Most gentle, natural shampoos?

**HappyFoo** · October 4th, 2013, 04:59 PM

I've always been told to use sulfate free shampoo. "It's so much gentler!" people tell me. But not for me. I've found sulfate free shampoos make my hair fall out at incredible rates; and although it wasn't as stripping as sulfates, hair fall isn't an option for me. I have extremely fine hair, and the thickness relies on the sheer number of hairs on my head. It's counterproductive to have all my hair fall out! And all of the shampoos and conditioner sets I have have silicones in them, which I detest even more than harsh hair washing ingredients.

I cannot for the life of me find a thread dedicated to shampoo only, so I had to ask! What shampoos, store bought or diy, are the most gentle, natural, and chemical free? I can make my own natural conditioner with a good balance of protein and moisture (along with a heavenly scent), but shampoo just beguiles me. Maybe I'm using a brand that claims to be natural but is really just chemicals without sulfates and a few thrown in extracts to make it sound attractive.

What are the most gentle, natural shampoos that aren't harsh and also silicone free? Not washing isn't an option for me--my hair is mainly straight with a few random curls along the nape of my neck and fringe, and, as I said before, baby fine. Store bought shampoos? Diys? Anything?

Anybody? ;-;

**biogirl87** · October 4th, 2013, 05:06 PM

HappyFoo, I know these are not natural in the sense of the natural shampoos that you're probably looking for, but L'oreal Eversleek Intense Smoothing and L'oreal Evercreme Nourishing are both sulfate-free shampoos that don't have silicones in them. I'm using L'oreal Eversleek Intense Smoothing right now and it seems to be gentle for my scalp.

**renia22** · October 4th, 2013, 06:04 PM

My hair is similar to yours and after using dozens of sulfate free shampoos over a number of years, I went back to sulfates and my hair is much better. However, a few that I tried that weren't bad were Aubrey Organics green tea and Desert Essence coconut. The Aubrey one was more clarifying & the Desert Essence more moisturizing, but still both good for fine hair. I still had more hair fall with those than I do with sulfates, but if I had to do sulfate free again, I'd probably pick one of those. As far as "most natural", lots if people seem to like homemade sellers on etsy, but I personally never had any luck with those. There was also a "crunchy Betty" blog recipe that used Castile soap & coconut milk that people seemed to like (it made my hair very dry & tangled but others liked it). You can google it & give it a try, it was cheap enough to make. Good luck

**Idjit** · October 4th, 2013, 06:33 PM

I love toadstool shampoo from Etsy. They have awesome smells but you can get it unscented if you're sensitive to smells and it has never dried out my hair.

**prettyinpink** · October 4th, 2013, 07:18 PM

De luxe rosemary mint shampoo is amazing! and natural. You have to try it!

**starlamelissa** · October 4th, 2013, 07:26 PM

I use sulfates with much happiness. why would you use anything that makes your hair fall out? I saw a trichologist (hair doctor) on youtube who recommended using clear, clarifying shampoos and massing the scalp thoughly with the pads of the fingers to prevent scalp issues. Rinse with plenty of warm good pressure water.

**Autumnberry** · October 5th, 2013, 11:50 AM

I hear you. I have baby fine hair and have to wash frequently. Using non-sulfate shampoo all the time just doesn't work for me. I like Suave naturals (coconut) a lot, but it's not exactly natural

Using sulfate free and additing sulfate shampoo once every 3 washings works the best.

**Firefox7275** · October 5th, 2013, 02:17 PM

Originally Posted by HappyFoo

I've always been told to use sulfate free shampoo. "It's so much gentler!" people tell me. But not for me. I've found sulfate free shampoos make my hair fall out at incredible rates; and although it wasn't as stripping as sulfates, hair fall isn't an option for me. I have extremely fine hair, and the thickness relies on the sheer number of hairs on my head. It's counterproductive to have all my hair fall out! And all of the shampoos and conditioner sets I have have silicones in them, which I detest even more than harsh hair washing ingredients.

I cannot for the life of me find a thread dedicated to shampoo only, so I had to ask! What shampoos, store bought or diy, are the most gentle, natural, and chemical free? I can make my own natural conditioner with a good balance of protein and moisture (along with a heavenly scent), but shampoo just beguiles me. Maybe I'm using a brand that claims to be natural but is really just chemicals without sulfates and a few thrown in extracts to make it sound attractive.

What are the most gentle, natural shampoos that aren't harsh and also silicone free? Not washing isn't an option for me--my hair is mainly straight with a few random curls along the nape of my neck and fringe, and, as I said before, baby fine. Store bought shampoos? Diys? Anything?

Anybody? ;-;

Sulphate free is a broad church from irritant olefin sulfonates to very gentle glucoside surfactants and everything in between. pH is often relevant, the zwitterionics (eg. the betaines) behave differently in alkaline and acidic conditions. Do you have any scalp complaints, diagnosed or otherwise?
http://www.thenaturalhavenbloom.com/...os-really.html
http://www.thenaturalhavenbloom.com/...-and-most.html

Everything is made from chemicals. 'Natural' alternatives to modern surfactants include soap nuts or soapwort extract, these are acidic so in the right formulation would respect the protective acid mantle and skin flora. Anything that is alkaline such as baking soda or soap is arguably not natural in the sense it doesn't permit the skin to function as it evolved to.
http://www.naturallycurly.com/curlre...ly-hair?page=4

**Naiadryade** · October 5th, 2013, 08:34 PM

I really like the Shea Moisture line's Moisture Retention Shampoo. It's very gentle, and all natural by my strict standards. You might want to try it! I pair it with their Deep Treatment Masque, which I use as conditioner, but that might be too heavy for your fine hair.

I know I've read plenty of folks report hair fall when they let conditioner touch their scalp. You might want to try making sure to condition only your length and see if it makes a difference.

**Saldana** · October 5th, 2013, 08:43 PM

I have been using Desert Essence Organics, Fragrance Free for several months now, and couldn't be much happier with it. It is so gentle that I find I only need to condition my hair once a week (I wash every other day or so). I use the matching conditioner and also the body wash. I echo what Naiadryade said - I find that if I let conditioner touch my scalp, I have more hair fall. With the D.E Organics conditioner, I use about a dime-sized amount and basically just brush it over the bottom 2/3s of my length (such as it is), let it sit for just a moment, then rinse it out.