Sulphates in Shampoo
Sulphates and Shampoos: Your Questions Answered
Why are sulphates in shampoos? What do sulphates do in shampoos? Are sulphates bad for me or the environment? Why are so few shampoos sulphate free? Do shampoos with sulphates fade my hair colour? When is a sulphate free shampoo a good choice for my hair? Do hairdressers use shampoos with sulphates? Let's answer these questions.
Why are Sulphates in Shampoo and what do they do?
Sulphates are in some shampoos because they act as surfactants to remove dirt, oil and product residue. Bear with me while I put on my science hat otherwise skip on to the next section... On the macro level, by combining hydrophilic (attracting water) and hydrophobic (repelling water) reactions surfactants lower the surface tension between the liquid (the shampoo and water) and solid (your hair shaft and scalp) it is interfacing with. The created dynamic at this interface allows surfactants to efficiently pull away foreign substances. This process is aided by the foaming that you see. Put simply, each bubble is creating more surface area for the reaction and the instability of the foaming helps maintain the dynamic that does the work at the interface.
These sulphates are also used in soaps and detergents and you can see the material the process has dislodged in ‘soap scum’. When they stop bubbling, you know they have lost their ‘kick’. These sort of surfactants are known as anionic surfactants, they work at an electron level by attracting and grabbing contaminants. Anions are ions or compounds with a negative electron charge, sulphates have a negative charge of two. In water, which has a different sort of bonding, these anions with negative charge will preferentially attract foreign substances with a positive charge (salts for example) from the water and your hair shaft and grab hold of them, very similar to how a magnet attracts iron filings sitting on a piece of paper. In summary, the macro level foaming increases the opportunity and rate for the micro level reactions to occur. That's it for the scientific explanation.
Are Sulphates in Shampoos Bad for Me or the Environment?
According to scientific knowledge these anionic surfactants used in shampoos, soaps and detergents are not toxic and do not affect the environment except, like everything including milk, in large concentrated doses. They are used as soil wetting agents in gardening and farming to remediate very dry soil that has lost its ability to soak up moisture. They are used in soaps used to wash your hands before you eat and in dishwashing detergents used to wash the plates you eat off. They are the same detergents Doctors recommend you wash your fruit with before eating to protect yourself from persistent herbicides and pesticides. There are types of surfactants that can be hazardous, but not the type used in detergents and shampoos. Nevertheless they are literally a deep cleaning detergent rather than a cleanser and some people find them too harsh for their hair.
Why are so Few Shampoos Sulphate Free?
As a matter of fact there are many sulphate free shampoos but not all are marketed or labelled ‘sulphate free’ . For example European companies are not allowed to label products ‘x-free’ if the substance is not known to be hazardous since that implies the substance is hazardous. Look at the ingredient list to see if any sort of sulphate (or sulfate if it is a US product) compounds are included.
What about Sulphate and Colour Fading?
Now you know how sulphates work as surfactants in shampoo you can figure out how they can dull out coloured hair if you understand how tinting works. Tinting works by opening the ‘scales’ on your hair,colour molecules enter the shaft and are locked into the cortex when the shaft scales close again as the process completes. Therefore sulphates cannot remove the locked in colour molecules, but they may remove the additional staining on the outer cover of the shaft that gives the colour more brilliance.
There are other factors that contribute to this ‘fading’ or dulling out, for example UV light. A premium tint available at Urban Fringe Hair is Keune, we use it because it has additives, adapted from the textile industry, to reduce fading from UV light and Nitrogen compounds in the air (known as NOx) - and the difference is noticeable. These tints are supported by Keune's Colour Care Range of Shampoos and Conditioners, which you can order for pick up at our online store, but other salon brands offer similar solutions. Wella's Colour Save Shampoo and Redken's Colour Extend Shampoo are very highly rated, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases if you take advantage of the free delivery on these litre bottles of Wella or Redken
Generally hairstylists manage the fading by combing through some colour after your roots are processed just before washing off to brighten up the older colour without over-dying the older hair. In summary, all colours fade due a range of factors, some are unavoidable, sulphates in shampoos are one avoidable factor.
When is a Sulphate Free Shampoo a Good Choice?
If you have your hair straightened it is important to use sulphate free shampoo if you want to help it last because keratin straightening works cumulatively by building up in your hair. The surfactant action of sulphates will remove the keratin compounds you are trying to deposit.
If your hair noticeably fades between colours, especially if you have longer hair, sulphate free shampoo may help it last better.
If you have very light hair, grey or white, sulphate free shampoo may help avoid discolouration. You can read more about managing grey hair discolouration on another Urban Fringe Hair post here .
If you wash your hair every day or two and don’t use much product so it never builds up much dirt or oil sulphate free shampoo might be a good choice for you.
If you rely on your natural scalp oils to help manage your hair or your hair is very dry sulphate free shampoo might be the right choice for you.
If you have coarse textured hair or you have curly hair that responds well to co-washing sulphate free shampoo will help to keep your hair from being dry.
Perhaps you fit into one of these categories and you have tried sulphate free shampoos with less than happy results? In that case, if this article does not resolve your problem, we recommend you speak to your hairdresser who can help you find a product that works for you.
When should I use Shampoo with Sulphates?
If you regularly use styling products, have hair that produces a lot of natural oil, you workout or play sport a lot or you just don’t to wash your hair very often you may find a shampoo with sulphates is what you need to keep your hair clean and smelling fresh.
If you put off having your roots done using colour touch-up to hide your regrowth the surfactants will work to remove the staining so that your retouch can be applied and processed effectively.
When you’ve been using another sort of shampoo for a while and you notice your hair has stopped coming up clean or becomes limp and heavy, you probably have build up and need a deeper clean. If this scenario sounds familiar and you prefer your sulphate free product consider keeping a bottle of these stronger shampoos in the cupboard and just use once every week or two.
Do Hairstylists use Shampoos with Sulphates?
Hair stylists use shampoos with sulphates when we need to ensure the hair is thoroughly clean before different processes or styling and there is build up in the hair. It can be frustrating when a new client who obviously wants to take care of their hair complains that they do their best and use ‘sulphate free products and all that but my hair always seems dirty'. We have sulphate free cleansing shampoos at the basin but sometimes they simply cannot do the job. If a client insists they want sulphate free at the basin and it is unsuccessful but we still need to strip our the dirt and oil we have other options but they are a lot harsher than the shampoos.
TLDR
Sulphates in shampoos are effective at cleaning hair and there is nothing wrong with using them however if you prefer a gentler clean you may prefer sulphate free shampoos. Clarifying shampoos have sulphates and so do many other sorts of shampoos we use at the basin, but remember your stylist does not expect to wash your hair every day. Often sulphate free shampoos are associated and co-marketed with socially responsible goals such as vegan friendly, environmentally friendly and cruelty free however sulphates in shampoos per se do not contradict any of these ethical values. If you are having trouble finding a shampoo that suits you and your way of life it is always a good idea to talk to your stylist and ask the person washing your hair why they are using the products they are using when you are at the basin.
