A good number of hair products are marketed with the “sulphate-free” label. Hair companies promote sulphate-free shampoos as ‘better’ products for you hair as opposed to other clarifying shampoos. However, your hair can probably benefit from both types of shampoo.
Sulphates are the ingredients in shampoos that make them lather and foam. They are a type of surfactant used in detergents, dishwashing liquid and other foaming agents. Sulphates attract both oil and water, which helps to remove grease and the dead skin from the scalp.
A clarifying shampoo with sulphate will have sodium lauryl sulphate. Sodium laureth sulphate, ammonium lauryl sulphate or ammonium laureth sulphate. The shampoos are best to remove stubborn dirt and cleanse greasy hair.
Moreover, shampoos with sulphate strip the hair and scalp of natural oils, which can lead to dry and brittle hair. Sulphates can also cause irritation on sensitive scalps. This is why sulphate-free shampoos might be a better alternative for certain hair types.
If you dye, dry or frizzy your hair, you should use sulphate- free shampoos more. This is because sulphate-free shampoos help to retain moisture and colour and are not as harsh as sulphate shampoos. Sulphate has the tendency to be too harsh on colour-treated hair. People with sensitive scalps will also benefit from sulphate-free shampoos. The occurrence of itchiness and scalp irritation will reduce when sulphate is absent from sensitive scalps.
It is important to note that sulphate-free shampoos do not lather as much as shampoos with sulphate. As stated earlier, sulphates help the shampoo lather and foam. In addition, sulphate-free shampoos might require longer and more intense massages on the scalp because they are milder than other shampoos (but they certainly cleanse)
Therefore, if you are trying to maintain moisture while cleansing, include a sulphate-free shampoo to your washday. Use sulphate-free regularly for cleansing and your clarifying sulphate shampoo occasionally to get rid of stubborn dirt.
– Accelerate TV