quicker, meaning faster colour fade on that expensive salon service you just had and shortening the time before you need to visit the salon again. That goes for Keratin treatments too.
'Daily Calma' Sulphate free shampoo
When we developed our Daily Calma Shampoo we knew we wanted it to be sulphate free from the get go but what we were determined to do was create a sulphate free version with a lather as good as if not better than sulphate included shampoos. At the time, Laura's hair was very dry and brittle, we had shifted to using sulphate free shampoos but Laura really wasn't happy with the experience of the products.
The active cleaning agents in our Daily Calma Shampoo are derived from coconut, meaning the formula is completely sulphate free. The best thing is the lather develops in to a rich luxurious foam with an amazing fragrance so experientially its fantastic.
Our expert Advice to you
My advice to my clients is always, 'Invest in good quality Shampoo'. If there is one product in your hair care routine worth investing in it is high quality shampoo. Cheap shampoo strips the hair of moisture and often uses another murky chemical to hide the damage, Silicones! Silicones are a whole different topic of their own I will cover in another blog however, in a nut shell, Silicones coat the hair in a kind of cling film, making the hair appear 'shiny' yet in reality, as they build up over time this stops the hair getting any real nutrition, even from conditioner, leading to further damage, but hey, thats when they can just sell you a big tub of repair masque right?!
We have developed the CENTRED range to take care of hair from the inside out. Not only is our Daily Calma Shampoo Sulphate and Silicone free, it is packed full of hair health boosting super ingredients including Amino Acid Proteins that promote strength and natural shine by repairing the hair structure, helping to protect from future damage. As the name suggests, we created a blend with a calming effect, Orange Blossom Water is a moisture boosting addition while Aloe Vera and Chamomile are very soothing for scalp health too.
In addition to our Daily Calma Cleanser, we have developed our En-Root Scalp Detoxifying Treatment. Which if used once a week, will maintain a healthy scalp, essential for producing strong hair growth. Keep an eye out for my blog post on Scalp Health, coming soon, where I'll explain why you should be exfoliating your scalp for healthy hair.
In summary, its worth looking at your shampoo and checking it for sulphates if you have any concerns with dryness, damage, colour fade or you just want to make sure your doing everything you can to achieve healthy hair. As poor shampoos can do a lot of damage, it is really worth the investment in buying a good quality shampoo. High quality shampoo's are much kinder to hair and in the case of our Daily Calma shampoo, much higher concentrated so you don't need to use as much of the product to get great results meaning the product will last longer, saving your hair, and your wallet long term.
Take care washing your hair, please get in touch if you have any questions, make sure you are following us @wearecentred to keep up to date.
