Should Your Shower Stay Sulfate Free?
Submitted by Beauty Brains Blog
Somnuz Sez: Hi. Just wanted to know your thoughts regarding sulfate-free products. If products do not contain surfactants, can they still clean. Or, if they contain lesser know surfactants, could they be even more harmful than SLS and SLES? Am trying some sulfate-free products and would love to know what you think of them. Ren shower washes and also the Mir skincare range.
The Right Brain’s Response:
To answer your question, first let’s take a look at 4 quick reasons why sulfates (like sodium lauryl sulfate, ammonium lauryl sulfate, and their cousins the laureth sulfates) are so popular.
Why sulfates are popular
1) They’re very cheap and they’re readily available. Basic sulfates can cost as little as 25 cents per pound. More expensive surfactants can be $1.00 or more per pound.
2) They’re good cleaners. Sulfates are good at dissolving dirt and oil, especially the kind found on your hair and body. So they work really well in shampoos and body washes.
3) They foam well. Sulfates are extremely good at generating a lot of foam really fast. Even though you can have a good cleansing product that doesn’t foam, consumers tend to like high foaming products better.
4) They’re easy to thicken. Lauryl sulfates (not so much the laureth ones) can be thickened just by adding salt. Therefore, the companies that manufacture shampoos and body washes like to formulate with sulfates because their products can be made quickly and easily.
So, what about sulfate free products? Well, by comparison they generally are more expensive, they may not foam as well (depending on the formula. Consider a baby shampoo for example), and they require more complex formulas because they can’t be thickened with salt.
The sad side of sulfates
So why would your want to use sulfate free products? Well, a potential downside of using sulfates is that they can dry out your hair and skin. Sulfate free formulas can be milder because they don’t strip the natural oils out of your skin as much. Also, sulfates can really make your eyes sting. Sulfate free products can be formulated to be non-stinging and “tear-free.”
