The one and only type of shampoo you should ever use: Sodium Lauryl Sulfate-FREE
SLS-Free
ALS-Free SLS or Sodium Lauryl Sulfate : is a Surfactant
What SLS is........... in layman's terms?
There is an ingredient is every shampoo and every "cleaning" agent whether it be for the body, for the hair, for the garage, for the bathroom, for the face,etc., called the "SURFACTANT". The surfactant in shampoos are surface active ingredients, meaning they can interact with a surface. The chemical nature of a surfactant allows it to surround and trap oily materials from surfaces. One portion of the molecule is oil compatible soluble while the other is water soluble.
In other words the surfactant is the detergent - or the "cleaning portion" of the formula.
The surfactant is the portion of the formula that can have the harshness of the formula beCAUSE it is the detergent. Detergents CAN be harsh, but they can also be 'gentle'. For the past 20 years almost every shampoo has used the surfactant Sodium Lauryl Sulfate SLS or Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate ALS, why? they are super - super cheap AND they make lots and lots of foam and bubbles.
People expect a lot from shampoos. Unfortunately, it is not easy to tell a good shampoo from a poor one. Cost, fragrance, and lots of foam is what most people look for in shampoo products. Lather and foam does absolutely nothing to make a shampoo a good one, but they often get the most attention.This is something I am trying to re-teach America:
Lots of bubbles has zero to do with the quality of shampoo - you must let that one thing 'go' - please.
- Foaming occurs when surfactant molecules gather around air instead of oil. The result is millions of tiny bubbles. Obviously, the air bubbles are using the surfactants that should be removing dirt and oil. We have all seen shampoo advertisements showing happy, beautiful people taking showers with their heads heaped high with mounds of lather. These images have taught the public to associate lather with cleansing ability.
- The truth is, lots of foamy lather only means too much shampoo was used.
- Excess foam equals waste.
- Sebum and other oils quickly destroy foam.
- Ideally, the head should have just enough lather to lubricate the scalp and hair. This will help your fingers massage the shampoo more effectively into the hair.
- Fragrances and foaming qualities are not good ways to evaluate shampoos.
| Ingredient Part A Sodium CocoylIsethionate85%Flake..............20% Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate.........15% Crodasinic LS-30 ............................12% PEG 150 Distearate Glycol Stearate PEG 7 Glyceryl Cocoate Calendula Extract (oil soluble) Part B GuarSilk Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein Dl Panthenol Distilled Water Part C Liquid Germall Plus _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ |
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate and Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate are easy to use and provide excellent foam and cleansing with mildness but that is where the substitution would be -- the SLS or the ALS would be plugges in there in other formulas. So you can see HOW MUCH of the formula is this harsh ingredient.
GuarSilk provides superior conditioning and additional viscosity. C12-15 alkyl benzoate provides sheen and improves wet combing. Panthenol & wheat protein for strength and conditioning.
Why did companies use SLS? They both create huge bubbles and are super cheap to use... and for years no one was looking "into" ingredients in cosmetics. The times are changing though.
There are many manufacturers that use those ingredients in garage cleaners, engine degreasers and the horrendous list goes on and on....the last place those ingredients should be > is in your hair.Try to remember the names, jot them down - put the list in your wallet, be sure not to purchase any hair products with those names in them. I'm not one of those fanatics, I promise you, I feel if you are fanatical about anything, it will drive you crazy. . . so crazy that avoiding whatever it is you were trying to, would be detrimental to having a balanced life.
My reason for avoiding SLS & ALS?
I began to notice that I was starting to have 18 year olds sit in my chair that had hair thinning and hair loss. Something I had never seen before. Of course, I had 40 -50 - 60 year olds with the beginnings of this normal problem. As you age, your hair thins. . . of course in men, but the problem began to become super predominant in women PLUS it began to become a problem in youth. . . so I began reading. This is when I started my journey into cosmetic chemistry.... so it took a full year of reading and joining a couple different groups, ordering huge textbooks and reading them learning how EXACTLY the hair follicle/hair strand worked. How and why certain things happened that had to do with the growing cycle....then I began to look into some of the ingredients in some of the products that we used.
Long Story - - - SHORT . . . I started to focus on SLS and ALS. . . and then I got my first microscope. Then I ordered my first tub of SLS ( a powder). I opened the jar and the caustic smell of it burnt the inside of my nose and nearly knocked me over. I could NOT believe how rough and how horrifically strong - - JUST THE SCENT - - of this product was. I knew right then and there that this one ingredient was the cause of all the problems.
It also cost pennies, so the whole thing started to make more and more sense to me.
Super cheap . . . so the profits would be huge.
Super bubbles, which the public had been trained to search for from the commercials.
Easy to work with.
I had been looking for a common denominator as to why all these people were having thinning hair & hair loss and this was it. All of these people used shampoos with SLS in them
- - we all did, we didn't know any better - this was years ago when we didn't question this type of thing.
So, after a lot of studying - researching and trials and errors with my clients. . . I discovered once we switched numerous people off of the SLS- shampoo's their hair thinning/loss after 2-4-6-8 months - - slowly improved. It worked for both men and women, which I didn't think was going to be the case. This was about 7-8 years ago . . . so steadily since then I have been writing letters, talking to labs and trying to bark up the right tree in hopes of getting the word out there. I feel 2008 was the first year the movement officially started, we still have a long way to go but at least it is opened up and on its way.
PLEASE - PLEASE, get yourself a SLS or ALS-FREE Shampoo. . . .You WILL notice the difference when you quit using them and for the long term, you will be grateful.
Mini List of SLS-Free Shampoos
ABBA-'True Curls' 10oz : $11.25
ALFA PARF-'Splendore-Hydrate' 9oz:$15.49
ALTERNA - 'Hemp Seed & Cavier'10oz:$16.99
BROCATO - 'Splash' 10oz:$9.45
DEVA -'Curl Low Poo' 12oz:$13.50
ENJOY- all Sulfate-Free 10oz:$12.99
J BEVERLY HILLS - 'Fragile-Colour-Safe' : 12 oz : $13.05
JONATHAN - 'Moisture' 8.4oz : $20.00
KENRA - 'Platinum' 10oz : $14.40
L'ANZA -'Healing Colour Care' 8oz:$16.50
MASTEY- 'Enove Creme Shampoo' 8oz:$9.90
OLE HENRICKSEN - 'Natural Hair Wash' 12oz:$22.00
OSMO- 'Essence Blinding Shine' 9.5oz:$10.99
PAVES PROF- 'Flawless' 8oz:$5.99
PRAVANA-'colour, hydrating, volumizing' 10oz. $12.55
PUREOLOGY-all 3 types 10oz : $21.60
SEXY HAIR- 'Healthy Sexy Soy Milk Chocolate' 13oz: $14.75
TREASURED LOCKS-'Nothing but Nature' Shampoo 10oz : $11.99
ZERRAN- 'Sulfate-Free' 8oz : $16.50
Here is a super long list of sulfate-free shampoos that I have not checked personally but I am sure they are OK from the Long Hair Community :
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=34009
One of the biggest changes in all shampoos this year will be "Sulfate-Free" you watch.
For years my one and only recommendation to all my clients was PUREOLOGY, the technology they used was the newest and most innovative in the entire world of shampoos... it was made here in southern California by this man involved heavily in the hair industry who capitalized on the theory of "LUXURY BRANDING"..the thing was he backed it up with innovative technology - it wasn't just "words". He made a fortune, it was the first time shampoo was selling like crazy at $25.00 for a small bottle. I resisted at first, then clients started raving about it, that price was just nutty to me. Then I fell & fell hard. Everyone including me used it religiously for the next 5-6 years. Then as any good businessman does he sold the company this past year...for $65 million to L'Oreal. The one company I don't trust, and have never found one product that is worth a shit. I've tried -- promise. Personally, as soon as we use it all up we will be switching brands. I just don't trust L'Oreal and have already heard clients that have seen it in COSTCO (discount shopping), so there goes that relationship.
There are many ORGANIC/SULFATE-FREE/NATURAL Shampoos that rock, with a short list below. I have put one through my month long test and it did log better than PUREOLOGY and that is JOHN MASTERS ORGANICS shampoo - I love this guy - he is a genius
http://www.johnmasters.com/haircare.htm.
Its time for everyone to start going ORGANIC and GREEN anyway, you may as well start with your hair. There is nothing better than ORGANIC/NATURAL Shampoos for your hair and your body, I am a Vegan which scares a lot of people - but I feel whatever you put in your body shows up on the outside.
One of my theories that I've had clients put on pillows for me is,
"The Health Of Your Body; Shows Up In Your Hair "
In a single appointment I can tell if my clients have been partying too much, if they've been in a pool or jacuzzi, if their diet has suffered, if their water intake has diminished and on and on -- It amazes them, but I am almost always DEAD ON.
Here's a short list of shampoos I have reviewed the ingredients and OK them for you.
Prarie Therapy Natural Shampoo................................... $9.95
John Masters Organics Shampoos...........4 types.......... $16.00 - $19.00
HAMADI Hair Wash.............................4 types............... $27.00
SUKI Clean Balance Shampoo......................................... $23.00
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