Sulfate-Free FAQ

Most people wash their hair... and their feet.... and everything in-between. Have you ever wondered what is in soap that makes it so foamy and good at removing oil and dirt? At least 90% of store-bought detergent products contain sulfates to do just this. What are they? And mainly, why should you care?

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What are Sulfates?  

Sulfates are mineral salts containing sulfur commonly added to detergent products to cut grease and encourage foaming.

Links to the detailed chemical info for each:

• Sodium Laureth Sulphate (SLES)
• Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS)
• Ammonium Lareth (Lauryl) Sulphate (ALS)
• TEA Laureth Sulphate (TEA)
• Myreth Sulphate (MS)  (nearly identical to SLES and SLS)

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Are they the same as Sulfites?

No, sulfites (with an "i") are different sulfur-containing minerals used in food preservation.

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What are Sulfates in?

Bar and liquid soaps, hair shampoos and conditioners, kitchen de-greasers, industrial grade floor cleaners, and almost every conventional product that foams like a soap.

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Are they toxic?

In general no.  The FDA lists the commonly used sulfate compounds as "Generally Recognized As Safe", meaning no one has provided enough evidence to prove that it is not safe in limited concentrations.  However, they are known to cause irritation and skin scaling at concentrations as low as 0.5%.  At concentrations of 10%, they begin to denature skin protein. Some shampoos have been confirmed to contain upwards of 30% concentrations. There are no formal regulations on the concentration percentages for cosmetic use.

The Cosmetic Ingredient Review report concluded that both sodium and ammonium lauryl/laureth sulfate 

“appear to be safe in formulations designed for discontinuous, brief use followed by thorough rinsing from the surface of the skin. In products intended for prolonged use, concentrations should not exceed 1%.”

However, during production many of the sulfates become contaminated with known carcinogens: nitrosamines and dioxane 1, 2, 3, and 4. (Not the same stuff as dioxin, which poisoned and disfigured the ex-president of Ukraine.) The FDA suggests the removal of these contaminates, but it is not legally required.

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Other than possible carcinogens, why does it matter to me?

Because these ingredients are some of the best chemical de-greasers known to modern science, they are highly stripping to skin and hair.  The higher the concentration, the more natural oil the product removes and greater the skin protein break-down.

Long term use in shampoo has been shown to over-dry hair and hair folicles. This causes hair breakage along the shaft, hairloss at the root ball, and delayed re-growth due to irritation beneath the top surface of the skin. 

Those with sensitive skin may have these symptoms immediately, or after a few weeks of use.  Those with normal sensitivity will have some of these symptoms after months or years though the hair breakage and loss may be percieved as "horemonal changes". "age related hair loss", or "normal shedding".    The irritation and dryness is the main reason baby shampoos do not contain sulfates.

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But do non-sulfate shampoos/soaps clean as well?

It depends. If you expect a sulfate-free shampoo to compete with the most "clarifying" conventional shampoo on the market, you will notice that it won't clean as deeply.  However, if you compare the average sulfate-free shampoo to a conventional "for normal hair" or "for dry hair" variety, you will find that they function just as well.  If you use a huge amount of styling product every day, you may have to shampoo twice to get your hair equally clean.

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 Are sulfate-free shampoos better for me?

If you have no skin sensitivity to sulfates and you shampoo infrequently (once a week or so), chances are you won't notice much of a scalp/hair health increase. Your exposure is pretty low already.
If you have sensitive or dry skin or you shampoo daily or every other day, you can expect to see improvement:

• Scalp will be less itchy and tight
• Hair will feel less dry and coarse
• Hairs will grow longer before snapping off or naturally falling out
• Hairs that have naturally fallen out will regrow sooner

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Who makes sulfate-free shampoos?

Many brands, in a wide range of prices make them.  Most come in 8-12 oz bottles. Tresseme comes in a 32 oz bottle and a few come in 6 oz containers. I've compared the cost per 10 oz to make it a more fair comparison. Many of the less expensive brands outperform the pricey ones, so don't be afraid to try + return if you don't like them.

1. ($3-5.00) $
2. ($6-10) $$
3. ($11-17) $$$
4. ($18-25.00) $$$$

• $ Tresseme - 'Naturals'
• $ Earth Science - 'Fragrance Free Shampoo'
• $ Auromere Shampoo - 'Sulfate Free'

• $$ L'oreal Paris - 'Everpure '
• $$ Body Works - 'Rainforest'
• $$ Aubrey Organics 'Honeysuckle Rose'
• $$ Giovanni - 'Smooth as Silk'
• $$ Creme of Nature - 'Ultra Moisturizing'
• $$ Bed Head - 'Sulfate Free Shampoo'
• $$ Back To Basics - 'Color Protect'
• $$ Jason Natural - 'Shampoo Salon - Curl Defining'

• $$$ BROCATO - 'Splash'
• $$$ Elasta QP - 'Creme Moisturizing'
• $$$ Burts Bees - 'Super Shiny Grapefruit & Sugar Beet'
• $$$ ABBA - 'True Curls'
• $$$ ALFA PARF - 'Splendore-Hydrate'
• $$$ ALTERNA - 'Hemp Seed & Cavier'
• $$$ DEVA - 'Curl Low Poo'
• $$$ KENRA - 'Platinum'
• $$$ ENJOY - all Sulfate-Free
• $$$ J BEVERLY HILLS - 'Fragile-Colour-Safe'
• $$$ L'ANZA - 'Healing Colour Care'

• $$$$ MASTEY - 'Enove Creme Shampoo'
• $$$$ Bumble and Bumble
• $$$$ JONATHAN - 'Moisture'