My hair feels worse after using sulfate/cone-free shampoo.

[MissHair]

What's the deal with Sulfate-free/Cone-free shampoos? :confused: My hair feels sticky, heavy and it's so tangled I can't even brush it with a wide tooth comb, let alone even run through my fingers through my scalp without pulling strands! I thought this stuff was supposed to be good for the hair. :( I feel like going back to Head&Shoulders again. It feels as sicky as Castor-oiled hair. Without being oiled. Anyone know why?

[cfreya]

The same thing happened to me when I used organix coconut milk s&c (sulfate free and minimal cones) I don't know the reason either though, guess some hair just likes cones, I thought it could be because my hair was bleached and damaged

[Gothchiq]

This time of year, I am having problems too. Is your hair coarse? You may need to use silicone products during warm/humid weather. They're not evil, they're just not for everyone.

[Hollyfire3]

The same thing happened to me when I used organix coconut milk s&c (sulfate free and minimal cones) I don't know the reason either though, guess some hair just likes cones, I thought it could be because my hair was bleached and damaged


Yeah, that same shampoo made my hair horrible and sticky! I think the coconut milk and oil and other stuff in it build up fast! It is good if you hair wants a bit of protein, but for regualr use, it just makes my hair heavier than it already is....not good overall to me. I do not think the bad results were due to damage, i just think it causes build up.

[Copasetic]

Then go back to your old stuff! Silicone/cone free doesn't work for everyone. A lot of people get great hair by using cones and sulfates.

[ktani]

It is all about formulation and the choice of ingredients. Sulfate and silicone free does not automatically mean a better product or one that works well.

[DancingQueen]

I tried going cone-free for six months or so, and my hair ended up just like yours. As someone said earlier: cones are not for everyone, but some hair types just need cones. :)

[MissHair]

Thanks for the replies! Yes, Im using this organic, eco-friendly non-chemical shampoo with rose extract and aloe vera, I also checked and it said it contained coconut-oil soap. No wonders! Think Im switching back to cones. My hair was LOVING H&S.

[HintOfMint]

It depends on the brands of conditioner. For example, Body Shop Rainforest Moisturizing conditioner left my hair so sticky and built up that I couldn't run a comb through it. However, the old formulation of Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition left my hair in extremely good condition. God, I miss it.

As for shampoos, I stick with sulfates as I've never found a sulfate free shampoo I've liked. They either lead to increased shedding or they dry out my scalp.

[MissAlyssa]

I always had trouble with sufate free shampoos drying out my hair a lot too. If you feel likeyour old stuff was working for you, then use what works! :) And I'll also add that I started using walgreen's bio infusion rosmary mint shampoo and its the only sulfate free shampoo that has ever left my hair feeling nice, in case want to check it out. And Amodimethicone is supposed to be a cone that doesnt build up, so you could give that a try too:)
Good luck!

[Avital88]

It depends on the brands of conditioner. For example, Body Shop Rainforest Moisturizing conditioner left my hair so sticky and built up that I couldn't run a comb through it. However, the old formulation of Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition left my hair in extremely good condition. God, I miss it.

As for shampoos, I stick with sulfates as I've never found a sulfate free shampoo I've liked. They either lead to increased shedding or they dry out my scalp.

im using also the body shop's Rainforest line but my hair is so nice and thick with it, totally no problems... i think it really depends on the hair

[spidermom]

I used a natural, gentle product that made my hair weird (sticky, tangly, dull), but the problem was corrected with a diluted white vinegar rinse after shampooing, before conditioning. I tried the vinegar rinse after conditioning as well, but I liked the results better when I did the rinse before the conditioner.

[XcaliburGirl]

It could just be the particular products you are using. Dirt is also sulfate-free, but that doesn't mean it make a good shampoo;)...unless you are using the clay washing method I guess. (I can't think of a good example of something that someone on this board isn't actually trying. :p ) Make sure to try products that tend to get good reviews.

Do you have a particular reason for wanting to go sulfate-free or 'cone-free?

I've used sulfate-free shampoo that dried my hair out, but what I am using now (L'Oreal EverSleek) is also sulfate-free and works great for me. I'm only going 'cone-free because my scalp doesn't like 'cones. My hair loves them.

[sfgirl]

It's my opinion that cones hide damage, but the only thing to get them out is SLS, which is damaging itself. It's an endless cycle.
I stopped using cones, and if my hair is a frizzy mess, I work on fixing it and moisturizing it, rather than covering it up. I think of it kind of like acne; You have to stop wearing makeup to get rid of it, but the makeup covers it up, so you want to wear it.

[pepperminttea]

Did you clarify before you switched? :)

[zombi]

Silicones and sulfates aren't a death sentence! They're just not for everyone. Since our hair is so different, we can't expect things to work for all of us the same! Just do what works for you. (:

[darklion]

I tried going sulfate-free with my shampoo and I didn't like the results. My scalp would break out more and my hair wasn't staying clean for as long as I'd like. So I went back to the dandruff shampoo and lots and lots of cone free conditioner.
Now my hair looks and acts great.

[RecklessCharlie]

The same thing happened to me when I used organix coconut milk s&c (sulfate free and minimal cones) I don't know the reason either though, guess some hair just likes cones, I thought it could be because my hair was bleached and damaged

It probably was because your hair was bleached and damaged.

I think most people understand this but perhaps some don't - Cones simply 'hide' damage. The hair feels better because the cones are covering up the damage.
Its like sweeping dirt under a rug. You can't see it or feel it but its there. Non sls shampoo and cone free conditioner just throws back the rug as it were :)

I have a friend who complained of the same issue when she tried non sls shampoo and cone free condish, but really it was just because she had damaged her hair with almost daily use of a straightening iron and blow dryer.

I think it is possible to get damaged hair adapted to non sls and cone free products and to have nice manageable hair as a result but it would require lots of moisture treatments and other pamperings.
Best way to get rid of damage is to chop it off, unfortunately! :)

But hey, if you'd want to use cones to cover the damage that's there, why not! If it works for you then do it :)

[hototogisu]

I don't think there's anything inherently damaging about cones and SLS shampoos, but I do think some people are sensitive to them.

I also don't totally buy the 'sweeping damage under the rug' argument since hair is, well, dead. There's no way for hair to fix itself once it's been damaged. Silicones can greatly improve damaged and porous hair.

I use SLS shampoos because my scalp does much better with them. Using sulpates and cones doesn't make you a clueless dupe!

[kme81]

My hair did not have color or heat damage when I tried going cone-free...it was awful! My hair did not agree at all! I totally agree with what was said earlier...no-cone is just not for everyone.:shrug:

[Zapookie]

My hair was pretty damaged once I started taking better care of it. I had bleached it and dyed over it a few times. My scalp is very sensitive, and I figured out that it must be the shampoos I'm using, so I decided to try and find some organic sulfate free shampoos.

Now mind you, not every sulfate free shampoo worked. Some of them made my hair fall out in clumps (the organix coconut milk shampoo earlier mentioned did this), some made it feel like velcro, some didn't stop my scalp from itching.

However, I've finally found a natural, sulfate free shampoo that works for me (after a reeeeeeeeallllly long time of trial and error testing) and I couldn't be happier :)

[MissHair]

Hi guys, wanted to do an update. So a day after I made this thread, my scalp began to itch, so much so that I ended up with small wounds, bleeding and having nasty scalp pimples due to the shampoo buildup.

As soon as I went back to Head&Shoulders shampoo my scalp issue went away and my hair feels AMAZING again. Just how little shampoo can do! I feel almost allergic to this organic, sulfate-free herbal/coconut shampoos. Im so glad my scalp and hair is back to normal again! Im done experimenting!

[spidermom]

I don't know where the idea that cones hide damage came from, or maybe it depends on what type hair you have. Personally, I can cone my crazy mixed-up hair type to the max and still find plenty of split ends and other damage whenever I look for them.

[Bedhead]

Hi guys, wanted to do an update. So a day after I made this thread, my scalp began to itch, so much so that I ended up with small wounds, bleeding and having nasty scalp pimples due to the shampoo buildup.

As soon as I went back to Head&Shoulders shampoo my scalp issue went away and my hair feels AMAZING again. Just how little shampoo can do! I feel almost allergic to this organic, sulfate-free herbal/coconut shampoos. Im so glad my scalp and hair is back to normal again! Im done experimenting!

That's a strong reaction, but please don't think this happened because the shampoo was sulfate/cone free. Either you've had a really bad reaction to this particular brand of shampoo, or there are other issues going on there (given you were using Head & Shoulders to begin with). I'm glad you were able to heal it so quickly!

[Alvrodul]

Stick with what works for you, MissHair! Sulfates and cones aren't automatically evil, and there are a number of "coneheads" here.
(No, I'm not one - but my hair doesn't object to cones or sulfates - but I really, really love CV poo bars.)

[a.steeez]

Its weird. I used to love sulfate free shampoos! Its all i would use, i would clarify as well, but it all started after i chelated. Which is a very clarifying treatment most clarifying shampoos clarify cones and product buildup, where as chelating does that too but clarifies the minerals from hard water. I recently got a water softnener so i wanted to clear my hair of hard water! Btw it was great i loved it! It didnt dry out my hair too bad just deep condition. But after chelation my hair hated sulfate free shampoo, as you all said my hair was soo tangly when it usually is not. It felt dry too. I think its just the products we use, and the environment (pollution) dirties our hair and clogs it up, so we need a good clean to keep it nice and moustrized :)