I have long been confused about why some of us think that sulfate shampoo is so bad for our hair, while sulfate-free shampoo is not. Your hair needs a good balance of oil in order to stay healthy and shiny. The natural oil that coats the hair is called sebum. Now think of your hair as a cotton ball. It collects dirt, humidity, minerals, and so on. When your hair gets oily, it is easier for dirt and other nasties to stick to it. That’s when you need to decide whether you should use a sulfate or sulfate-free shampoo to wash your hair.
Shampoo’s primary job is to cleanse the hair. And the main ingredient that makes a shampoo a shampoo is the sulfate. Yes. The thing that some of us have been trying to stay away from. A shampoo without sulfate is like key lime pie without the lime. The good lather that you get when washing your hair comes from the sulfate in your shampoo. In other words, if you get rid of all the sulfates in the shampoo, your hair will not get clean. And if the oils and dirt are not removed from the hair and scalp, you can get too much oil and skin buildup from the natural sebum, which can lead to dandruff, other bacteria, and scalp infection.
Sulfate vs. Sulfate-free shampoo
The beauty industry or the market classifies shampoo into two categories: Sulfate & Sulfate-free. A sulfate shampoo contains stronger sulfates and cleanse the hair thoroughly and lathers well. They also get rid of buildup from styling products usage and the environment. But this kind of shampoo can over cleanse certain hair types when used daily.
The sulfate-free category uses milder sulfates. These shampoos lather well, but gently cleanse the hair and scalp. Also, they don’t always remove buildup caused by styling products that contain heavy silicones and pollutants from the environment. With that said, these shampoos are great for not stripping the hair of its natural oils and drying it out.
