Sulphate Shampoo and why it's bad for your hair!

So recently I've been doing a lot of research into hair care and what is good for your hair and what doesn't help as much as we are taught to think it does by big marketing companies.
The one thing that kept popping up?
Sulphate
What is sulphate? Why is it so widely used? Why is it bad for my hair?

I'm going to answer these questions for you right now!

What is sulphate?
Sulphate is salt.
The most common sulphate in shampoo is Sodium Laureth Sulfate.
This is a detergent which is used for it's emulsifying (foaming) properties.
Other forms of sulphate are used to make products such as batteries and plaster.
Already you're getting the feeling that it's bad for you?


Why is it used in so many products?
Quite frankly, it's cheap!
It's the cheapest foaming agent on the market today and we all know that
cheap raw materials = more profit for the big wigs!
It's not only found in shampoo but body wash, soap and washing up liquid.

Do we need sulphate in our shampoo?
No. It is not essential for our shampoo to lather up to get a good clean. That is the only job of sulphate and it's unnecessary.
It is something we have been conned into believing by advertisers.
But on the bottle it says 'lather, rinse, repeat'.
Yes it does but we all know that washing your hair once is fine (twice is about the maximum amount of times you should shampoo your hair each time you wash it).
But they still say 'repeat' - we all know that's a scam to get you to use your shampoo up quicker and buy more!

Why is it bad for my hair?
Sulphate dries out your hair.
If you're a sufferer of dry frizzy hair then maybe a sulphate shampoo is one of the biggest contributor to your problems?
Sulphates are also irritants.
They have been know to irritate your scalp if you are prone to dandruff of eczema.

So what are the alternatives?
Sulphate free shampoos are available but you just have to look about a bit for some of them!
Here is a list of sulphate free shampoo's I've found:

• Pureology – All Shampoos sulfate free
• John Masters Organics
• Jonathon Product – Green Rootine Shampoo
• Kiss My Face – Miss Treated Shampoo
• AG Hair Cosmetics – Color Savour Sulfate free Shampoo
• DS Laboratories – Revita Hair Growth Shampoo
• Samy Salon Systems – Fat Hair Sulfate free
• L'Oreal – Everstrong Reconstructing Shampoo
• RedKen – Nature's Rescue Detox Shampoo

Sulphate free:

Not sulphate free:

I hope this post has been of some help to you! What are your thoughts on sulphate in shampoo and do you use any sulphate free products?

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