Sulfates
Get the low-down on Sulfate-Free products. What’s all the hype? What’s a sulfate? Here’s what you should know before you splurge for Sulfate-Free!
What’s A Sulfate
Sulfates are made up of mineral salts containing sulfur that cause your cleansing products – i.e. shampoo, toothpaste, face wash, laundry detergent, and dish soap – to sud up and lather. They attract and cling oil and dirt to water to effectively lift and rinse grime away. While this is a powerful cleansing process necessary for the scalp, it can be damaging for hair by stripping away the good with the bad and leaving the hair exposed.
The worry is that protective oils, lipids, and other healthy substances may also get stripped away from hair with sulfates. If sulfates are a part of your everyday hair shampoo, the hair cortex and your hair follicles are left open to damage and potential irritation that can lead to bigger inflammatory issues. While it’s true that sulfates can be a bit too aggressive for your normal shampoo and hair products, sulfates are helpful for occasional deep scalp treatments and are not so irritating if the treatment gets rinsed away.
Sulfate Secrets
All in all, unless they are irritating you scalp or drying out your hair, sulfates may not be a huge concern. For those with dyed or very curly hair though, sulfate-free products are worth the splurge. The harshness of sulfates would be strong enough to strip color from color-treated hair, so color will last longer with sulfate-free cleansers. Sulfates may also strip curly hair too much of its natural oils needed to maintain moisture and keep away frizz.
Here’s the bigger sulfate secret! While products with sulfates may be too harsh for some, the majority of sulfate-free products on the market are not much better!! Many companies only replace sulfates with chemical substitutes that do similar damage. Read those labels! Be on the lookout for chemical additives with names that pair ‘sodium’ and ‘sulf’ (for example: Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS), Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES), Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate, Sodium Lauroyl Isoethionate, Sodium Lauroyl Taurate, Sodium Cocoyl Isoethionate, Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isoethionate, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate).
Gentle Hair Care
SOCAH HAIR Product Formula 1&2 are a gentle scalp treatment that allow the cleansing necessary to remove build-up that causes dry, flaky, itchy scalp. This particular formula will cleanse the scalp effectively without over drying or harming the hair. You can even use your favorite shampoo and conditioner afterwards! When selecting a shampoo and conditioner set for your regular hair wash days, look for other gentle products with less harsh surfactants (such as: Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Lauryl Glucoside, Coco Glucoside, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, & Disodium Lauroamphodiacetate).