If you are like anyone else, you love to wash your hair at least every other day if not daily. As you lather up you can't help but love the feeling of all those bubbles but did you know that the very ingredients that give you that amazing lather may also be the most damaging to your hair?
Most mainstream shampoos contain sulphates. This is great for making lots of lather but not so great for your personal health, the health of your hair, or the environment.
So why are the mainstream companies still using sulphates in their shampoos?
For the most part it is because sulphates are cheap to make and create lots of lather. Being that we are all accustomed to the idea that lots of bubbles means really clean hair they keep making cheap shampoos.
Just what are sulphates and why are they an issue? You will find the in the shampoo’s ingredient listed as sodium laureth sulphate (SLES) and sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) which are in fact harsh chemical surfactants, found in lots of other products including toothpaste. They are known to cause eye and skin irritation and can be absorbed through the skin.
Did you know that sulfates are far from gentle and can be causing damage on the very thing you are trying to pamper? Yes your hair! Sulphates are very drying and can damage hair follicles which could lead to hair loss. All because we really enjoy our amazing lather while washing our hair. It can also strip the hair and scalp of essential oils causing that drying effect. Worse if you are spending lots of money to color your hair, it causes the color to fade quicker so you have to get your hair colored more often.
If you want to change your brand of shampoo and start looking into more natural and or organic shampoos but don’t know what to look for, here are a few tips on what to look for while reading the shampoo bottle labels.
Look for ingredients such as gylcerine and glucosides which come naturally from corn and sugar. Usually found on the label as decyl glucoside or coco-glucoside, these ingredients won’t give you the lots of
lather you may be accustomed to, but try it for a few weeks and your hair will become healthier, shinier, silkier and softer.
Now isn’t that a great trade off?
One final thought, sulphate-free shampoos are going to cost a bit more than your mainstream shampoos do because of their ingredients. So don’t be surprised at that, but you will in fact use less to cleanse your hair and your hair will be better over all. Isn’t that worth an extra few dollars at the counter? Your hair will love you for it!
The information in this article is to be used for informational purposes. The information contained herein is not intended to be used in place of, or in conjunction with, your professional hairstylist advice.
Copyright 2009 Kim Snyder Owner Overall Beauty, offering only the finest in mineral makeup, U faKtor Sulphate-Free shampoos & Conditioners, natural/organic skincare and BB Couture nail polish, and more!
