This is Why You Should Avoid Sulfates in Your Haircare Routine
When it comes to shopping for haircare products, you may recall reading “sulfate-free” on some of the labels.
Sounds great, but what does this really mean? What are sulfates? Why should you avoid them?
For starters, sulfates are essentially cleansing chemicals that help remove oil and dirt and most store bought shampoos contain them. They are also responsible for the foaming action that many of us love while shampooing.
Sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium laureate sulfate are the most common sulfates that you can find in many beauty products, not just in haircare. In fact, these sulfates are also be found in your laundry detergent.
So, when it comes to haircare, why should you avoid them? Here’s why…
They Strip Away Natural Oils
When you apply sulfates to your hair, you are stripping it of its natural oils.
While cleansing the scalp is necessary, you want to avoid removing too many oils, which can lead to dryness, dullness, and even scalp irritation. This may also worsen existing conditions like rosacea, eczema, and sebborheic dermatitis.
When it comes to hair extensions, the hair may be more prone to dryness since the hair is not attached directly to the scalp. Essentially, the oils produced by the scalp are not able to nourish the extension hair directly post-wash.
In addition, sulfates are so powerful that they can destroy the keratin found in your extension hair, which leads to breakage and fallout.
Hair Frizz
Has your hair been frizzier than usual or have you always struggled with frizz? Sulfates might be one of the reasons why. As mentioned earlier, dryness is a common occurrence when it comes to sulfates.
They also increase the negative charge in your hair, which by nature, is already negatively charged - this is just a fancy scientific way of saying your hair contains electrical charge, kind of cool right?
Therefore, when more negative electrical charge is added, your hair can lack enough moisture, which makes it harder to tame your frizz, flyaways, and deal with hair static.
They Strip Away Your Hair Extension Color
Given that sulfates are powerful cleansing agents, they can strip away the color in your hair extensions over time. This is why you may find that many extension-safe shampoos and conditioners offer a sulfate-free ingredient list.
To maintain your extensions looking their best, be sure to use a sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner that also keeps your hair healthy and hydrated.
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