Shampoo, no protein, no sulfates

[Lapin]

Hello all,

I come to ask a question: protein makes my hair super crunchy. Even Toadstool Soaps Shampoo does it. Even my Sweet Creek Herbal Care special ACV shampoo bar with a coconut oil base does it.

Any recomendations on a sulfate-free, protein-fre (or protein minimal) shampoo? I'm also allergic to grasses and fruits (so no aloe, avocado, etc.) and scents. :/ It's not much fun trying to find good hair stuff.

I recently gave up and bought children's suave. It smells good, but sulfates make my hair really dry and I'd like to avoid them.

Thanks!

[Firefox7275]

Maybe Google for a 'shampoo base', these have relatively few ingredients and are quite simple so hopefully none of your no-nos.

[starlamelissa]

Meh, I'd stick with the sulfates. Easier to find a protien free option. Also, some people here dilute their shampoo for less cleansing abilities making it like a sulphate free poo.

[Firefox7275]

Meh, I'd stick with the sulfates. Easier to find a protien free option. Also, some people here dilute their shampoo for less cleansing abilities making it like a sulphate free poo.

Sulphate surfactants are proven to thin the skin barrier at concentrations as low as 1% even in those with healthy skin, they are really not the best idea in any form of dermatitis (including allergic contact). Speaking for myself shampoo bubbles running down my arm was triggering my elbow patch of atopic eczema, so for some even traces can be an issue. For reference a standard shampoo can be 20% sulphates so a bit of diluting does not eliminate the dermatological risks.

[starlamelissa]

My husband has sebhorratic dermatitis and psoriasis. Daily cleansing with a full strength dandruff shampoo is key for his skin and scalp health.

He tried using a sulphate and fragrance free product, neutrogena t/sal, and had greasy flaky hair.

[starlamelissa]

Baby aquaphor baby wash is a gentle fragrance free product. I used it for a year with much success. Not sure if it fits what you need, and honestly, I am all for people saving their money.

[Lapin]

Urgh, it's a complicated balance. And, on top of trying to get something that I'm not allergic to AND is good for my hair, I reallllly like nice smelling shampoos.

Conditioner only doesn't work with my fine hair, but I think maybe I'll try the recently resurrected HE line and dilute the shampoo. Maybe it'll be easier once I gain some length (just now getting to APL)...

Thank you all for your input!

[Firefox7275]

My husband has sebhorratic dermatitis and psoriasis. Daily cleansing with a full strength dandruff shampoo is key for his skin and scalp health.

He tried using a sulphate and fragrance free product, neutrogena t/sal, and had greasy flaky hair.

Sulphate surfactants can certainly impact symptoms of certain dermatological disorders, that is far from synonymous with skin health. Sulphates are extremely effective detergents which is why they are used in dish soap and commercial degreasers, they will remove all the sebum including the irritant oleic acid and the saturates which feed the malassezia yeast, however they are not picky they also remove fatty acids from the skin itself.

Sulphates destroys the protective acid mantle/ skin flora, good guys and bad guys. Unfortunately this can mean rebound symptoms when the product is stopped because the skin's defence mechanisms have been so badly disrupted. In some they cause increased sebum production or increased turnover of skin cells as the skin tries to protect itself, it can take weeks for this to normalise and the barrier function to fully 'repair'. Skin thinning in psoriasis may sometimes be considered an advantage if keratolytics are insufficient since psoriasis is a hyperproliferative condition, it is not in dermatitis which is what I referred to, it increases the risk of irritation inflammation dehydration and inappropriate immune responses.

T-Sal is a single product in your N=1 study of a patient with comorbidities, that doesn't mean all sulphate free treatments are useless in all dermatological conditions, that is not what the research indicates. Where possible gentle products which respect the skin's barrier function and acid mantle should be combined with lifestyle modification, part of the reason some of us produce oleic rich sebum or have inflammatory conditions is our modern diet and lifestyle.