sulfate free shampoo vs. clarifying shampoo

[barbiemorena]

Hello! I am sorry if this is a stupid question but whom better to ask than you guys!?:)I was wondering if the sulfate free shampoos have the same proprieties as the clarifying ones? In other words, do they also remove the residue from the hair strands or is it necessary to use a clarifying shampoo to achieve that? Thanks heaps!:)

[melusine963]

As I understand it, it's the sulfates themselves that do the clarifying, so using a sulfate-free shampoo won't have the same effect as a clarifying one. Hopefully someone with more experience can chime in here.

[hermosamendoza]

sulfate free shampoo doesn't contain chemical detergents but may contain plant based sulfates like from coconuts. They take longer to get used to in my opinion and may not work if you have super fine hair. I have 1b fine hair and they didn't work for me. ALSO I have found they're more like lotions and conditioners and take more work to get out.

Clarifying shampoo NOT a normal shampoo to use every day or more than a few times a month. It is SPECIFICALLY designed to strip the scalp and hair of all the buildup from all the hair care products like hair spray, leave in conditioners, and other gunk people use to style their hair.

[Henrietta]

As I understand it, it's the sulfates themselves that do the clarifying, so using a sulfate-free shampoo won't have the same effect as a clarifying one. Hopefully someone with more experience can chime in here.

I'd second that... You can get your hair clean with SLS/all sulphate free shampoo. But if you for instance want to clarify from cones- only sulphates do that. Other residues- I don't know. Oils you can wash off with sulphate free shampoo, only it takes more leathering sometimes. Hard water residue- you need chalating shappoo with EDTA, some of those are sulphate free.



sulfate free shampoo doesn't contain chemical detergents but may contain plant based sulfates like from coconuts. They take longer to get used to in my opinion and may not work if you have super fine hair. I have 1b fine hair and they didn't work for me. ALSO I have found they're more like lotions and conditioners and take more work to get out.

Clarifying shampoo NOT a normal shampoo to use every day or more than a few times a month. It is SPECIFICALLY designed to strip the scalp and hair of all the buildup from all the hair care products like hair spray, leave in conditioners, and other gunk people use to style their hair.
But sodium coco suplhate is still a sulphate, so those poos are not sulphate free. They are just SLS free. ;)

[Kelikea]

Are you basically wondering if sulfate-free shampoos are cleansing enough to use to remove build up? I think they can be. It just depends on your hair type and products used as to which ones will work the best for you. I use Desert Essences Organics shampoos, they are sls-free, but very cleansing, and create a lot of suds. I actually have to be careful not to use too much at once, because they suds so well and can then be hard to wash completely out. Nature's Gate Organics, on the other hand, are not as sudsy, but seem to get my hair clean. I don't have any problems with build up, but I also don't use many other products, like mousse or gel. My main leave-in is super diluted conditioner or Dr. Bronner's hair creme.

[mira-chan]

Most sulfate free shampoo have sulfonates or coco betaine. Most of these, depending on concentration, will clarify just like SLS. Some shampoo (Aubrey Organics) are soap based, or use decyl glucose, which are very mild and will not clarify.

[barbiemorena]

Thanks to all of you for the advice and wisdom. I was wondering about the clarifying shampoo because someone suggested that I should use it before I henna because I wasn't getting the "thickening" effect when I hennaed the last few times. I feel a bit sad that I don't get that effect anymore as that was one of the main reasons why I started hennaing in the first place. I had asked this question before and a member suggested that my hair could be saturated with henna. Any suggestions on how I might get the thickening benefits of henna again? Should I perhaps leave it on longer? Thanks heaps guys!:)

[Wahinee]

There are some very strong sulfate free shampoos, and I don't think sulfates are necessary to get rid of cones

I use products with cones and a sulfate free shampoo and never notice any buildup
I clarify with a sulfate shampoo before I henna though. I henna every 6 to 8 weeks or even longer. I don't use a conditioner after I clarify - I put the henna on naked hair

[Elanadi]

I wondered this same thing. About three months ago, I switched to organic sulfate and cone free shampoo and conditioner, and LOVE it. The shampoo definitely doesn't lather as much as a typical shampoo, but my hair always felt clean and soft after. Today, I used a clarifying shampoo for the first time, and was shocked at the difference! My hair was literally squeaky clean as I rinsed it out, which tells me it removes much more of the residue on my hair than the organic shampoo. I damp-bunned my hair, and haven't taken it down yet, so I don't know the end result, but I can say sulfate free is so not the same as a clarifying shampoo.

[lapushka]

Thanks to all of you for the advice and wisdom. I was wondering about the clarifying shampoo because someone suggested that I should use it before I henna because I wasn't getting the "thickening" effect when I hennaed the last few times. I feel a bit sad that I don't get that effect anymore as that was one of the main reasons why I started hennaing in the first place. I had asked this question before and a member suggested that my hair could be saturated with henna. Any suggestions on how I might get the thickening benefits of henna again? Should I perhaps leave it on longer? Thanks heaps guys!:)

When I used to still use henna, I noticed a thickening effect from it too, but it thickened up to a certain point, it kept its properties, but then reached a plateau. Just the way it was, I guess. :shrug:

[barbiemorena]

Lapushka did that change after a while? I mean if for example you would stop hennaing for a certain amount of time and then henna again would you get the thickening effect?

[PerkyCurlz]

What about baby shampoo? It's sulfate-free, right? Does this mean it doesn't clean as well as a clarifying shampoo? My scalp and the hair near my scalp seem pretty darned 'squeaky clean' after using it. Then again, I don't use any hair products after I wash, so maybe it doesn't have much to clean???

Would I need a 'clarifying shampoo' only if I went back to using products with cones in them (like John Frieda Frizz Ease Hair Serum)?

[In2wishin]

Hello! I am sorry if this is a stupid question but whom better to ask than you guys!?:)I was wondering if the sulfate free shampoos have the same proprieties as the clarifying ones? In other words, do they also remove the residue from the hair strands or is it necessary to use a clarifying shampoo to achieve that? Thanks heaps!:)

Avalon Organics Lemon Clarifying is a wonderful mild sulfate free clarifying shampoo

Ingredients:
Aqua (water), aloe barbadensis leaf juice(1), cocamidopropyl betaine, sodium laurylglucosides hydroxypropylsulfonate, glycerin, sodium cocoyl isethionate, stearic acid, sodium lauroyl sarcosinate, butyrospermum parkii (shea butter), citrus medica limonum (lemon) peel oil(1), citrus grandis (grapefruit) peel oil, citrus aurantifolia (lime) oil, citrus aurantium dulcis (orange) oil, cedrus atlantica bark oil, litsea cubeba fruit oil, citrus medica limonum (lemon) peel extract(1), chamomilla ...

[Dark Queen]

Not sure if this is the right place for this (sorry if it isn't). I've been using SLS free for a very long time, though recently, I've noticed my hair feels like it may be oilier than normal, or like I'm getting some kind of residue after I shampoo. Every now and then I find myself having to use a harsher shampoo just to get my hair feeling clean, but I never used to do that. I don't know if I just need to switch shampoos or what's going on. Anyone else get that?

[jeanniet]

Avalon Organics Lemon Clarifying is a wonderful mild sulfate free clarifying shampoo

Ingredients:
Aqua (water), aloe barbadensis leaf juice(1), cocamidopropyl betaine, sodium laurylglucosides hydroxypropylsulfonate, glycerin, sodium cocoyl isethionate, stearic acid, sodium lauroyl sarcosinate, butyrospermum parkii (shea butter), citrus medica limonum (lemon) peel oil(1), citrus grandis (grapefruit) peel oil, citrus aurantifolia (lime) oil, citrus aurantium dulcis (orange) oil, cedrus atlantica bark oil, litsea cubeba fruit oil, citrus medica limonum (lemon) peel extract(1), chamomilla ...
This is a great clarifying shampoo! Does a good job and is not harsh at all.

Only clarify when you need to. I rarely clarify (maybe a few times a year) because I just don't seem to need it. I'd also like to note that if you have hard water, you don't necessarily need to use a chelating shampoo on a regular basis. I have hard water, and do citric acid rinses after every wash (1/4 tsp. CA per gallon of water). This keeps the deposits off my hair (CA is a chelating agent). I use a chelating shampoo once a year, if that.