How Sulfate-Free Shampoos Are Actually Saving Your Strands

Everyone wants their hair looking and feeling great, but keeping up with all the hair trends can exist can be exhausting. The latest buzz has been around using sulfate-free shampoos. However, sulfate-free shampoos have become increasingly popular for all the right reasons.

They offer amazing cleansing results without drying out your hair and damaging it. Here we’ll explore how sulfate-free shampoos are actually saving your strands.

What are sulfates anyway?

Simply put, sulfates are cleaning agents (surfactants) put in shampoos to remove dirt and oil from our scalp due to their high foaming qualities when mixed with water. Commonly used sulfates include and are not limited to sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate and ammonium laureth sulfate.

While these salts are great for their lathering and cleansing effects, they strip away the natural oils from your hair and scalp, making them dry and fragile over time. Conditions like this are not ideal for having healthy locks of hair.

What’s more, if you’ve got hair that’s naturally curly or coily, aka hair that’s more prone to drying, using a shampoo with sulfates could increase the dryness and frizziness. People with sensitive scalps or conditions like eczema or psoriasis could worsen their conditions with itching and flaking after using a sulfate shampoo.

Additionally, if you’ve got dyed or chemically treated hair, using a shampoo containing sulfates can be damaging to the hair and can strip the color from dyed hair more quickly.

Benefits of sulfate-free shampoo

Now onto what makes these sulfate-free formulations better for your strands. 

• Moisture retention

For starters, they help you retain the moisture in your hair so you can have it feeling soft without losing any of its natural shine. If you’ve got low porosity hair, that is, your hair doesn’t easily retain moisture, this can be a blessing for you. Find out your hair porosity here!

• Retained hair color

Unlike their counterparts, sulfate-free shampoos are much gentler and won’t strip the color from your dyed hair.

• Reduced frizz

Since they retain the moisture in your strands, you don’t have to worry about your hair becoming frizzy when you use a sulfate-free shampoo.

• Reduced irritation

If you’ve got a sensitive scalp, sulfate-free shampoos can be a great alternative to prevent potential irritation and inflammation.

How to know if your shampoo is sulfate-free

While some products may be conveniently labelled “sulfate-free,” if you really want to know for sure, you can just check the ingredient list.

Common sulfates to look out for include sodium laureth sulfate (SLES) and sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS). Other common sulfate ingredients include Ammonia Laureth Sulphate (ALS), parabens, phthalates, triethanolamine(TEA), and Sodium Myreth Sulphate (SMS).

Go for shampoos which are organic and plant-based. Our Sapphire Hair Shampoo is water based and made from pure unrefined shea butter.

The Bottomline

While sulfate-free shampoos may not lather as much as sulfate shampoos, they’re essential if you want to maintain healthy hair. Our Livara hair shampoo actually makes a good lather and you can trust it to cleanse your hair. For an effective wash, we recommend a double cleanse to get rid of all the grime and dirt. Those with longer or thicker hair may find this particularly helpful.

Opting for a sulfate-free shampoo however doesn’t mean you can use it to wash your hair every other day. Still limit washing your hair to a few times every month.

All in all, a sulfate-free shampoo is definitely what your hair needs if you’re looking to have healthier moisturized strands. Don’t be shy to make the switch to sulfate-free shampoo even if you’ve been using it’s harsh counterpart. You’re a gem and you deserve something that’s gentle on your precious locks!