| Sulfate-free hair product brands are growing in | | | | there is a wide difference in the effectiveness, |
| popularity as sulfates, chlorides and parabens are | | | | fragrance, and tactile pleasure among the few |
| considered the root to many hair and scalp problems. | | | | competing brands that have made towards the top. |
| The use of SLS - sodium lauryl sulfate and | | | | Why is this? |
| paraben-rich preservatives have been shown to | | | | Primarily because sulfate-free products have had a |
| accelerate the fading of color treatments, leave hair | | | | hard time finding adequate replacements for SLS. |
| vulnerable to heat and chemical damage, and be the | | | | While sodium lauryl sulfate has been an easy |
| lead suspect in the cause of such scalp problems | | | | replacement, its "good sister" sodium laureth sulfate |
| such as dandruff, scalp psoriasis, dermatitis and | | | | has been much harder. The largest problem been |
| excessive oiliness. | | | | effective foaming and cleansing and acceptance by |
| While the blame is certainly up for discussion, many | | | | the consumer. |
| consumers have found that using sulfate free brands | | | | What do we mean by this? Well, SLS is a surfactant |
| have helped their scalp heal and become more | | | | cleanser responsible for the suds, bubbles and foam. |
| healthy. This could be the result of allergies to the | | | | This "foaming action" dissolves oil, dislodges dirt, and |
| chemicals, active ingredients, or the use of other | | | | cleans the hair. Reviewers found the lack of early |
| styling aids. | | | | SLS replacements didn't offer the foaming level |
| Either way, savvy consumers and expert stylists are | | | | consumers wanted or would be effective for deep |
| increasingly searching our non-sulfate brands - | | | | cleaning - no matter how safe or gentle. |
| especially if they are coloring their hair or routinely | | | | Brands such as sfree®, Pureology, Kenra and |
| get perm, straightening, or chemical treatments. | | | | Biolage have all developed very effective products |
| Look for the top reviews to guide your decision | | | | over the last 12-18 months. There replacement |
| While reviews are pretty thin related to non-SLS and | | | | surfactants work very well and they have branched |
| paraben products, most reviewers and analyst agree | | | | including clarifying and hydrating products as well. |
