Sulfate-Free: Fad or Truth?

I love having this discussion because ingredients are one of my favorite things to research! I can seriously nerd out for hours on this topic so let me get started on telling you a little about sulfates!

What the heck are sulfates?

The definition of “sulfates” is a chemical found in cosmetics known for its detoxifying and cleansing properties. There are many different names for sulfates such as Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, etc. These types of sulfates are used in many Professional and Non-Professional shampoos [and Facial Care items] to help you remove dirt and oils from your hair. There are also many different types of sulfates and some can be harsher than others. Bottom line, sulfates create the bubbles in the shampoo that we all love to see!

So what’s the deal, should I be terrified of sulfates?

ABSOLUTELY NOT! Now I know I am going to get so many comments and questions about my stance but let me enlighten you a little bit!
As mentioned above, there are many different levels of sulfates some being harsher than others. Harsh sulfates will completely strip your hair removing any color and moisture, can cause some irritations and creates tons of bubbles! Over the course of the last 10 years, many consumers were becoming more aware about what they put in and use on their body. One of the first things that popped up during this time were sulfates, and of course so many companies jumped on this and created shampoos we know as “Sulfate-Free”.

Now this is my favorite part and guess what guys? Sulfate-free shampoos have sulfates in them! In fact I found more details on this from a wonderful website that includes an entire Ingredient Dictionary. I have included this site in the link above. Please feel free to research all your ingredients there for more information!

To the left I have attached two images of claims and ingredients that I screenshotted from my phone earlier this week. Now I love Amika Hair Care and I am not by any means putting their products down [I mean I carry them in Sugar Plum], but I want to show you what I mean. Both images were taken from the description of the Amika Velveteen Shampoo on their website.

As you can see in the first image they claim to be “Sulfate-Free, Paraben Free, Gluten Free, etc.” Then if you scroll down to the second image you’ll see a list of ingredients which include: Sodium Lauryl Sarcosinate, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate. All of these ingredients are forms of milder sulfates used to cleanse the scalp and hair. Notice I say “mild” which means they will be softer to the hair by not stripping it of moisture or color, create irritations and you most likely will see minimal sudsing when your washing. Not seeing these suds [bubbles] does not mean you have dirty hair, it simply means that you have one more step, just add water! Yes, apply your concentrated shampoo to the areas you need to wash and dunk your head back under that shower head, VOILA BUBBLES!

So are sulfates really that bad for you? Based on the information I’ve gathered from Sulfate and Sulfate-Free shampoos and finding that even Sulfate-free shampoos have them, I don’t believe so. However, I do believe that it’s important to know why you would want, or need, to purchase a Sulfate-Free shampoo!

So what’s the bottom line?

Sulfate-Free, like anything else, is all a preference and if you prefer these types of shampoos then I am all for it! I am not going to sit here writing to you and tell you that sulfate-free is all B.S. and it doesn’t really matter whether you decided to use it or not. Sulfates, similar to Gluten, can totally be something that an individual person may have reactions to, while others do not. For example, some people have claimed to have developed irritations on their scalp and skin due to the harshness of sulfates in their shampoos or facial care. So listen to your body, it knows best and will tell you when you need to switch things up!

I hope that this article has enlightened you a bit more on how important it is to research and look up those ingredients we use in our everyday products, and really understand why we are purchasing a product that everyone says we should own! I’d love to know your thoughts on this weeks blog, so please leave me a comment below.

xoxo,

Shelby Alexandra