Sulfates Are Making Your Hair Drab - Here's Why

Uncategorized May 01, 2023

Sulfates are making your hair drab - here’s why.

First off, sulfates do work! Didn’t expect me to start with that did you?

But of course they do. It would be a true shame if they didn’t - considering that IS their WHOLE purpose… to STRIP! Thinking about my hair and scalp being stripped puts a shiver down my spine. We want our hair & scalp clean, not depleted of all its nutrients/proteins - not to mention color. ): 

Sulfates are one heck of a cleansing agent but are not picky about what they are “cleaning” out. If you have ever noticed your hair getting oily within a day of showering, your shampoo may contain sulfates. Sulfates are a strong detergent and foaming agent that create an intense lather but strips your hair of its good natural oils which can lead to a dry and itchy scalp that now begins to OVER produce the natural oils essentially out of fear of being scrubbed away again. Your body knows your scalp and hair need those nutrients to stay strong and will do anything to make sure the oil is there! While switching over to sulfate free can be an adjustment, overtime, your body will go out of fight or flight and oil production will begin to stabilize and become more manageable.

“But my scalp is SUPER oily, I NEED that strong detergent!”

Lucky for you, we have options. You can try a Clarifying Gel or Oil, Scalp Scrub, Detox Mask, or Detox Shampoo to use before continuing on with your sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner.

Also, always be sure to double shampoo regardless of if your scalp is extra oily or not. The first shampoo gets off some but not all the buildup. The second shampoo is where the magic happens.

If you feel like your hair is dry and brittle at the ends, take a look at the back of your bottles and check for sulfates. Lucky for us, sulfates, unlike parabens, are typically higher on the ingredients list which means they are harder to camouflage with another name. Oftentimes it can appear as; sodium lauryl sulfate, ammonium lauryl sulfate, or sodium laureth sulfate.

If that wasn't enough for you to make the switch, let's dive deeper.

Studies have found that sulfates break down proteins which can lead to a cellular degenerative effect. Rita de Cassia Comis Wagner & Ines Joekes conducted a study on sodium dodecyl sulfate and its effect on 3 different hair types. They found that if your hair is already damaged (ie. color treated, heat damage, split ends, dry hair, etc) you have a higher loss of protein when using sulfate products. They’re data concludes that within a year, after daily or often shampooing at room temperature water - boiling hot will just add more damage ): - will cause your ends to become translucent and tangly fairly easily due to the cuticle layers being continually removed without time to rebuild and repair. Your hair is made of protein, a little over 90% of your hair is protein and the rest is other nutrients. So when the protein within your hair strand is damaged, since it makes up a majority, the overall appearance and strength is really negatively affected.

Sulfates aren’t a good friend to us. Especially if you have weak or fine hair, color treated hair, curly or dry hair, sensitive skin (especially with any history of eczema¹ or rosacea²). Let’s think of it as hairsurance. It’s better to be safe than sorry. Similar to aluminum in deodorant, we’d rather err on the side of caution.

Don’t worry, it’s becoming easier to find a brand that works for us and we can trust. There are so many amazing alternatives out there, however, be weary of faulty labeling and greenwashing. It’s hard to know what you're looking to avoid on a label, and you don’t have to know it all, you can now download an app like Switch Natural, or visit a website like Think Dirty, or EWG.org to double check what’s REALLY hiding behind that label. Don't want to second guess, here are some of my favorite sulfate free companies:

Innersense**

OWAY**

All Nutrient**

R+Co

Abyssian

Super Oily friends, I got you:

Innersense True Enlightenment Scalp Scrub**: Pre-cleanse exfoliant that will gently remove any impurities while keeping the scalp hydrated and stimulated with a peppermint oil and tea tree oil combo.

Innersense Detox Mask**: Pre-cleanse clarifying treatment that removes buildup without stripping the hair of its natural oils.

OWAY Hydro Balance Scalp Gel: Perfect for oily scalps, helps refresh the hair and helps control oil production through counteracting the presence of lactic acid.

OWAY Amazonian Control Clay Mask: Detoxifying scalp treatment, will remove excess sebum and any impurities on the scalp. 

It doesn’t have to be hard, and Clean Beauty Pro is here to help you and your clients on your clean journey!

- Brooke Richmond (@book.with.brooke_)

** currently use in salon at Clean Beauty Boutique

1 eczema : dermatitis - dry itchy skin patches

2 rosacea : inflammatory skin condition, reddened skin, commonly on nose and cheeks

Close

Become a Clean Beauty Artist

Join our newsletter and receiveĀ a free Clean Beauty cheat sheet!