Sulfate and Sulfate free
If you look for sulfates on the web you can find thousands of posts with reasons not to use shampoos with sulfates in them. Most of these posts are started by folks that have some sort of reaction to sulfates, eczema, rashes and loss of hair etc. I would give you this as an example when I go into the sun I put on lots of sun block because I burn very easy, but my brother doesn’t use it and he never burns. Some people will be more susceptible to the effects of sulfates than others, as I am more susceptible to a sunburn than my brother is.
Sulfates are the primary detergents that make shampoos, body washes and other cleansers, clean and foam.
I read in a report by the JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF TOXICOLOGY Volume 2. Number 7, 1983 where they fed sulfates to rats and the rats showed no observable abnormalities.
This following study was used to determine if sulfates had an effect on patients with mouth ulcers, it is reported that there was not any difference between patients that used sulfates and ones that did not. The effect of a sodium lauryl sulfate-free dentifrice on patients with recurrent oral ulceration.
I don’t leave shampoo on my hair for an extended period of time nor do I ingest it.
If you use shampoo as directed most will never have adverse reactions to sulfates (my opinion). I do believe however that it cannot hurt to change your routine, I don’t think that 365 days of the same thing is good in any aspect of your hairs life. Again, this is my opinion. I truly believe that some peoples hair may be more susceptible to breakage or loss and their skin might be more apt to break out from the use of sulfates.
Now let’s talk about the sulfate free shampoos and hair products. This is the direction that most professional hair shampoos and products are leaning towards. They are less damaging to color treated hair and seem to be less invasive than the sulfate based shampoos on the market right now. Yes, sulfate free formulas will still clean and no, they’re not more dangerous. In fact, if anything, they’re a bit milder to your skin and eyes.
One of the most important decisions to make is which brand should I use? Everyone will have an opinion on this subject. My suggestion is to try numerous brands for a couple of weeks at a time. While you are going thru this process, your hair will probably feel different than when you were using detergent based shampoos. Remember that without the sulfates, your hair will remain hydrated and keep some of its natural oils.
We here at Stuff4Beauty has many good brand name products to choose from. I don’t think you can go wrong with Pureology sulfate free shampoos. Pureology pioneered sulfate free and salt free shampoos that they claim revolutionized the industry. We also are very impressed with the feedback we get from users of Pravana, and Aquage. Both products had nothing but good reviews.
So in closing, I will put it this way, if you think that sulfates are damaging your hair or you are having other side effects, than give sulfate free shampoos a try. If your happy with the way things are going with the shampoo your using then continue on keeping in mind that a sulfate free shampoo is not going to hurt your hair.
If for any reason you still have questions please fill out our free Professional Hair Product Recommendation Form.
As always,
Take care of your hair,
Stuff4Beauty