What Are Sulfates, and Are They Bad for Your Hair?

What Are Sulfates?

Sulfates are typically found as salts. When you hear about sulfates in haircare, it’s a broader term for synthetic sulfate-based surfactants.The two most common types of sulfates found in personal care and cleaning products are Sodium Lauryl Sulfates (SLS) and Sodium Laureth Sulfates (SLES). There’s a small difference between these two sulfates: SLES is much milder than SLS.

Imagine you’re washing your hair. You take shampoo and rub it between your hands, and it becomes bubbly and foamy. In some shampoos, Sodium Lauryl Sulfates or Sodium Laureth Sulfates are responsible for those foamy bubbles. Sulfates are also sometimes used in hair products because they can help remove dirt, sebum, and product residue.

Are Sulfates Bad for Your Hair?

There are a few reasons you might want to avoid sulfates in shampoos. While sulfates can help cleanse your hair, they might do their job a little too well and can pull too much natural oil from your hair and skin. This can cause your hair to feel dry, frizzy, or brittle. Another common complaint about sulfates is that they can potentially dry out and irritate your scalp. You might also notice acne on your back or around your hairline if you use haircare products that contain sulfates. Sulfates can also strip and dull color-treated hair and diminish the smoothing effects of keratin treatments.

Sulfates aren’t necessarily bad for all hair types, but if you already have dry, overly processed, or damaged hair, you might want to avoid them. And if you have sensitive skin, you might also keep shampoos or conditioners with sulfates out of your hair routine since they can cause skin redness or irritation.

If you’re worried about sulfates damaging your hair, look for shampoos and conditioners that are SLS and SLES free.

What Is Sulfate-Free Shampoo?

As you may have guessed, sulfate-free shampoos don’t contain SLS and/or SLES. Instead, sulfate-free shampoos rely on alternative cleansing ingredients such as:

• Alginate
• Coco-Betaine
• Cocamidopropyl Betaine
• Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
• Cocamidopropylamine Oxide
• Coco-Glucoside
• Decyl Glucoside
• Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate
• Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate
• Lauryl Glucoside
• Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate
• Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate
• Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate
• Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate
• Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
• Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate (SLSA)
• Sodium Methyl Oleoyl Taurate

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