Sulfate free products for 7 months

[M.McDonough]

Hi

So I've been using sulfate-free products for several months, but I feel like a sulfate free shampoo doesn't really cleanse my scalp...my scalp kinda feels greasy. I honestly only wash my hair once a week. It's a bit nippy where I live and I'm a bit lazy. I went 7 months without using products containing sulfate, it's a long time and I don't wanna wreck it.

This is the set I'm using currently
The shampoo doesn't lather well..sometimes I have to use a lot of it :/

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/04/8a/12/048a124de4159444d9b3a36ea085028b.jpg

Has anyone experienced the same thing?!? What do you think I should do?

[bunneh.]

I used sulfate-free shampoo before and didn't like it. I had to use a lot of it, it didn't lather, it didn't clean my hair well enough. Then I tried sectioning my hair, which was better but my hair still didn't feel 100% clean. I then tried diluting sulfate-free shampoo with water and it worked amazingly well. It cleans the hair really really well, my scalp doesn't feel greasy at all and I don't use as much product as I used to. I mix a good teaspoon of product with about 100 ml of water and 5 drops of tea tree oil and then use this mixture in thirds, so I rub the product in my hair and rinse it 3 times. I've done this process about 3 times (in 3 weeks) so far and I like it.

[lapushka]

If you can't do without sulfates, why go sulfate-free? If your hair responds better to sulfates, I'd just use them and give up the sulfate-free route.

[Nadine <3]

There's nothing wrong with using sulfates if sulfate free isn't working for you. I mean who wants to feel greasy right out of the shower? That would drive me nuts.

[khryz]

How about using a sulfate shampoo occasionally when it feels like you're scalp needs a good clean?

I use a sulfate-free shampoo to maintain my hair color. It doesn't lather up as well as a sulfate shampoo, so I have to work it around my scalp. If not for my hair color, and it's the only shampoo I have left in my stash, I'd be happy to use sulfates since it's only once a week :)

[lapushka]

Yeah, it's the old saying:
"It's about what your hair / scalp wants, not about what *you* want for your hair / scalp."

[M.McDonough]

Mmmm. I'm no expert, yet I bet all of us have heard that sulfate is not good. But why? I actually don't know.

ETA:


I used sulfate-free shampoo before and didn't like it. I had to use a lot of it, it didn't lather, it didn't clean my hair well enough. Then I tried sectioning my hair, which was better but my hair still didn't feel 100% clean. I then tried diluting sulfate-free shampoo with water and it worked amazingly well. It cleans the hair really really well, my scalp doesn't feel greasy at all and I don't use as much product as I used to. I mix a good teaspoon of product with about 100 ml of water and 5 drops of tea tree oil and then use this mixture in thirds, so I rub the product in my hair and rinse it 3 times. I've done this process about 3 times (in 3 weeks) so far and I like it.


I'll try that. Can I use argon oil instead ?

[lapushka]

Mmmm. I'm no expert, yet I bet all of us have heard that sulfate is not good. But why? I actually don't know.

They're harsher cleansers, yes, but if you need them, you need them and there's nothing wrong with using them. They can dry out the lengths of your hair more than you want though, so I would use a conditioner for dry hair on the lengths (in other words a good moisturizing conditioner).

[bunneh.]

You actually do not need to use any sort of oil, I use tea tree oil because it helps remove my dandruff. I think you should honestly try this before considering going back to sulfates and throwing product away.

[Obsidian]

I've tried a few different sulfate free shampoos and so far, L'Oreal evercurl has been the best at cleaning. It lathers really nice and cleaned my scalp well but I still used sulfates for clarifying ever couple weeks since I use cones and oils.

[yogagirl]

Agreed with the previous posters. If your shampoo isn't cleansing sufficiently, you need to use a different shampoo. It's not worth it to stick it out just because you want to be sulfate free. You may end up with SD and increased hair loss... happened to me and I wouldn't want anybody else to suffer it if it can be avoided :(

I want to add that it may depend on your water, too. I have relatively hard water at my house, so sulfate free shampoo doesn't lather well. I use SLS shampoo at home. There is a yoga studio that has very soft water and I actually use sulfate free shampoo there and it lathers and cleans just fine. Just wanted to throw that out there.

[Anya15]

Sulfate free worked wonders for me, but it may not be for everyone. If your hair is happier with sulfates, just use them. :)

[Kimberly]

I don't use sulfates because I have an allergy and the doc said stop messing with them unless I want to work my way up to anaphylaxis. Fortunately, I like the results I get with shampoo bars. They don't work for everyone, but they're something to try if you want to avoid SLS. They don't foam up like products containing SLS, because that is the purpose of SLS -- makes stuff foam. I find, though, that although suds feel nice, hair can get clean without them, and if I use enough of my shampoo bar or other non-sulfate shampoo to get as much suds as a typical SLS product produces, I'll end up with dried-out hair. I find it's better, if necessary, to do two low-suds, weak washes than one really strong, foamy one.

But if you aren't allergic to SLS, why are you avoiding it? Does it irritate your skin? If not, why not just use the SLS stuff, if it works for you? Some people avoid SLS because it causes skin irritation for them, and others because they heard some others had skin irritation, and still others because they heard a lot of people avoid SLS for some reason. Unless the science-hair crowd comes in here and says there's something wrong with it, I don't see a reason for most people to avoid SLS.

[LoveSnap]

I like my sulfate free shampoo to contain cocamidopropyl betaine. It can remove some of the heavier things from the hair. I also stay away from really heavy products. I think the combo of those two things makes sulfate free shampoo work for me.

[yahirwaO.o]

This is one like other examples when people stop-avoid using something that has worked great for them just because they heard from others it was bad without making sure or taking the decision with more proper information.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to say that SLS are the greatest thing in the world still you can't demonise them either. I have washed my hair with SLS since I was a toddler and my scalp was doing rather fine until I saw all that weird agenda that said it was also used to industrial cleaning and such. (Pretty much the same backlash Baby oil and other cosmetics). Then I avoid all SLS and my scalp simply broke out. When I got back to regular simple routine my scalp became happy and healthy again (I tried all types of alternatives and natural recipes, none of them worked as a substitute of good old shampoo)

Now there is a fine line between a dangerous ingredient that has direct repercussions in your life and other that might or might not have like 80% ingredients in all beauty-health products (depending of course on the individual)

If you have very notorious allergies ,have very dry hair or you color-chemical process then a free SLS might be great. The rest and majority of people can do well with a minimal approach routine (shampooing and conditioning)

If SLS free, egg yolks, water only, clay, fermented rice, indian herbs, chesse works then great for you! Just do what your scalp is happy, not what you are trying to impose. (beauty or ideological beliefs) :D

[turtlelover]

Why not just try washing more often before you go back to sulfates?

[KittyBird]

I find that the sulfate-free shampoos by Desert Essences clean my scalp and hair really well. Maybe those would could work? I buy them online on iherb.com and vitacost.com. If not, you could try sulfates again and see how it goes. I think the whole "sulfates are evil" is just a misunderstanding - for some sulfates might be too harsh, but lots of people use them regularly with no ill effects. I get a terribly dry, flaky scalp and my hair feels like hay (even with lots of conditioner and leave-ins) when I use sulfate shampoo, which is why I avoid it, but I don't see any reason to avoid it if it doesn't make your hair and scalp feel bad.

[M.McDonough]

If sulfate doesn't cause hair loss, it's fine...because honestly that's the biggest worry

[Loktra]

If sulfate doesn't cause hair loss, it's fine...because honestly that's the biggest worry

I'm sure there are those whose scalp is so bothered by them it can cause hair loss, but I think for the majority it's more a matter of not wanting super strong surfactants that strip the hair and leave it dry and vulnerable. Some people need strong surfactants like sulfates. Others don't. Why strip your hair if you don't need to. I am solidly in the "need to" camp, however there are those who are sensitive to SLS. Here's info about protein loss from hair relating to sulfates: http://www.thenaturalhavenbloom.com/2010/06/myth-or-fact-sulfate-shampoo-breaks.html

Sulfates are also able to clean out heavy styling products and silicone compounds. If you use sulfate-free shampoo but style or condition with most silicones, they will build up in your hair and you will eventually need to use sulfates to wash them out.

As for hair loss...as with any routine, if it causes increased shedding, then stop. You never know if you don't try it. SLS doesn't seem to cause serious hairloss for most people (most of the population would be bald!), but you never know. CO causes increased shedding in many people, for example. As other's have said, it's about what your hair/scalp wants. Trial and error is the only way to find out.

[yogagirl]

Sulfate free shampoo can cause hair loss too, particularly if your scalp is on the sensitive side and never gets quite clean from it. If you have seborrheic dermatitis (often the case of dandruff), sulfate free shampoo can most certainly cause hair loss. You really need to do a little bit of trail and error to figure out what works for your particular hair and scalp. In your case, why don't you introduce an SLS shampoo and watch your hair/scalp to see if it likes it? You can always go back to sulfate free or a different SLS shampoo.