Ok Shampoo help.Please

[TwilightBloom]

I have tried sulfate free, and shampoo bars, and co. After all this time, i just find that my hair is not clean.. I do not know a lot about sulfates and cleansers. I just need to know, if there is a shampoo out there, sls als, that is mild. Which one would be the most mild out of the sulfates. I dilute my shampoo, so I am hoping this will balance out and help it be really gentle. Please any help would be greatly appreciated. I only wash roots, i do not put shampoo on the length. Thanks in advance for any help or info.

[Mairéad]

Was the use of an SLS shampoo the last time your hair truly felt clean? There are some low-sulfate poos out there, and even more so if you're going to dilute them. I remember Tresseme having low-sulfate shampoos and I use the companion cone-less conditioner to do my CO.

[spidermom]

My hair/scalp isn't picky. I can use pretty much anything.

[Lianna]

I use SLES shampoo everyday, and it doesn't dry out my hair, but some can. It depends on the formulation (mine has silicones in it). I'm using L'oreal for color treated hair.

[Rosetta]

Sodium laureth sulfate is, AFAIK, the mildest sulfate, and lauryl sulfates are generally thought to be harshest (sodium lauryl or ammonium lauryl). I've noticed that sodium laureth is the most common sulfate as well, so shampoos with that should be easy to find :) Also, AFAIK (again), shampoos where coco betaine is one of the detergents are quite mild, too.

In general, I think that sulfates get so much bad rap on this forum for some reason, even though they are definitely not bad for everyone's hair, quite the contrary - I've found the same as you, my hair simply feels & looks the best after sulfate shampoos... So if that's the case, you have no need to be afraid of them! :)

[pinchbeck]

Following is a list copied and pasted (I knew most of the ingredients in these lists, but not all and wanted to be thorough!):

Many common shampoos contain harsh sulfates that can strip your hair, causing it to become dry and eventually leading to breakage. Harsh sulfates include:

Ammonium Laureth Sulfate
Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate
TEA Laureth Sulfate
TEA Lauryl Sulfate
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

These types of harsh shampoos should be used for clarifying only. A clarifying shampoo should be used once monthly. This will allow for more effective penetration of your hair treatments.

The following sulfates are gentle and will not damage your hair:

Polyoxethylene Fatty Alcohols
PEG 80
Sorbitan Laurate
Decyl Polyglucose
Cocamidoprpyl Betaine
Sodium Myreth Sulfate
Sodium Laureth Sulfate
Disodium Cocoamphodiacete (I added this to the list!)

[ratgirldjh]

The most gentle shampoo I ever used was L'oreal Mega Moisture. Sadly I became allergic to the fragrance. It has cones but it worked great for me when I could use it.

[Dee94]

Following is a list copied and pasted (I knew most of the ingredients in these lists, but not all and wanted to be thorough!):

Many common shampoos contain harsh sulfates that can strip your hair, causing it to become dry and eventually leading to breakage. Harsh sulfates include:

Ammonium Laureth Sulfate
Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate
TEA Laureth Sulfate
TEA Lauryl Sulfate
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

These types of harsh shampoos should be used for clarifying only. A clarifying shampoo should be used once monthly. This will allow for more effective penetration of your hair treatments.

The following sulfates are gentle and will not damage your hair:

Polyoxethylene Fatty Alcohols
PEG 80
Sorbitan Laurate
Decyl Polyglucose
Cocamidoprpyl Betaine
Sodium Myreth Sulfate
Sodium Laureth Sulfate
Disodium Cocoamphodiacete (I added this to the list!)

Would the gentle sulfates still be good enough to get out silicones from a serum?
So me using a hair serum, every day or 2nd day, would a gentle sulfate shampoo be good enough to get rid of any possible build up?

The ingredients to my serum:
Cyclopentasiloxane, Cyclotetrasiloxane, Dimethiconol, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Hydrolyzed Silk, Hydrolyzed Corn Protein, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Fragrance (Parfum), Benzyl Benzoate, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde, Hexyl Cinnamal, Citronellol, Coumarin, Linalool, Geraniol


And the ingredients to my shampoo:
Aqua, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Chloride, Macrocystis Pyrifera (Kelp) Extract, Parfum, Citric Acid, Tetrasodium EDTA, DMDM Hydantoin, Polyquaternium10, PPG9, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone

[lapushka]

Dee, how often do you sulfate-wash? Using silicones, and then stripping with a sulfate once or twice a month should be good enough! In between you can use whatever, CO-washes, etc.

[Dee94]

I was sulfate washing once a week and have been co washing in between, but my conditioner is like a natural conditioner, nothing heavy.
But, that's good to know! I was slowly washing less because I find that I dont need to shampoo often at all, my scalp seems good but I'm just starting this serum, so if I would have to sulfate shampoo a bit more, I would but don't wanna if I dont have to, but also don't want to cause build up.

[Kat]

Do sulfates actually cause problems for your hair? Or is it just that you've always read they're "bad"? (I don't want to jump to conclusions about the health of your hair, but you didn't say, so I'm asking just because my experience was the same as a couple others who have posted here-- I went sulfate-free because I kept reading here that they're not good, but I also came to realize that my hair needs them to get clean and they don't seem to negatively affect it. Maybe I wouldn't need them if I washed every couple of days {at least here in the U.S.; in Thailand it seems nothing could get that sweat smell out of my hair completely and trust me I tried lathering like three times even with an alleged clarifying shampoo, I tried CO, I tried washing 3-4 times a week, I tried vinegar rinses, etc.}, but I don't want to have to do that because it's a pain in the rear and I'd have to go to bed with a wet head. Sulfates are my compromise for clean. And I wish I had read or been earlier than I figured it out, that they're not universally bad for everyone.)