There are many benefits of using sulphate-free shampoo for your hair.
Most commonly available traditional shampoos contain sulfates, parabens, and silicones that are all damaging to your hair.
Sulfates are included in most commercially available shampoos. They are particularly good at removing dirt from your hair. Whilst doing so they also strip the natural oils, leaving your hair dry and possibly damaged after frequent use. Sulfates can also be too harsh for your scalp leaving it irritated and reducing growth.
If you want to learn more about the benefits of using a sulfate-free shampoo, and how to make your own, read on.
15 Benefits Of Using Sulphate-Free Shampoo
Sulfates are often included in traditional shampoos as they are brilliant cleaning agents. This is why they are also found in a whole host of regular home cleaning products.
Sulfates are often also surfactants that lather up nicely which gives us the belief that they are cleaning our hair well.
Unfortunately, they are stripping the natural oils produced by our scalps that keep our hair healthy and shiny.
You will be surprised to discover just how many benefits there are, for your hair, your scalp, your wallet, and the environment, by using shampoo free from sulfates.
Considering the number of benefits, it is surprising that sulfate-containing shampoos still exist! (source 1).
Using sulphate and paraben free shampoo has many benefits, 15 of which are listed below:
1. Reduces Flakiness
Sulfates and parabens are often too harsh for your scalp, cleaning so well that they strip all the moisture from your scalp leaving it prone to dryness and flakiness.
Once you start using a shampoo that is sulfate and paraben free your scalp should recover and flakiness reduce.
If you suffer from dandruff, make sure you read these simple solutions.
2. Reduces Itching
Sulfates are often a cause of itchiness as some people are allergic without even realizing it.
We all automatically reach for traditional shampoo whether it be our normal choice or a medicated version to solve the problem of an itchy scalp.
This is often without a thought of understanding if it is the shampoo itself that is causing the problem in the first place!
3. Encourages Growth
Using a sulphate-free shampoo should improve the health of your scalp which in turn will promote hair growth.
As using a sulfate-free shampoo will not dry out your hair it will also mean you suffer less hair loss through breakage, and therefore your hair will be thicker and more voluminous.
4. Helps Scalp Oil Self-Regulate
As previously mentioned, sulfate shampoo strips all the moisture from our hair.
It does not pick and choose between ‘good’ moisture and ‘bad’ moisture, it simply removes everything.
This removal encourages your scalp to produce more oil than necessary which means that you reach for the shampoo bottle again, stripping the hair once more.
This ends up in a vicious cycle; we use shampoo to remove the oil, and by doing so stimulate oil production, so we use more shampoo, and more frequently!
The result is hair that is:
- Tired
- Dry
- Dull Hair
Using a sulfate-free shampoo can improve the balance of oil production and leave your hair healthy and shiny, naturally.
5. Improves Hair Condition
Sulfate-free shampoo enables the scalp’s natural oils to move down the hair shaft moisturizing as it goes.
Natural oils provide nutrients for your hair and keep it strong and healthy without the need for harmful chemicals.
6. Lessens Frizz And Defined Curls
With fully naturally moisturized hair from natural oils, there is less opportunity for frizz to occur as the hair is already plumped up and conditioned.
The scritching and preening movement that is often used when going No Poo also has the effect of shutting the cuticles which further reduces the likelihood of frizz.
Curly hair particularly benefits from using sulfate-free shampoo which makes curls more manageable and hair softer to the touch.
7. Good For Colored Hair
Sulfate-free shampoo is not as harsh as that which contains sulfates.
As such, it does not strip the color from your hair to the same extent as sulfate shampoo does.
Using sulfate-free shampoo will allow you to keep your color for longer, meaning that your hair stays healthier as you are not covering it with chemicals as regularly.
8. Environmentally Friendly
Sulfate-free shampoo is more environmentally friendly than its sulphate-containing counterpart.
The sulfates often used; sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate, are man-made chemical sulfates that both act as cleansers.
They lather up well which makes the user believe that they are cleaning well and improving the cleanliness of the hair.
In actual fact, they are stripping all the natural goodness that the scalp oil provides and drying out the hair leaving it dry, damaged, and more likely to break.
9. Simple DIY Recipes
The great thing about sulfate-free shampoos is that they can be more easily bought in-store or online these days, but also they are perfectly simple to make at home.
There are so many sulfate-free recipes to choose from that there will always be one suitable for your hair type and needs.
Using a sulfate-free shampoo will enable you to lengthen the time between washes which will save you time as well as improve hair health.
10. Better Shine
Using sulfate-free shampoo will improve the health of your hair and therefore will by default improve its shine.
Sulfate shampoos also tend to leave a film on your hair that makes your hair look dull and listless.
Using a shampoo without sulfates will mean no more film and the natural shine of your healthy hair will come through.
11. Reduction In Gray Hair
Although it is only anecdotal evidence, many believe that using sulfate-free shampoos reduces the onset of gray hairs.
This belief is based on the idea that by allowing the scalp to naturally nourish and moisturize the hair, the follicle is given an increased life span before it starts producing grey hair.
As said, no scientific evidence has shown this to be the case, but it is always worth bearing in mind.
12. Reduction Of Exposure To Toxins
Research (Georgia University of Medicine) has shown that sulfates may be able to bio-accumulate in the body when we expose ourselves to them.
Whilst there is no evidence to suggest that long-term exposure to sulfates is harmful, the fact that they get stored within our bodies is surely something to avoid.
Especially, when natural alternatives exist.
13. Eyes
If you have ever gotten traditional shampoo in your eyes, you will know how painful and irritating it can be.
If it is that painful to our eyes then why are we using it on our hair, believing it to be kind?
Sulfate-free shampoo made from natural ingredients can be more gentle and aggravate less, although it is still a good idea to avoid your eyes.
14. Reduces Tangles
Using sulfate-containing shampoo will prevent the natural oils from smoothing the hair cuticles.
Open cuticles lead to frequent tangles.
Using a sulfate-free shampoo will allow the natural sebum to travel down the hair closing the cuticles and allowing the hair to be more tangle-free and easier to manage.
15. DIY Sulfate-Free Shampoo Is Cost Effective
Commercial sulfate shampoo has a price tag that is only rising.
Using a sulfate-free shampoo that you can make from ingredients already available at home can save you $$$$$.
The list above is not exhaustive, perhaps you can think of others?
Best Sulphate Free Shampoo
If you have used the same traditional sulfate shampoo for years you may be anxious about trying something new.
If you are wondering which sulfate-free shampoo to try keep reading to find out our top 3 sulfate-free shampoo suggestions.
As the No Poo movement is growing, the number of commercial products available that are sulfate-free continues to increase.
The Shea Moisture shampoo recommended below is not only sulfate-free but also does not contain:
- Sulfates
- Silicone
- Parabens
- Phthalates
- Mineral Oil
- Petrolatum
They also state in their description that they use cruelty-free production methods.
Below are 3 of the best sulfate free shampoos, that are easily available:
1. Aveeno Fresh Greens Blend
Not only is this shampoo sulfate-free, but it contains:
- Rosemary
- Cucumber
- Peppermint
These ingredients are brilliant for the health of your scalp and therefore the health and condition of your hair.
2. Redken Dismiss Frizz
Thus is a sulfate-free frizz-taming shampoo that does not strip color from your hair.
3. Shea Moisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil
This is a brilliant clarifying shampoo that does not contain sulfates or parabens.
It aims to restore and repair damaged hair whilst being kind to your scalp and the environment.
Once you have moved away from sulfate-containing shampoo, you may wish to consider also removing parabens and silicones from your hair care regime too.
These are just as harmful to your hair as sulfates but have received less press, and therefore are less widely known.
There are very many ways to keep your hair clean and healthy without resorting to synthetic chemicals.
See our pages on DIY shampoos and masks to find recipes that will suit your hair and your lifestyle.
Conclusion
The benefits of using sulfate-free shampoo more than outweigh the disadvantages.
Sulfate-free shampoo is kinder to your hair and scalp and lessens the chances of an allergic reaction and a dry scalp causing dandruff.
Sulfate-free shampoos can easily be purchased online, or you can make your alternative No Poo shampoo at home, saving both time and money.