Do you like the formation of foam and lather while you shampoo your hair? Have you ever considered using a shampoo that doesn’t lather? Well, it seems that foam isn’t that good for our hair after all. The market has been flooded with sulfate and paraben-free hair and beauty products for a while now. There’s an increasing attempt at spreading awareness against the usage of products containing sulfates. Ever wondered why? It’s because of the presence of sulfates like sodium lauryl sulfate in shampoos. Is sulfate bad for your hair? Scroll down to find out!
Why Is Sulfate Bad For Your Hair?
Sulfates have always been considered as important ingredients in shampoos and other hair products because of their ability to clean up the scalp and remove all the dead skin cells that get collected there.
They were considered to be an important addition to face washes as well due to the same. However, research shows that sulfate is bad for your hair. They do not just stop at cleansing the scalp or the skin but go on to strip the natural oils of the skin and hair. Sulfates were initially meant to reduce any sort of friction or irritation in the scalp. But, with time, it was found out that sulfates are bad for your hair because they end up doing exactly what they were meant to avert. When the natural oils are washed off, the scalp becomes itchy and dry, owing to a plethora of hair problems.
5 Reasons To Not Use Sulfate For Hair
Contact can be caused by using products containing sulfates. It makes the scalp itchy, flaky, and irritable. Contact Dermatitis does not happen to everyone and people with low levels of ceramides are more prone to the condition. Ceramides refer to a lipid molecule of our skin cells. However, shampoos with sulfates should be avoided even if you’ve not noticed any adverse effects on your hair and scalp.
It comes as no surprise that irritation and dryness of the scalp lead to hair loss. The itchiness caused by sulfates is the reason why we lose hair Every time you scratch your scalp, you’ll find hair tangled in your fingers. The weakening of hair with more and more production of dead skin now and then results in chronic hair fall issues.
Proteins are not just vital constituents of hair. It can be safely said that hair itself, entirely, is protein. About 91% of each of our strands or fibers consists of proteins and stripping off proteins can result in severe hair damage, even baldness. Are sulfates like sodium dodecyl sulfate bad for your hair? It has been proven to remove proteins from the hair and it’s time we shift to safer options to treat our hair.
Dry hair and scalp caused by sulfates make the hair strands dull and frizzy. The hair loses its shine due to the harshness of the sulfate shampoos.
If you have a colored mane, you should stay away from sulfates. If they can harm the inner layers of hair, it takes just 3-4 washes from them to wash off hair color.
Also, Read: Do’s And Don’ts To Retain Moisture In Hair
Sulfate-Free Shampoos
Here is a list of the most popular sulfate-free shampoos in India. These shampoos cost more than regular shampoos but they’re worth it. They repair the hair and keep it healthy without messing with its natural oils.
- Aveeno Active Naturals Pure Renewal Shampoo – Containing seaweed extracts, it is perfect for colored hair and adds a shine to the hair. Buy it here
- The Body Shop Rainforest Shine Shampoo – It is a sulfate, paraben, and silicone-free, gel-based shampoo and works fine for dry hair as well.
- St. Botanica Activated Charcoal Hair Shampoo – The benefits of activated charcoal are immense when it comes to skin and hair. It is infused with almond oil and olive oil as well. It regulates the pH level of the scalp. Buy it here.
- Wella Elements Renewing Shampoo – It replenishes the moisture of the hair and cures split ends. It also makes the hair soft and silky. Added advantage? It produces lather as well.
- OGX Hydrating+ Moroccon Argan Oil Shampoo – Frizz-reducing in nature, this shampoo contains the goodness of aloe vera, sugar cane, bamboo, and avocado. It is suitable for people with curls as it can add a definition to them. Get it here.
- Biotique Bio Green Apple Fresh Daily Purifying Shampoo – Containing Sea Algae, Centella, and extracts of green apple, it suits both normal and oily hair types. It soothes itchiness in the scalp and adds volume to hair. Buy it now.
- Giovanni Root 66 Max Volume Shampoo – Shampoos with fruit extracts work like magic on the scalp and rejuvenates it. Papaya, kiwi, mango, and kiwi extracts make up this shampoo along with soybean proteins. Use it on your hair regularly to get voluminous hair.
- Schwarzkopf Bonacure Color Freeze Shampoo – Other than preventing hair color from fading, it also helps protect the hair from the harmful UV rays of the sun. Get it now.
- Kerastase Discipline Bain Fluidealiste Smooth-In-Motion Shampoo – This shampoo has been created with Morpho-Keratin technology. It cancels out the frizz from the hair strands and makes the hair silkier and more elastic. Buy it here.
Conclusion
Is sulfate bad for your hair? Yes, and it should strictly be avoided. It does take time to come to terms with the fact that shampooing wouldn’t involve lather. But, in the long run, sulfate-free shampoos are the best for keeping your tresses healthy. The wide range of options that have been mentioned above are not just sulfate-free but have other uses as well. It’s going to be hard choosing the best one for yourself but once you do, you’ll start noticing differences in the way your hair behaves and appears. Are you ready to go through a hair transformation? Order a sulfate-free shampoo right away!
Also, read: Dilute Shampoo For Fabulous Hair